State News Update

Make Your Voice Heard

There are many ways to participate in state government and to make your voice heard on issues that are important to you. You can attend public meetings of state agencies, participate in a public hearing at the Legislature, or, of course, write to your State Representative or Senator. Here are the ways to find out the schedules for public hearings, committee work sessions, and public meetings:

The Maine.gov Public Meeting Calendar provides information about state agency meetings and hearings that are open to the public HERE

Legislature’s public hearing and work session schedule HERE

Maine’s Federal Delegation Announces Service Academy Information Night in Bangor

Tuesday, April 9th; 5:30-8:30 PM

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree have announced that representatives from their offices, in cooperation with the Maine Maritime Academy, will host a “Military Academy Seminar,” on Tuesday, April 9^th at the Hilton Garden Inn, 250 Haskell Road, Bangor.  Representatives from the offices will be available from 5:30-8:30 PM to speak with students, parents, and guidance counselors who are interested in the application and nomination process for the United States Military, Naval, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard Academies, state maritime academies, as well as private military colleges and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs.

There will be a short presentation by representatives from the various organizations, as well as the Army and Air National Guard, followed by an opportunity to collect applications/brochures and speak with the individual representatives.

In order to register, please contact the Maine Maritime Academy at (800) 464-6565, however, preregistration is not required and walk-ins are welcome.

Deadline Approaching For Legislative Memorial Scholarship Application

The Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship Fund was created by the Maine Legislature and staff to annually recognize one student from each county who is currently or is planning to pursue their education at a two-or four-year degree-granting Maine college or technical school. This scholarship is available for full or part-time students.

All application components must be submitted and postmarked, if applicable, by April 12, 2013. Awards will be made directly to the applicant after successful completion of the first semester of school. Application materials and more information can be found HERE.

First Time Campers Program Offers Free Weekend of Camping to Lucky Maine Families
The First Time Campers program will randomly select forty-four (44) lucky Maine entrants to win a free weekend of camping this summer at one of eleven (11) Maine state park campgrounds. This raffle is open only to Maine families and individuals who have never before gone camping. Each selected winner will get the free use of camping equipment, receive gifts from sponsors and be supported throughout the weekend by park staff.

This year, one of those fortunate winners also will be the grand-prize recipient of a $1,000 gift certificate from the program’s major sponsor, L.L.Bean.

Raffle applications are available on line and at Maine state parks. They will be accepted from April 1 to May 31. The recipients will be chosen in a random drawing held on Tuesday, June 4, with the winners notified the week of June 9. There will be four weekends of camping from which the lucky winners can choose, from the weekend of July 12-14 through the weekend of Aug. 2-4.

For more information about the First Time Campers program or to register to win, visit http://www.parksandlands.com or call Frank Appleby, Park Manager, Bradbury Mountain State Park, at: 207-688-4712

Maine History Corner

In the history of the United States Supreme Court, only one native Mainer has served as Chief Justice. Born in Augusta, Melville Weston Fuller graduated from Bowdoin College and began practicing law in Augusta in 1855, during which time he served as Augusta’s city solicitor and president of the Augusta Common Council. However, Fuller left Maine for Chicago, and was appointed to serve as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1888. He served on the Supreme Court until his death on July 4, 1910.