City Cab driver Robert Crosby will be back on the streets, councilors agreed Tuesday. The City Council voted to reinstate Crosby’s taxi license, which was denied first by the city clerk and then by the Taxi Appeals Board.

Crosby was convicted of two driving citations in 2003, one in March and another in November, for “imprudent speed.” That’s a subjective penalty police use when they witness a driver speeding but do not have radar or other scientific means to back it up.

Crosby failed to pay his fines and his license was revoked. He has since had it reinstated, but has not driven a taxi since then.

City Clerk Kathy Montejo denied Crosby a renewed taxi license, citing city code that prohibits cab drivers who have had their licenses revoked.

Councilors agreed that having a license suspended was different from having a license revoked. The council voted to reinstate the taxi license.
– Scott Taylor
Lewiston: City grants several liquor licenses
Four city bars have gotten new or renewed liquor licenses, and councilors have vowed to watch them carefully.

The City Council unanimously approved renewed special amusement permits for Little Joe’s at 740 Sabattus St. and for the Carlton Club at 25 Sabattus St., but argued over a renewed license for Del’s Bar and Grill at 43 Walnut St. Councilors also split over granting a new liquor license and special amusement permit for Wardens Bar and Grill at 703 Sabattus St.

According to police records, police responded to 27 calls specifically at Del’s Bar and Grill. Those were 17 noise disturbances and disorderly conduct complaints, nine fight complaints and one assault.

That was too many for Councilor Mark Paradis, who voted to deny owner Delores Leblanc’s request.

Councilors agreed to give Leblanc her permit, but warned her to work to bring those numbers down. They also vowed to review Wardens’ owner Virginia Gagne’s license in 60 days to make sure there were no noise complaints.

– Scott Taylor
Lisbon: $12M budget will go to voters
The Advisory Board has completed its review of the superintendent’s proposed school budget for 2004-05, going along with all but a bonded renovation project for the Philip W. Sugg Middle School.

The first-year payment for the proposed bond was calculated to be $18,042, a School Department spokesman said.

The Advisory Board will recommend a budget total of $12.44 million for voter approval at the May 17 town meeting. That spending plan is up about $253,000 from last year’s $12.19 million budget.

– Connie Footman
Lisbon: Town may keep Morse school
A group appointed to study what the town should do with two elementary school buildings when a new school opens in the fall has recommended that the town retain the Marion T. Morse School in Lisbon Falls for a community center.

The School Use Task Force made no recommendation for Lisbon Elementary School, saying it would wait until the School Department decides what it plans to do. Officials of a nearby church have shown interest in buying the building.

However, the group recommended that if it were sold, the town should retain as much of the land as possible and that any proceeds from the sale be used for needed improvements at the Morse School. Officials have estimated that maintenance would cost $45,000 a year.

– Connie Footman
Auburn: Inmate labor saves money
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department has announced that the Alternative Sentencing Program saved the Lisbon School Department $169,700 on a recent school repair project by using inmates for labor.

Inmates serving sentences for minor offenses such as drunken driving are let out to for painting, sheetrocking and other jobs. Sheriff Ronald Gagnon said a similar project is planned in Turner.

– John Plestina