News Briefs

Pennell Action

The Gray Town Council had asked Manger Mitchell A. Berkowitz to report on the status of the pending Pennell Court action by the September 6 Council meeting. Mr. Berkowitz reported that did receive word from Town Attorney Bill Dale late on Friday, September 2 that the Court had communicated with all of the interested parties indicating any opposition to the Town's motion to intervene and then re-open the court order from two years ago must be received by the court no later than Sept. 21, 2005.
It appears the motion Attorney Dale has filed is following the track he had previously reported to the Council at workshop. No court date has been set.

Gray Water District special meeting

Gray Water District - Special Trustee Meeting Monday, Sept 12, 7 p.m. at District office on Shaker Rd. regarding Gray Bypass (Westerly connector).
The Trustees will be addressing water line issues regarding the DOT/MTA bypass. There is one line that may need to be moved at the Rte 202 end and the Trustees are considering upgrade options on the Rt. 26 end. The meeting is a public meeting and the public may attend.

SAD 15 Bus Inspections

On the first day of school bus inspections were being conducted at the Transportation Garage on Libby Hill Rd in Gray. The inspections were a regularly scheduled event and conducted by the State Police, according to SAD 15 (Gray and New Gloucester) Superintendent Victoria Burns said. "It is unfortunate that it is the first day, but Transportation will figure out how to work around the first day adjustments," Ms. Burns said.

MCLU Executive Director Shenna Bellows to speak about the USA Patriot Act

at Hubbard Free Library in Hallowell on Sunday, September 18th at 2 p.m.

In the coming days, Congress will vote on whether to make certain expiring sections of the Patriot Act permanent, and on a drastic expansion of the law to allow the FBI to go on broad fishing expeditions into the personal records of innocent Americans.

Many sections of this sweeping law need proper checks and balances to protect our constitutional freedoms. Unfortunately, the chance to do that may be lost forever when Congress votes in the coming days on whether to make permanent and expand the Patriot Act. Activists across the country and the state are meeting to discuss next steps in the Patriot Act debate.

On Sunday, September 18th at 2 p.m., Maine Civil Liberties Executive Director Shenna Bellows will host such a discussion titled, "What Now? Examining the Patriot Act Post Reauthorization," and present an exclusive screening of "Beyond The Patriot Act," the first episode of an unprecedented new series entitled The ACLU Freedom Files at the Hubbard Free Library, 115 Second Street in Hallowell, Maine.

This program is free and open to the public with no advance reservations required. For more information call the Maine Civil Liberties Union at 207-774-5444 or go to www.mclu.org. For more information about the USA Patriot act go to www.reformthepatriotact.org

DHS Proposes new rules on documents needed for travel to U.S. From Canada, Mexico proposal

Will Address Sen. Collins' Provision to Require Dept to Consider Alternatives to Passports

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Homeland Security is seeking public comment on implementation of the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," that would require individuals who enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, and other Western Hemisphere countries to carry a passport.

At Senator Collins' insistence, the law requires DHS to also consider acceptable alternatives to passports, and to develop a plan that takes into consideration the needs of frequent travelers residing in border communities.
Senator Collins has long argued that new travel rules should take into account the unique needs of states like Maine, where frequent travel across the border is crucial. She believes technology exists to allow this to be done without compromising security.

The Collins-Lieberman intelligence reform law included the requirement that alternative forms of identification be considered as part of the new passport rules. It also requires that the Department seek to expedite the travel of frequent travelers, including those who live in border communities, and make registered traveler programs readily available to all travelers. The Department has committed itself to continuing to improve and expand travel facilitation programs consistent with the requirements of the law.

The originally proposed date for implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was December 31, 2005. The proposal issued by DHS this week would roll out the initiative in two phases, delaying implementation of the first phase to December 21, 2006 and the second phase on December 31, 2007.

Maine GOP proposes gas relief

House & Senate Republican Office sends letter to Governor Baldacci

Dear Governor Baldacci,

In light of the sudden and unprecedented increase in the price of gasoline and heating oil, we offer the following proposals for your consideration. Republican leadership has agreed on this list of ideas as a way to provide relief to Maine citizens who are struggling to pay for gasoline and heating oil. We do not put this forward as a comprehensive list; we are open to all useful ideas.

Much of the price spike is a direct result of Hurricane Katrina and the shutdown of many refineries along the Gulf Coast. It is unclear where prices will go. At this time of financial strain on our citizens, we urge that we all work together for the common good and to sustain our economy.
Our proposals are these:

Suspend Maine 's 25.9-cent gasoline tax for a period of at least 60 days to allow the market to stabilize.
Repeal the tax on heating oil used by businesses.
Repeal the automatic indexing of gasoline taxes.
Reduce most administrative state vehicle travel by 15 percent.
Order a temporary change to state employees' work schedules from five eight-hour days to four 10-hour days, wherever possible.
Expand state efforts to coordinate and improve car pooling on a statewide level.
Instruct the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate the use of lower-grade diesel and gasoline fuels, such as dyed diesel use for agricultural purposes.

Several of these proposals would require the Legislature's approval. We therefore stand ready to heed a call for a special session, to be held as soon as possible, to deal solely with these proposals and no other matters.

Sincerely,

Sen. Paul Davis, Senate Republican Leader
Rep. David Bowles House Republican Leader