FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors voted to rescind a vote to allow irradiated meat to be served in school lunches.

The district has never bought or served irradiated meat, even though the vote late last year granted that authority, Assistant Superintendent Sue Pratt said.

When directors approved the use of irradiated meat, they also adopted a procedure to notify students and parents of irradiated meat, and to offer an alternative to it.

Director Jo Josephson of Temple asked that the board review the irradiated meat decision because material received last year was one-sided, and now there is more information on the subject.

In food irradiation, also known as ionizing radiation, food is exposed to controlled levels of a particular form of electromagnetic energy approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Auburn: Council faulted for school cuts

AUBURN – After an hour of debate and sometimes-heated exchanges among members, the School Committee agreed to cut 12 teachers, four secretaries and other positions to ensure no budget increase next year.

Many blamed the City Council for not giving schools more money.

Said Jane Williams just before the vote, “We as a school system are bleeding to death,”

The School Committee voted 4-2 to cut 12 teachers, four secretaries, two custodians, one receptionist and one teaching assistant. They also agreed to cut the stipends paid to teachers who serve as team leaders at four elementary schools and the middle school.

The School Committee had planned a few weeks ago to cut an elementary school music teacher also. It instead agreed Wednesday to keep the teacher and not replace a retiring elementary school principal. One principal will now be responsible for two schools.

The board had also expected to cut one more special education teacher, but school officials found another way to pay for the position.

Farmington:Insurance costs up for teachers

FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors unanimously ratified a two-year contract with the teachers association. The board also set salaries for other positions.

The agreement calls for the base salary to increase, and for teachers to contribute more for health insurance.

The base salary for teachers was increased 1.8 percent in each year of the contract. For a first-year teacher, that would mean a $508 increase in base salary, Assistant Superintendent Sue Pratt said.

“We felt it was a very fair contract to both sides given our situation,” Pratt said.

Also under the new contact, teachers will pay an extra 2.5 percent of the cost of their insurance, she said.

Auburn:

911 call leads to drug arrest

AUBURN – An abandoned 911 call early led police to a man they say was carrying prescription sedatives and nearly 30 grams of powdered cocaine.

Scott A. Packard, 39, of Monmouth was arrested on charges of possessing and trafficking in drugs.At about midnight Wednesday, emergency dispatchers received a call from a woman who spoke incoherently while demanding to see police officers.

The call was traced to a single-family home at 512 Washington St. Investigators said Packard was walking outside the home when Auburn police arrived. They said he was also acting suspiciously.

Officers stopped Packard found a dozen tabs of the prescription drug Klonopin inside a plastic baggie in one of Packard’s pockets. Police also found $683 in cash on Packard as well as a crack pipe and more baggies. In his truck they found a larger bag containing more powdered cocaine.

Canton:

Cadaver dogs

part of search

CANTON – Searchers planned to be out again in an effort to locate the remains of Jay teenager Kim Moreau, who disappeared in 1986.

State Police Detective Mark Lopez said searchers, including Dr. Ed David of the state medical examiner’s office, planned to recheck the Meadow View area in Canton.

A different set of cadaver dogs will be used to make sure the area is thoroughly searched, Lopez said.

Moreau was 17 when she was last seen leaving her Jewell Street home in Jay.

Moreau’s father, Dick Moreau, has led a search effort to find his daughter for many years and has posted her picture on utility poles and in stores and public places around the region. A $5,000 reward has been offered.

Lewiston:

$9 million fix-up

nears completion

LEWISTON – Freshly paved driveways still too soft for cars were black and pristine. Service men ran sprinklers along new lawn. Residents escaped the heat inside townhouses with new appliances, new carpets, new cupboards.

After nearly nine months and $9 million, the facelift of the largest housing project in the city was nearly complete.

Tall Pines became River Valley Village and began its upgrade under the ownership of the nonprofit Caleb Foundation last fall. “The property had fallen into disrepair,” said Debra Nutter, the foundation’s executive director. Back then, the vacancy rate was about 30 percent. Now it’s 20.

All 296 units are being rehabbed, including seven that are handicapped accessible, with new windows, exterior doors and paint, plus floors, boilers and roofs as needed.

The undertaking is the single biggest affordable housing project ever financed by the Maine State Housing Association.

“The improvements are fantastic; there’s no doubt they needed it,” said Mike Maheux, visiting his daughter and grandchildren who’ve lived in the village three years.

Auburn:

Hospice house

fund-raiser starts

AUBURN – Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice marked the start of construction and its public fund-raising kickoff for its $3.7 million inpatient hospice house at a groundbreaking on Stetson Road.

The campaign already has reached $1.18 million, which is 78 percent of its community fund-raising goal of $1.5 million, said Kim Wettlaufer, an Androscoggin Home Care board member and chairman of the hospice house capital campaign.

The balance will need to be raised in the public phase of the campaign, which will extend through March when the facility is scheduled to open. The remaining $2.2 million will be financed through Peoples Heritage Bank.

Wettlaufer acknowledged the leadership support of the campaign’s benefactor donors, the JTG Foundation, MeadWestvaco Corp. and Peoples Heritage Bank through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation.

He said Wednesday’s ceremony honored these three organizations and the many other individuals, businesses and foundations that have come forward to support this project. He said that Androscoggin Home Care’s board and committee members, volunteers and employees have raised $287,000 for the project.

Rangeley:

$5.2 million

budget OK’d

RANGELEY – About 70 of Rangeley’s 1,500 voters decided on 45 warrant articles and spent more than $5.2 million at the annual town meeting.

The Budget Committee had recommended expense articles totaling $5,257,163.62, but voters approved an additional $17,750 for recreation and culture and for Rangeley’s 150th year celebration.

The approved budget includes: $515,685 for general government, $561,884 for public safety, $1,103,969 for public works, $9,490 for health and welfare, $292,352 for recreation and culture, $197,838 for debt service, $37,560 for miscellaneous items, $310,752 for Franklin County taxes, $15,000 for the 150th year celebration, $12,000 for Rangeley Region health appointment transportation and social services, and $2,218,383.62 and for Rangeley Lakes Regional School funding.

The Budget Committee had recommended against the appropriation of $20,000 for the teacher summer wages reserve account and $24,700 for the Chamber of Commerce – an increase of $5,700 – but voters passed both measures.

In addition, residents approved leasing town property off Loon Lake Road to the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club so the club could build a snow groomer barn and, potentially, a clubhouse.