On Wednesday, at the invitation of Rep. Elaine Makas, D-Lewiston, some of the people who organized the anti-hate, pro-diversity rally in Lewiston in January came to the State House.
Among them were Mark Schlotterbeck, organizer of the “Many&One” rally; Ruth Morrison, pastor of the Calvary United Methodist Church in Lewiston; church members Bonnie Ross and her husband, Bill; and Somali native Omar Harur, 22, of Lewiston.
Morrison gave the morning prayer as the House started its day. Afterward, Morrison said she sometimes finds herself in a mournful mood given the war.
She wore a pin with a dove and the name “Sajar,” an Iraqi child. Attached to the pin were two yellow ribbons with the names Chris and Ben.
“Chris Grant is in the Marines. Ben Ames is in the Army. They’re young men in our church, in Iraq.”
Still, Morrison said she finds reasons to smile. On the drive to Augusta she thought about Harur, and how Maine has become a welcoming state.
Last year Harur volunteered to help with U.S. Rep Mike Michaud’s 2nd District campaign. Though he can’t vote — because he’s not yet a citizen — Harur put up lawn signs, stuffed envelopes and did other work in the downtown campaign office. Harur was interested in seeing a campaign, and finds it incredible that he personally knows Michaud, who last year was a state senator and now is a congressman. “In Somali we only had a dictatorship,” Harur said. “I’d like to know democracy.”
John Martin no Phish concert fan
Last week, as the Senate debated the budget, Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, was unhappy that the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement is being eliminated. With high school graduation and spring parties around the corner, it will be difficult for local police to handle underage drinking. On any given night, the expansive Aroostook County only has two state police officers and one deputy sheriff on duty, he said.
Making matters worse, rock band Phish is headed to Aroostook County this August for a concert, an event Martin said he’s no fan of. The concert will mean “60,000 to 70,000 people, the population of Aroostook County, will be there. …
There’ll be more illegal drugs and alcohol in those three days in Aroostook County than in the rest of Maine for the year.”
In the past, the liquor enforcement officers stayed on top of things at Phish concerts, but they won’t be there this year. “We did not do the right thing in this budget,” Martin said. “We did not give this adequate review.”
Senate Appropriations Committee co-chairwoman Mary Cathcart said that not eliminating the bureau would create a $2 million hole in the budget. She suggested money generated by the influx of concert-goers be used to hire off-duty officers.
Quote of the week:
“Yo! You with the hammer.”
– House Speaker Patrick Colwell’s favorite April Fools’ Day rule change on how lawmakers should address the speaker.
Bonnie Washuk is the Sun Journal State House reporter.
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