Mayor Larry Gilbert

Mayor Gilbert Reacts To Auburn Council Dissolve of Commission

Mayor Gilbert reacts to the Auburn Council dissolve of the commission working to join services and save money between Lewiston and Auburn.

[WCSH 6]

Mayor Gilbert Reacts To Possible Relocation of The Lewiston MAINEiacs

Mayor Gilbert was quoted by several new outlets today about the possible move of the Lewiston MAINEiacs from Lewiston to Boisbriand, Quebec at the end of the 2008-2009 season.

[Boston Globe]

[Sun Journal]

[News 8 WMTW]

[WCSH 6]

Nancy Gallant Presented With January Mayoral VIBE Award

The Visible Community's Nancy Gallant thought she was headed to a meeting this morning; however, she was greeted by Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert, and Councilor Robert Reed who presented her with the January 09 Mayoral VIBE Award, "Volunteers Inspire By Example."

Mayor Gilbert presented Gallant with a Certificate of Appreciation which stated, "Thank you for your continued efforts encouraging others to become involved within their community.  Your own service-which includes passing out flyers; selling raffle tickets; making & donating handmade raffle items; and publicly advocating issues and concerns you have for your neighbors-demonstrates what a committed individual can accomplish.  Your dependability as a volunteer is also to be greatly commended.  Thank    you for sharing your time and talents here in the All-America City of Lewiston!"               

An appreciative but "shocked" Gallant was also presented with a VIBE lapel pin from Councilor Reed, with Mayor Gilbert following up with a donated "lunch for two"  from Fran's Place, Lewiston. During the morning surprise, Gallant's efforts were also applauded by attending Kate Brennan & Craig Saddlemire, both of The Visible Community, and her grandson, Carlton Gallant.

The local volunteer recognition initiative was collaboratively developed by Gilbert and Reed in July of 2008 to recognize individuals who are stellar examples of selfless civic engagement. Nominations for the February award are due by no later than February 6th, and the nomination form may be found online at http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us/vibe.htm. Forms are also located at service windows at Lewiston City Hall.

Photo above (left to right):  Craig Saddlemire; Councilor Robert Reed; award recipient Nancy Gallant; Mayor Larry Gilbert; Kate Brennan; and Gallant's grandson Carlton

Mayor's Corner: Perceived Barriers to Somali Immigrant Employment in Lewiston

Twin City Times- Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Mayor's Corner #70

I generally sit down to write this column on Sunday afternoons or evenings. This week, it is Friday evening and I am preparing to leave for Washington, D.C. with my wife Pat, our daughter Karla and our son, Larry Jr. We will be attending President Barack Obama’s Inauguration courtesy of Senator Susan Collins.  It will be my second inauguration as I attended President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration.  We have invitations to a luncheon at the New Zealand Embassy and to a reception at Congressman Michael Michaud’s office the day prior to the inauguration.

As a result of being limited in time this week, I very recently received a copy of a research paper that I believe is timely and informative that I wish to share with you. The paper is entitled Perceived Barriers to Somali Immigrant Employment in Lewiston, A supplement to Maine’s Department of Labor Report. This was a Community-Based Research Project for Anthropology 339 Production and Reproduction from the Bates College Department of Anthropology, dated Fall 2008.

I sought and received permission to reproduce and print the Introduction and Executive Summary of the report from Professor Elizabeth A. Eames, Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Bates College. We both felt that it would be informative to residents of Lewiston-Auburn and surrounding.

Introduction

In the wake of the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) Report on Somali employment patterns (http://www.state.me.us/labor/lmis/pdf/Lewiston%20Migrant%20Report.pdf ), released in the spring of 2008, a large number of community representatives felt the need of additional research. At several meetings of community leaders about the MDOL Report, Bates College anthropologist Dr. Elizabeth A. Eames offered to incorporate a community-based research project into her upcoming comparative economics class. The students of Anthropology 339 were asked by the Career Center and the Chamber of Commerce to focus upon why formal employment opportunities for L/A’s Somalis have been limited, despite the stark reality that so many of our long-time employees are reaching retirement age. With financial support from The Harward Center for Community Partnerships and the logistical assistance of Lewiston Adult Education, STTAR Consultancy Services, as well as the aforementioned Career Center and Chamber of Commerce, our class conducted a series of focus groups with over 20 Somali job seekers and more than 20 potential employers in order to gather information regarding barriers to Somali employment. The results allow us to provide you with some answers to this question, including a run down of the best practices of local employers, as well as observations concerning the benefits of increasing refugee employment. Let us here draw your attention to our Executive Summary.

It should be noted that we embarked upon this project before the financial crash of October 2008; we complete this report in the midst of the ensuing fiscal turmoil. Barriers to Somali employment seem much less penetrable in December than they did in September, yet the refugee community’s needs are certainly no less severe.

Mayor's Corner: General Assistance Laws Need Review and Revision

Twin City Times- Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Mayor's Corner #69

At our last city council meeting, Sue Charron, the Social Services Director for the City of Lewiston made a strong case for some modification of the General Assistance Laws.  She offered several recommendations that were reported in last week’s Twin City Times in some detail.  I will not regurgitate each and every one of those recommendations.  I would urge readers to look at last weeks issue or go on line to read them.

I have come to know Sue Charron as a person with a great deal of compassion and one who lives up to her responsibilities of implementing the general assistance laws to the letter. At times I have people come to my office to complain that they have been denied assistance. When I check, I find that they have not complied with the dictates of the law and don’t qualify for assistance.

During the course of her work, Ms. Charron, has found a number of loopholes in the laws that become a cause for abuse or are unfair by virtue of unlike sources of assistance for recipients.  Maine laws do not recognize what might be termed “double dipping.” Those who are finding other sources for their food, etc., are in effect penalized and treated differently because of the law.

In her memorandum to the city council dated January 6, 2009 entitled General Assistance Proposals for Reducing Expenditures, she wrote about the difficult economic times we are in, with high unemployment, increase in foreclosures, abandoned buildings and evictions. There has been, both nationally and locally, an increase in the number of people receiving various forms of assistance.

Ms. Charron also pointed out that all of us are asked to tighten our belts to get through this difficult period.  She offered recommendations to the general assistance program that would result in financial savings and still assist residents who, through no fault of their own, are unable to provide for themselves and their families with basic necessities. We must keep in mind, as she mentioned, that the General Assistance Program is a program of last resort.  By this, all other assistance programs must be taken into consideration in determining eligibility. There are many other private, state and federal programs that offer assistance. Again, General Assistance is a program of last resort.

Mayor's Corner: Church Consolidation an Example for Communities

Twin City Times- Thursday, January 8th, 2009
Mayor's Corner #68

Writing a column on a weekly basis can be challenging at times and at other times, the subject comes easy.  This is one of those weeks when I’ve been wracking my brain to think of a subject to write about that might be of interest to the readers.  So I have decided to just start writing and hopefully thoughts will come to mind and things will flow, so here goes.

The New Year celebration for my wife Pat and me was pretty much uneventful. We actually ended 2008 by attending a Mass of Celebration at the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul that was con-celebrated by Bishop Richard Malone and several priests from the Diocese of Portland.  This was the official ceremony of merging five Lewiston Catholic Parishes into one parish which is now called Prince of Peace Parish.  The five parishes are Holy Cross, St. Joseph, Sts. Peter & Paul, St. Patrick and Holy Family.

During the course of the ceremony, Monsignor Marc Caron (a Lewiston native) was assigned by Bishop Malone as the Pastor of the Prince of Peace Parish and Rector of the Basilica. Named to assist Msg. Caron were Parochial Vicars, Fr. Joseph Daniels and Father Nathan March. 

It was a beautiful ceremony at year’s end which ended the parish life of Catholics in Lewiston as they had come to know it while concomitantly beginning a new year of parish life that will continue into the future.  Each church will continue with its own identify yet they will be administered as one parish.

As the population of Lewiston grew with many Irish and Franco-American Catholics establishing themselves here for employment, churches had to be built to accommodate the numbers attending the services. In modern times, as our population has diminished and as our population changes, attendance at church has dropped off dramatically.  Maintaining these structures with energy and maintenance costs, the decreasing number of vocations and attendance by members of these parishes, consolidation of administrative service was a necessity. Next, no doubt, closing of some churches will become necessary. Moving slowly gives time to adapt to the necessary changes.

Mayor’s Corner: The State of City Services and Hope for the New Year!

Twin City Times- Thursday, January 1st, 2009
Mayor's Corner #67

Mayor’s Corner: The State of City Services and Hope for the New Year!

As we close out a year and prepare for a new year, it causes us to reflect on the occurrences of the past year.  With a municipal government, we look back and reflect on accomplishments of the past year.  To that end, on the day after Christmas, through city administrators, I asked the department heads who weren’t away on vacation to list some of their departments accomplishments of the past year. I will list some of them below in spite of the fact that it is by no means a complete list.  The list is merely a sampling and to do otherwise, it may take up this entire publication.

Starting with the fire department, through a grant, they outfitted all fire stations with vehicle exhaust extractions systems valued at $135,000. Through a Homeland Security Grant valued at $35,000 all firefighters received Hazardous Materials Decontamination Training.

The Fire Prevention Division worked with the Code Enforcement Department in identifying vacant buildings through foreclosure and abandoned buildings.  In doing so they ensure safety through utility shut downs and securing the buildings from intruders. They also completed over 700 building inspections.  Their calls for various types of services amounted to 1800, which included structural fires, motor vehicle accidents, and hazardous conditions and so on.

This was the year for black and white police cruisers for both Lewiston and Auburn. The color change adds to the safety of not only the officers but the public as well with their easy identification. As a former police chief, that was a wish of mine that now finally got realized. The police department continues in its ongoing national re-accreditation as a professional law enforcement agency.

Mayor's Corner: Happy Holidays! A time to reconcile, give thanks and celebrate

Twin City Times- Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Mayor's Corner #66

As I sit to write this column, it is Sunday afternoon in the midst of a snow storm on this the first day of winter.  It is Winter Solstice. According to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, it occurs at the instant when the Sun’s position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the observer’s hemisphere.  In other words it is the reversal of the gradually lengthening nights and shortening days.

Although it is the first day of winter, the Winter Solstice also brings with it hope for lengthening days heading us towards the longer days of spring and summer.  With hope comes celebration.

In some countries, such as in Iran, the eve of the Winter Solstice is celebrated on the longest night of the year.  It is a time for family and friends to gather in celebration and to eat fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts.  With it, come love and happiness and a time to put aside differences. 

Wouldn’t it be great if countries could put aside their differences and celebrate our similarities?  Wouldn’t it be great if our federal, state, county or municipal governments could put aside their differences and celebrate that which we all seek, a better life for the people who are served by their governments?

Again, according to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia the feast of Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights.  It is an “eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.  Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kisley according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.”