1. ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT — THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015 3A
Person on the street
“(It’s a) good idea,
because you’ve got a lot
of houses close by.”
Bill Wentworth
Oxford
“No, it’s un-American.
I love fireworks.”
Tim Cyr
Lovell and Norway
“Absolutely. I just can’t
stand the sound and
smell.”
Brent Fategoni
West Paris
“They shouldn’t have
t h e m , p e r i o d .
Somebody’s going to
get hurt.”
William Heino
Sweden
“I don’t see that it
would do any good
(because people would
use them anyway).”
Barry Sturdivant
Norway
Should Norway voters approve a
town-wide ban on fireworks, which
will appear on the June ballot?
What do you think?
If we missed you while gathering opinions for our
Person on the Street feature, please feel free to send us
a Letter to the Editor to express your point of view. All
letters should be legibly printed or typed, and must
include the name, address and phone number of the
author for verification. Letters have a 350-word limit.
Deadline is Friday at 2 p.m. Please mail letters to: The
Advertiser Democrat, 1 Pikes Hill, Norway, ME 04268
or email to: newsteam@advertiserdemocrat.com.
“No, as long as they’re
used safely and in the
right area, with the right
safety precautions.”
Ray Charest
Auburn
“If they are used safely
and responsibly, I don’t
think they should be
banned.”
Ryan Dillingham
South Paris
“No, they should not.
Fireworks are fun for
the whole family to
enjoy.”
Fiona Gizinski
West Paris
“There are some people
who abuse it. ... It is
loud and obnoxious.”
David Phillips
Norway
“I don’t mind it. If it’s
(around the Fourth of
July) it’s expected. But
if it’s late at night,
after 10, no. Before
that, people can make
whatever noise they
want.”
Julie Swanson
Norway
Paperwork not filed in Paris police chief OUI arrest
By Erin Place
PORTLAND — The
Cumberland County Sheriff's
deputy who pulled over Paris
police Chief Michael
Madden nearly three months
ago and summoned him to
court for operating under the
influence never sent the
required paperwork to sus-
pend Madden's driver's
license, according to Chief
Deputy Naldo Gagnon.
He said Sgt. Andrew
Feeney could face disciplin-
ary action if another breach
in protocol occurs.
Madden, 50, of Harrison
was pulled over by Feeney
on Harrison Road in Naples
shortly after midnight on
Nov. 21, 2014. Police say
Madden was driving errati-
cally in his personal vehicle.
Gagnon said Feeney failed
to send a form to the
Secretary of State's Office,
which is required for all OUI
arrests to suspend the indi-
vidual's driver's license.
Gagnon said he told
Feeney on Wednesday, Feb.
11: "'You're going to send it
in.'"
He said Feeney filed the
paperwork Wednesday night
and it was mailed Thursday,
Feb. 12.
“It is our intention to use
the full force of the OUI
law,” Gagnon said.
Gagnon and Madden's
Portland-based defense attor-
ney, Matt Nichols, say
Madden hasn't received pref-
erential treatment. The chief
deputy promised there would
be consequences if standard
procedures are ignored in the
future.
“Hopefully, (Feeney)
learned by his mistake,"
Gagnon said. "I brought it to
the attention of his captain
and they're going to address
it.”
Robert O'Connell, director
of legal affairs, adjudications
and hearings for the Bureau
of Motor Vehicles, said by
phone recently that the pro-
cess of suspending a license
for an OUI arrest includes an
administrative hearing, at
which drivers or their law-
yers can request to stay a
suspension.
“Any person who's
stopped for operation under
the influence, a law enforce-
ment officer is required by
statute to send in a statement
of probable cause that the
individual was operating
under the influence of alco-
h o l ( a n d / o r ) d r u g s ,”
O'Connell said, including
breathalyzer test results.
Once all of the paperwork
is filed, he said, a notice of
suspension is mailed three
weeks after his office
receives the report.
“That happens relatively
quickly unless the reports
aren't in order and they're
sent back for additional
information,” he said, noting
that this could be why a sus-
pension or administrative
hearing is delayed.
For a first OUI offense,
the license is suspended for
150 days, O'Connell said.
The driver should receive
notice of the impending sus-
pension 14 to 17 days before
it becomes effective.
Nichols said by phone
Tuesday, Feb. 17 that his cli-
ent had yet to receive a
notice of suspension and
when he does, he would have
10 days to request an admin-
istrative hearing.
O'Connell said such a
hearing would be held in
Portland and would be
scheduled three to four
weeks from the date it was
requested.
At OUI administrative
hearings, issues that can be
explored include determining
whether the officer had prob-
able cause to pull the driver
over and whether or not the
blood alcohol level was 0.08
percent — the legal limit —
or higher, he said.
The Cumberland County
Sheriff's and District
Attorney's offices have
declined to release the test
results on Madden, or the
police report. If the suspen-
sion is upheld, the license
could be suspended directly
following the hearing or
become effective midnight
the night of the hearing,
O'Connell said.
Nichols entered a not
guilty plea for Madden last
month. A clerk with
Portland's Criminal Court
division said Tuesday a hear-
ing has been set for 8:30 a.m.
Monday, May 11.
Madden has worked in
law enforcement for 29
years and was hired as the
town's police chief in
October 2013, leaving his
job as deputy chief in
Shelton, Conn., a city of
more than 39,000 people
about an hour northeast of
New York City.
Madden is a graduate of
St. Joseph's College in
Standish, with a bachelor's
degree in communication,
and is a 2008 graduate of the
FBI National Academy.
eplace@sunmediagroup.
net
Paris Police Chief
Michael Madden
Otisfield man indicted on multiple drug-related charges
By Christopher Crosby
PARIS — An Otisfield
man has been indicted on fel-
ony charges of selling mari-
juana and furnishing firearms
for another man accused of
trafficking heroin.
An Oxford County grand
jury on Friday handed down
a five-count indictment
charging Scott Curtis
Holden, 29, with multiple
drug-related felonies in
events leading back to the
arrest of a man who escaped
from the back of a police
cruiser.
Holden faces charges of
aggravated trafficking in
scheduled drugs, conspiracy
to commit aggravated traf-
ficking in drugs, hindering
apprehension and criminal
forfeiture of firearms. The
charges carry a maximum
prison sentence of more than
20 years.
According to the indict-
ment, on Sept. 24, 2014,
Holden was in possession of
more than a pound of mari-
juana which he intended sell
or traffic. At the time, multi-
ple firearms were found in
his possession — including a
rifle and two shotguns —
elevating the severity of the
offenses.
According to the evidence,
which was presented by
M a i n e S t a t e D r u g
Enforcement Agent Tony
Milligan, Holden provided a
residence, access to firearms
and transportation to another
man, Maxx Christopher
Noble, in order for him to
purchase cocaine and heroin
from a Lewiston supplier,
which he then allegedly sold.
Noble, who turned himself
in to police after escaping
from a Maine State Police
cruiser, faces aggravated
drug trafficking, criminal
conspiracy, possession of
firearms by a prohibited per-
son, violation of bail condi-
tions and escaping custody.
Holden, according to the
indictment, then helped shel-
ter Noble from police during
their manhunt.
ccrosby@sunmediagroup.
net
Photo courtesy of Oxford County Jail
Scott Curtis Holden
Bill to regulate beer pints runs into industry opposition
By Christopher Crosby
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers
grappled with a pint-size prob-
lem Wednesday, Feb. 11 tak-
ing public testimony about
what should constitute a
16-ounce pour of brew.
Unlike milk, gasoline and
many other liquids that are
sold in consistent sizes, beer
goes unmeasured when
poured into a glass. So, in an
effort to standardize 16 fluid
ounces in each and every
pour, Maine lawmakers are
considering LD 122, a bill
that would require bars, tav-
erns, taprooms and restau-
rants to ensure their custom-
ers are served a full pint —
and not a drop less.
Under this bill, barkeeps
could not consider foam that
forms during the pour part of
the pint measure. The pint
must be a liquid measure.
The bill was introduced by
S e n . J o h n P a t r i c k ,
D-Rumford, and subject to a
public hearing before the
Legislature's Veterans and
Legal Affairs Committee on
last week.
The committee, which has
jurisdiction over the sale of
alcoholic beverages in Maine,
is tumbling into the world of
unregulated glassware sizes
to prevent patrons from get-
ting ripped off by so-called
"cheater pints." Such glasses,
often with heavy bottoms or
varied dimensions, appear to
contain 16 ounces but actual-
ly hold less. And, for the
most part, patrons are
unaware.
The intention, according to
Dr. Bumper White, a profes-
sor at the University of
Southern Maine, is akin to
regulating milk and gasoline,
which are monitored.
"We need to be on guard
that we're always getting full
measure for what we pay,"
White testified.
In the world of craft beer,
it's common for Maine bars to
serve some high-alcohol or
specialty beers in smaller
glasses that hold 8, 10 or 12
ounces. Accordingly, beer
lists typically tell the custom-
er how many ounces are in a
serving.
One means of enforcing
the measure would be to mark
glasses with a 16-ounce fill
line, White suggested.
White said it's common
when traveling in England and
other countries for beers to be
served in 18-ounce glasses:
pours are a full 16 ounces,
leaving an ounce or more for
foam.
White said that most craft
brewers are not intentionally
shorting customers, but the
terminology either must
change or the industry must
retool and purchase the larger
glasses to ensure everybody
gets a fair deal.
"People are torn in that we
don't want to legislate every-
thing, but at the same time we
can't sit back and have short
pours," he said.
The idea was met with
resistance from industry repre-
sentatives.
Sean Sullivan, executive
director of the Maine Brewers'
Guild, said changing the law
would require bars, restaurants
and breweries to buy all new
glassware.
At $1 to $1.25 a pop, he
said breweries would be chal-
lenged to afford it.
"The glass industry would
love it, but it would be difficult
for our members to take on the
costs," Sullivan said.
While noting the guild nei-
ther supported nor opposed the
bill, Sullivan said adequate
laws protecting consumers
already are on the books.
"Our members certainly
feel every consumer is entitled
to their fair pull of beer," he
said.
Maine is not the first state
to propose such a bill. In 2007,
Oregon beer blogger Jeff
Alworth co-founded the
“Honest Pint Project” in which
he catalogued establishments
nationwide that serve
16-ounce pints — as well as
the ones that didn't.
The list of under-pouring
pubs was eventually taken
down, though his efforts went
as far as the Oregon state
Legislature, where he unsuc-
cessfully lobbied for the state
to pass a 16-ounce standard.
In 2013, the Michigan
Legislature made headlines
when a similar measure was
introduced. Records do not
indicate whether the bill
passed.
Greg Dugal, president of
the Maine Restaurant
Association, opposed what he
described as a redundant mea-
sure that would burden already
overworked state liquor agents
with the task of interpreting
the law.
Rep. Robert Saucier,
R-Presque Isle, said the pour
line was an efficient means
for the industry to self-regu-
late.
Sullivan said he'd never
seen advertising laws abused
and that the popularity of craft
beer gave operators little
incentive to save money by
shortchanging pours.
Chad Lothian, who writes
the beer blog If My Coaster
Could Talk for the Bangor
Daily News, said he's never
personally experienced a fake
pint glass, and said most bars
serving craft beer do so in
glasses provided by breweries.
"I don't see breweries sup-
plying an undersized pint,"
Lothian said. "They wouldn't
benefit from the bar selling
less beer."
ccrosby@sunmediagroup.
net
Rumford man sentenced for not taking medication
By Christopher Crosby
PARIS — A Rumford man
who shot a man at a
Richmond gas station in
2000 has pleaded guilty to
violating conditions of his
release for failing to take
court-ordered medication.
An Oxford County
Superior Court judge
revoked 60 days of Stanley
Janiszcak's probation Friday
morning after he admitted to
allegations that he had
stopped taking some of his
prescription anti-psychotic
medications and mood stabi-
lizers, a condition of his pro-
bation release from a Maine
correctional facility.
He was credited for time
served.
Last May, Janiszcak was
referred to Oxford County
Probation and Parole Officer
Michael Downs by the
Norway Police Department
after receiving information
from police in Auburn that
Janiszcak had stopped taking
some of his medications,
according to court docu-
ments.
In a May 27 affidavit filed
with the court, Downs said
Janiszcak's therapist reported
he had stopped taking his
medications and was hearing
voices talking to him, plan-
ning a "mass murder" and
"suicide by cop."
Downs also included affi-
davits from witnesses alleg-
ing that Janiszcak threatened
and harassed them, though
he was not charged.
Following his arrest,
Janiszcak was ordered to
undergo a 90-day observa-
tion at Riverview Psychiatric
Center in Augusta. Court
documents did not indicate
the results of that evaluation.
According to a police affi-
davit, Janiszcak confronted a
man at a gas station in
January 2000 and fired sev-
eral shots from a handgun,
striking him in the leg and
possibly the head. The man's
girlfriend attempted to inter-
vene, striking Janiszcak with
a tire iron, which he used to
beat the victim. The injured
man eventually escaped and
pleaded for help from
bystanders inside the gas sta-
tion.
Janiszcak, who had lost
his gun at this point, was
subdued and arrested by
Richmond Police.
Janiszcak told police he
tried to kill the man because
he was dating his ex-girl-
friend, according to the affi-
davit.
He was charged with
attempted murder, elevated
aggravated assault, aggravated
assault and violating a protec-
tive order from harassment.
He pleaded guilty to the charg-
es in November 2000.
He was sentenced to 20
years in prison with all but
13 years suspended, and
given six years of probation.
Court documents indicate
that he served slightly less
than 10 years. He has no pre-
vious violations.
The case was continued in
Oxford County, where
Janiszcak lives, over objec-
tions from his defense attor-
ney that proceedings should
be moved to Sagadahoc
County Superior Court,
where the probation terms
originated.
ccrosby@sunmediagroup.
net