Environment, Term Limits and Putin's Pending Visit Top Maine Headlines the Week of June 18
Law will regulate public water supplies and permits for commercial water extraction.
Maine's environment and environmental advocates led headlines the week of June 18, just in time for the Summer Solstice. Trumpeted by Maine dailies, the news also made its way to a number of national and international dailies.
Lawmakers passed a bill to better regulate commercial water extractions in Maine. That's news for Nestle Waters North America, the parent company of Poland Spring, but it's also good news for any municipality that relies on a public water supply.
The story was published on the Internet by www.chron.com, the website of the Houston Chronicle, on June 21.
Glenn Adams, an Associated Press writer based in Augusta, interviewed Rep. Theodore Koffman (D- Bar Harbor) who said, "There were a few pleasant surprises in the Natural Resources Committee this session, and this was one of them. The (water) interests and adversaries were able to get together and get their needs met."
Lawmakers also put into place rules that will protect public watershed. Again, from Adams' report, "The need for the law was articulated by the Portland Water District, which cited its own experience with inadequate well protections. It pointed to a case in 1998 in which wells serving its North Windham system were contaminated by fuel additive MTBE from a service station that was allowed to be too close to the wells."
Perhaps enjoying the longest exposure to daylight in 2007, lawmakers on June 21decided to spend more time in the Augusta. Following approval of both houses, on June 22 Foster's online reported Maine voters will likely review term limits in November. A bill to increase the current limits from a four-term limit to a six-term limit was approved by lawmakers before adjourning the session.
Governor John Baldacci is expected to sign the bill, according to the AP report published at www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.
The Environmental Protection Agency provided $254,730 to the Healthy Maine Beaches Program to monitor water quality in the state's public beaches presszoom.com/story_134646.html.
In advance of the week of June 25, the Moscow Times published an AP story written by Jerry Harkavy noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to be the latest word leader to visit the summer enclave of the Bush Family: Walker Point, Kennebunkport, Maine.
With the headline "Putin Latest in Line of Leaders to Visit Maine" www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/06/25/015.html, the AP picked up on visits from of Britain's John Major, Israel's Yitzhak Rabin, Poland's Lech Walesa and Jordan's King Hussein.
"But none of those visits had the import of this one between current President George W. Bush and Putin, which comes as relations between the two countries are strained over issues including a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe," the AP reported.
"But no matter how the meeting turns out, the Bush-Putin get-together and the worldwide news it generates are sure to be a winner for the town's principal industry - tourism," Adams reported.
As the value of the Euro and other currencies rise against the dollar, Maine is seeing more visitors from foreign shores.
It's a point not lost on the chamber of commerce director for the Kennebunks, Dick Leeman.
According to the Moscow Times, "Because we're a tourist-based economy, it's tremendous public relations," said Dick Leeman, president of the Chamber of Commerce for Kennebunkport and neighboring Kennebunk." All the major news teams will be here, and the dateline will be Kennebunkport, Maine. You can't buy that kind of publicity."
From-away influence is also spreading to the way Maine conducts its tourism trade, according to an article published on boston.com.
According to an article published on Boston.com, more than 2,400 Eastern European teens came to Maine last year summer through the U.S. State Department Summer Work-Travel Program and an equal number is expected to find employment here in 2007.
The students arrive in Maine and find employment in hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and moving companies, among other locations, and use the summer as a chance to strengthen English fluency, as published in boston.com www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/24/maine_takes_on_a_foreign_flavor/ .
Of the summer workforce for Acadia Corp., which manages the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park as well as gifts shops in the park and in downtown Bar Harbor, 15 percent is Eastern European.
Lawmakers passed a bill to better regulate commercial water extractions in Maine. That's news for Nestle Waters North America, the parent company of Poland Spring, but it's also good news for any municipality that relies on a public water supply.
The story was published on the Internet by www.chron.com, the website of the Houston Chronicle, on June 21.
Glenn Adams, an Associated Press writer based in Augusta, interviewed Rep. Theodore Koffman (D- Bar Harbor) who said, "There were a few pleasant surprises in the Natural Resources Committee this session, and this was one of them. The (water) interests and adversaries were able to get together and get their needs met."
Lawmakers also put into place rules that will protect public watershed. Again, from Adams' report, "The need for the law was articulated by the Portland Water District, which cited its own experience with inadequate well protections. It pointed to a case in 1998 in which wells serving its North Windham system were contaminated by fuel additive MTBE from a service station that was allowed to be too close to the wells."
Perhaps enjoying the longest exposure to daylight in 2007, lawmakers on June 21decided to spend more time in the Augusta. Following approval of both houses, on June 22 Foster's online reported Maine voters will likely review term limits in November. A bill to increase the current limits from a four-term limit to a six-term limit was approved by lawmakers before adjourning the session.
Governor John Baldacci is expected to sign the bill, according to the AP report published at www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.
The Environmental Protection Agency provided $254,730 to the Healthy Maine Beaches Program to monitor water quality in the state's public beaches presszoom.com/story_134646.html.
In advance of the week of June 25, the Moscow Times published an AP story written by Jerry Harkavy noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to be the latest word leader to visit the summer enclave of the Bush Family: Walker Point, Kennebunkport, Maine.
With the headline "Putin Latest in Line of Leaders to Visit Maine" www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/06/25/015.html, the AP picked up on visits from of Britain's John Major, Israel's Yitzhak Rabin, Poland's Lech Walesa and Jordan's King Hussein.
"But none of those visits had the import of this one between current President George W. Bush and Putin, which comes as relations between the two countries are strained over issues including a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe," the AP reported.
"But no matter how the meeting turns out, the Bush-Putin get-together and the worldwide news it generates are sure to be a winner for the town's principal industry - tourism," Adams reported.
As the value of the Euro and other currencies rise against the dollar, Maine is seeing more visitors from foreign shores.
It's a point not lost on the chamber of commerce director for the Kennebunks, Dick Leeman.
According to the Moscow Times, "Because we're a tourist-based economy, it's tremendous public relations," said Dick Leeman, president of the Chamber of Commerce for Kennebunkport and neighboring Kennebunk." All the major news teams will be here, and the dateline will be Kennebunkport, Maine. You can't buy that kind of publicity."
From-away influence is also spreading to the way Maine conducts its tourism trade, according to an article published on boston.com.
According to an article published on Boston.com, more than 2,400 Eastern European teens came to Maine last year summer through the U.S. State Department Summer Work-Travel Program and an equal number is expected to find employment here in 2007.
The students arrive in Maine and find employment in hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and moving companies, among other locations, and use the summer as a chance to strengthen English fluency, as published in boston.com www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/24/maine_takes_on_a_foreign_flavor/ .
Of the summer workforce for Acadia Corp., which manages the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park as well as gifts shops in the park and in downtown Bar Harbor, 15 percent is Eastern European.
- By: Lorie Costigan
