On Wednesday morning, the Democratic legislative leadership held a press conference outlining the goals of the Democratic caucus mirroring many of the discussions my colleagues had had the night before.
Following that press conference, the Governor held his own conference objecting to the previous day’s decision by the Charter Commission and calling for their resignation.
From Wednesday afternoon through Friday, I joined a large group of legislators on a tour sponsored by the Maine Development Foundation.
On Wednesday afternoon in Bangor we heard a panel of community business leaders describing the collaboration behind the ‘Bangor Renaissance’ and visited the Cross Insurance Event and Convention Center which is nearing completion. Later we toured the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at UMaine Orono which is working materials applications for lightweight carbon reinforcement for bridges, on off-shore wind components, and special applications for under-utilized native wood species.
In the evening, we heard a presentation from UMO President Paul Ferguson on the University’s Blue Sky Strategic Plan followed by panel presentation from three entrepreneurs: Susan MacKay from Cerahelix which produces ceramic nano-filtration membranes, Ian Kopp from Kenway Corporation which does custom fiberglass fabrications, and Barbara Brooks from our own local Seal Cove Farm. (I had a great side conversation with Barbara about education on MDI as well.)
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Also, Wednesday evening, the Department of Marine Resources held a public hearing in Northeast Harbor on their commissioned report ‘An Independent Evaluation of the Limited Entry System for Lobster and Crab’. Conversation at the hearing was spirited. Those with any continuing concerns about the report may relay them to the legislature’s Marine Resources Committee which is chaired by our local Representative Walter Kumiega.