2008 Woodie Awards
Orono Town council comes to UMaine
Council conducts open dialogue to discuss concerns of students and faculty
Chelsea Cameron
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: News
A local bus transit system is in the works for Orono, Old Town and the university. Members will be meeting with representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation soon, according to Gordon.
"The distance is just a little too great to walk. I've always thought that some sort of local transit system is something that would benefit the entire community," Gordon said.
Jim Castor, a third-year education major, asked about school consolidation and how it would affect future jobs. The purpose of the consolidation is to reduce overhead costs without reducing quality of education, council member Tom Perry said. No schools would be closed as a result, and no teaching jobs would be eliminated right away.
"Immediately, it's not going to affect you," Perry said.
The salary schedules for teachers are currently different all over the state, but with the new plan they would all be the same. In the consolidation, Orono would join with Veazie, Glenburn, Old Town, Milford, Greenbush, Bradley and Alton, totaling about 3,400 students.
Sylvia Schuler, a third-year political science and international affairs double major, discussed alcohol problems in her apartment on Pine Street. She said that underage partying was prevalent in her building and thought there should be more communication between campus security, Orono police and the Orono town council to deal with the problem.
Schuler said that some landlords allow their tenants to party because they get along with them, and that a resident that has a problem with it does not want to report it for fear of getting kicked out of the building. There are also not enough consequences to deter the behavior.
"If you have to live with it, it's a terrible thing," Schuler said.
The Orono police are working to combat underage drinking by setting up stings, and they have received grant money, according to Duquette.
"Part of the problem is that people will tolerate things for quite a while before they call and say 'This is a problem,'" Gordon said.
Conlow said it is difficult to identify the individual and the problem, and once the police get to the problem, it can be over. Even if they do catch people in the act, it may not rise to the level of disorderly conduct.
The meeting ended with Smith encouraging continued communication between the council and students.
"We all recognize that the town and the university are in a symbiotic relationship," Gordon said.
"The distance is just a little too great to walk. I've always thought that some sort of local transit system is something that would benefit the entire community," Gordon said.
Jim Castor, a third-year education major, asked about school consolidation and how it would affect future jobs. The purpose of the consolidation is to reduce overhead costs without reducing quality of education, council member Tom Perry said. No schools would be closed as a result, and no teaching jobs would be eliminated right away.
"Immediately, it's not going to affect you," Perry said.
The salary schedules for teachers are currently different all over the state, but with the new plan they would all be the same. In the consolidation, Orono would join with Veazie, Glenburn, Old Town, Milford, Greenbush, Bradley and Alton, totaling about 3,400 students.
Sylvia Schuler, a third-year political science and international affairs double major, discussed alcohol problems in her apartment on Pine Street. She said that underage partying was prevalent in her building and thought there should be more communication between campus security, Orono police and the Orono town council to deal with the problem.
Schuler said that some landlords allow their tenants to party because they get along with them, and that a resident that has a problem with it does not want to report it for fear of getting kicked out of the building. There are also not enough consequences to deter the behavior.
"If you have to live with it, it's a terrible thing," Schuler said.
The Orono police are working to combat underage drinking by setting up stings, and they have received grant money, according to Duquette.
"Part of the problem is that people will tolerate things for quite a while before they call and say 'This is a problem,'" Gordon said.
Conlow said it is difficult to identify the individual and the problem, and once the police get to the problem, it can be over. Even if they do catch people in the act, it may not rise to the level of disorderly conduct.
The meeting ended with Smith encouraging continued communication between the council and students.
"We all recognize that the town and the university are in a symbiotic relationship," Gordon said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
sylvia schuler
posted 12/09/07 @ 12:10 PM EST
Schuler said that some landlords allow their tenants to party "because they get along with them," and that a resident that has a problem with it does not want to report it for fear of getting kicked out of the building. (Continued…)
trevor
posted 12/09/07 @ 4:21 PM EST
I like how the orono town council does its best to prevent students from participating in votes that directly affect them.
Imagine orono, or even bangor for that matter with no University of Maine @ orono. (Continued…)
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