Lewiston Maine ME Warrant Search

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in the U.S. state of Maine and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,150 at the 2007 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area, which as of 2006 census estimates have a combined population of 107,552. It is also part of the extended Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, Maine Combined Statistical Area which has a combined population 621,219 as of 2006 estimates.A former industrial center, it is located in south-central Maine, at the falls of the Androscoggin River, across from Auburn. Lewiston and Auburn are often thought of as a single entity and referred to as Lewiston-Auburn, which is colloquially abbreviated as L-A or L/A, and have and a combined population of roughly 65,000 people. Together, Lewiston-Auburn is more than twice the size of Maine's third largest city, Bangor and roughly the same size as Maine's largest city, Portland. Lewiston is home to Bates College, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the University of Southern Maine's Lewiston-Auburn College, and two significant regional general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. Early period The Lewiston area was formerly inhabited by peoples of the Androscoggin Tribe, also known as Arosaguntacook. The Androscoggins were a tribe in the Abenaki Nation. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's war. They were relocated at St. Francis, Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers' Rangers in 1759, and is now Odanak.A grant composing the area of Lewiston was given to Moses Little and Jonathan Bagley, members of the Pejepscot Proprieters, on January 28, 1768 on the condition that fifty families lived in the area before June 1, 1774. Bagley and Little named the new town 'Lewistown'. Paul Hildreth was the first man to settle in Lewiston in the fall of 1770. By 1795, Lewiston was officially incorporated as a town. At least four houses that have survived from this period are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.King Avenue, Ralph Avenue and Elliott Avenue were named after Ralph Luthor King, who owned the land located near the fairgrounds. he was married to Grace O. Elliott, whose son eventually built the family home at 40 Wellman Street. Industrial development period Lewiston was a slow but steadily growing farm town throughout its early history. By the early-to-mid-19th century, however, as water power was being honed, Lewiston's location on the Androscoggin River would prove to make it a perfect location for emerging industry.In 1809, Michael Little built a large wooden sawmill next to the falls. Burned in 1814 by an arsonist, it was later rebuilt. In 1836, local entrepreneurs — predominantly the Little family and friends — formed the Androscoggin Falls Dam, Lock and Canal Company:'...for the purpose of erecting and constructing dams, locks, canals, mills, works, machines, and buildings on their own lands and also manufacturing cotton, wool, iron, steel, and paper in the towns of Lewiston, Minot, and Danville.' Later reorganized as the Lewiston Water Power Company the new sales of stock attracted Boston investors — including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward, Alexander De Witt, and Benjamin E. Bates (namesake of the Bates Mill and Bates College) – who financed a canal system and several textile mills on the Androscoggin River. This began Lewiston's transformation from a small farming town into a textile city on the model provided by Lowell, Massachusetts. The Bates Mill remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the 21st century.In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railway was built, connecting Maine to the St. Lawrence River, Montreal, and the Canadian Maritimes, and making Portland the winter port for Canadian trade. Subsequently, trains would leave Quebec on a daily basis, bringing French Canadians to Lewiston. During the Civil War, the high demand for textiles provided Lewiston with a strong industrial base. In 1860, a wave of French-Canadian immigration into Maine began, spawned by industrial work opportunities in many Maine cities. This brought a significant influx of millworkers from Canada, replacing the former 'yankee millgirls'. The Canadiens settled in an area downtown that became known as 'Little Canada'. The city's population has been largely Franco-American ever since. Lewiston's population boomed in the 19th century. From 1840 to 1890, Lewiston's population exploded from 1,801 to 21,701.In 1855, The Maine State Seminary in Lewiston, now Bates College, was incorporated. During this time, in 1863, Lewiston was incorporated as a city. In 1872, St. Peter's church was built in Lewiston. This was the first French national church in Maine. In 1880, Le Messager, a French language newspaper, began printing in Lewiston; serving the growing Franco-American population.The local Kora Shrine was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a Masonic temple on Lisbon street. This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the Kora Temple on Sabattus street, the largest home of a fraternal organization in the state. Architect George M. Coombs designed this Moorish style structure.City leaders decided to build a cathedral in which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland could relocate. Construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul began in 1905 and ended in 1938, mostly funded through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine, and Lewiston's most prominent landmark. While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church became a basilica in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas located outside of a major metropolitan area. Industrial decline period After World War I, profits from the textile industry in New England mill towns such as Lewiston, Manchester, New Hampshire, Waterbury, Connecticut, and Fall River, Haverhill, Lawrence, and Lowell, Massachusetts began to decline. Businesses began moving to the South due to lower costs of power from more modern technologies (Lewiston's water wheel technology gave way to hydroelectricity, cheaper transportation (as most cotton and materials came from the South), and cheaper labor.Starting in the late 1950s, many of Lewiston's textile mills began closing. This gradually led to a run-down and abandoned downtown area. Chain stores previously located downtown—Woolworth's, W. T. Grant, S. S. Kresge, JC Penney and Sears Roebuck—shut their doors or moved to malls on the outskirts of Lewiston or Auburn. The city's flagship department store, the four-story B. Peck & Co., closed after more than a century in business in 1982. As businesses and jobs began to leave the city, people followed. The population stopped increasing at its previous rate and began to slowly decline after 1970, then at a greater rate in the 1990s. Economic diversification and renaissance Following a difficult economic period in the 1980s that saw high unemployment and downtown stagnation, several key events have led to a period of economic and cultural renaissance, including the transformation of the historic Bates Mill Complex. Because the city took over the complex in 1992 after back taxes went unpaid, years of taxpayer frustration in the city's need to maintain the 1,100,000-square-foot (102,000 m2) behemoth led to two referenda (one non-binding vote, the other binding). Voters soundly supported the need to pursue redevelopment by maintaining the property and selling it to private developers. In 2001, the city sold three mill buildings to local developers. Platz Associates, then in 2003, sold the Bates Mill Complex, with the exception of Mill 5 and a small support building. For the next four years, a number of business enterprises flourished after Platz redeveloped the mill building.In May 2004, the city of Lewiston announced a plan for urban renewal near its downtown area. The plan is to demolish several blocks of 19th-century millworker housing, lay new streets with updated infrastructure, construct more owner-occupied, lower-density housing, and build a boulevard through one neighborhood using federal Community Development Block Grant funds provided over a period of ten years. Many residents of the affected neighborhoods felt that the plan was initially announced with very little input from them. They formed a neighborhood group called 'The Visible Community', which has since been actively involved in the planning process, which has resulted has been cooperation between neighbors and city officials to redesign Kennedy Park, including input on the location of new basketball courts, and feedback regarding creation of the largest all-concrete skate park in Maine.Downtown is now home to a new headquarters for Oxford Networks, along with a $20 million upgrade in local fiber-optics, a new auto parts store, a campus for Andover College, the headquarters for Northeast Bank, a parking garage, and the newly renovated Maine Supply Co. building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That facility is now called the Business Service Center at Key Bank Plaza, and is home to the local Chamber of Commerce, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, and an innovative arrangement with a number of business service providers. The area's renaissance has gained local, regional, and national recognition. In 2002 and again in 2006, the L-A area led the state in economic development activity, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's list of business investments and expansions. In a 2006 KPMG International study measuring the cost of locating and maintaining a business, Lewiston ranked first among the New England communities analyzed, and finished 24th out of 49 U.S. communities analyzed.Lewiston also earned a 2007 All-America City Award designation by the National Civic League. The national competition 'recognizes communities whose residents work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve measurable, uncommon results.' Only 10 cities are selected as All-America Cities each year. Lewiston was the first Maine city to earn the distinction since Auburn in 1967.[citation needed] Somali and Bantu migration In 1999, at the urging of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the United States government began preparations to resettle an estimated 12,000 refugees from the Bantu minority ethnic group in Somalia to select cities throughout the United States. Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in Clarkston, Georgia, a city adjacent to Atlanta. However, they were mostly assigned to low rent, poverty-stricken inner city areas, so many began to look to resettle elsewhere in the US.Word soon spread that the town of Lewiston, Maine had a low crime rate, good schools and cheap housing. Somalis subsequently began a secondary migration from other states to the former mill town, and after 2005, many Bantus followed suit.In October 2002, then-Mayor Laurier T. Raymond wrote an open letter addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered some persons and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it.In January 2003, a small white supremacist group demonstrated in Lewiston in support of what they believed the mayor meant, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration of about 4,000 people at Bates College and the organization of the 'Many and One Coalition'. Only 32 attended the rally by the white supremacist group. The Mayor was out of state on the day of the rallies, while governor John Baldacci and other officials attended.In 2006, a frozen severed pig's head was thrown into a Lewiston mosque while the faithful were praying. This was considered very offensive by the town's Muslim community, as swine is viewed as unclean in Islam and eating pork is prohibited. The culprit admitted to the act and claimed it to be a joke. He later committed suicide.In August 2010, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening dozens of shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by the local merchants of French-Canadian descent and the Somali storekeepers. Geography Lewiston is located at 44°5′51″N 70°11′33″W / 44.0975°N 70.1925°W / 44.0975; -70.1925 (44.097473, -70.192416).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.1 km²), of which, 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (3.13%) is water. Lewiston is drained by the Androscoggin River, which is located on its western border. Lewiston is bordered by the city of Auburn beyond the river, and the towns of Greene, Sabattus, and Lisbon. It is located between Portland, the state's biggest city and cultural center, and the state capital of Augusta. Neighborhoods Downtown:This is the most dense area of the city, containing about half of the city's entire population. It contains mostly housing, but on the part of this neighborhood that contains Lisbon Street, and Main Street, it is entirely businesses. This neighborhood was formerly the place where everything was happening in the whole county. Now due to economic decline, store downtown have closed, and the old mill housing has become run-down and land values have fallen. Streets like Knox street for example were ten years ago very run down, but in recent year have been livened up with community projects as well as a great effort, and input of culture into business by the recent influx of Somalian immigrants. This has happened through all downtown. This neighborhood runs from Oxford Street up to Jefferson Street, and from Adams Ave. to Main Street. This neighborhood includes:Lisbon Street Business District Country Kitchen Bread Factory Lewiston City Hall Bates Mill Complex Lewiston Police Department Kennedy Park The Public Theatre S.S. Peter and Paul Basilica St. Patrick's Church St. Joseph's Church Central Maine Medical Family/Center Railroad Park Androscoggin Bank Coliseé Bourque's Central Market Farmers Market Webster Street neighborhoodConsisting mostly of suburban mid-income housing, this neighborhood runs in between Lisbon Street and Webster street, and East Ave, and Alfred Plourde Parkway. Schools that serve this neighborhood are Farwell Elementary, Martel Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston High School.Pond Road neighborhoodThis neighborhood is bounded by the triangle formed by Pond Road, Randall Road, and Sabattus Street(Route 126). This neighborhood is mostly mid-income suburban residential. The schools that serve this area is McMahon Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston high School. Large businesses Central Maine Medical Center:Founded by Edward H. Hill in the mid-1860s CMMC (Central Maine Medical Center) is located in downtown Lewiston at High St. The Campus includes several large parking facilities, a LifeFlight of Maine helipad. In recent years the hospital has created the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, and the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope. The hospital has approximately 250 beds, and approximately 300 physicians. It is a Level II trauma center. Central Maine Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Central Maine Medical Family. The organization runs two other hospitals, one in Bridgeton, Maine and another in Rumford, Maine. It also operates CMMC College of Nursing and Health Professions; and many affiliated long-term care facilities, clinics and practices throughout central and western Maine. The current president of the hospital chain is Peter E. Chalk. The Central Maine Medical Family is located a block away from the hospital on Bates Street in the Lovell Square Building, a refurbished textile factory. CMMC is currently undergoing major renovations to their emergency entrance. Country Kitchen Bakery:Country Kitchen is located in downtown Lewiston between Lisbon and Park streets. Country Kitchen currently services all of the United States. It operates a second factory a few hundred feet away between Canal and Lincoln streets. Wal Mart Distribution Center:Wal Mart currently operates a 485,000-square-foot (45,100 m2) warehousing facility in Lewiston. It is currently the states largest facility. It is one mile (1.6 km) from exit 80 on I-95 on Alfred M. Plourde Parkway. This facility currently services all New England Wal Marts. Sun Journal:The Sun Journal is a daily newspaper that is headquartered in Lewiston on Park Street. It operates several different offices throughout Central and Western Maine. In Androscoggin County it prints the City Edition, news about the Lewiston-Auburn area. They also print the Oxford County, Franklin County, and State Editions. They are the third largest newspaper in the State of Maine. Diamond Phoenix:A large engineering company who's headquarters is located at 90 Alfred A. Plourde Parkway in Lewiston. Diamond Phoenix also known as System Logistics is an engineering company who specializes in the setup of technology for the warehouse and storing systems. Lisbon St. Downtown Lisbon Street:Lisbon Street is the commercial and government center of Lewiston. In its downtown section, it features many law offices, the city library, the district court, two high-end restaurants FUEL and Mother India, several pawn shops, Senator Susan Collin's Office, Representative Mike Michaud's Office, a large strip of stores aimed at the large Somalian community, and many more stores. Downtown Lisbon street faced hard economic times in the 1980s and 90s. Due to that fact many of the one time high-end stores remain vacant. In recent years, the economy has recovered and the stores have been refurbished or torn down to make room for parking. Upper Lisbon Street:Past downtown features several malls, including the Lewiston Promenade Mall and the Lewiston Mall. There are also many chain restaurants, some car dealerships, and many other private businesses. Main St. Main St. in Lewiston is US-Route 202, ME-Route 11, and ME-Route 100.Downtown Main Street:Main Street starts near the downtown area at the Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge which crosses into Lewiston from Auburn. Crossing into Lewiston, one would pass the Veterans Memorial Park, a large park directly on the waterfront that commemorates veterans from Lewiston and Auburn. Next is a small hydro-plant that was used to power the textile mills located on Canal Street. After the canal bridge there is the downtown section of Main street which has the L.L. Bean Call Center located in the Peck Building, a T.D. Banknorth branch, St. Joseph's Church, a vacant church owned by the Diocese of Portland, Central Maine Medical Center, and many other businesses. Upper Main Street:Past downtown there are several businesses and several chain stores and restaurants, but it is mostly residential. The street is lined with large 19th century Victorian mansions, some of which remain houses and some which have been converted into doctors' offices. Public transportation City Bus:The city of Lewiston uses the Citylink or Purple Bus system. They use Citylink in collaboration with Auburn andCity Link Bus in Auburn near Wal MartLisbon. The buses run from 6am to 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday. They operate on nine different bus lines. Bus Number 1- Main Street Bus Number 2- Sabattus Street Bus Number 3- Lisbon Street Bus Number 4- New Auburn Bus Number 5- Minot Avenue Bus Number 6- College Street Bus Number 7- Auburn Malls Bus Number 8- Downtown Shuttle Bus Number 9- Central Maine Community College Fares:Regular fares: Single Ride: $1.25 Multiple Ride(6): $6.25 Monthly Pass: $30.00 High school student fare: Single Ride: $1.25 Monthly Pass: $15.00 Seniors/Disabled (with Medicare card or picture ID): Single Ride: $0.60 Multiple Ride(11): $6.00 Monthly Pass: $15.00 The downtown shuttle is the only line that requires no fare at all. It runs through the downtown of both Lewiston and Auburn. The Citylink's station is located in Auburn. Its maintains only one line that goes into Lisbon. The Citylink services on average approximately 235,000 people a year. Private transportation companies Taxi Cab companies:Celebrity Cab City Cab Company: The biggest cab company in the Lewiston/Auburn area.[citation needed] Five Star Taxi Jamies Cab Tri-Town Taxi Other transportation companiesWestern Maine Transportation System: Operate throughout all Western Maine. Community Concepts: Charitable organization. Greyhound Lines Inc. Services Lewiston on the Bangor-Boston line. Roadways and major routes Interstate 95:FormerlyInterstate 495, runs through Lewiston. It is Exit 80 in Lewiston. Exit 80 exits out onto Alfred Plourde Parkway in the Industrial Park. Provides fast connection to Portland being 45 minutes away, Bangor which is two hours away, and Boston which is two hours away. U.S. Route 202:Main Street in Lewiston is 202 as well as ME-Route 11, and ME-Route 100. It runs straight through the center of downtown to the business parks outwards of town, and the northern Lewiston suburbs. Connects Lewiston to Auburn and Greene. Provides fast transportation to Augusta and Kennebec Valley. Maine State Route 196:Starts in Lewiston at U.S. Route 202, Main Street. In Lewiston it is Canal Street, which turns into Lisbon Street. This route connects Lewiston to Lisbon, and makes easy access to the towns of Topsam, and Brunswick. This route ends onU.S. Route 1in the City ofBrunswick, Maine. It connects to Interstate 295 in Topsam. Maine State Route 126:Starts in Lewiston at US Route 202, Maine Street. In Lewiston it is Sabbatus Street. It connects Lewiston to the town of Sabbatus. Bridges Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge:Built in 1973 to commemorate the veterans of theVietnam War. It connects Lewiston to Auburn. It provides fast transportation from Russell Street, and Main Street to Auburn's Mt. Auburn Ave, and shopping centers on Center Street and the Mall Area. Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge:Connects Main Street in downtown Lewiston to Court Street in Downtown Auburn. Named after former Lewiston Mayor, and Governor of Maine James B. Longley. Bernard Lown Peace Bridge:Connects Little Canada and New Auburn. Starts in Lewiston as Cedar Street and starts in Auburn as Broad Street. Commemorates former Lewiston resident andNobel Peace PrizerecipientBernard Lown. Airports and bus station Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport:The official airport of the two cities. It currently provides private flights in and out of the city. There are plans to get airlines that would fly to cities such as Newark in the airport by 2012. Although the city is serviced by an airport, most people use the Portland International Jetport for commercial flights in and out of the state.Oak Street Bus Station:Greyhound Linesoperates a bus line out of Lewiston. The bus lines go as far as Bangor and Boston. From those two destinations more travel opportunities are available. Library TheLewiston Public Libraryhas played a major role in the emerging culture of Lewiston. It was renovated and expanded in 1996. The library is located downtown on the corner of Lisbon Street and Pine Street and has over 100,000 books in its collection. Recently, it has opened theMarsden HartleyCultural Center, holding various events such as concerts and film festivals. Museums Museum L-A:Museum L-A is a museum in a former textile factory building. It honors the people who worked and lived in this community. AtMuseum L-Avisitors can walk through a simulated production line, then view exhibits covering the textile, show, and brick industries that once thrived in Lewiston and Auburn. The museum is currently located in Bates Mill Number 4 in the Bates Mill Complex. In June 2009 the museum acquired Camden Mill and plans on moving to those facilities once it is refurbished. Bates College Museum of Art:Located on the Bates College Campus, theBates College Museum of Artfeatures a wide variety of art. The art students at this school create much of this cities art life. The Atrium Gallery:Located at theUniversity of Southern Mainecampus in Lewiston. This Museum features a wide variety of art. Franco-American Heritage Center The Franco-American Heritage Center opened in 2000 in what was formerly St. Mary's Parish. The performing arts center programs events for both Franco-American related performances as well as other cultural displays, such as the Center's Piano and Celtic Series. The diverse programming of the venue hosts both local and international performers. The Center also hosts events and serves as a museum of the city's Franco-American past with historical artifacts and documentation on display as well as a small library. The Public Theatre Lewiston also features The Public Theatre, which puts on different plays throughout the year with about six to eight productions per season. It is located downtown on Maple St. It was formerly located on Park street. It features all types of plays, with actors from all over the world. Its offices are located in Auburn at the Great Falls Plaza. The Great Falls Balloon Festival The Great Falls Balloon Festival is an event that is held one weekend in August every year. The Festival includes launching of balloons, games, and carnival rides. The launch sites take place at several open parks on the Lewiston-Auburn Androscoggin Riverfront. People come from all around the country and Canada to see the festivities. It is said to be the city's biggest annual event.[citation needed] Festival FrancoFun Formerly known as Festival de Joie, Festival FrancoFun is held annually at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and is a celebration of the city's Franco-American heritage. The festival features performances from French-Canadian musicians as well as native French-Canadian food. Liberty Festival Held on July 4 of each year, the festival is the name given to the fireworks event over the Great Falls of the Androscoggin River in between the twin cities. The fireworks are launched in West Pitch Park in Auburn. Major viewpoints of the fireworks are Veterans Park, railroad Park, Mardens parking lot in Lewiston, and Great Falls Plaza in Auburn. Patrick Dempsey Challenge Lewiston is where the Patrick Dempsey challenge is held every year as of 2009. In its opening year the event raised over one million dollars for cancer research. This event attracts famous athletes from all around including some who participate in the Tour de France. All the proceeds go to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope at the Central Maine Medical Center. Newspapers Lewiston Sun Journalprints a daily newspaper in four different editions statewide. The Sun Journal was the recipient of the 2008 New England Daily Newspaper of the Year and the 2009 Maine Press Association Newspaper of the Year. Lewiston Evening Journalran from 1866 to 1979. The Twin City Timesis a weekly paper printed in Auburn. It is found in almost every establishment in Lewiston for free. It features local news, and short articles from people in the Twin-Cities. Magazines Lewiston Auburn Magazine, launched in April 2010, features current events and history of Lewiston/Auburn, with an emphasis on the people who are helping to rebuild the area. Television Lewiston is part of the Portland television market, and receives all major channels in that market; WGME-TV and WCSH both have local bureaux in Lewiston, located across the street from each other on Main Street. Radio Lewiston is part of the Portland radio market, and receives most major stations in that market.WFNK107.5 FM(Frank FM) is licensed to the City of Lewiston; however they broadcast from the Time and Temperature Building in Portland. WRBC91.5 FMis Bates College's radio station. The Androscoggin Bank Colisée The center of sports in Lewiston is the Androscoggin Bank Colisée (formerly known as the Central Maine Civic Center). The Lewiston Maineiacs, the only American team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play here. The Colisée is also the home to the state Class A and Class B high school hockey championships each year. The city as a whole is known for its strong passion for the game of hockey, likely related to its French-Canadian heritage. Two Lewiston schools, Lewiston High School and St. Dominic Regional High School (now located in Auburn), combine for over half of the state class A high school hockey championships in the state's history.In 1965, Lewiston was the site of a Muhammad Ali--Sonny Liston heavyweight title fight. Only 2,434 fans were present at The Lewiston Colisee, which set the all-time record for the lowest attendance for a boxing heavyweight championship fight. Lewiston Maineiacs The Lewiston Maineiacs are a major junior hockey team located at The Colisée on Birch Street in Lewiston. They are in the TELUS Central Division of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)/la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec (LHJMQ). They are the only team in the league of 18 teams to be located in the United States. The franchise was relocated from Sherbrooke, QC in 2003 to Lewiston. They are currently in their sixth season in Lewiston. In 2006-2007 The Maineiacs had come in first place in the east, and won the 2007 Presidents Cup. They had taken part in the 2007 Memorial Cup. Their current owners are Mark Just and Joel Bouchard. Several Maineiacs have been drafted into the National Hockey League. Education Lewiston's public education system has recently seen a number of new buildings constructed for Farwell Elementary School and Pettingill School, now replaced with the 600 Student capacity Geiger Elementary School. Plans to redo the cities Thomas J. McMahon School are under way.The city is also home to Bates College, one of the most prestigious small colleges in the country. Colleges and universities Kaplan University- Lewiston, Maine Bates College University of Southern Maine- Lewiston/Auburn Campus Central Maine Community College- Auburn Public schools Lewiston High School(9-12) 1,446 students Lewiston Regional Technical Center(9-12) Lewiston Middle School(7-8) 723 students Farwell Elementary School(K-6) 420 students Raymond A Geiger Elementary School(K-6) Governor James B Longley Elementary School(K-6) 254 students Martel School(K-6) 291 students Montello School(K-6) 839 students Thomas J McMahon Elementary School(K-6) 476 students Private schools Trinity Catholic School(K-8) (recent merger of Holy Cross and St. Joseph's schools in Lewiston and St. Peter and Sacred Heart School in Auburn) The Discovery School(PK-12) St. Dominic Regional High School Vineyard Christian School(PK-12) Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,047.0 people per square mile (404.2/km²). There were 16,470 housing units at an average density of 483.2/sq mi (186.5/km²). The racial makeup was 95.75% White, 1.07% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.People of French descent are by far the most represented ethnic group in Lewiston, with 29.4% being of French-Canadian descent and 18.3% French. Following French are Irish at 10.2% and English at 9.9%. These numbers are from the 2000 Census, so do not include the rece