Governor Paul LePage will be Portland Rotary Club’s speaker this Friday. He requested to speak to our club “to educate business and civic organizations about the impacts the referendum questions could have on the Maine economy.”

Governor LePage has spent most of his life tackling one challenge after another, the kinds of challenges that defeat most people.

The oldest son of eighteen children in an impoverished, dysfunctional family, he left home at the age of eleven to escape domestic violence and lived on the streets of Lewiston for two years, making a meager living shining shoes.

At age thirteen, two families jointly “adopted” Governor LePage. Eddy and Pauline Collins kept him busy washing dishes at the Theriault’s Cafe. Bruce and Joan Myrick kept him busy hauling boxes. Bruce was a Pepsi-Cola truck driver. Later the Governor worked at the Antoine Rubber Company and at a meat packing company.

While attending Husson, he supported himself as a short order cook and bartender, while making time to be the editor of the college newspaper.

Getting into Husson presented a challenge in itself. Governor LePage was brought up speaking French. With the help of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe’s first husband, Peter, he was able to take an admissions exam in French to demonstrate his strong comprehension abilities and earn admittance.

In college, Governor LePage excelled academically and graduated with a BS in Business Administration in Finance/Accounting. He then went on to earn an advanced college degree – an MBA from the University of Maine.

Governor LePage will be speaking about Maine Question 2, An Act to Establish The Fund to Advance Public Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education and Maine Question 4, An Act to Raise the Minimum Wage.

 
We need a headcount for the hotel. Please email Elise by 4 PM today/Wednesday, if you wish to attend and the number of guests you will be bringing. Email at: portlandrotary@maine.rr.com