UMaine prepares for visit by vice presidential candidate

ORONO – The University of Maine was getting ready Tuesday for today’s arrival of vice presidential candidate John Edwards.

The gates to the Edwards rally will open at 4 p.m. today on the mall at UM.

The political rally in Orono is expected to highlight issues facing residents of northern Maine and the 2nd Congressional District.

“We’re expecting a huge crowd,” Dan Burgess, a UM senior and member of the College Dems, said Tuesday.

The College Dems had handed out more than 700 tickets by noon Tuesday, according to Burgess. The group had a table set up outside Memorial Union to disperse tickets, and other members drove a van with loudspeakers around campus reminding students of Edwards’ visit.

Tickets to the rally are free, but people must have a ticket in order to attend. The mall area is expected to be roped off in some way, and more than 200 volunteers will be on hand to check tickets and help keep order, according to the College Dems.

UM Public Safety, Maine State Police, the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department and the Orono Police Department will assist the Secret Service with security on campus for the event.

Police are expecting a crowd of about 2,000 people, according to Noel March, UM Public Safety director.

“This is not an unusual event for the University of Maine,” March said. “Annually, the university hosts world leaders and prominent speakers that require special security provisions.”

He noted that police are accustomed to accommodating crowds of up to 10,000 people for football games.

The Edwards rally is slated to be held outdoors rain or shine, but it is likely there will be a contingency plan in place to move the rally indoors if it rains.

March said he is not anticipating any sort of protest or counterrally, but said security officials are prepared just in case.

For more information or to get tickets, visit www.johnkerry.com/maine or call 942-5876.