AUBURN – Negotiators hope to have a long-awaited union contract between the city and the Auburn firefighters settled in January.

“At this point, we’re trying to come up with some packages to see what we can agree to,” said Mike Scott, president of the Auburn Firefighters Association Local 797. “Staffing levels are the big concern for us. We want to make sure we have enough guys on the truck to keep everything at a safe level.”

Scott said the union wanted to make sure that the department had at least three firefighters per truck on duty at all times.

But Scott said he thinks the union will agree to changes in health insurance coverage, adopting a deal similar to one the police union adopted in May.

“It’s the same plan the rest of the city is on,” Scott said. “That’s something we were really sticking on, but I think we’ve come to a common place on that.”

Under that plan, co-pays for service increase from $10 to $15. Employees are liable to pay 10 percent of extended medical costs, such as hospital fees. The firefighters’ current plan pays 100 percent of extended care fees.

New Gloucester:Old Road renamed Sabbathday Road

NEW GLOUCESTER – Selectmen voted 3-2 to rename a portion of former Route 26.

“Sabbathday Road” was chosen as the name after several dozen residents filled the New Gloucester Meeting House to protest the name assigned by the town’s code enforcement officer, Debra Parks.

Parks had assigned the name “Old Road” after soliciting input from people who live along a section of road from the Gray-New Gloucester town line to Pond Road.

Parks said 12 people suggested the name Old Road while eight chose Sabbathday Lake Road.

But a petition with 40 signatures, handed to selectmen by resident Will Plante, objected to the name Old Road.

Dick Allen, who lives near Sabbathday Lake, said he was surprised that Old Road was selected; he said he understood that two or three names would be reviewed by residents before a final decision.

“Old Road is a neat name, as good as any,” said Peter Klepsig. He said that procedurally, the code enforcement officer had followed the 911 emergency renaming ordinance correctly when assigning the name.

Even so, Selectman Stephanie Bryan was swayed by the citizen petition.

“This is a democracy,” she said. “For me, as a selectman, the citizens have petitioned us as a board. I am compelled as a selectman to respond.”

Lewiston
Thorncrag gets parking approval

LEWISTON – Supporters of the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary might not have a visitor center yet, but they should have a parking lot by next fall.

Organizers have the go-ahead to begin work building a 45-space parking lot off Montello Street near the entrance to the bird sanctuary. They received approval for the lot and a 3,900-square-foot building from the Lewiston Planning Board.

Work on the parking lot should begin next spring. Work on the visitors center won’t begin until members of the Stanton Bird Club have raised enough money to pay for it.

“We don’t even have a budget for the building yet,” said Michael Poulin, a member of the club managing the construction budget. So far, the group has raised roughly $241,000 out of $427,000.

“When we get further along with the construction there, and we have a level of confidence in our fund-raising, we’ll come back with plans for the building,” Poulin said.

The visitors center is something Stanton Bird Club members have been trying to build for years. A 2001 plan for a parking lot and gift shop met stiff resistance from neighbors and supporters, and the club canceled its plans. Members spent the last three years working with neighbors to come up with something everyone will like.

“We did our homework this time,” said club member Tom Robustelli. The group met several times with club members and neighbors .

The parking lot would be built first. It includes 23 paved or gravel parking spaces and another 22 grassy parking spaces.