JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING CUMBERLAND COUNTY BUILDING COMMUNITY DAY AT THE STATE HOUSE

WHEREAS,  county government is the largest territorial division for local government within the United States; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County in Maine was established in 1760 for the purpose of providing essential public services and was described in 1886 by A Gazetteer of the State of Maine as "situated in the south-western part of the state, and on the north-east of York County, Oxford County bounds it on the west; Oxford, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc on the north; and on the east lies the sea"; and

WHEREAS,  today Cumberland County is one of the most populated counties in Maine, and it retains extraordinary geographic diversity in twenty-eight cities and towns from Casco Bay to the mountains of western Maine; and

WHEREAS,  the people of Cumberland County are among the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the State and together form a vibrant and talented community; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County's traditional industries, such as fishing, agriculture, farming and manufacturing, have been joined by others, such as manufacturers of semiconductors and biotechnical, financial and medical services; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County benefits from an outstanding array of educational resources, including Andover College, Bowdoin College, Maine College of Art, St. Joseph's College, Southern Maine Community College, the University of New England and the University of Southern Maine; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County's citizens value the contributions of community and regional organizations such as the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District, Portland Public Library, Southern Maine Emergency Medical Services, University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County, Threshold To Maine Resource Conservation and Development Area and Greater Portland Council of Governments; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County's citizens appreciate the outstanding leadership of the county's twenty-eight cities and towns, along with that of our state legislative delegation and the many state agencies with which county officials interact on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS,  Cumberland County's elected and appointed officials have dedicated themselves to seeking new forms of partnerships with governmental and nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of increasing the cost-effectiveness, quality and efficiency of county services for its citizens; now, therefore, be it

That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature now assembled in the Second Regular Session, take this occasion to declare that March 11, 2008 is "Cumberland County Building Community Day" at the Maine State House, in order to recognize the efforts of Cumberland County government and the municipalities and various community partners of the county to forge new alliances for the purpose of improving government at all levels for our citizens.