Firefighters accept report, avoid contract arbitration

Biddeford firefighters are one step closer to finalizing a new contract with the city.

Bill Langevin, president of the Local 3107 of the International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO, said the union voted unanimously last week to accept a fact-finding report issued by the Maine Labor Relations Board in March.

The city council voted April 6 to go into arbitration if the union did not accept the fact-finding report. Councilors George “Pete” Lamontagne and Bob Mills voted in opposition.

City Manager John Bubier said the report will be put into contract format. If signed by the union, it will go to the council for final acceptance, he said.

Langevin said firefighters decided to accept the report in large part because of the cost of arbitration. He said it would cost close to $20,000 in legal fees to continue in that direction.

“We lost and my guys are not really happy, but what can you say? There’s not much to say,” he said. “We thought we were treated unfairly and decided to settle and move on.”

Langevin said union members are disappointed and feel they were treated differently than other unions that negotiated contracts with Biddeford this year. The previous three-year contract expired last June but remains in effect until a new contract is signed.

Sticking points during negotiations were overtime and holiday trade-offs. The fact-finding panel recommended discontinuing the current practice of allowing firefighters to trade two holidays for one day off. The city argued allowing trade-offs created more overtime hours.

Despite the vote to move forward, Langevin said it will take time to heal the “strained” working relationship between the union and city. He said morale is “tremendously down” among union members.

Grant provides more funds for classes to help area parents

York County domestic violence program Caring Unlimited will use grant money to offer effective parenting classes for mothers who have experienced domestic abuse.

The Sanford-based agency was awarded grants totaling $7,000 from the One Day at a Time Fund and the York County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. The grants will allow Caring Unlimited to offer Systematic Training for Effective Parenting courses.

The grant also will allow Caring Unlimited to offer free child care groups during each class.

During seven classes, parents are taught a variety of parenting skills and strategies focused on understand themselves and their children. The court also will include three supplemental sessions that focus on the specific challenges faced by parents who have lived with and whose children have witnessed domestic abuse.

For more information, call 490-3227. Caring Unlimited operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 800-239-7298.

UNE names speaker for May 22 commencement

The University of New England has announced its 2010 commencement speaker.

Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, will speak at the May 22 ceremony at the Cumberland County Civic Center. He also will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Fineberg was provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following 13 years as dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He helped found and was president of the Society of Medical Decision Making and was a consultant to the World Health Organization.

Fineberg has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health police and medical decision-making. His research has focused on the process of policy development and implementation; assessment of medical technology, evaluation and use of vaccines; and dissemination of medical innovations.

Convention expected to draw hundreds of square dancers

More than 1,000 square dancers are expected in Biddeford this weekend for the 52^nd annual New England Square and Round Dance Convention.

Committee member Rob Petit said dancers from 14 states and Canada will visit seven dance halls at Biddeford intermediate, primary and middle schools. Festivities begin with a dance for early arrivals from 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday.

On Friday, two dance halls will open beginning at noon. All seven dance halls will be open Friday evening and an after party is scheduled from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

A sunrise dance at the Edgewater in Old Orchard Beach will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by a full day of dancing in Biddeford. Also scheduled for Saturday is a spaghetti dinner. The convention will end with a “trail out” dance Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.

Petit said spectators are welcome to stop by the schools to watch dancers perform.

New Lions Club in Saco to hold informational meeting

A  new Lions Club in Saco will hold a spaghetti dinner and informational meeting next week.

The dinner and meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Saco Community Center on Franklin Street. There is no charge for the dinner. A brief informational session will follow the dinner and organizers will listen to ideas about what the new club should do in the community.

The Saco Lions Club is a group of men and woman working together to identify and fill needs of the community. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at York County Federal Credit Union on Main Street. For more information, e-mail Ti Garvilles at sacolionsclub@gmail.com.

UNE awarded $431,000 grant to study northern blue mussel

The National Science Foundation awarded the University of New England a grant to conduct research on the northern blue mussel.

The $431,000 grant was awarded to Dr. Philip Yund, director of the Biddeford university’s Marine Science Center. The study is titled “Does larval transport or physiological tolerance set the southern range boundary of a northern blue mussel?”

The grant will allow researched to test whether the southern range of a northern blue mussel is determined by limitations on the dispersal of larvae or the physiological tolerance of larvae and juveniles.

The project will provide training for one graduate, one Ph.D. student and several undergraduates.

– Compiled by Staff Writer Gillian Graham