NORTH FRANKLIN COUNTY - - Historically, last week produced a recordbreaking voter turn-out that brought us a new Democratic President. In Maine, Democrat Barack Obama was chosen by 57.43 percent of the voters, defeating Republican runner John McCain who received 40.50 percent of the votes. This gave the Illinois senator four of the 270 electoral votes he needed to win as President.

President Elect Obama will take over the White House with a new shift in Washington. A Democrat majority control of the White House, House and Senate has not happened since 1994.

In Maine, 731,349 voters (78 percent) of the 942,825 registered voters came out to cast their votes.

In high school mock elections across the state last week, Obama earned 61.9 percent. At Mt. Abram Regional High School, 86 percent of the student body favored Obama. Interestingly, at local elementary school mock elections, every MSAD #58 school chose Obama by a 2-1 margin except Stratton which voted McCain as their choice 54-47.

Senator Susan Collins and Representative Mike Michaud held their seats in Washington on Election Day. Collins (61.47 percent) defeated Thomas Allen (38.53 percent) for the Senate seat and Michaud (67.19 percent) held his seat against Farmington candidate John Frary.

Across the voting districts, Wright Pinkham (59.63 percent) Thomas Saviello (74.77) and Walter Gooley (51.89) will be returning to Augusta. The Gooley battle against Belgrade's Ann Woloson proved to be a close local vote with 11,727 cast for the incumbent and 10,906 for Woloson the challenger.

In another close match for the House seat in District 91, a young Bethel attorney by the name of Jarrod Crockett defeated Tim Carter by just 330 votes. Crockett's 2,887 votes were enough for him to take over in Augusta in the next Legislature. Carter won in the district towns of Eustis and Rangeley, but Crockett had an 11-vote advantage in Kingfield. Fifty-seven percent of the voters went with Crockett in Bethel and Newry which made the difference for the newest legislator. The MTA mock vote had the two split 50-50.

On Question 1, a repeal of the tax on beverages to support the Dirigo program, 64.34 percent of the voters said "Yes" to the repeal.

The plan to have a Nevada based company build a multi million dollar casino in Oxford County was shot down by 54 percent of the voters statewide. MTA kids favored the plan with the majority saying build the Casino. Statewide in Mock elections 55 percent of the high school students said "No" to the plan. The MSAD #58 elementary students said "No" to the Casino by a 165-109 vote.

Statewide, the drinking water/waste water bond issue was narrowly approved by voters, 50.26 percent to 49.74 percent.

For some, the biggest vote came with local MSAD #58 voters who decided 3:1 to not reorganize their school district and consolidate with SAD 9, Coplin and Highland plantations.

In other voting districts, such as Rangeley Plantation, Robert Cameron defeated Matthew Peterson 76-50. In other local elections, Peter Mills was re-elected to Senate District 26 and Robert Dunphy will serve as a Somerset County Commissioner.