Nice to see guest Read Dickinson! Members we missed this week: Blair, Dennis, Fraher, Griffin, Kulik, McGrew, Murphy, Thrall, Zinchuk
Dan Hart announced for Youth Services that we have 6 applicants for RYLA 2015. Look for more information in coming months - it's believed that RYLA is June 23 - 27. The Youth Protection Policy has been completed with all members.
Pat Roma shared the financial results of the Country Breakfast and Beer & Wine Tasting events. Plus there are still bottles available.
Club Service's Mike Steven welcomes the quiet of events for early this spring. Clean-up days at Camp Sue and 4-H are on the horizon.
Steve Wight attended the Grants Seminar and shared the manual with incoming Chair Steve Smith. The Foundation Committee discussed potential projects of local foods/edible paths and elementary school children aspirations. A reminder that the Bulgarian Team Visit is looking to be scheduled in our area around June 1st.
Kevin Finley for Membership spoke of the new ideas in the District for membership like corporate memberships. On another note, scholarship applications are due April 15th.
The membership is inclined to volunteer at Am Lung's Trek Across Maine on Thu June 18 from 3 - 9 pm - this will be at Sunday River Resort. Ellie will be providing the details soon. And, the date for our Annual Yard Sale and Auction is set for Sat, June 27th!
We welcomed Bethel Town Manager Christine Landes on Tuesday April 7th. Christine joined the Town in November 2014 after the departure of Jim Doar and following Interim Manager Steve Eldridge. She shared a little about herself and gave an update on some of the projects the Town has completed recently as well as some upcoming projects.
Christine was born and raised in Maine and has worked with small municipal government since 1998. After trying a couple of career choices, she found she enjoyed banking and admittedly never really had an interest in working in government until ... she had a opportunity at working as Warren's Town Clerk - she grew to love government work and this initially short term opportunity turned into 12 years.
Christine's husband in the Navy was transferred to FLA and the family followed with Christine working in town/city government there. Upon her husband's retirement from the Navy, they returned to Maine where Christine held a couple of town government jobs before deciding to complete her schooling full time. It was at that time that the Town of Bethel contacted her for the Town Manager position and she was hired. Now, five months later, she is still doing course work and is looking forward to graduating on May 9th.
Here are some of the projects being worked on in Town: airport vegetation project; reduced electricity rate at the Sewer Plant; new street lights at Foodliner and Rte 26 intersections; "TULIP" programs - insurance program for renting public places; passenger rail coalition; credit card transactions accepted at town office; rejuvenating the Channel 11 committee; town committee volunteers are needed; 2016 budget with CIP; drone policy esp for airport rea; met with school heads; recreation director and committee; and, a budgeted item is a compactor for a recycling single stream, zero sort proposal.