LEWISTON – The Lewiston Police Department is asking motorists to avoid the area of Sabattus Street at the intersection of Central Avenue as utility work gets under way April 19.

Police say traffic will also be affected on Central Avenue between Campus Avenue and Sabattus Street. This area of the city will be closed to all but local traffic due to the major utility construction. The work is expected to take three to four weeks and will require shutting down lanes and entire sections of the area to traffic both during the day and evening hours.

County GOP meeting Monday

SABATTUS – The Androscoggin County Republicans will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, at Mixer’s in the Sabattus Mall. Future fund-raising events, legislative reports and other business will be part of the agenda. All Republicans are welcome to attend.

AVCOG discusses collaboration

RUMFORD – Collaboration is the key.

That was the major message speaker after speaker told the 50 or so town officials and others from nearly two dozen towns and organizations from Western Maine at the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments’ Western Maine Economic workshop Wednesday.

“A changing world means we must change our behavior,” said Richard Barringer, professor of public policy at the Muskie School of Public Service and author of many books on Maine’s economy.

“There are 495 municipalities in our state and years ago, most people were born, educated, worked and died in their towns. Now, we live regionally. We may live in one place, go to school in another and work in another,” he said.

– Eileen Adams
Town official irked by denial of move

LIVERMORE FALLS – The town manager says he’s frustrated that residents in this town won’t get to decide for themselves whether they’d like to withdraw from Androscoggin County and join Franklin County.

A legislative committee voted 6-3 last Friday against an amended version of the enabling bill which would have let Androscoggin County residents vote on the county switch along with Livermore Falls and Franklin County residents.

– Donna M. Perry