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Make the Best of It!!!

Something to Live By...

Mystery Ride with the Roxbury ATV Riders Club

74 ATVs Participated in this Amazing Event

The United Stance of the Write-In Candidates: Jennifer Norris (1 YR), Juliet Alexander (3 YR), and Peter Tinkham (3 YR)

May 14, 2010

Dear Editor,

Three thousand years ago the blind poet, Homer, said: Even the fool is wise AFTER the event. The modern Irishman puts it: If you saw shells, you'd guess eggs. Even our present selectmen for whom any sign of legitimate PROGRESS is considered a breach of group unity, know SOMETHING is terribly wrong in the direction our beautiful town is headed - they just can't figure out what to do about it.

In fact, the current flock of candidates for selectman are mostly either present or former occupants of the board and it is obvious that even if one, or at the extreme range of probability, two, have a grip on the situation, if elected or re-elected, they will spend their term in office hopelessly and helplessly OUTNUMBERED, while Rumford continues its slide into the abyss of economic catastrophe and political and moral derangement.

The chaotic and disordered element in this town, and we are not only referring to the people who flock here on relief looking for title eight housing or psychotropic drugs, can be measured by the double homicide which happened two blocks from the public library. In fact, that is the day our view of the trouble this town was in crystallized. There are three instructive lessons to be learned from that incredible event.

First, is the fact that the house in which the victims resided is STILL on Pine Street ready to spontaneously combust at any moment. So much for evidence of concern on the part of the current crop of selectmen to conditions in their fair town. Second, is the unbelievably stupid comments made by the family of both of the unfortunate deceased, illustrating the pandemonium that exists in many families in Rumford today. Third, both of the murderers were recent graduates of Mountain Valley High School and one of them was apparently on the honor roll there. Both of them close on the heels of that quadruple murderer in Hartford who had significant Rumford and MVHS connections.

What's to do? Remember back when YOU were in high school and were facing a multiple choice test? For every question there were at least four answers and you could circle only one. Many of them were devious, two or three seemed to be correct at first glance but left out an important piece of information. Then you circled NONE OF THE ABOVE. What we propose to your readership as a solution to this dilemma is a unified WRITE -IN campaign for the three open seats on the Board of Selectmen. A campaign that is based on the theme of NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Many of the more than half-dozen candidates who have tossed their hats into the ring this year for the unprecedented three openings are no doubt good people. Some of them have been selectmen before and some of them are selectmen now, but none of them can answer the question: How are you, if elected, going to prevent our beautiful town from being flushed down the toilet? We know this because the town has been sliding down the drain ON THEIR WATCH. Much as we respect their efforts now and in the past, they have not been up to the tremendous job that is required. Possibly some are individually able and even gifted administrators, but with no unified plan they will spend their elected terms butting heads, dissing one another and passing staggering and unjustified tax increases. To say nothing of passively permitting parts of the town go to rack and ruin for lack of proper code oversight, and the prudent employment of eminent domain to keep the fire hazards at bay and the property value of the rest of our houses from disintegrating..

Our unified slate of candidates, intelligent, mature, Christian and willing to serve, intend, if elected, to build on the tremendous civic heritage that was given to us by the committed energy and foresight of Rumford's founding and subsequent town fathers AND a blue plastic ox cemented in the ground at the edge of the Rite Aid parking lot with blue hoof prints leading to the Paul Bunyun statue on the other side of town IS NOT what we have in mind.

We propose the following platform upon which to conduct a whirlwind three week write-in campaign: First: A promise to ROLL BACK, if possible, the unethical and very likely illegal 20% property tax increase of last fall when New Page AND Brookfield Power applied for AND WERE GRANTED massive and unjustifiable re-valuations. Why? These two companies occupy some of the most expensive and desirable real estate in the entire U.S. of A. and significantly impair Rumford's ability to take advantage of its full business and recreational potential. To say nothing of the fact that when the property values of residential homes plummeted recently, we did not see homeowners (especially older residents on fixed pensions ) receive a tax break. Something smells here and it isn't the dead fish in the Androscoggin River.

Second: A promise to form a coalition of contiguous towns (or we could just do it on our own at more cost) to take over the hydro-electric plant at the Falls by eminent domain and to operate the plant (only a handful of knowledgeable people are required to actually RUN it) for the BENEFIT of every property owner in the area. In towns in other states which have a river running providentially through their borders, where municipalities own this resource, residents HEAT their homes with electricity with an average YEARLY bill of two hundred dollars. We want to give our voters the right to benefit from the Androscoggin's powerful presence in our town.

Third: A promise to SEE TO IT that the current owners of the mill commit to a plan to protect Rumford should they close down or move away. The paper mill, which was founded by the same man who literally designed our beautiful town, has changed hands several times since Hugh Chisholm died and now, instead of being a reliable benefactor of the town, it constitutes a threat, a massive threat to Rumford's very existence as we know it. We also know that the present owners have sold off their timber and the hydro¬electric plant which are necessary for the mill's long term survival. Why? Ain't they planning on sticking around?

What's going to happen if and when the current owners decide to pull out and leave the massive edifice of the plant behind? Who is going to pay to remove it or to re-direct its use? We think the mill should be required to contribute, apart from its fair property taxes, to a fund designed to mitigate the harm to Rumford tax payers should the mill shut down or its owners abandon it in future for any reason. They should be required to commit to a plan that does not leave Rumford holding the bag for the demolition of the existing structure or forced to make the tremendous, (and highly dubious,) effort to find a productive use for all that smokestack and steel.

Our slate of candidates, united in their desire to take Rumford back from the brink of economic and moral collapse, promise to MOVE towards our future as a self-supporting, self-directing municipality that says NO THANK YOU to Augusta every time funds arrive for homes for new mothers in jail or juvenile delinquents who should be in jail or ANOTHER non-profit mental health facility or probation office is planned for Congress Street (for God's sake!) in return for the governor making an appearance at a spaghetti dinner twice a year.

We promise to say YES to strengthen code enforcement, to ELIMINATE the slum tenements, and to cut the municipal budget that considers a $6000 blue cow an appropriate expenditure. We would like to see $6000 spent on providing milk and graham crackers to elementary school children, because we have seen the pallid faces and the listless bodies of our town's children and we do not like what we see. We will say YES to tightening our belts but not so tight we can't breathe. We will say YES to identifying and encouraging business to come into the town to SERVE our OWN populations, namely:

Our "Seniors": They represent over, we think we heard it reported, 50% of Rumfordians and we will see to it that this number goes up, that the advantages to the town of encouraging seniors to choose Rumford for their retirement (excellent municipal infrastructure, classic housing, many houses on one level, a community hospital and veteran's clinic, etc.) are circulated and that business which specifically cater to this population, (in-home aides, investment and pension counselors, landscapers and other home trades, companies that provide entertainment and tours to notable and religious sites in the area, etc., etc.) arrive as a result. We promise to promote every good idea that will attract law abiding, tax-paying, independent and resourceful seniors to our beautiful town.

Our "Children": We promise to improve and expand the educational and recreational opportunities that already exist here - perhaps enticing a start-up college or private high school to open and utilize the amazing infrastructure we possess. The Hotel Harris, for example, could be an administrative center for a junior college and talk about student housing! Many towns that host small colleges have a never-ending stream of revenue to small businesses. If we can accomplish self-sufficiency that means some of our children will WANT to stay here and will be ABLE to stay here and raise their families.

Our "In-betweens": These are our hard working and inventive men and women who will start up businesses to attend to the previous two populations and, if the mill does shut down and is appropriately dispatched, the recreational and tourist value of our beautiful town will increase ten-fold bringing many service jobs with it. Let's give them tax incentives and help with loans and grants. Rumford is not only a beautifully laid-out town, it is a town, apart from the necessary presence of the mill, situated in a natural paradise with recreational potential that far exceeds some of the tonier vacation spots in our fair state. IF we make the correct decisions NOW, Rumford will resume its rightful place as a magnet for families and small business, grandparents and grandchildren to locate here.

Little steps for little feet. Let's get our bullet slate of write-in candidates elected and common sense will, finalement, constitute a MAJORITY of three on a board of five for at least one year. We can accomplish this with the support and enthusiasm of our neighbors and friends. Join our candidates in their commitment to give a couple of years of what remains to them above ground in actively promoting these ideas and there will be no more controversy about Rumford going down the drain.

We invite your readership to find out more about our campaign. We Want Our Beautiful Town Back. Please phone us at the House of the Rumford Resolves, 364-3964.

Juliet Alexander
347 Pine Street
Rumford, Maine 04276
207-364-3964

This is the Way a Police Log Should Look

Rumford Memorial Day Ceremony (2010)

For My Battle Buddy and Wingman

Maine Vocals Presents Peace Jam 2010, Harmony, Maine

FMI: http://www.mainevocals.net
(Please click to enlarge)

Town Plans on Tearing Down An Entire Block on Waldo Street

Were you aware that the Town of Rumford wants to
tear down an entire block on Waldo Street???
Why isn't the community involved in these decisions?
Do the owners of these buildings know this is happening?
Wow, we aren't any better than Portland or Lewiston.
Just have the Code Enforcer determine
all the buildings are unfit for habitation and call it good.

Look Out Rumford Cuz You Know They Be Crawlin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3WAY4zLd_Q

It's Official, the "Friends of the Library" Cannot Trump the Will of the Rumford Board of Selectmen

Click on to enlarge!

Mission Statement for The Rumford Reporter Fan Page on Facebook

Welcome to the official Rumford Reporter website owned and operated by Jennifer Norris of Rumford, Maine. Since we are stuck with the same ole, same ole from current newspapers, I have decided to create a site that clarifies the issues, gives you other perspectives, and markets Maine for the beauty and quality of life we all so treasure. If you are a public official in a public position, I will allow our readers to voice their opinion on your performance and character but if anyone attacks another fan or the admin, then your irrelevant attacks designed to hurt anothers character will be deleted. I ask that there be no name calling or character attacks. I don't like the trashy comment sections in the Lewiston Sun Journal. They let people say and do whatever they want despite the fact that the commenters are literally kicking people while they are down. Well that ain't happening here so let's have some great discussion and know that you will be protected and allowed the freedom of speech our Founding Fathers gave us without retaliation.

If you would like to become a fan of the Rumford Reporter Facebook page and chime in on the issues, please click here.

In Memory of Kelly Winslow-Dapolito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AscPOozwYA8For the obituary, please click here.

Happy Birthday Pa, aka William Rodney Stowell

LTE: Gridsolar, CMP and Maine PUC

As a small business owner in Maine, my business and my family have not dodged the economic downturn. We look everyday to be more efficient with less; provide our employees with health care and minimizing our operating expenses. If you speak and look to small business owners here in Maine or around the country you’ll find that we are all doing the same. It was big business, greedy banks, and CEO’s that bent the United States over the proverbial barrel and put it to us. We are not by any means recovered from this latest injustice, and yet Central Maine Power has a plan that further burdens us with increased rates while CMP’s owner and parent company Energy East, part of the Spain-based Iberdrola Group, toasts the Maine Public Utilities Commission all the way to the bank. Let me explain.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission has been tasked with approving one of two proposals outlining how Maine’s electricity will be produced and delivered in future. The two plans consist of CMP’s Maine Power Reliability Project and the GridSolar Project by GridSolar LLC. CMP will call on existing and new generation facilities located anywhere in the northeast and Canada to provide energy for Maine; GridSolar will produce green energy right here in Maine by installing photovoltaic (solar) systems to meet future load growth. Ratepayers, of course, will pay for whichever plan is approved. In my mind here is where the two roads (plans) diverge.

CMP’s plan will spend the $1.5 billion upfront over the next 3 years to upgrade transmission lines and equipment. Ratepayers will incur this burden through rate hikes, whether or not the investment is actually needed. The GridSolar Project responds incrementally as needed, so if load does not grow as rapidly as CMP has projected, ratepayers will pay much less. Also because GridSolar will deliver energy to the Maine PUC (and hence Maine ratepayers) at .03 cents per kW/h for 20 years, Maine ratepayers will save $60 million dollar per year. And this savings is likely to increase as the price of electricity increases. To understand this savings in the most simplistic terms: Once the solar equipment is paid for and installed, the cost of sunshine does not fluctuate. The same cannot be said regarding fossil fuels. There will be no savings to Maine ratepayers with the CMP plan.

On the green front, CMP’s plan cannot guarantee that CO2 emissions will be lower – business as usual. The GridSolar Project reduces carbon emissions by 500,000 tons per year – equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road. If the GridSolar Project is approved Maine will become a leader in solar technology, and with some foresight from our officials in Augusta, should be able to leverage this to promote solar technology businesses in Maine.

Land: GridSolar is looking for suitable sites to lease for their solar arrays. They will pay you for the use of your land. CMP will take your land through a right called Eminent Domain.

I have an obvious bias towards GridSolar’s project, and I could fill this page with pros and cons, however you can go online, check the facts and come to your own conclusions. When you do check the facts, I encourage you to call Maine PUC and advocate for what you think is best for Maine’s future. I find it hard to believe anyone could choose differently than I have.

One last point – CMP has spent close to $100 million in preparation for the implementation of their plan. Legal fees and public relations (like the guy that came to your town meeting to sell their plan) make up the majority of the money spent. I don’t know what GridSolar has spent … however, I do know that any money spent by GridSolar has come from its own pocket. Oh, and the $100 million that CMP has already spent – who do you think is really paying for that? That’s right… we are! Business as usual... give my regards to Spain.

Jim Gill
Harrison, Maine

Aftermath of High Winds in Andover

Father-in-Law Gets his Wish: A View of the Mountains

Hundreds of Trees Come Down on Upton Rd in Andover
A Week Later, Those Left Leaning Come Down After More High Winds

Photos Submitted by Rose Povelite

Gene Leaves Lasting Impression on All Boards and Commissions

J. Eugene Boivin at a Rumford Board of Selectmen Meeting

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday February 2 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm at SG Thibault Funeral Home 250 Penobscot Street Rumford, ME 04276. 207-364-4366

A Mass of Chrisitian Burial will be held at 11 am on Wednesday February 3, at Parish of the Holy Savior Church 126 Maine Ave Rumford, ME 04276.

Hommage à un Homme de Coeur (Tribute to a Man of Heart) - J. Eugene Boivin

The top paragraphs are the French article that appeared on December 24, 2009 in the Le Quotidien Newspaper in the Sagenay area located near Chicoutimi Québec, Canada. The lower paragraphs are the English translations.

M. Eugène Boivin résidant à Rumford , dans le Maine, possède un chalet voisin du mien a L‘Anse-aux-Èrables. Je me fais le porte parole pour ses amis qui le connaissent très bien, ici de même que son épouse.

Géant

À mon point de vue, M. Boivin est un géant, rendant service a tous, que ce soit pour des commission de toutes sortes ou, par son habileté à la construction ou réparation que nécessite un chalet ou une maison. Lui et son épouse se sont fait connaître égalment dans toute la région, la parcourant depuis le milieu des années 80 à la recherche de sa parenté, originaire d‘ici. Je sais qu‘il a laissé sa marque ou il est passé ; qu‘avec sa voix de stentor, il sait se faire entendre partout avec sa bonhomie naturelle et ses sages conseils très précis. Beaucoup plus, il attire en visite ici des gens de sa communauté, lesquels assistent à des spectables. Je tiens aussi à rendre hommage à son épouse qui l‘a toujours assisté dans ses déplacements. A l‘occasion d‘une visite que nous avons fait M. Lucien Morin et moi, dans sa ville américaine, nous avons constaté avec quelle affection et admiration ses concitoyen l‘estimaient et le considéraient tous. Nous tenions à le remercier.

Louis Nazaire Dallaire

LaBaie

**********************************

Tribute to a Man of Heart

Mr. Eugene Boivin lives in Rumford, Maine, owns a cottage adjoining mine in L'Anse-aux-Maples. I am the spokesman for his friends of this area who know him and his wife very well.

Giant

In my opinion, Mr. Boivin is a giant, who renders services to everyone, and feels committed to assist people with any type of task, or by his ability to construct or perform necessary repairs to a cottage or home. He and his wife have become equally well known throughout the region. They have traveled here since the mid 1980’s in search of his parentage, which originated here. I know he has left his mark wherever he has gone. With the use of his far-reaching voice, he knows how to make himself heard everywhere with his simple good-heartedness and his precise advice. In addition to that, he invites people and friends from his community to join with us to visit our spectacular area. I also pay homage to his wife who has always assisted him in his travels. When Lucien Morin and I had the occasion to visit Mr. Boivin in his hometown in America, we observed that his fellow-citizens have great affection and admiration for him, and that he is highly regarded by all. We respectfully thank him.

Louis Nazaire Dallaire

LaBaie

Winter in Western Maine by Sandra Jean Ford (Rumford, Maine)

Don't Get Scammed When Returning Items

Marden's, Rumford, Maine

To Whom It May Concern:

I wish to inform people of my recent Christmas tree buying experience. For the first time in twenty years, we decided to go with an artificial tree. We bought one from Mardens for seventy-three dollars ($73.00) that came with eight hundred (800) colored lights and revolved three hundred and sixty degrees (360⁰ ) continually! It was a beautiful tree, but after a week or so, it stopped revolving. At that point, I had the skirting down, presents everywhere, my free-standing Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, and my Santa Claus all set up, and the thought of breaking it all down to return the tree before Christmas was daunting to say the least.

When I did return the tree to the store on January 2nd (within the thirty (30) day stated requirement), the clerk said I could only get a 50% refund as it was a Christmas item and was being returned after Christmas. I was immediately irate, to say the least as I had my receipt and was in compliance with their stated policy of "returning the item within thirty (30) days for my hassle free refund".

I asked to speak with the manager. When the manager, Roberta Wallace, came to the front of the store, all she would do was keep repeating that I should have returned the tree when it stopped working! I explained to her what that would have entailed, and besides, I did not realize I was working under a time constraint as my receipt stated that as long as I returned the item within thirty days, with my receipt, I would get a "hassle free" full refund. When I asked Ms. Wallace to show me where on the receipt it states that "Christmas items will only be refunded at fifty percent (50%)", she stated that, "Well it doesn't say it on the receipt, it's just store policy".

When I said I wanted to speak to her supervisor because I was not willing to settle for a fifty percent (50%) refund, Ms. Wallace stated that "I'm it, I manage the entire store, there is no one else to go to." I replied with "Oh, so you own the store, make all business decisions, cut all payroll checks, etc.?" She said that no, she didn't own the store. I said then there is someone you report to, a district manager, the CEO, the owner, someone. I reiterated that I wanted to talk to her superior and was becoming quite upset at this point. This woman absolutely refused to honor Marden's contract and I told her what she was doing was a crime, that it was consumer fraud!

I referred to the terms of my receipt/contract which stated that upon returning an item to the store within 30 days, a full refund will be issued! When she realized I wasn't leaving until this issue was resolved, she said she would "make a call" but as this was Saturday, she couldn't do anything until Monday. I said "just to reiterate, you told me you were the store manager, yet you can't authorize a $35.00 customer refund?!"

I said fine, I gave her my name and number and told her I would be expecting her call Monday. Well, I went to the store Monday afternoon at which point Ms. Wallace told me she had a call into Walt Huffman, her manager, and was waiting for a return call. When I stated that it was getting quite late in the day she said "The day is not over yet." At that point, I showed her the following documents (please click on attachments) and she responded that she thought I was "a little over the top!" to which I replied if I didn't get my FULL refund that day, I was fully prepared to initiate a civil suit within the local court system, a criminal complaint with the attorney generals office, and a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, their consumer fraud division.

Miraculously, I received a telephone call within twenty (20) minutes saying my full refund was available to me anytime I wanted to come by the store!

Considering what I had to go through and the legal avenues I was prepared to pursue, I cannot help wondering how many people have been defrauded by this company. Not only how many were willing to just accept the fifty percent (50%) refund, but how many more did not know that they had avenues to pursue, and, furthermore, that they were the victims of consumer fraud?!

Jean Ford

Marden's Return Policy
Consumer Complaint Avenues