LIVERMORE FALLS – Keeping SAD 36 school spending under control was nothing short of miraculous, said the district’s chief educator.

“It was a minor miracle that the district was able to hold a flat mill rate,” Superintendent Terry Despres told the few citizens who attended a recent budget hearing.

The district lost $43,000 in anticipated income in the last hour of the legislative session, an amount that might have resulted in a slight reduction of the rate, Despres said.

Single-run busing will help to balance the budget and preserve classroom dollars, he said. An educational technician will be on every run to provide a second pair of eyes so the driver can drive. Despres also hopes to get help from high schoolers to keep order on the buses, which will carry grades K-12 on one run this year.

More savings are anticipated as SAD 36 and 12 other area schools work on regionalization efforts, such as sharing expensive software.

Nestle trucks concern group

PIERCE POND TOWNSHIP – A proposal submitted to the Land Use Regulation Commission to truck water from a Pierce Pond aquifer spurred formation of a new environmental protection group last week.

Citizens for the Protection of Maine’s Groundwater organized to request that a controversial proposal for a pumping station near Pierce Pond in Somerset County by Nestle Waters North America go to a public hearing before a decision is made by LURC commissioners.

Two public meetings have been held to date.

The group, comprised of residents from Lexington Township and Highland Plantation, south of Pierce Pond Township, is seeking assistance from Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan to relocate the LURC meeting June 9 from Greenville to New Portland so local residents may attend.

The original controversy stems, not from the pumping station itself, but from the trucking route along 15 miles of Long Falls Dam Road, the only road in or out of the site. Concerns centered around the safety and general impact of up to 40 tanker trucks daily traveling the road. The group, however, is now bringing other concerns to the table.

According to a written statement, the group contends that “the opening of Maine’s unorganized territories to multinational corporations like Nestle for commercial water extraction sets a precedent which has huge implications for the future.”

Local grads shine at Bates

LEWISTON – Four commencement speakers representing science, history, philanthropy and college admissions brought similar messages from different viewpoints to 450 Bates College graduates Monday.

The speakers, all recipients of honorary degrees from the college, presented brief remarks that challenged Bates graduates to help others, to affect history, to assume leadership, and to cherish experiences and friendships.

The college’s 138th commencement exercises took place under sunny skies on the quad in front of Coram Library.

Graduates from the area included Paul Joseph Brunette, who received a bachelor of arts degree in political science, as well as Ryan Michael Shepard, Norway, magna cum laude, political science and rhetoric with honors in rhetoric; Jared James Cash, Norway, political science and economics; and Sarah Jean Fournier, Livermore Falls, cum laude, English.

Numbers tripping Auburn budgeters

AUBURN – Conflict between school and city officials comes down to who says who is stingy and who is generous.

City officials say they are willing to take a $60,554 hit in the fiscal year 2004-05 budget in order to give the school department the same budget it has this year.

That’s generous, city officials say.

School officials say it’s stingy.

To be fair, the city should transfer more like $200,000 to the schools, they say.

“We both come at the numbers differently, but we should reach the same result,” City Manager Pat Finnigan said.

Despite the differences, both face cuts in the coming year due to declining state aid, as well as increases in employee costs, insurance and gasoline prices.

State money for sidewalks

MECHANIC FALLS – Elm Street School students will soon have an easier, safer time walking to school.

Mechanic Falls has received an $18,000 from the state to install sidewalks from Elm Street to True Street and in the area of Callahan Circle. While there is space for children to walk on the sides of those roads now, there is no sidewalk.

“There’s nothing to prevent tires from running over you,” said Town Manager Dana Lee.

Elm Street School has 370 kids in kindergarten through grade eight. Many of them walk to and from school.

Mechanic Falls was one of 11 communities to receive matching grants through the state’s Maine Safe Routes to School Program. More than $533,000 was awarded this spring, with the money going to pay for sidewalks, better pedestrian crossings and other improvements to make streets safer for schoolchildren.