Today's Headlines http://www.independentpub.com Wed 30 Sep 2009 5:08:21 PM Wed 30 Sep 2009 5:08:21 PM After last week's week come from behind win over Gorham, Windham Coach Matt Perkins reminded everyone they had never beaten Deering before. After Friday night, that's no longer the case. After Deering jump out to a 13-0 lead, Windham stormed back and handed the Rams a 35-19 loss and improved to 3-1 on the season. ''I haven't even had a chance to breathe yet,'' said Perkins after the game. ''I will probably be able to enjoy this one for a little while later.'' With the way the night started, a Windham win looked like a pipe dream. After a feeling-out period for both offenses and a 70-yard Jack Mallis touchdown that was called back for an illegal block in the http://www.independentpub.com/story.asp?artId=1253974314 Sat 26 Sep 2009 18:9:21 After the final public hearing on Tuesday evening, the Windham Town Council voted unanimously to adopt a revised Land Use Ordinance, which incorporates and replaces both the existing land use ordinance and the subdivision ordinance. The Ordinance Update Committee members were on hand to answer questions and Windham Planning Director Brooks More gave a brief presentation on the proposed changes. ''We reformatted and repacked the ordinance,'' More said. http://www.independentpub.com/story.asp?artId=1254156779 Mon 28 Sep 2009 18:9:22 Life can sometimes be a zoo but for Leon Cooper, best known around town as ''Buzz,'' he wouldn't have it any other way. Ornamental pheasants, peacocks, cattle and an ostrich named Clyde keep his days busy and his passion for working with animals alive. Whether at home, on the farm, or with his work at the Cumberland County Fair - which opens this weekend - wherever Cooper goes, you can bet there's most likely an animal not too far behind. ''It's a lot of fun but it's wicked hard,'' he said. ''It's in your blood. We like working with animals and in the hay field. It's just the enjoyment we get out of it.'' He served as one of the directors of the Cumberland County Fair for 15 years and for 14 years was the livestock superintendent. He was in charge of organizing the animal shows, making sure the stalls were ready, and doing all the bookwork to pay the premiums. http://www.independentpub.com/story.asp?artId=1254229812 Tue 29 Sep 2009 18:9:22 Summer in Maine is a wonderful time to see friends and enjoy the outdoors. But as the days become shorter, the mornings crisper and the leaves begin to turn, we find ourselves taking stock of what we have, tucking away that little extra and preparing for another Maine winter. Maybe this stems from the time when having enough food stored in the root cellar or having enough firewood in the shed could be a matter of life and death. Whatever the reasons, summer is a time of spending, and autumn is a time for saving. One of the ways the Legislature helped Maine businesses save this year was by expanding the popular Pine Tree Development Zone program statewide. Until now, even though this program was limited to certain parts of the state, 213 companies have been certified and 2,500 quality Maine jobs have been created. These jobs all offer insurance and retirement benefits while paying wages that are better than average for their county. Companies statewide can now take advantage of the incentives offered through Pine Tree Development Zones. Another way to save Mainers' money is through cutting taxes. As a member of the Taxation Committee I am well aware that tax policy is an important issue and always one of the most contentious for any legislator. Balancing funding for the services people need with a fair tax code that accurately reflects what citizens can afford is among the most challenging problems in government. In addition, Maine's tax code has been without a major overhaul for nearly 40 years. Like winterizing your house, tax reform is only worth doing if it is done right, and this year, instead of passing the buck for another session, the Legislature did the hard work and sent forth a comprehensive tax reform package. http://www.independentpub.com/story.asp?artId=1254318846 Wed 30 Sep 2009 18:9:22