RESULTS: Nov. 6, 2018 Election, Warrants and Polls: How the Midcoast voted

When Dustin Hoffman’s character in The Graduate was told the future was plastics there was no way for him to know the ominous role that plastic would play in our lives 60 years later. Maybe the inventors of plastic had a suspicion they were putting into motion an intractable, dire problem, but I doubt it. Most likely they believed they had created an inexpensive, practical way to package and contain things. And so began our love affair with plastic.

Look around—plastic…

ROCKLAND — Three candidates, Benjamin Dorr, Harold Dale Hayward, Jr., and Brandy Perkins, are competing for one seat on the Rockland City Council. In an effort to better understand their goals and philosophies, Penobscot Bay Pilot sent them all a list of the same questions via email. What follows are their individual responses, as they have returned them.  

I was born in Belfast, and lived in Northport and Belfast. I am one of six siblings and…

Maine voters will see several proposals on their state ballot Nov. 6, including four bond issues and a citizens’ initiative.

One of those bond issues, appearing as Question 4 on the statewide ballot, would provide $49 million, matched by at least $49 million in private and public funds, “to modernize and improve  the facilities and infrastructure of Maine's public universities in order to expand workforce development capacity and to attract and retain students to strengthen Maine's…

Maine voters will see several proposals on their state ballot Nov. 6 including four bond issues.

One of those bond issues, appearing as Question 3 on the statewide ballot, would provide $100 million, if approved, “for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, piers, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails” and be used “to match…

Maine voters will see several proposals on their state ballot Nov. 6 including four bond issues.

The first bond issue, appearing as Question 2 on the statewide ballot, “aims to improve water quality, support the planning and construction of wastewater treatment facilities and assist homeowners whose homes are served by substandard or malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems.”

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What a long, strange trip it has been…

For more than five years, the citizens of Rockport have wrestled with what to do about a deteriorating town library.

A year and a half ago this very lack of progress prompted me to run for the Rockport Select board, and I did manage to get myself elected.

 During this past 18 months, I have met a lot of new friends and mended some old fences.  The…

In my 50-plus years of voting, it is rare for me to actively support a candidate, especially one that I only recently had met.  Erin Herbig is that exceptional candidate for several reasons.  First, she has clear goals.  Erin’s passion is to make Maine an attractive place for her youthful peers to work and make a positive future – reversing the current net outmigration of youth. 

Second, I like her lessons learned from being Maine House Majority Leader.  She prioritized bills with…

We are voting for Vicki Doudera for State Representative on November 6 for numerous and obvious reasons. Throughout the 30-plus years that Vicki has lived and worked in this area, Vicki has displayed what  it truly means to patiently listen to, and take in what those around her have to say. 

With the extraordinary support of her husband Ed and their three grown children raised in our local school…

It is not often that we have the opportunity to vote for someone who is as qualified for the office she seeks as Ann Matlack is.  Ann is running to represent Maine House District 92 (Cushing, Thomaston, South Thomaston, St. George, Matinicus Isle Plantation and the unorganized territories of Criehaven and Muscle Ridge Island Township) and I would encourage you to consider her experience. 

She served…

As a full-time public school teacher and new mother, education is a top priority for me this election season. I am grateful to have a political candidate who sees education as a fundamental investment in the future of our communities. Bill Pluecker, the independent candidate running for State Representative in Appleton, Hope, Warren, and Union, understands the values of our local schools and is willing to fight hard to ensure funding for our children's education at the state level. 

When you head to the polls on November 6 may you consider my experience with Owen Casas. I don’t view Owen as a distant political figure who has a feel-good message and is nowhere to be found. Owen is very involved in the community, from T-Ball to town meetings and community fundraising events such as the Islesboro Crossing for Lifeflight. He also has a great deal of compassion and is always willing to help and listen to concerns.  I would like to…

The League of Women Voters of Maine Education Fund has released its 12th Easy-to-Read Voter Guide for the 2018 general election. This year’s guide covers the gubernatorial race, the federal race for U.S. Senate, both federal races for the U.S. House of Representatives (Districts 1 and 2), one statewide citizen initiative question, and four statewide bond issues that will be decided by voters on November 6. Following the first statewide use of ranked choice voting (RCV) on the ballot last…

Janet Mills is an independent thinker who doesn’t allow partisan politics to cloud her focus on the interests of Maine people. Many Mainers, particularly women and people with pre-existing conditions, along with those who love them, are left reeling in the wake of the latest Supreme Court confirmation. Janet is intimately aware of the healthcare challenges everyday people face, as it has been her lived experience in raising five daughters and caring for her spouse following a stroke. Janet…

Paula Sutton, R-Warren: I learned from a young age that success can be the fruit of adversity. With my own personal experience with a childhood disability, I have a unique perspective and can champion for prioritizing Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. I am not one to dwell on victimhood, prefer to put forth a positive can-do attitude, and demonstrate my strong work ethic, love of state and country.  I have sponsored and passed…

Since Election Day is upon us, I would like to share my thoughts regarding a bill in the Maine Legislature this previous session.

On June 20, there was an important vote in the Maine Legislature: The Red Flag Gun Safety Bill, otherwise known as LD 1884.

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Brian Phillip Kresge, R-Winterport: I am originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18, served as an infantryman and paratrooper. I went to college and grad school while serving in the Army National Guard first in Pennsylvania, and continue to serve here in Maine’s National Guard. I work as a computer programmer and writer. I run because I believe in Judaism’s mandate “tikkun olam,” to repair the world. When there is so much child poverty in…

Citizens of Camden will have the opportunity to take the lead on banning single-use plastics on the November ballot.  Article 2 bans single-use bags and puts a fee of $.10 on paper bags at stores selling food staples.  Article 8 bans the use of expanded polystyrene at restaurants and other food providers.  

These articles are testimony to sensible and…

On November 6, the Rockport Select Board asks your help in building a new library for the town.  For the past six months a team of local architects, engineers, builders, and residents has worked to develop a plan for our library that is appropriately sized and priced for our community. 

On Election Day the townspeople will be asked to vote on two questions regarding the library:

…

Looking at the Belfast City Council slate of Jim, Ellie, and Joanne I had a few thoughts. Their three perspectives are remarkably similar. Because they walk the same narrow paths and speak to the same people who agree with them they don’t know the same things. They are in a shiny green bubble where the idea of killing the salmon farm proposal and replacing it with playgrounds, tiny houses, and  a new found civility may sound good to a few friends…

The recent epidemic rise in opioid use disorders and overdoses has put the spotlight on two elected positions that hold the key to local change. Why? Because most of those arrested in our community have a substance use disorder or other mental illness, and are not a danger to the community. Most who commit crimes are arrested and detained by the Sheriff’s Office. And if someone is charged with a crime, 97 percent of the time the case is settled out of court through a plea offer…

With so many seats to fill in state, county and local government, and all the trouble we have filling positions, I wonder why the race for House District 94 so frequently forces me to choose between people I not only respect, but also like personally. I have agonized over some of these choices and I know I’m not alone. 

So here we are again, presented with two great options for one job. Even my 8-year-old pointed out a few days ago how much easier it is when there’s one person you do…

I’m voting for Vicki Doudera for State Representative because she understands our local businesses and what they need. Vicki and Ed started a successful lodging business, owned another, and Vicki has been active in our Chamber of Commerce for years.  She stays involved in issues that are important to the…

Next month Rockport residents will vote on whether to build a new library. After years of effort, dozens of committee meetings and thousands of hours of discussion, a plan has emerged that will meet the community’s needs now and for the foreseeable future. We enthusiastically support this plan.

Some may be disappointed that the building will not be at the former RES site, or may think that it’s too small, or too large. Others are happy with the location, but would prefer a more…

I am a Democrat and will proudly cast my vote to re-elect Owen Casas as Maine State Representative in District 94 (Camden, Rockport, Islesboro). During his first term in the House, Owen has demonstrated time and again that he’s hard-working, intelligent, informed, articulate, and focused. He understands the issues and the political process. Reaching across the aisle to collaborate with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, he works toward results that will best serve all of his…

Stumped by the confusing rollout of the Affordable Care Act, my mother, who lives in Vermont, was without health insurance for many years. When she was admitted into the hospital in 2017, it was a scary time—not only because of her health crisis and subsequent diagnosis with a chronic condition that would require ongoing care, but because of the worry about how to pay for it. Thankfully, the hospital’s navigator was amazing, and because Vermont had expanded Medicaid, Mom was able to get…

ROCKLAND — More than 150 members of Maine’s dedicated seafood industry and community members congregated at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Oct. 4, to listen to each candidate for Maine’s governor explain their views on the future of the industry under their administration. Questions, posed by industry associations and audience participation, covered critical issues the workers of the coast are facing such as waterfront preservation, ocean energy development, herring reductions, government…

Having attended the local candidate forum for Senate District 11 on Wednesday night, I was impressed with Jayne Giles’ position on the issues. She presented a balanced and reflective opinion on matters affecting not  only in Waldo County, but also the State. It was evident that her extensive banking experience, coupled with her nonprofit and volunteer work, provided Jayne with the background to understand the…

We hear a lot of talk about the need to get young people to stay in Maine.  I am one of the lucky people who grew up in the Midcoast, went away for a while and then got to come back here to live. I have a good job and own a home and pay taxes in one of the best places in Maine. I made it work, and I want more young Mainers to be able to do the same. That is why I am voting for Bill Pluecker for my next Representative. Bill has a vision for the potential of Maine and of the Midcoast that is…

Maine voters will see several proposals on their state ballot Nov. 6, the first one being a citizen’s initiative to establish in-home and support services for the elderly and disabled.

Question 1 on the 2018 General Election ballot was introduced by Maine People’s Alliance in an effort, according to the organization…

Many of us in our community are concerned about the ever increasing burden of property taxes on homeowners and renters.  For example, education funding makes up about 80% of each town’s property tax – a rising result of the State’s having cut its share of local education funding by more than $500 million since 2010. Statewide, this is $1.3 billion short of meeting the 55 percent school funding level approved by Maine voters 10 years ago! Local property taxes property have increased as a…

To the voters of Camden, Rockport, and Islesboro: I’ve served with Owen Casas on the Rockport Select Board and understand how one develops as one gains experience.  The years of experience Representative Casas developed while serving on the Select Board has brought a level of understanding few members of the Maine Legislature bring to their job as a Representative or Senator. 

It is an understanding of the issues one develops when serving at the municipal level that makes a good…

I have known Jayne Crosby Giles for well over 20 years. Jayne sat on the governing board of Broadreach Family and Community Services during some of the time that I served as its Executive Director. During that time, I marveled at her skill in navigating strict fiscal issues (as is common with many non-profits), her fair and never flinching support of the staff at Broadreach, and her keen eye on the highest of quality education for children….without breaking the bank! Jayne’s clear vision of…

As the owner of the Lupine Cottage Craft Co-Op in Belfast, I’m writing with wholehearted support for Jayne Crosby Giles for Maine State Senate. The Lupine Cottage was my dream. Jayne believed in me. When I first started out, I was faced with many obstacles as a small business owner. Jayne took the time to listen and understood my issues and concerns. Her banking and business experience was invaluable. She went the extra mile and found the resources I needed to succeed. She was always looking…

I am urging voters in Waldo County to support Representative Erin Herbig for our Senate District.  I met Erin several months ago when she was visiting small businesses in our District so she could be better informed about how to serve the business community.  I appreciated that she took the time to visit my manufacturing business in Montville.   We discussed…

I am just one of many who are grateful to have Stanley Paige Zeigler as my Representative in Augusta and hope that he is re-elected! The towns he serves in District 96 are Belmont, Liberty, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill, Palermo and Searsmont.

Representative Zeigler brings a broad background of experience to this position. In addition to one legislative term behind him (with 100% attendance), he also has a diverse work history along with being a parent and husband. Before his…

What’s more important than your family’s safety and security, and our fundamental rights? 

“Nothing!”

As the former Sheriff of Knox County, I know that protecting the people of Maine and guarding their freedoms are priorities of utmost importance.

When you elect someone to represent you in Augusta, their first obligation is to protect your rights and safety.

It is the responsibility of an elected official to use solid judgement and common sense to do what is in…

I've admired Erin Herbig’s tireless energy and advocacy in the House of Representatives for the past eight years. Her time at Belfast High School, where she earned a running scholarship to Boston College, and her professional background in Waldo County, are a testament to the dedication and work ethic she brought to her role representing Belfast, Waldo and Northport, and are a preview of the work she will do on behalf of all Waldo County residents.

I’ve been a volunteer firefighter…

Jayne Crosby Giles, R-Belfast: I was born in Belfast and lived in Waldo County most of my life. Professionally, I worked for 30-years as a small business lender in midcoast Maine. From 2006 to 2010 while working as a banker, I served in the Maine Legislature as the State Representative for Belfast, Belmont and Northport. More recently, I have been employed by nonprofits. From 2010-2016, I was the CEO of MaineStream…

We are retirees, proud parents of four and grandparents of six. Like so many Mainers, we care deeply and worry about whether our family and yours will have futures with good jobs and fair benefits, clean air and water, educational opportunities and affordable health care. We also care that Maine stays a wild and beautiful forested destination for visitors from the world over. All these fundamental goals are why we will vote for Erin Herberg to serve as our Senator in Augusta.

   Sure…

At this divisive time in our country, integrity and honesty seem sadly lacking from many politicians and from political discourse.  But here in Waldo County, running to represent District #97, Belfast, Northport and Waldo is a genuine person of grit, dedication and intelligence.  That person is Jan Dodge.

Beginning with the Pprimary and continuing as I write this, Jan has visited over 2,400 homes of folks from all party affiliations, or even no affiliations.  Campaigning on a promise…

During the past several years, the Rockport community has discussed important issues relevant to the need, design, location, and functions of a new library building.  This cooperative effort has resulted in many compromises as we inch towards a consensus.  Voters have an opportunity in November to contribute to this process by voting in support of Question 2 (the bond) and Question 3 (the bridge loan).  Your vote is critical.  Please remember that a recent library ballot question was decided…

There are many things I admire about Jayne Crosby Giles as she runs for Waldo County’s Senate seat, District 11. I’ve known Jayne as part of the Belfast Rotary Club, where she devotes many hours of service to the club’s projects, in particular, the 100 Fund and as the chair of the Youth Exchange Program.  

I served as the Club President last year and witnessed Jayne willingness to undertake additional responsibilities to ensure that our Youth Exchange Program continued.  This valuable…

Dave Miramant, D-Camden: My father was in the Air Force so we traveled throughout my childhood. My high school years were spent on the outskirts of Boston, where I became very politically active around the issues of civil rights and the Vietnam War.

I realized that politicians were not making good decisions and seemed to not be listening to the people they were supposed to represent. I committed myself to learn about the ways I could change that from the inside and…

As Election Day nears on Nov. 6, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap is reminding all Maine voters of a non-partisan resource that can help them make informed decisions at the polls: the 2018 Maine Citizen's Guide to the Referendum Election. 

The guide, prepared by the Department of the Secretary of State in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney…

Owen Casas, I-Rockport: I was born and raised in Midcoast Maine. Growing up here I learned a lot about hard work and, as the old timers would teach me, making something out of nothing. I raked blueberries in Union and washed dishes in Camden until my older brother and father asked if I wanted to tend to them as stone masons. I continue to do masonry to this day. 

Wanting to explore the world and my physical limits, I…

I was excited to see the mural representing the new library building which now covers the front of the old library. It is an inspiration to vote YES on Articles 2 & 3 on November 6.

Libraries are the heart of a community, the place any and all may go not just to borrow books, but to meet new people, to hear lectures, for study time with a tutor, to do research, to learn how to use the computer or smart phone. For some the library is their only access to a…

Bill Pluecker is the Independent candidate running for State Representative in Appleton, Hope, eastern Union and Warren. He and his family are hard-working farmers. Their lives are a commitment to community, true grit and forward thinking.

There are many characteristics with the Plueckers that resonate with my own life. I am a full-time working mother with two small children without the means of having a safety net. It is so powerful that we have a political candidate that knows…

Stanley Paige Zeigler, D-Montville: My father was a pilot when I was young and my mother was a homemaker. When health issues forced my Dad out of the sky he had a carpentry crew and built homes, but my siblings and I still remember the planes in the barn. In my early teens I helped him moving shingles to the roofs and moving “two bys” around my his work sites. I also mowed lawns. The summer of my high school senior year and my college freshman summer, I worked in a factory.…

Bill Pluecker, I-Warren: I have been farming and raising my family in Warren for 10 years, and in the years before that, we leased farmland in Warren, Friendship and Newcastle. In that time, we have seen the development in the towns around us as businesses move in and property values skyrocket, but to a large part, our towns haven't been part of that progress. This is what is moving me to do my part, to build the economy of our district, and to run for the State…

Ballot Question 1 has very good intentions.  It asks:  "Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to provide home-based assistance to people with disabilities and senior citizens, regardless of income, funded by a new 3.8 percent tax on individuals and families with Maine wage and adjusted gross income above the amount subject to Social Security taxes, which is $128,400 in 2018?”  

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