News Briefs

Cumberland Habitat For Humanity House Will Radiate With Energy Efficient Lighting

Cumberland serves as the site for one of Habitat for Humanity's homes being built this year with sweat equity and donations. Richard Bacon, program manager of the Efficiency Maine Residential Lighting Program, delivered energy efficient lighting products to the job site on Thursday, August 18 with the goal of reducing the homeowners' electricity costs.
According to Efficiency Maine, these energy efficient lighting products should reduce the new residents' annual electric bill by $94.67 a year, based on an average use of four hours a day. Above, Cumberland Habitat Family Photo Caption: (Left to Right)

Back Row: Daniel Wallace and Steve Bolton from Habitat for Humanity; Mandie and Geoffrey Savage; Richard Bacon from Efficiency Maine; Senator Karl Turner. Front Row: Gregory and Larissa Savage

Lowe's of Brunswick donated six ceiling fixtures; one living room ceiling fan; one bathroom ceiling light with fan; two wall fixtures for bathroom vanity; and three exterior lights. This has a retail value of approximately $1000.
Master Electrician M.J. Reed, of MJR Electric installed the fixtures. ENERGY STAR® lighting was chosen because these products last six to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and save the consumer up to $50 per bulb over the seven-year average life of the bulb.

For a homeowner purchasing energy efficient fixtures, the additional cost would be paid back by the savings on the cost of electricity in about three years. "Partnering with Habitat for Humanity helps us show that ENERGY STAR lighting products are easy to find, easy to install and save homeowners money today and tomorrow," stated Richard Bacon, program manager for Efficiency Maine Residential Lighting Program. "We appreciate the opportunity to spread our message of using electricity wisely through Habitats' program.

Left, Cumberland Habitat Electrician MJ Reed of MJR Electric installs an energy efficient lighting fixture.

In Maine, 166 retailers are participating in the Efficiency Maine Residential Lighting Program and stock these products. Consumers may visit http://www.efficiencymaine.com on the Web or call toll free, 1-866-376-2463 (press option 6) to get the complete list of participating retailers in Maine.

Efficiency Maine is a statewide effort to promote the more efficient use of electricity, help Maine residents and businesses reduce energy costs, and improve Maine¹s environment. The Residential Lighting Program is one of several programs offered to achieve this goal. Efficiency Maine is funded by electricity consumers and administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Money to fund Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition and Operations and Firefighter Safety Program
Cumberland included in award cycle

Washington, D.C.---U.S. Representative Tom Allen announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP) has awarded a total of $854,837 in Assistance to Firefighters grants to fire departments in Maine. Communities will use these grants to acquire new firefighting vehicles and to improve fire station operations and firefighter safety. The grants are part of $650 million Congress has allotted for 2005 to the SLGCP to improve the effectiveness of firefighting operations and firefighter health and safety programs, and to establish and or expand fire prevention programs throughout the U.S.

Representative Allen co-sponsored the legislation to establish the fire grants program and has been a consistent supporter of federal funding to fire departments in Maine and across America. For Fiscal Year 2005, SLGCP received approximately 21,000 grant applications for approximately $2,916,784,410. Towns had to make a commitment to match the federal funding with their own money to be considered for a grant. The match for communities under 20,000 population is five percent. For communities with populations between 20,000 and 50,000 residents, it is ten percent. For communities over 50,000, the match is twenty percent.

Below is a partial list of departments, the SLGCP funding they will receive, and
what they will use the money for:
--Cumberland Fire $44,650, Operations and Safety
--Cumberland Rescue: $31,892, Operations and Safety
--Westbrook Fire & Rescue: $75,468, Operations and Safety

ACCESS 2006 Special Event

On Saturday, August 27, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. the public is invited to hear New Hampshire State Senator Lou D'Allesandro explain proposed legislation to allow adult adopted persons access to their original birth certificates and the bipartisan success of such legislation in New Hampshire.

Senator D'Allesandro was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 335, which passed in the NH Senate and House in the 2004 legislative session, and officially became law May 12, 2004.

On January 1, 2005 New Hampshire began allowing adult adoptees born in New Hampshire to obtain a non-certified copy of their original birth certificates. New Hampshire became the 7th state in the U.S. to allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificate along with Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee. As of August 12, 711 adoptees have requested a copy of their original birth certificate while only 11 birth parents have requested not to be contacted.

ACCESS 2006 is a grassroots effort dedicated to passing legislation allowing adult adoptees born in Maine to obtain a non-certified copy of their original birth certificates (OBC).

Members of ACCESS 2006 will be there to explain what rights adoptees born in Maine presently have regarding their birth information and the proposed changes to Maine's adoption law. ACCESS 2006 members will explain in detail the process on how an adoptee would be able to access a copy of their OBC by filling out the Pre-adoption Order Form.

The new law would allow birth parents to fill out a Contact Preference Form to express their desire for contact. The Contact Preference Form allows you to indicate your desire for contact with your birth child in one of the three following ways:

--I would like to be contacted
--I would like be contacted but through an intermediary of my choosing, i.e. the placing agency, personal friend, etc.
--I do not want to be contacted.

If a birth parent chooses not to be contacted, they are required to fill out a Birth Parent Updated Medical History form. This form will be placed in the adoptee's file at Maine Vital Records and will be given to an adoptee when he/she requests a copy of their original birth certificate.

ACCESS 2006 is actively looking for new members across the State of Maine who are willing to work to change Maine's adoption law to allow adult adoptees to access their original birth certificate. If you would like further information about ACCESS 2006 please contact Bobbi Beavers at rbbeavers@comcast.net, Cathy Robishaw at tmc3910@yahoo.com, or Paul Schibbelhute at 603-880-7790, pschibbe@aol.com

Cianchette Names Campaign Coordinator

Laura Subilia-Bell to coordinate Cianchette for Governor Committee
SOUTH PORTLAND - Republican Gubernatorial candidate Peter Cianchette named Laura Subilia-Bell to serve as Campaign Coordinator of the Cianchette for Governor Committee. As campaign coordinator, Subilia-Bell fills a formative role in Cianchette's growing team of supporters.

Cianchette made the following statement regarding his ongoing progress in building his team, "Laura brings an impressive professional background and an organizational know-how that will help coordinate the many supporters, volunteers and contributors who will work alongside me throughout this campaign. Laura is uniquely qualified for this important work because of the extent and depth of her professional experiences."

Ms. Subilia-Bell is a graduate of Boston College and holds a Masters degree from Northeastern University. She possesses an extensive background in public relations, management operations, and program and personnel management. Prior to joining Cianchette for Governor she served as Vice President of Electronic Marketing and Commerce for a financial services firm in Boston and more recently served as Director of Operations and Program Manager for Vicus Technologies in Kennebunk before starting her own project management and operations solutions consulting firm. She resides in Wells with her husband and two children. She is a native of Wells, Maine.

Ms. Subilia-Bell will help facilitate media requests, grassroots organizing, fundraising efforts, and serve as the day-to-day coordinator of the Cianchette for Governor Committee activities. She can be reached by calling 207-774-4468 (4GOV).