Name: Terry Greenier

Work history: Having grown up in the County I worked from a very young age in the potato fields until I graduated. I then joined the US Army and got an honorable discharge at the end of my service. I then worked for Hawaiian Airlines as the Operations Director for a few years and then was recruited by Professional Growth Systems, which is a consulting firm in Alaska, to train office managers in Native villages. I then started a company in Anchorage with another colleague called Immediate Care which provided Personal Care Services. It should be noted that in 2006 Immediate Care made Inc. Magazines list of the 500 fastest growing companies in America. In 2006 I moved back to Maine and opened the Irish Setter Pub in Presque Isle and then in 2007 started a mail order pharmacy called I Care Pharmacy located in Fort Fairfield which is still in existence.

Political experience: I was a town councilman in Fort Fairfield, Maine for 3 years until I moved to Orono in 2016.

Community/state/civic organization experience: Rotary (both in Alaska and Maine), Kiwanis, Board Member and Treasurer for Heal Equity Alliance, Steering Committee for The Maine Potato Blossom Festival, Head Coordinator for the Pride 5k and Pride Golf Scramble in Orono.

Why are you running? I am running because I truly love Orono and everything that it embodies. I believe in community service but community service has to be done for the right reasons. Lets face it, this is a tough job and I know first hand how much time and commitment the position takes. I want to be one of seven council members that offer diverse views on issues within Orono. My experience as a past councilman as well as a successful business person affords me skills that I believe are necessary to be an effective town councilor.

What do you see as the issues for Orono in the next few years, and how would you address them? As we know Maine has an aging population and Orono is no different. I believe an issue resulting from this is the need to attract and maintain younger individuals. As it stands now Orono has housing options for the elderly population as well and the university population. However, we fall short on housing options for the younger professional who wants to live and raise a family in Orono. We need to look at new housing options to rectify this issue. Another issue is economic growth for our community. Just like other communities attracting new business to town is getting more difficult. I believe that if any business is going to consider Orono we need to invest in high speed internet along with better cell service.

Name: Daniel R. LaPointe

Work history: Maine Maritime Academy 1978 Graduate, about 30 years experience; global markets, international contracts, commerce, and America’s strategic sea lift. Gulf wars, conflicts and threats of terrorism and piracy. Awarded the US Merchant Marine Expeditionary Service Medal. Suspended career to provide care and support for my father and taking on the family business. LaPointes Enterprises Inc. as a licensed recycler offers Orono many unique services grandfathered by law courts.

Political experience: When I was four years old my father began my introduction to Orono town meetings. I witnessed  Orono’s selectmen  form of governance to this socialistic model we see today. I oppose the numerous times Orono’s socialistic utopian ideology has confiscated and/or attempted to seize/separate property from its residents and businesses and trying to take Constitutional right’s of self-determination and control. I attend town and legislative meetings raising issues affecting my community and oppose Orono street quotas pressuring landlords to deny renting to UM students. I opposed Orono’s Sanctuary City Resolution 04/22/2017. I witnessed the theft of Orono property rights by the socialistic comprehensive plan’s inclusion on the UN List as promoted by land trusts and the Sierra Club UN-NGOs goals to enrich themselves and promote UN utopian ideology’s.

Community/state/civic organization experience:Co-Founder trustee of Maine Human Rights Coalition Inc. and a Silver Life NAACP member. I served as Chaplain Mechanics Lodge 66 in Orono and as Sir Knight Orono/Old Town Council of Knights of Columbus. Graduate N.E. School Clinical Hypnotherapy/National Guild of Hypnotistx, Master-Teacher; ASD, Reiki and John Upledger Therapies. Participant;, many veteran events and prayer groups.

Why are you running? To stop socialistic confiscating of land and property in Orono. I oppose Orono’s governance’s Policy of prohibiting/restricting Orono’s property and businesses owners rights. Too often our fixed income Eederly’s property and homes are the most vulnerable falling prey to property tax, social services confiscation and socialistic probate procedures. To my knowledge and belief Orono has implemented executor ship demands with and without the probate system that is above and beyond normal legislative foreclosure due to nonpayment property taxes. Without fiscal forensic oversight and restraints fo Town of Orono taxes, young families and the elderly will cease to exist as landowners in Orono. Mom, Dad, I and our home and businesses experienced Orono’s harassments privately and through news outlets, resulting in a grandfathered business and Elder Abuse demands surrender executorship to the Town of Orono of my lands and businesses. I am a fresh outspoken Voice for the community from Western Orono challenging incumbent Socialistic Utopian ideologies that prevent the Orono Council from reducing taxes and implementing fiscal responsibility. To my knowledge land trusts now control 50 percent of Orono’s available land. To my belief this recent 25 percent increase is attributable to landowners who are forced via harassment and property tax relief via land trust donations. A root cause Orono property tax increases is due the Comprehensive Plan’s Socialistic Utopian ideologies as designed and implemented. Orono’s socialistic utopian ideology’s is embraced by the implementation of RSU 26. Not sustainable is the estimated maintenance of $75 million, or the $14 million bond being sought for only the most urgent immediate repairs. This socialistic system is collapsing before our very eyes for all to see. I believe in our Maine work ethic, American rights, freedoms, and our families/elders/veterans/property and business rights.

What do you see as the issues for Orono in the next few years, and how would you address them? A) Better informed Orono voters encourages more voting and resident control of our town. B)  The Orono Charter allows us to form an all Orono resident volunteer militia. One division of an Orono Corps of Engineers is needed to take on maintenance issues such as public areas and buildings. Erecting ramps for private residence may be possible assisting the Orono elderly stay in their homes. Look to offer tax incentives to contributors and businesses material support. One division will be forensic accounting not ahead of town projects but behind with forensic oversight making sure town dollars are spent correctly.One division will be police, fire, emergency search and rescue. As it stands now there is no redundancy in our fire and emergency departments. Two men in an ambulance two men in fire truck and a fire chief, police as available. Once a 45 minute oxygen bottle is exhausted, so is our first responding fire crew. Backup and redundancy comes from adjacent communities when they can answering our call for back up. I believe this is not a safe sustainable situation. 4 One division will be recreation. The Orono Recreation Department. wll re-create and enhance Orono’s quality of life C) Tax the land trusts to force return of the properties they confiscated. Remove the socialistic ideology that has infected Oronos governance D) Discard the comprehensive plan as designed. Victoria Texas has no Comprehensive Plan. E) All town officials serve we the people of Orono. F) Stop immediately all sanctuary city activity. Replace Politically Correct with Constitutionally Correct. G) Fire RSU 26 take control of our school and children’s education and start teaching American civics.

Name: Laurie Osher

Work History: President, Osher Environment Systems, 2009-present Orono-based small business. We assist owners of homes and small commercial properties to make their buildings more comfortable and energy efficient. Faculty Member, University of Maine (Soil & Water Quality) 1999 – 2008.Environmental Science Researcher (Soil Science, Ecosystem Ecology, Land Use) 1991-1997. USDA Forest Service, Land Management (Soil & Watershed Scientist) 1987-1991.

Political Experience: Town Council Member, Orono Maine, 2017-present. The Town Council is the governing body of the Town. There are seven council members, elected at-large. Class Member, Emerge Maine, 2018. Emerge Maine recruits, trains and provides a network for Democratic women who want to run for office. Board Member, Maine Interfaith Power & Light, 2009-present. Advocate for environmental policies that address global change at the State & Federal level. Meet regularly with State and Federal elected officials to discuss policies impacting the environment.Volunteer, Maine Democratic Party, 2014 and 2016. Assisted with GOTV (get out the vote) efforts for 2014 and 2016 elections. Volunteer, Equality Maine, 2009 and 2012. Assisted with education and GOTV efforts for 2014 and 2016 ballot initiatives.

Community/state/civic organization experience: Board Member, Orono Schools Coalition for the Arts 2015-2017. Fund raising for support of students and arts programming associated with Orono Schools. Volunteer, Maine Interfaith Power & Light, 2009-present. Donate Osher Environment Systems services to Maine Congregations to help them make their buildings more energy efficient. Assisted Orono’s Church of the Universal Fellowship to significantly lower heating costs.Small Business Representative to MA Environmental Policy Commission, 1985-1987. Attended monthly meetings with citizens, federal & state scientists, elected officials to determine how newly drafted state environmental policies would be implemented. Coordinated USDA Forest Service Confidential Literacy Project for Employees, 1989-1991. Worked with literacy volunteers of America to launch program.

Why are you running? To serve my community and improve our town.

What do you see as the issues for Orono in the next few years, and how would you address them? Reduce Fossil Fuel Use by the Town and Increase Energy Efficiency of Town Buildings: Orono should install solar panels on our closed landfill and use the electricity produced to power the majority of the electrical use by the town. The Town’s municipal buildings should be insulated and the gaps in the buildings’ heating envelope should be sealed so that in winter, the heated air will not leak out of the building. Assist in the Creation of Affordable Housing: Orono should have a fund or grants to assist home owners to repair degraded housing -the many single family homes that have been cut up and used for student rentals- and convert them back to safe and attractive single family homes. The town should also change zoning (smaller minimum lot sizes, fewer required parking spaces, let road frontage required) to promote the building of small, energy efficient homes on in-town lots. The Town should support and encourage more small businesses to choose Orono: One idea is to promote Orono as a hub for EcoTourism. Orono already has an excellent bike shop that organizes regular rides, it has an outdoor outfitter that organizes outings, and a new business offering yoga adventures. The town should encourage the building of a youth hostel-type accommodation, a canoe-rental and touring business, and invite other outfitters to do business in our town. An ecotourism hub would mesh well with Orono’s growing draw as a place for finding great restaurants, hearing local musicians, and tasting beer from local brewers.

Name: Adam Toothaker

Work history: I grew up in Harpswell, Maine where I worked in the family business harvesting sea moss in the summer, and scallops and oysters in the winter. During and after high-school, I also worked at the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant, a fiberglass manufacturer, and at LL Bean for a short time. At 20 years old, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps, worked my way up to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3, and was honorably retired after 20 years. After retiring from the Corps, I worked as a government contractor for a few years until finally settling down here in Orono. Since then, my wife and I worked as real estate agents for a short time, and now I’m a professional retiree.

Political experience: This is my first time running for political office, but I spent the majority of my adult life working in the federal government from the tactical level to the strategic level. Managing projects with finite resources but seemingly infinite requirements taught me to use political skills like networking and negotiation to achieve the most effective results.

Community/State/Civic Organization experience: I am currently the Vice President of the Orono Land Trust. Our mission is to protect, manage, and preserve portions of the natural environment in Orono and surrounding communities. The best parts of this town are the undeveloped areas that we need to keep available for the enjoyment of the present and future generations.

Why are you running? I’m running for Town Council because I like it here, I plan on staying in Orono for a long time, and don’t want the taxes to rise so high that I’m forced to move. I have a good skill set for this job and I embrace the proven effective ideas I see regularly that can ease the tax burden on residents without reducing services. I’m retired now and have plenty of time to focus on Town issues and Council duties.

What do you see as the issues for Orono in the next few years, and how would you address them? Property taxes in Orono are too high. We need to find new revenue streams instead of constantly raising taxes. Orono’s mil rate of 27 is higher than the county and state averages, and is rising faster than the surrounding towns. To counter this, I want to use established models that have proven returns on investment. For instance, the town of Howland uses their ambulances to transfer non-emergency patients and then bill their insurance companies. They’ve brought their mil rate down from 23 to 19 in only a few years! Belfast is driving forward with solar projects that have reduced their electricity bills; their most recent project will have a positive cashflow after three years! I keep harping on taxes, but lowering them would address other issues Orono is having: More affordable housing? Lower taxes and make all the houses more affordable. Attract new families to the town? Lower taxes and make the town more attractive. Balance between development and green space? Lower taxes and reduce our need to increase the tax base.