We in Maine understand that the ability to heat our homes and offices in the coldest months of the year is essential to survival. So it was especially disheartening to hear of instances of Maine families prepaying for their home heating oil only to be swindled by oil dealers who failed to supply the fuel or return the money taken.

As state legislators, we are responsible for ensuring that Maine families who pay for heating oil receive this essential resource and do not go cold in winter. Such instances brought to light the need to better protect Maine consumers and starkly discourage disreputable oil dealers from failing to meet the terms of their fuel contracts.

In response, we sponsored and stewarded through the Legislature a bill titled LD 1895, An Act to Protect Consumers by Strengthening the Laws Governing Prepaid Home Heating Oil Contracts.

The new law won approval from the Legislature and has been signed by the governor. It requires oil dealers who offer prepaid contracts for home heating oil, kerosene or petroleum gas to register the dealer’s intent to offer such contracts with the Maine commissioner of professional and financial regulation by June 30 of each year.

Oil dealers will then have to follow up by filing a report with the commissioner by Oct. 30, indicating the manner of compliance and acknowledging an understanding that providing false information is a Class D crime.

These reports will allow the commissioner’s office greater oversight to ensure that Maine consumers are provided with the fuel they have purchased. By clearly informing dealers that failure to stay true to these contracts is punishable, the new law will encourage awareness that being socially reprehensible, such behavior is also criminal.

We worked in a bipartisan manner and wish to thank the many oil dealers who came to the table to work with us and make this legislation a success. The commissioner of professional and financial regulation office and attorney general’s office also were instrumental in the many meetings that crafted the final legislation.

In Maine, we pride ourselves on our resilience to make it through the worst that winter has to offer unscathed. This new law will help ensure that no family goes cold because of unfair business practices that strip us of our warmth and money.

Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, represents part of Brunswick in the Maine House of Representatives. He serves on the Energy, Utilities and Technology committee and works with the Truman National Security Project on national security and energy issues.

Rep. Kerri Prescott, R-Topsham, represents most of Topsham. She is the House chairwoman of the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, and works for Priority Group of Topsham as the director of communications and Marketing.

As the article explained, a number of customers had pre-paid for fuel. They entered into an agreement with the company to pay ahead of time for fuel in order to secure a particular price. The company agreed to supply the fuel.

While the customers followed through on their end of the agreement, the company apparently was unable to deliver all of the promised fuel or return the money received from customers. Although some might get a portion of their money back through the bankruptcy process, it’s entirely possible that none will see a penny. Nor will their tanks be filled.

It’s not a common occurrence, but unfortunately, examples of customers being left out in the cold, almost literally, are not as rare as they should be.

The governor and Legislature recognized the need for better consumer protections, and they took action this year. L.D. 1895, An Act To Protect Consumers by Strengthening the Laws Governing Prepaid Home Heating Oil Contracts, was signed into law by Gov. Paul LePage on March 30.

The new law (PL 2012, Chapter 574) won’t help customers of Pinkham’s Corner Fuel, but it may reduce the likelihood that other Maine homeowners will share their fate.

Although it’s not possible to completely prevent similar situations in the future, the law change responds to several recent examples of dealers taking money from Maine consumers, but failing to supply the fuel. In the past 18 months, about 10 fuel companies either went out of business or had significant problems and delays in fulfilling their contracts.

Many legislators were concerned about this issue, and they responded quickly. Reps. Kerri Prescott, R-Topsham, and Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, played key roles.

Maine people can have confidence that the vast majority of fuel dealers in our state are honest and reputable. They serve their customers well and contribute to our communities in many ways. Several dealers, in fact, as well as the Maine Energy Marketers Association, participated in the process of developing this new law, along with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.

As in any profession or industry, however, there are a few unscrupulous dealers and circumstances occasionally overwhelm businesses. The law was changed to discourage these cases in which a dealer doesn’t meet its obligation.

Specifically, the new law requires oil dealers who plan to offer prepaid contracts for home heating oil, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas to register their intent to offer such contracts with the commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation by June 30 of each year. These dealers must file a report by Oct. 31 each year to indicate the manner of compliance.

The commissioner must refer to the attorney general any registered dealer who fails to provide the required report or who makes a false statement, which would be a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Individuals who plan to use a prepaid contract for the next heating season are encouraged to contact the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (www.maine.gov/pfr) this summer to find out if their dealer has registered.

Ultimately, no law change can prevent fuel dealers from going out of business nor stop all unscrupulous activity. Each of us, as consumers, should be mindful of the risks, as well as the potential benefits, of entering into prepaid contracts. We should read contracts carefully and do our homework regarding the fuel dealer we select.

It’s hoped that this new law will discourage inappropriate behavior by the few unscrupulous dealers, but there’s no guarantee.

As consumers, we must do our part to safeguard our money.

Written by Anne L. Head, commissioner of the state Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.

Originally published in the Kennebec Journal

Great Barrington, long a favorite summer and fall getaway destination for vacationers, has a population of just 6,800 but boasts the sophistication of a larger city, with great food, arts, and plenty of hipsters. It’s also surrounded by natural beauty, with lakes, woods and the nearby Berkshire Mountains.

The magazine says the charm of Taos centers around tourists and other outdoor enthusiasts packing the plaza of the old adobe town, along with its many galleries and museums steeped in a deep Hispanic and Native American past. The small mountain hamlet is located in northern New Mexico.

The list was developed by the geographic information systems company Esri, which searched towns with populations less than 25,000 for high concentration of museums, historical sites and other cultural attractions.

Joining Brunswick on the list are Red Bank, N.J.; Mill Valley, Calif.; Gig Harbor, Wash.; Durango, Colo.; Butler, Pa.; Marfa, Texas; Naples, Fla.; Staunton, Va.; Brattleboro, Vt.; Princeton, N.J.;  Siloam Springs, Ark.; Menomonie, Wis.; Key West, Fla.; Laguna Beach, Calif.; Ashland, Ore.; Beckley City, W.Va., and Oxford, Miss.

See the original article in the Portland Press Herald

“I had no knowledge of legislation … and am very disappointed the governor’s office did not inform us, as it would harm Brunswick dramatically,” state Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, said.

The legislation, which was introduced to the State Appropriations Committee on March 30, would have established a revenue split between Brunswick and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. Had the bill passed, 80 percent of the money from a Tax Increment Finance district would have gone to MRRA for the purpose of redeveloping the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

Town leaders cried foul, claiming that the bill was an attempt to run roughshod over negotiations between MRRA and the town.

State officials said that the bill was an effort to ensure that the former Navy base, now known as Brunswick Landing, and a handful of other former military sites around the state receive the funding necessary for a robust redevelopment process.

George Gervais, who introduced the legislation in his role as commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, said he produced the bill after consulting with the LePage administration and the office of the attorney general.

Legislators said they weren’t informed about the bill until after it was defeated.

“I had no prior knowledge of that provision in the change package, nor was I asked for any input into it,” Rep. Charles Priest, D-Brunswick, said last week.

Cornell du Houx blasted the bill in a written statement.

“Brunswick and the MRRA are currently in negotiations, and for the state to step in and dictate the terms of the negotiations is terrible policy that harms the town of Brunswick when we should all be working together to strengthen our community,” he said.

The bill was defeated at the committee level because members wanted the public to have more input into the process, a reason that Gervais said he supports.

Gervais maintained that he was not trying to push the bill through without a discussion of its merits.

“I didn’t even know it was going to be discussed that day myself,” he said, “until someone asked me if I was going to be there. … I rushed over and got there late.”

State Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, said he doesn’t have much to say about administration-generated legislation that hasn’t come before him personally. Typically, he said, he speaks to “only the parts that I vote on.”

Rep. Peter Kent, D-Woolwich, did not return several phone and email messages.

Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or matthh@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @hh_matt.

See the original article in The Forecaster

The Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters have done a tendentious job in the past running these debates. There are a host of environmental, educational, health and other organizations, that would like to have an opportunity to highlight their message with the candidates. If a candidate wants to donate their funds to help with the event, there is nothing stopping them.

We should strive to give the people of Brunswick the most objective and professional venue possible to learn about the candidates where everyone feels welcome and can make an informed discussion. I am looking forward to the upcoming campaign, as meeting everyone and hearing your thoughts are one of the highlights of my job as your representative.

Rep. Alexander Cornell du Houx
Brunswick

See the original story in The Forecaster

Common sense will tell you the cheapest form of energy is the one you don’t use. By reducing the use of energy it takes to heat your home or business, the more money you save. This approach has worked here in Maine, for families, and for Maine companies like Renys, but it has also been used across the country and the world, for that matter.

As a veteran who recently served in the war in Iraq, I can tell you I’ve seen first-hand how the U.S. military has capitalized on energy efficiency, saving millions of taxpayer dollars.

The Marines are using energy efficiency foams to reduce energy by 50 percent to 75 percent on their forward operating bases. The Army will have one of the world’s largest electric vehicle fleets in the next three years, with more than 4,000 vehicles, and the Air Force aims to have 50 percent of aviation fuel from biofuel blends by 2016.

By 2016, the Navy plans to launch the Great Green Fleet, which aims to make destroyers more efficient by adding hybrid engines.

Our military is working to become more efficient and use a variety of energy sources because its leaders know energy efficiency saves much needed funds and makes us more secure.

Likewise, in Maine, our energy efficiency programs have helped businesses and Maine families save $465 million during the past year. Maine’s investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy has created more than 12,000 good-paying jobs in our state.

These programs are administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust, which was set up as an independent organization to help Maine people save on their energy bills.

The good news is these programs are working.

Efficiency Maine’s home energy savings rebate program cut these residents’ energy use by an average of 40 percent. They now offer the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which lends homeowners up to $10,000 to invest in weatherization.

Energy efficiency programs invested $42 million into energy projects, which was matched by $ 71 million in private funds. This private-public partnership has lowered energy costs and has helped to create quality jobs.

While these programs have proved to be successful and gained Maine a national reputation and millions of federal dollars, the governor has submitted legislation to undercut the Efficiency Maine Trust. He would like to upend bipartisan energy policy that is proven to work in favor of less cost effective programs that benefit special interests.

Maine is a proven national leader in energy efficiency and alternative energy. We need to build on that reputation — not scare off potential business investors who are looking to see consistency in the state’s energy policy.

As a member of the state Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology, I’ve worked with Republicans and Democrats to pursue these energy policies, which continue to make Maine more energy secure while creating quality jobs.

We should stand by our successful efficiency policies so our clean energy economy can continue to grow, the people of Maine can become more energy secure and save hard earned funds.

Originally posted in The Times Record March 30th, 2012.

Even before public hearings were held Wednesday and Thursday on two energy-related bills offered by Gov. Paul LePage, House and Senate Democrats criticized the proposals as sweeping changes that “undercut energy efficiency and renewable energy.”

Although the governor has talked for months about his desire to introduce legislation that would reduce energy costs, it wasn’t until late last week that he unveiled his plan.

One proposal, LD 1864, would give the governor more control over the Efficiency Maine Trust, which provides a variety of programs to homeowners and businesses designed to save money.

Currently, that quasi-state agency is overseen by an independent nonpolitical board, but one of the governor’s bills would allow him to select the board chair.

The bill also includes language that creates new programs within Efficiency Maine: a rebate program for the purchase of efficient home heating systems and creating new programs to encourage homeowners to invest in efficient electric heating systems at the expense of other initiatives.

Kenneth Fletcher, Maine’s director of energy independence, testified in favor of the bill.

“We need to empower Maine people with other options. Because I don’t know what the prices of oil will be next week, next winter, or five years from now,” he said Wednesday. “But I am certainly not going to just expect that the problem is going to solve itself.”

Some said the legislation is little more than a power grab that undercuts the agency.

“It’s clear that this bill will make the trust more political,” said Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, who serves on the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. “The best interests of Maine’s energy customers are served when Efficiency Maine is nonpolitical.”

Michael Stoddard, director of Efficiency Maine, said the creation of any new programs within Efficiency Maine would need to be funded with existing resources. That would mean taking money out of programs already in place, including weatherization.

Last year, Efficiency Maine completed thousands of weatherization projects, saving homeowners 30-40 percent or more in annual energy bills.

Stoddard said he wasn’t involved in the discussion over the governor’s energy legislation, but he wasn’t surprised by that.

Another bill proposed by the governor, LD 1863, would allow certain power generators, specifically large-scale hydro-power producers, to qualify for the state’s renewable energy portfolio. The governor’s office said this would bring down costs.

Others had a different take.

“The governor’s hydro proposal would take money from Maine people and hand it to a government-owned company in another country,” said Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland, the lead House Democrat on the Energy Committee. “This would do nothing to lower Maine energy prices but would certainly benefit Hydro Quebec.”

There is no restriction on Hydro Quebec or any other entity selling power in Maine but, at the moment, it cannot be counted in state’s renewable energy portfolio. Whether the bill decreases cost is unclear because Hydro Quebec can set its price.

Sen. Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who sponsored both LD 1863 and 1864, said more oversight of Efficiency Maine is good and he doesn’t think anyone can oppose the concept of reducing energy costs.

There appeared to be much more support of the hydro energy bill than the Efficiency Maine bill. Chris O’Neill, representing the anti-wind group Friend of Maine’s Mountains, applauded the governor for making cost a priority.

“If we’re going to add more renewable power, let’s get the good stuff,” he said.

Public hearings also were held Thursday on two other energy-related pieces of legislation that originated from the governor’s office.

LD 1872 would change the name of the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security to the Governor’s Energy Office.

LD 1875 seeks to provide pricing transparency to electricity ratepayers to show the total financial effect to ratepayers from electricity supply, transmission and delivery and state and federal government assessments. It also would require the Public Utilities Commission and the Public Advocate to submit their budget recommendations as part of the unified current services budget legislation using a zero-based budgeting process.

All of the governor’s energy bills were supposed to be voted out of committee by the end of this week but debate likely will continue into next week.

Some are upset by the delay.

“The governor said it was a top priority last summer to introduce an energy bill,” said Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, who serves on the Energy Committee. “Now as the legislative session is in the last month, he is trying to recklessly upend good energy policy with almost no notice for a public hearing? The people deserve more time to find out if they will be one of the winners or losers under the plan.”

See the article in The Bangor Daily News

AUGUSTA—Democratic lawmakers on the State Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee said the governor’s efforts to ram through sweeping energy proposals that undercut energy efficiency and renewable energy will hurt Maine families and businesses.

On Friday, Governor Paul LePage released four significant energy proposals that could get a public hearing as early as tomorrow.

“The Governor said it was a top priority last summer to introduce an energy bill,” said Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, who serves on the committee. “Now as the legislative session is in the last month, he is trying to recklessly upend good energy policy with almost no notice for a public hearing? The people deserve more time to find out if they will be one of the winners or losers under the plan.”

The governor’s proposals undercut the Efficiency Maine Trust, which has helped businesses and Maine families save money on heating costs. The governor’s proposal would also give him more authority over the energy efficiency agency, which is now overseen by an independent apolitical board. Another proposal would allow certain power generators, like large-scale Canadian hydro-power producers, to qualify for the State’s renewable energy portfolio, which encourages the development of alternative energy sources.

“The Governor’s hydro proposal would take money from Maine people and hand it to a government-owned company in another country,” said Jon Hinck, who is the lead House Democrat on the Energy committee. “This would do nothing to lower Maine energy prices but would certainly benefit Hydro Quebec.”

Maine currently spends less per capita on energy efficiency than all of the New England states. Maine’s investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy has created more than 12,000 jobs in the state.

“At a time of great economic distress, Maine’s energy policy has been a beacon of economic growth creating jobs and yielding lower energy costs,” said Sen. Phil Bartlett, D-Gorham, the Democratic Senator on the committee. “This is proof-positive that our energy policies are working. We must continue investing in and prioritizing energy efficiency and renewable energy.”

The governor has been a strong public critic of Energy efficiency and conservation despite its proven effectiveness. Last year, LePage called conservation a “Ponzi scheme.”

Last year, Efficiency Maine completed thousands of weatherization projects, saving homeowners 30-40 percent or more in annual energy bills, at $1.16 per gallon of heating oil saved.

“Absolutely nothing in the bill funds weatherization, which actually helps put more money in the pockets of middle class families and small businesses,” said State Rep. Roberta Beavers, D-South Berwick.

Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, who also serves on the committee, said the bill to undercut Efficiency Maine is a thinly veiled power grab.

““It’s clear that this bill will make the Trust more political. The best interests of Maine’s energy customers are served when Efficiency Maine is non-political.”

Eighty percent of homes in Maine are heated with oil. Maine’s high energy costs severely impact household and business budgets each winter.

“Elected officials should be looking at how we can boost efficiency and homegrown renewable power, not undercut it,” said Rep. Louis Luchini, D-Ellsworth. “The governor’s proposals would move Maine in the wrong direction.”

School officials said Thursday that in the short term they do not expect help from state or federal sources.

“The funding of education is going to shift further and further onto the shoulder of the local municipality,” School Board Budget Committee chairman Rich Ellis said during a presentation on the state’s funding formula. “What that leaves for us as a local municipality is the decision as to what type of educational program are we going to have in this town.”

Following Thursday’s meeting, Ellis and Superintendent Paul Perzanoski said that public comment showed them strong support for schools and a willingness to look at tax increases as a way to close the budget gap, but both acknowledged that Thursday’s forum may not represent consensus among townspeople.

“We heard a lot of support for the schools,” Ellis said. “But I don’t want to discount that it’s hard to come out to these meetings to speak against tax raises.”

Thursday’s meeting to solicit public input was the first in a process that will continue through six more meetings between now and April 25 to determine how — through cuts, new revenue or other measures, including consolidation — the school department might make up decreases in state and federal funding.

“ This is a start to the process,” Ellis said. “Equally as important are the coming meetings, where we talk about each of the programs and supplementing or changing those programs.”

In February, Perzanoski said “there’s nothing that will be left untouched” by this most recent round of cuts, which come as the fourth consecutive year of revenue decreases for the district.

Perzanoski said that tax increases may be included as part of the recommended budget.

“We can come up with the best budget, we think, for the district and bring it forward and the Town Council may decide that they don’t think they can afford the tax increases, so it’s a balance with the whole community,” Perzanoski said. “We’ll try to take everything into consideration, but we are here to advocate for the kids.”

Still, Perzanoski expressed a willingness to compromise.

“As the Rolling Stones say, ‘ You can’t always get what you want.’”

Why and how much

In a presentation that opened Thursday’s meeting, Ellis characterized the decrease in state education subsidy to Brunswick as a “ perfect storm,” with the direction of the two factors that determine how much money Brunswick receives — student population and the valuation of town property — meaning decreases in state funding.

From 2010 to 2011, Perzanoski said, the district lost 127 students while the town’s overall property assessment for purposes of calculating state aid increased.

In the state’s formula, the number of students corresponds with a district’s estimated costs and the property valuation with the ability of the town to pay.

“Think of a town like Harpswell,” Ellis said. “They have very few students but extremely high property values.”

Based on recent trends in Brunswick, Ellis said, “We are becoming more and more like Harpswell.”

According to the presentation by Ellis and Perzanoski, the school department has seen a decrease of around 800 students since 2007. School officials attribute that decline largely to the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) and the departure of Navy families affiliated with the base.

On top of decreases in state revenue for the loss of those students, the district was hit doubly hard by the additional loss of federal funds associated with educating students from military families.

During the 2007 school year, the School Department received nearly $1.5 million in federal Impact Aid for students on base. By 2010, that amount had dwindled to $157,945 and last year hit zero.

The expiration of the federal jobs bill is the single largest federal cut to the district from this year to next, dropping to zero from $692,868.

Revenue from Durham students paying tuition to Brunswick also decreased with consolidation of Durham into Regional School Unit 5, from which some residents have recently petitioned to extricate the town.

In 2007, Brunswick educated 174 Durham students; this year, only 40. Compared with last year, the loss in tuition from Durham amounts to $148,703.

With an expected loss of $1.2 million in state subsidy and a decrease in special education funding of $ 170,000, that leaves the school department looking at a budget gap hovering near $3 million.

What to do

People speaking to the School Board on Thursday night expressed worry that another year of cuts would be a critical blow to the district.

Many who said they bought homes in Brunswick because of the town’s reputation for good schools told the School Board that they would consider moving elsewhere if the quality of public education in Brunswick declined. Some said they attended Thursday’s forum to encourage the School Board to recommend that the town increase taxes to curb this fourth year of cuts to the school system.

“We moved to Brunswick for the same reason everyone else did, because we heard the reputation of the public schools is terrific,” parent Sarah Singer said Thursday. “But I’m here today because I’m not confident that the schools will survive another round of cuts.”

Singer, with a son not yet in kindergarten, said that her concerns are shared by parents of other toddlers and parents she met through a Facebook page, “Brunswick Community United,” which she started in response to the budget cuts.

“Within a week, we had 100 members,” Singer said of the 136-member group.

Parent Vladimir Dovitovnikoff, who started another online effort at brunswickschools. wordpress.com, asked that the board “give voters a chance to do the right thing” by proposing a budget that includes local tax increases.

“If there’s waste, let’s cut it,” Dovitovnikoff said. “But it’s hard to see how there can be much waste when we’ve cut for three years, and any future cuts work against (the School Board’s) primary purpose and focus.”

Some parents spoke more specifically about fears of cuts to athletics. Others proposed that the district look at consolidation efforts that could include bringing Durham students back into the fold if the town quits RSU 5.

While some said cuts would encourage them to look elsewhere, Jaed Coffin said that’s not the case with him.

“ This is my hometown,” Coffin said. “We could have no school and I would probably still live here.”

The Brunswick High School graduate and author recalled his positive memories from high school.

“When I look back on my education in Brunswick, I don’t remember a lot about field trips,” Coffin said. “What I remember a lot about are my teachers, people who really made a significant difference in my life.”

Coffin said he would also be willing to pay more or volunteer as he said basketball coaches did when he was in third grade, but also that he expects some cuts after the hits to state funding.

“I think it’s going to happen because you are contingent on the plans in Augusta,” Coffin said. “But, at least coming from my family, we’re not going to hate you. We’re here and we’re sticking around and we’re more than happy to find solutions.”

Under state law, Brunswick voters must approve each year’s school budget in a townwide referendum.

Ellis said that the board will look at specific programs to explore what is needed in each area.

“We’ll look at those functional units and we’ll see what kind of system we’re proposing to build,” Ellis said. “At the end of the day, all of those pieces will add up to a total budget and we’ll see where we are.”

See the schedule of future budget meetings at http://ow.ly/9yfXu.

In Augusta

School officials said they’re not counting on more money from Washington or Augusta for next year’s budget, but Brunswick’s legislative delegation said Thursday night that there still may be options to find additional funding at the state level.

“Money comes out of Augusta in different ways,” Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, said after Thursday’s forum. “You don’t just have to get education money, you can get money elsewhere that would offset education money — backfill it another way.”

Gerzofsky declined to specify where that funding might come from, saying only that Brunswick’s lawmakers are “not putting all of our eggs anyplace.”

Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, said he’s submitted a bill addressing how cuts in state aid are dealt to communities with dramatic population shifts as in the case of a mill closure or the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station.

With a month, maybe more, left in the legislative session, Cornell du Houx said that any additions to the legislative calendar could be “tough this late in the session,” and any changes to come out of this session would not affect the 2012-13 school budget.

Since cuts in state funding to Brunswick schools were announced last month, Perzanoski has said he’s not counting on more support from the state.

“ We’ll see,” Perzanoski said. “There’s a lot of talk.”

See the original article in The Times Record

“Cornell du Houx believes the informal setting in Little Dog allows for friendly, honest communication, and he is excited for the chance to hear directly from his constituents and neighbors,” a release from his office states.

“It’s important to hear from my constituents so I can understand your questions and concerns, and better represent the people of Brunswick in Augusta,” Cornell du Houx said in the release.

Original in the Times Record on February 14, 2012