Mayor Larry Gilbert

Mayor Gilbert Receives ME Development Foundation Award

Mayor Larry Gilbert accepted a certificate receiving the ME Development Foundation Award.

The Maine Development Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that drives sustainable, long-term economic growth for Maine through several programs:  Maine Economic Growth Council, Leadership Maine, Maine Downtown Center, Policy Leaders Academy, and the Maine Employers’ Initiative.  MDF stimulates new ideas, develops leaders, and provides common ground for solving problems and advancing issues.  For more information please visit www.mdf.org.  

(Photo includes Jan Phillips, Chair, College for ME Androscoggin, Mayor Larry Gilbert, Barry MacMillan, Maine Employers’ Initiative, Maine Development Foundation)

December Mayoral V.I.B.E. Award Given To Donald Walsh of The Salvation Army

On Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 the Salvation Army celebrated a volunteer known throughout the community as "Uncle Donnie," as Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert, surprised Donald Walsh with the December 09 VIBE Award (Volunteers Inspire By Example). 

Gilbert stated, "This certificate is presented in appreciation for service to the outreach and ministry of the Salvation Army.  Described as a 'man who gives his whole heart to serve God and to serve others,' Donald's contributions include facilitating the lunch program, coordinating the kettle effort, working on the canteen truck, and teaching Sunday School.  His commitment to enhancing the lives of others is to be commended.  Indeed, people like Donnie Walsh are definitely one of the reasons why Lewiston is an All-America City."

Those on hand for the surprise were Walsh's daughter, Dawn Cormier, son-in-law Ryan Cormier, grand-daughters Sage & Isabelle, and members of the Salvation Army staff.  Gilbert added to family members, "You must be very proud of your father and grandfather; he's a good man."

Nominations for future award recipients may be made online at www.ci.lewiston.me.us (Special Notices) or via nomination forms that are located at municipal service windows.

(Photo: left to right: Dawn Cormier, Isabelle Cormier, Sage Cormier, VIBE recipient Donald Walsh, Mayor Laurent F. Gilbert, Sr., and Walsh's son-in-law Ryan Cormier).

Mayor Gilbert Visits Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman At Las Vegas City Hall

On Friday, December 18th, 2009 Mayor Larry Gilbert visited City Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada to meet Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Mayor Gilbert was on a personal family vacation, but will often take time on vacations to explore other cities governments and how they operate to be able to bring new fresh ideas back to his own hometown.

While there Mayor Gilbert addressed Mayor Goodman on the floor of the city council chambers at Las Vegas City Hall. After, Mayor Gilbert along with his son Larry, Jr. took photos with Mayor Goodman outside city hall. Mayor Goodman gave Mayor Gilbert and his son each a poker chip with a cartoon character of Goodman that reads, "The Happiest Mayor of the Greatest City in the World."

Mayor Goodman talked about his various trips to Maine and the connection he has with Mayor Gilbert in which they both hold regular "Coffee with the Mayor" for citizens to interact with city government.

Mayor's Corner: My childhood Christmases remembered at holiday time

Twin City Times- Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Mayor's Corner #118

Every year at Christmas time I tend to reflect back on my childhood and remember this most festive holiday. As a child it was such a special time preparing for that day when Santa would visit and bring gifts that brought great joy.

I remember in the early 1950’s going shopping with my mother, Eva, by taking the bus at the corner of East and Warren Avenues and riding it to the very busy downtown Lewiston. We went to B. Peck’s Department Store and I sat on Santa’s lap and told him my wish list. Of course there was the picture with this jolly old man and I would always wonder if his beard was real as it was so white and yet I didn’t dare touch or yank it to confirm any suspicion.

This was followed by going to the fish pool filled with gifts and with a stick with a string and hook on it to fish for a gift you could hook. This then insured that I was ready for Christmas.

Mom continued her shopping and I always enjoyed going to Ames Butter Store on Lisbon Street. There they sold eggs, and would cut pounds of butter from a gigantic cube of butter. What I enjoyed most was the odor, especially of the fresh peanut butter. There was no other like it.

My father, Emile, had painted a huge Santa with a bag of toys on a large piece of wood and cut it out as it was life size. He had placed it on the roof of our house near the chimney and put a spot light on it along with colored lights all around our front porch at 23 Forest Street in Lewiston.  Before going to bed at night, I would press my nose to the window of my bedroom and look outside at ours and neighbors Christmas lights.

Mayor's Corner: “College isn’t for me; I’ll never go to school again!” Yea, right!

Twin City Times- Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Mayor's Corner #117

Back when I was in high school, I fell behind and I had told myself that “college isn’t for me and I’ll never go to school again,” so I thought!

Last week I wrote about College for ME-Androscoggin and the annual luncheon that recognizes non-traditional students who have overcome obstacles to achieve their college degrees.  I wrote that this week I will share my story as to how I became a non-traditional student to eventually earn my bachelor’s degree. 

Here goes: My family left Lewiston to move to California in 1955 when I was ten years old and a student at St. Peter’s School. I attended Holy Angels School in Arcadia, California and then Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California.

It was at some point while I was in high school that I fell behind and basically gave up trying to do well in school. I loved my high school but somehow, I was allowed to fail to achieve and I graduated 78th out of a class of 80. Graduation didn’t mean much for me other than uttering to myself “college isn’t for me and I will never go to school again.

High school graduation was on a Sunday afternoon and early the next morning I started working with my father as a house painter. I liked that work and continued while my friends went on to college. Two years later, I was drafted into the U.S. Army serving a year in Texas and another year in Vietnam.

Mayor's Corner: College for ME-Androscoggin Inspires College Attendance

Twin City Times- Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Mayor's Corner #116

Last Friday, I attended the annual College for Me-Androscoggin Higher Education Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. There were some 300 community members in attendance to celebrate college student success stories as well as the presentation of awards for Corporate Leadership, Student Advocate, Student Awards and Special Award. 

Last year when I wrote my column on College for ME-Androscoggin, I highlighted the story of a pregnant high school student who with the support of the community went on the get her nursing degree while overcoming many obstacles. 

Last Saturday, the Sun-Journal reported on the event in an article entitled Awards honor four inspiring college students written by their outstanding reporter, Bonnie Washuk. Those honored were Steven Bolduc, Alicia Webber, Norman Newton and Mary Lou Thibodeau.  All had very impressive stories about their life and their continuing education in college. I refer you to the Sun-Journal for their stories.

I would venture to say that most non-traditional college student each have a story to tell about how and why they were inspired to go on to college.  In next week’s Mayor’s Corner column, I will share my story about my college experience.

For this week I want to highlight College for ME-Androscoggin. I will draw verbatim from the handouts at the luncheon and from their website.

The American Heart Association's Recognitions the City of Lewiston, Now Listed on Fortune Magazine's 2009 Honor Roll

The City of Lewiston was recently notified by the American Heart Association that it is being celebrated as a "Start! Fit Friendly Company." As a result, Lewiston has made Fortune Magazine's 2009 Honor Roll along with other progressive entities that are at the forefront of worksite wellness.

Bernard P. Dennis, Chair of the American Heart Association, stated, "Studies show that companies that institute worksite wellness programs like yours increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover, and reduce hard costs."

Lewiston's Health Care Management System by Prevention was developed in 2005, as the City recognized it had virtually no control or influence over the skyrocketing costs of health care management for its then 532 municipal employees/spouses. Development of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease continued to impact those costs, and staff and officials realized that something needed to be done to be more preventative towards curbing the development of serious diseases and conditions.

Lewiston became proactive about the need to be preventative! The initiative has proven that initiating preventative health care is much more effective than disease management. Lewiston developed and implemented a "cutting-edge" program that assesses the health risk behaviors of employees/spouses; educates them as to the risks of such behaviors; provides guidance towards motivating them to address at-risk behaviors; and assists them in setting reasonable, sustainable goals towards enhanced health.

Denis Jean, Lewiston's Human Resources Director, stated, "We have learned that employers can significantly influence & positively impact health behavior change. In addition, by stressing prevention, chronic disease can, in some instances, indeed be prevented."

Mayor Gilbert Advocates That President Obama & Congress Create a Community Jobs Program.

Lewiston's Mayor Larry Gilbert, spoke at a press conference held at the Lewiston Public Library this morning urging the creation of a community jobs program. 

Gilbert stated, "It's time for the President and Congress to act now.  Such a program would put 2.5 million people back to work."

Gilbert was not alone in his urging, as he was joined by Genevieve Lysen of the Maine Peoples Alliance, Senator Margaret Craven, Representative Brian Bolduc, and those who served as the event's "voice of the unemployed," Kevin Simpson and Brenda Akers.

The press conference was held on the same date (today) that President Obama is hosting a Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth at The White House.  The purpose of the discussion will be to explore every possible avenue for job creation and to get ideas from small business owners and CEOs, labor union representatives, financial experts, economists, nonprofit leaders, and everyday Americans who have felt the impact of the current economic crisis firsthand.

Gilbert added, "The President and Congress have already taken significant steps to stop the economy's nosedive, and their efforts have already created over a million jobs and led to renewed economic growth in the third quarter of 2009.  In fact, here in Lewiston, we were able to hire two additional police officers as a result of the Recovery Act, but it's clear that much more must be done to generate millions more jobs to assure a true recovery that reaches all Americans."
 
As Gilbert urged the current Administration to act now, he continued, "The jobs bill that is produced must include creation of public jobs, job-creation tax credits, assistance to state and local government, and infrastructure projects including highways.  Certainly, at the local government level, we will need the help in our next budget."

Gilbert stressed that a community jobs program would provide resources to local elected officials who are closest to communities and the needs on the ground, working with community members and groups to identify critical projects and connecting workers to jobs in the public and not-for-profit sectors.

Mayor's Corner: Get Health Care Reform Done Now! Plus Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

Twin City Times- Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Mayor's Corner #115

As the Health Care Reform initiative has been lingering because of the resistance of members of Congress and in particular one party, their mantra has been jobs, jobs, jobs!
I urge those who have been saying no to Health Care Reform to get it done and the sooner they get it done, the sooner they will get onto jobs. It will be interesting to see if those who have been saying no, no, no to Health Care Reform and calling for work on jobs instead, will they again start saying no to jobs and pointing to another subject?

While we are on the subject of jobs, we have to look at how we got into this situation in this country. Over the past few decades, large investment banks, Wall Street Financiers and Corporate CEO’s have made their profits over the backs of workers, families and local communities.

They have been protected by conservative members of Congress by weakening regulations, cutting corporate taxes and reducing funds for public services and programs. This has negatively impacted the middle class that has tried to go to work every day to sustain our economy. It has impacted the poor and now the working poor.

The result of the above that we are experiencing is the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. It might have been worse if it hadn’t been for the Recovery Act which slowed down the free fall.  Some of the stimulus money is just arriving at communities that have applied for same. Here, in Lewiston, we have recently been awarded the support to hire two police officers.

Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 10.2%. Up until last month we had experienced 22 straight months of job losses. We are continuing to experience job losses monthly, although the rate of job losses is decreasing as we are trying to grow our economy.

Boy Scout Receives Support From Mayor Gilbert On Eagle Scout Project

Jeremy Bernier, Scout from Troop #160, diligently planned his Eagle Scout project that took place Saturday, November 21st.  Days before his project took place, Bernier met with Mayor Larry Gilbert, to bring him up to date on his detailed plan of action for the Twin City CITO, a trash pick-up of Lewiston & Auburn public lands. 

Gilbert noted, "It's encouraging to see that a young man within our community is dedicated to clean-up and beautification.  He's been planning this event for several weeks, and it's exciting to see his attention to detail and determination to make a difference."

The event was held at Marcotte Park on Saturday, November 21st, where Mayor Gilbert help Bernier and the team of volunteers clean up key areas around the Twin Cities.

[Sun Journal]