MINOT – Selectmen set the 2003 Minot property tax rate at $16.50.

The rate is down from last year’s $23.30 per $1,000 of valuation. That doesn’t mean taxes are going down.

Rather, the new rate reflects a recently completed townwide property revaluation. While the rate is down, valuations rose significantly. Very likely, taxes will be higher.

Selectman Eda Tripp pointed out that in March’s town meeting voters approved a large increase in spending. County tax was up more than $17,000, and $180,000 more was raised for schools.

The town side of the budget was up $71,000, compared with the previous year.

“For anyone who is upset with their tax bill, I offer a personal invitation to them to attend next March town meeting,” said Selectman Dean Campbell.

Motocross track gets time to comply

MINOT – The Planning Board’s recommendation that Hemond Moto-X Park be given until July to show it can come into compliance with the town’s noise ordinance didn’t sit well with some of the track’s neighbors.

“It’s too bad you people are allowing this to go on. It’s going to be embarrassing to this town,” said Center Minot Hill Road resident Richard Thayer.

The Planning Board Tuesday night made its recommendation, which selectmen had requested, following Gregory Cunningham’s presentation of Donald and Serae Hemond’s plans.

Cunningham handed board members a letter from Scott Bodwell, engineer for Resource Systems Engineering, which suggested that previous sound studies used a “pausing technique” to record sound levels that would not accurately represent continuous motocross activity for a minute. The pausing technique was used to eliminate traffic noise on Route 119.

Bates Mill deal discussed

LEWISTON – Jim Bennett’s Bates Mill exit strategy could cost as much as $59.2 million over the next seven years, the city administrator told councilors.

That’s how much existing contracts and agreements with developer Tom Platz will cost the city if nothing changes. Any plan to get the city out of those contracts can’t help but save money, Bennett said.

“That is the amount we are obligated to spend right now, for the next few years,” Bennett said.

“But if we can negotiate a deal to even save $1 million of that, that’s a better deal.”

Bennett continues making his case for the city to disentangle itself from the Bates Mill Enterprise Complex. The final deal could be made public by the council’s next meeting on Nov. 18, he said.

Meeting to get towns talking

LEWISTON – Leaders from Androscoggin County cities and towns took a plan for more cooperation back home with them last week.

Over dinner in the Lewiston Multi-Purpose Center elected leaders from seven communities and the county talked about ways to work together and combine services.

Then, with copies of a resolution pledging more cooperation, they walked across the street to the Central Maine Civic Center and attended a Lewiston Mainei acs hockey game.

Jim Bennett, Lewiston city administrator, said the meeting was designed to get the towns talking about ways to pool their efforts.

“There’s a chance that we could save some money here,” Bennett said.

$1.2 million grant for security

LEWISTON – More than $1.2 million in U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding to enhance response and preparedness capabilities is being disbursed to Androscoggin County and several of its cities and towns.

The money is part of $4.4 billion earmarked for police and fire departments around the nation that was put into the fiscal 2003 federal budget.

It will help counties and towns pay for planning, training exercises and other costs associated with increased security measures.

In all, $1,271,041 is going to emergency responders in Androscoggin County via a larger federal grant to the state Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.

Three charged

in drug arrest

LEWISTON – Police arrested three men at Maine Turnpike Exit 13 and charged the trio with bringing crack cocaine into the city.

Officers stopped the car the men were riding in after receiving a tip that they had recently purchased crack cocaine in Massachusetts.

Police and drug agents who searched the Chevrolet Prizm said they found crack rocks hidden in various locations inside the car.

The three men were searched, handcuffed and loaded into cruisers, charge with drug trafficking and importation of crack.

Mountain plans include new lodge

RUMFORD – A new lodge is in Black Mountain’s future.

Following a meeting of the Maine Winter Sports Center board and Libra Foundation representatives last week, a decision was made to remove the current structure, which is more than 40 years old and replace it with a larger, more modern facility, said the director of skiing for the mountain, Pete Phillips.

Although details have yet to be worked out, he said a spring razing is planned, along with paving the dirt parking lot.

The Maine Winter Sports Center, with the support of the Libra Foundation, bought the family-oriented ski area last year. Other plans for the next year or so include extending the Alpine ski trails and installing two chairlifts.

LaBonte’s loved ones appreciative

LEWISTON – For the friends and family of Gerry LaBonte, this autumn has definitely been about rebuilding.

A team of physicians have been repairing the 43-year-old’s shattered bones and internal damage. Meanwhile, a crew of volunteers has been rebuilding the home that LaBonte was working on when the roof rafters came crashing down Oct. 15.

The irony has not escaped LaBonte’s loved ones.

“His life is being rebuilt as the house is rebuilt,” said Karen LaRoche, LaBonte’s fiancé. “It’s beautiful. It’s awesome. We have to thank everyone who has helped us out.”

Meeting planned to discuss TIF

LISBON – Selectman have set Dec. 9 as the date for a special town meeting to consider a proposal to create a tax increment finance district for Enterprise Electric.

A longtime Lisbon Falls business owned by Jim and Claire Kelly, the firm is expanding into a 27,000-square-foot building on Capital Avenue in the industrial park.

The 20-year TIF deal, which has an estimated value of $1.37 million, will allow one-half of the property tax paid to be returned to the firm to be used to help pay for the building.

SAD 15 drops activity fee

NEW GLOUCESTER – An activity fee imposed on all SAD 15 students in grades six through 12 was rescinded by the school board Wednesday by a 9-1 vote.

The board’s action to abolish the policy adopted in June arose from information received recently from the district’s attorneys.

The activity fee was earmarked to support the cost of transportation for extracurricular and athletic activities.