Morning Sentinel from Waterville, Maine • 1

SOMERSET COUNTY: Marijuana raid leads to charges against four people PAGE 9 iiiity 40 PAGES 50 CENTS 0 1997GiiannettCOTnh £7 RIDAY SEPTEMBER 19 1997 Serving Waterville Winslow Oakland airfield Northern Kennebec and Waldo county communities Alfond center plans unveiled Christian Mt I POOL' 3 ALOND Please tee ALOND Page 2 Staff graphic SUSAN VARNEY Divers hunters to feel effect of new laws NEW LAWS MORRIS inaction 6 Ptnue REACT 2 Piecte tn LAWS Page 2 Game room Locker Rooms He said the Maine Chiefo of IfoBce Association has been discussing and Conference room ton tooo toot 1008 S375 WMtoar Vxisa jte OvwiglnM Office Administration By GLENN ADAMS Associated Press Writer By GLENN ADAMS Associated Press Writer By AMY CALDER Stall' Writer By AMY CALDER Staff Writer I 1 I to have your windshield wipers on probably a good idea to have your Restaurant patrons who leave a bottle of wine unfinished will be allowed to walk out with it provided WATERVILLE Starting riday motorists in Maine will face a bevy of new highway laws including one that tightens seat belt regulations and CM Philanthropist offering $3 million challenge gift Sn Periods of sun PAGE 8 WATERVILLE: Officials propose program for non English speakmg students 9 one futures The $3 mil lion challenge gift he and his wife Bibby have offered for the proposed $75 million youth recre ation center here is a testa ment to that By DOUG HARLOW Stall Writer WATERVILLE Harold Alfond has a very simple reason for giving so much to so many young people the next group to rule the country and we must help them to get the right Alfond says and college kids need Ute most help I The 83 year old philanthropist who has been a part of the Waterville community for 62 years has a stake in his investments a very precious Staff photo RON MAXWELL Harold Alfond stands next to a model of the new youth center while shaking hands with school youngsters at a ceremony Thursday In Castonguay Square At right Is Boys and Girls Club Director Ken Walsh More photos: Page 9 another that says if your windshield wipers are on yrnw headlights should be on too think they are appropriate and we win be enforcing Waterrille Pofire Chief John Morris said this week noting laws State Bureau of Highway Safety Director Richard Perkins said in a news release that making it the law to put on automobile lights wherever the windshield wipers go on is a simple safety measure The new law designed to improve visibility of vehicles during bad weath er mandates that if the wipers are in constant use the headlights must be on A $63 fine will be imposed for violat ing the new law The theme of support for the new regulations was shared by police chiefs from across the region who said the issue is dear safety first Wfield Police Chief John Pouliot whose municipal department collect ed some of its own fines until a Legislative moratorium in June said Motorists required to use lights whenever they need their wipers ton CSckS Ok 20M Tnwatanp 1180 tom 2000 Central Maine police hail changes they call simple safety measures AUGUSTA Saying it was a mira cle they reached their goal gay rights foes announced Thursday they had gathered more than enough signa tures to force a referendum on a new law barring discrimination against homosexuals a miracle of Michael Heath executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine said as he stood behind five cardboard boxes full of petitions A chorus of arose from the two dozen petition volunteers standing behind Heath at a State House news conference Once the petitions were checked over by state election officials the gay rights law that is supposed to take effect riday was put on hold Gays who were oveijoyed when the law was enacted and signed by Gov Angus King earlier this year were angered and disappointed by developments said an activist Heath said volunteers all over the state gathered 58750 voters' signa tures A total of 51131 were needed to force a referendum and put what was promoted as a civil rights law in abeyance The law which was approved by the Legislature earlier this year after a two decade effort bars discrimination on the basis of sexual preference in housing public accommodations cred it and employment Christian Coalition of Maine leader Paul Voile said opponents believe the law special rights to homo and compromises the rights of of legislation had threatened the civil liberties of business owners par ents and even charitable organizations that decline to celebrate homosexuali said Heath A leader of the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance said she was sur prised the opponents were able to round up the signatures they needed but remained confident that voters will uphold the law when they vote on it at a special election on a yet unspecified date after November but before nextpril reality is we've proven our case 8ver a number of said Karen Geraghty a former president of the alliance angry because we have to go through another referendum and (lisappointed because groups of funda mental Christians are unwilling to Accept that the law has been (enact she said State election officials have 30 days to certify there are enough valid signa tures to force the referendum If they find fewer than 51131 signatures are valid the gay rights law wall take effect the following day said Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky Here Is a list of some of the more far reaching state laws that take effect riday TRANSPORTATION: Drivers must wear safety beltsortace $60 fines Motor vehicle heatflghta must be used when it rains wt ar steets or drivers can bo fined $65 YOUTHS: Anyone under 27 years of age must show identification tn order to txjy tobacco products Mamers under age 21 who are con vksed ot transporting Segal drugs" face mandatory suspension of thee driver's Scenses and fines of $200 to $500 Youths getting bases pierced must get parental consent HUNTING: Htmlers get 18 instead ot 12 hours to tog deer and beer foey shoot Hunters no tonger face time fcnis to remove tree stands 4 JUDICIARY: amy Court tforisten te created to referee dMxce end other domestic ksm grant program and efforts to enforce existing state laws for jay walking and stopping at cross walks Under the new laws passed during the last session at the state Legislature increased fines will be imposed on existing regulations and new language has been added to old ncreesed Mng tecs are to finance roproved tegat asewtance tot foe poot LABOR: arwfy rnedcai tame is to ndude more workers MILLIONS: BI finds as much as $18 million in stolen cash in storage unit PAGE 2 Cony field hockey shuts out Skowhegan PAGE 21 Another new safety law requires drivers to put on their headlights whenever they have to use their windshield wipers for rain snow or sleet or face $65 fines While the laws may force some motorists to change their habits they are a longstanding practice for others always done both" said Madeline Spencer 71 of Bangor a fabulous idea I wish everybody would heed to A new law targets Mainers who try to skirt the mandatory insurance law by buying policies so they can regis ter their vehicles but then cancel them As of riday it will be a crime to display a proof of insurance card that is not in effect or is altered Laws against indecent conduct ami habitual drunken driving are tightened up The courts will be required to consider offenders' abili ty to pay when they order restitution for crimes but it wifi be up to offend ers to prove they cannot pay or updates oftodk top atoriea please call wbegan WalernBe naii 1 Game (A rooms WATERVILLE The fruits of years of fund raising and hard work were realized here Thursday as officials unveiled plans for a proposed $75 million youth recreation center A crowd gathered at Castonguay Square next to City Hall to get a first look at a model of the Harold and Bibby Alfond Youth Recreation Center and to pay tribute to the Alfonds and others who have given to the effort have a heck of a place here and this is the best center in the whole said Ken Walsh executive director of the Waterville Area Boys and Girls Club The Boys and Giris Club and Waterville Area YMCA would be housed under one roof at the 55000 square foot center which will include an Olympic sized indoor pool a new outdoor pool basketball courts computer and education rooms gj a game room a therapy pool an arts and crafts room karate instruction a multi purpose room and a space for gymnastics The City Council this week voted to appoint a negotiator to work on a long term lease that would allow the center to be built on city owned land on North Street The Alfonds have offered a $3 million challenge gift for the center To great applause Thursday Russ Perry of the Coca Cola Co of Lewiston announced that his company will give $106000 Kenneth Eskelund of Winslow said he and his wife Shirley will give $100000 and Bill Arnold a director of Peoples Heritage Bank reported the bank will pitch in $100000 As children sat cross legged on the grass eating their brown bag lunches and adults crowded behind them under a large white tent Alfond thanked those who have worked so hard on the youth center effort He also praised Mayor Ruth Joseph been behind this program all the way and Please see UNVEILING Page 2 groups put gay rights law on hold AUGUSTA or Maine hunters the rules will be a little easier as of riday or drivers and youths who want to smoke cigarettes or get their bodies pierced the rules will be tougher And for those who step outside of the law the stakes are a little higher riday marks the 90th day after the dose at this spring's two part legislative session the day hundreds of new laws take effect The effects of some of the most far reaching laws like deregulation of the electric industry be felt for some time But the impact of others is imme diate especially on the highways Maine motorists who neglect to wear safety belts and passengers 18 and older who buckle up can now be stepped with $60 fines The driver Is also responsible for passengers under 18 The new law puts real teeth into old one which allowed pofice to ticket unbelted motorists onty if the driver was cited and fined for a separate offense SM MMSZ Then enW your etorrton number topnoriM Lawaoma Stock qutaaa Lcffiary lopeporti Youth and college kids need the most Plana for the oroooeed VTS million Harold and Alfond Youth Recreation Afcy SS Center were unveiled Thursday at Castonguay Square In Waterville inallocation and construction dates are yelto i i 1 irrr gi 7 BH i an WEATHER IHk 'iiEWTC mM sslnside Busmess13 Lottery2 Catendar26 MatnW12 40 NatKxV3 Comics27 Qbituanes10 Crosswords26 SportsSI ZS La riders 27 Weather! Letters's Wortd'67 Conference.