RUMFORD – The war in Iraq has caused the resignation of a Mountain Valley Middle School baseball coach.

SAD 43 Superintendent James Hodgkin said the resignation of Anthony Mazza from the position was announced at Monday’s board meeting. Mazza is also a full-time educational technician in the district. That position will be held for him until he returns from an 18-month tour of active duty.

Hodgkin said Mazza’s call-up is the first for the district.

Lisbon:

Voters OK bond, 20-year TIF

LISBON – Voters approved a 20-year tax increment financing plan for Enterprise Electric along with a $350,000 bond for the treatment plant.

The measures were approved overwhelmingly in a 20-minute special town meeting. Voters also made changes to the parks code that will apply to all eight municipal parks. The changes include no smoking. Amendments to the street name code will include mobile homes in parks.

All but five of the 47 voters approved establishing the 20-year Municipal Development and Tax Increment Financing District for Enterprise Electric, a local electrical contracting company that has been in business here since 1968.

Former Advisory Board Chairman Herbert “Pete” Reed objected to the public hearing on the TIF article and the town meeting being held right after.

He said in the past the town has “never had a public hearing on any article, at, or prior to a town meeting before. It’s not right, it should have been held prior to selectmen calling a special town meeting.”

Town Attorney Roger Therriault said it was permissible under state statute and everything was “procedurally correct.”

Auburn:

Chief investigates charges

AUBURN – The police chief is conducting his own investigation into the Aug. 4 arrest of Mayor Norm Guay.

Police Chief Richard Small will look into his department’s actions leading up to and after the mayor’s drunken-driving arrest. City Manager Pat Finnigan said Small’s investigation is different than the one performed by Portland attorneys in August.

“They both have very different tracks, with very different purposes,” Finnigan said. “The first was to determine what actually happened on Aug. 4. Now that the chief has read that report, he has some concerns of his own. He’s looking at those concerns now.”

Police union officials reacted harshly to the second investigation. Attorney John Richardson, who represents the Auburn police union, said the city was trying to harass and intimidate its officers.

Greene:

Station’s final payment delayed

GREENE – The contractor that built Greene’s new fire station will have to wait a little longer for a final payment, at least until selectmen are satisfied the roof will not leak again.

Selectmen voted 4-1 not to pay a $43,825 bill to the general contractor Monday night. Selectman Kevin Mower cast the dissenting vote.

The board will revisit the matter. The town owes $72,486 to the general contractor, Glen Builders of North Conway, N.H.

The Fire Department recently dedicated the new station.

The roof recently leaked and the contractor repaired the roof.

Several selectmen supported removing a check to Glen Builders from the warrant authorizing bill payments.

Lewiston:

Mission will bar sex offenders

LEWISTON – Pastor Paul McLaughlin has dedicated his life to providing food and shelter for people who have nowhere else to go. As long as there is room at Hope Haven Mission, McLaughlin opens his doors to anyone who needs to come in out of the cold.

With a few new exceptions, that is.

Child molesters and rapists are no longer welcome at the Lincoln Street shelter.

“We’re concerned about the safety and well-being of the rest of our clients,” McLaughlin said. “We cannot put them at risk while they are taking refuge in our facility.”

Hope Haven has room for 25 people. On any given night, the shelter is filled with men, women and children.

“We don’t want them to feel threatened when they stay here,” McLaughlin said.

Lewiston:

Plow shears off part of house

LEWISTON – A steep drive and slick streets were too much for a city plow truck that plowed into a house and sheared off the porch and laundry room.

“It’s pretty amazing to look at,” said homeowner Carol LeBlanc. “Luckily, nobody was hurt.”

LeBlanc’s house at 17 Sand Hill Road is down a steep side street that connects to Strawberry Place. Plow trucks don’t usually try to tackle it, LeBlanc said.

“The big plows just go by Sand Hill, then one of the smaller trucks comes up Strawberry Place and clears out our area,” she said.

Lewiston:

Brawl breaks out in bar; six arrested

LEWISTON – A love triangle, an upbeat country song on the Karaoke and a hurled pitcher of beer. Police said those classic ingredients started a barroom brawl that spilled onto Walnut Street.

One man was taken to a hospital after his head crashed through a pane of glass. Others were examined for lesser injuries and a half dozen more were arrested in the brawl.

The fight ended with a pile of people battling in the middle of Walnut Street.

When all was said and done, six people were taken to the Androscoggin County Jail. Investigators learned the scrap had started during Karaoke night at Del’s Bar and Grille.

It started about 8 p.m. when a woman was singing “Guys Do it all the Time” on the Karaoke, police said.

As the singer crooned, a man she knows walked in with another woman, according to a witness. Jealousy brewed in the bar and shortly after 8 p.m., someone hurled a pitcher of beer across the room.

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