I am proud to call Jonathan LaBonte my friend and mayor. From our conversations about policy, to his passion for Auburn’s heritage (as with his contributions to the effort to save the St. Louis parish bells), to his zeal for innovation, efficiency and accountability, I have seen how he honors Auburn’s past while leading toward […]
Jonathan LaBonte
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn joins state’s effort to hire veterans
AUBURN — The city will join a state effort to promote hiring veterans, according to Mayor Jonathan LaBonte. “I don’t think we are looking to fill specific jobs,” LaBonte said Friday. “We just want to raise the profile of our city as an employer and really insure that veterans looking for jobs are able to […]
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Posted inLetters
Auburn’s LaBonte a man of action
Thanks to Mayor Jonathan LaBonte for his quick action to address what was a dangerous situation. New traffic arrows painted on Route 4 at Lake Shore Drive were not right. Previously, a center turning lane was created for both north and south traffic. Newly painted arrows incorrectly created a second turning lane — in the […]
Posted inLetters
Understands transportation
Transportation issues are important to the people of Auburn, and are doubly so for people like me. I currently serve as the only municipal transportation engineer in Maine and chair the committee tasked with implementing the state’s largest regional signalized transportation network. Understanding local and regional transportation matters is a topic that challenges elected officials, […]
Posted inBusiness
Top Gun entrepreneurship program looks at Auburn
AUBURN — A successful Maine program for entrepreneurs may be headed here. Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development’s Top Gun is eyeing Auburn as its fourth location in the state. Portland, Bangor and Rockland already host the classes that pair local mentors with local startups for an intense semester of business boot camp that culminates in a […]
Posted inMaine
Auburn Mayor LaBonte to join LePage administration
AUGUSTA — Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte is joining state government. Republican Gov. Paul LePage announced Wednesday he was appointing LaBonte as director of the Governor’s Office of Policy and Management. The office was created to replace the State Planning Office. LaBonte will take over for former state lawmaker Richard Rosen, who was appointed acting commissioner […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Last Mass for St. Louis: Hope for the building remains, but its days as a religious and social center for thousands are over.
AUBURN — Few prayers remain for St. Louis Catholic Church. The neo-Gothic landmark still sits just as it did when its last congregation gathered there in April. Stacks of spring fliers now gather dust on a table near the broad front doors facing Third Street. The grand nave — with its columns, arched ceiling and […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
LaBonte sees unity as key to Twin Cities’ growth
LEWISTON — Under a new proposal, economic development in Lewiston and Auburn could soon be guided by a unified committee as outlined Tuesday night by Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte. In the cities’ 140 years of working together, LaBonte said, “We’ve created a challenging system at best.” He said he did not want to get into […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Key comes home: Brass curio makes the trip from Maine to Florida and back
AUBURN — A curio on a flea market table in Pompano Beach, Fla., caught Bob Christian’s eye: a foot-long brass key bearing the name “Auburn, Maine.” “He just had it out when I walked by,” Christian said. “It was a pretty neat-looking thing, so I ended up taking it home.” Christian, 63, said he began […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Facebook post highlights Lewiston, Auburn mayoral spat
LEWISTON — Twin Cities politics and the differences between Mayors Jonathan LaBonte and Robert Macdonald spilled onto the Internet and into public view Friday night. In a post to Facebook, Auburn Mayor LaBonte said that Macdonald, the mayor of Lewiston, had called LaBonte an “embarrassment” to the area. LaBonte said he wrote the post after […]