The 18th St. George River Race Saturday signals the start of the Maine Downriver Championship Series for many. For a few, like nationally ranked canoeist Paul Brown, it will begin another run to nationals. The six-mile St. George River Race is the first in a… Read More
University of Maine junior defenseman Jeff Tory was named a Titan first team Eastern All-American on Thursday and admitted that it was an unexpected honor. “I’m obviously pleased and pretty excited. I’m kind of surprised. I wasn’t expecting any off-season honors, especially without playing in… Read More
PRINCETON, N.J. – Steve Cartwright of Bangor set two state records while competing in the Eastern Zone Swimming Regionals at Princeton University Thursday. Cartwright finished third in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9 minutes, 46.23 seconds, setting records in both the 15-18 year-old… Read More
The Maine Windjammers, an AAU basketball team for boys ages 14 and under, have made it to the AAU National Tournament for the second year in a row. The team won the state tournament last Sunday and will head to Richmond, Va., for the nationals. Read More
After a four-month winter hiatus, live harness racing has returned to Maine and New England. Scarborough Downs kicked off its 120-date live harness season on March 2, racing two-day weekends plus simulcasting. Scarborough adds Friday night to its racing schedule beginning April 5. Foxboro Park… Read More
Bangor’s Kevin Mahaney has lived his dreams. He won a silver medal in the soling class at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and, last year, he skippered Young America during the prestigious America’s Cup series. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR — The Good Samaritan Agency of Bangor will offer adoption information 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the Good Samaritan Agency, 450 Essex St. The session is for all those interested in adoption and is free. For information, call Debbie Giguere at 942-7211 or… Read More
PITTSFIELD — At least one town councilor is questioning a recent Main Street Planning Grant application process, believing that residents and councilors were misled about whether town funds were involved in the project. Throughout a series of public hearings, newspaper interviews and discussions with the… Read More
BREWER — The City Council Tuesday night reappointed incumbent Everett Gray to the board of trustees of the Brewer Water District. Applicants are needed, however, to replace longtime Trustee Joseph A. Coffin Sr., who has retired from the board. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BANGOR — HEROic, a mobile higher education information center, will be at Husson College from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 3 and 4, to provide information on financial aid, career opportunities, loans, and various post-secondary schools. HEROic is staffed by a team of education… Read More
LEE — Harold “Hal” Welch of Lee has announced he will seek election to the Maine House of Representatives in District 136, saying, “It’s time for the government to serve the people, and not for people to serve the government.” Welch said he wants to… Read More
OLD TOWN — The first meeting of the Old Town Beautification Committee has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in council chambers at 53 North Brunswick St. At its inaugural meeting, the committee will discuss how it wishes to organize itself, and will… Read More
OLD TOWN — The Old Town Business Assistance Program and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce will present a forum on family businesses at 7:30 a.m. Friday, April 19, at the Old Town Public Library. The local business community is invited to join Susan Collins,… Read More
BANGOR — The Bangor Water District’s new water treatment facility on Floods Pond in Otis, will be open for tours 10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 4 as part of the annual open house. The district also will hold its spring tour of the Thomas Hill Standpipe… Read More
BREWER — The City Council is considering discontinuing residential trash collection for certain “grandfathered” apartment houses with four or more units. The estimated savings for the city and taxpayers in terms of lowered tipping fee expenditures is between $10,000 and $20,000 on an annual basis,… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT — A pesticide recertification training session for certified applicators and other interested people will be offered from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at the Piscataquis County Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft. Read More
BANGOR — Since Christmas, 15-year-old Joe B. has been living on the streets of Bangor. Shaw House, a shelter for homeless children and adolescents, has been a safe haven for the teen who planned to complete eighth grade at Fifth Street Middle School this year… Read More
WASHINGTON — Elderly people face the double threat of prescription drugs that cost too much and the confusion of trying to use properly the numerous drugs prescribed to them, Sen. William Cohen said Thursday. As the largest consumers of prescription drugs, older Americans often take… Read More
GUILFORD — Crews from Central Maine Power Co. have been working for the past year to increase the capacity of power lines in the Guilford area to meet increased demand for power. On Sunday, crews will be installing a new circuit at the Guilford substation… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Jewelry and old coins valued at about $2,300 were taken from the River Street home of Kathryn Bishop on Wednesday. Lt. Scott Arno of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department, who investigating the crime, said no signs of forced entry were found. He said whoever… Read More
AUGUSTA — Ignoring strong sentiment to the contrary in the House, the Senate voted Thursday to bar Maine Blue Cross-Blue Shield from converting to a for-profit mutual company before mid-1997. The 17-15 vote left the future of the bill uncertain in the closing days of… Read More
WINTERPORT — Pity the parents of Lucy Mardosa. On Thursday morning, 3-year-old Lucy, the blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter of Michael and Carolyn Mardosa of Winterport, joined eight of her preschoolmates at the Rivertown Play School in a hopathon to benefit the Maine chapter of the Muscular… Read More
Rodney Austin, the oldest inmate in the Maine State Prison in Thomaston, will die there if the Attorney General’s Office has anything to say about it, even though the parole board erased the now 81-year-old man’s life sentence in 1971, setting him free for 13 years. Read More
AUGUSTA — Gov. Angus S. King said Thursday he’s not giving up on the possibility of developing Sears Island as a cargo port, even though he’s dropping the idea of trying to buy the island with a bond issue. King also announced a 776-mile highway… Read More
MADAWASKA — It would be too easy to compare Madawaska High School band director Tom Pennington to the fictional band teacher in the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” Like the movie character, Pennington’s office and adjacent music room are strewn with numerous first-place and championship ribbons,… Read More
WASHINGTON — President Clinton signed an executive order Thursday to fly all flags across the country at half-staff on Saturday in honor of Edmund S. Muskie, the former Maine senator and secretary of state who died Tuesday. Muskie, a World War II veteran, will be… Read More
In November, an initiated referendum to ban clear-cutting and improve forest management practices will be on the ballot. This has long been an issue of crucial importance to the Natural Resources Council of Maine and its supporters. After hearing from both proponents and opponents of the referendum and… Read More
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats failed again Thursday to force a vote on raising the minimum wage, but promised to keep the issue alive this election year and challenge Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Republicans accused them of political opportunism and partisan attacks on Dole, who… Read More
Two events in my life changed the way I think about animals. The first happened 10 years ago. A neighbor had given me a bag of fresh shrimp and I was chopping off tiny heads to prepare them for frying. I picked one up, clipped the head, threw… Read More
Oh, the Lord is good to me, And so I thank the Lord For giving me the things I need, The sun and the rain and the insulin, The Lord is good to me. Strike the word “insulin,” and this song could serve as grace… Read More
Despite the chronic tension between the trade superpowers and protectionist haranguing by U.S. presidential candidates, Nobuyasu Abe, consul general of Japan in Boston, envisions an end to conflict between the two countries within a decade. He has a suggestion that could expedite that process and provide insurance against… Read More
NEW YORK — Some cases of cystic fibrosis might be treatable with the breathtakingly simple weapon of antibiotics, a test-tube study suggests. Antibiotics are used now to treat lung infections that result from cystic fibrosis, but the new work says the drugs might sometimes work… Read More
WASHINGTON — Presidents since Jefferson have bemoaned the lack of power to strike specific items from spending bills. Now a Republican Congress and a Democratic president are providing that line-item veto, shifting vital purse-string powers to the White House. Budget politics may never be the… Read More
ORONO — An information-gathering meeting for Orono students and parents to identify knowledge essential to high school graduates will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at the Asa Adams School. The meeting will last about two hours and the information gathered will be… Read More
A small but rare compromise last week in the Senate on a question surrounding abortion deserves praise for allowing common sense to serve as a bridge between pro-choice and pro-life positions. The compromise, approved 63-37, over federal funding for medical schools faces an uncertain future, however, as it… Read More
SAN FRANCISCO — Ibuprofen, the drug contained in such pain relievers as Advil, Motrin and Nuprin, may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 60 percent, researchers reported Thursday. Aspirin and acetaminophen, which is in pain relievers such as Tylenol, appeared to… Read More
Another scare over contaminated beef swept across England and Wales this past week causing hamburgers to be dropped from school cafeteria menus. Concerned consumers are leaving beef untouched in butcher shops while five nations in the European Economic Community have already banned British beef and Germany is calling… Read More
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed massive farm legislation Thursday that would end price-based subsidies and government planting controls that have been the basis of farm policy since the Depression. The Senate passed the measure by a 74-26 vote and sent it to the House, where… Read More
ROCKLAND — Unaccustomed to good news, Maine’s fishing industry is greeting word of a herring population explosion with a mixture of optimism and alarm. According to federal fisheries scientists, Atlantic herring stocks from Nova Scotia to the mid-Atlantic states are at a record high and… Read More
BREWER — The City Council has approved $3.5 million worth of improvements at the waste-water treatment plant that will allow the facility to handle more waste water. The council also approved an additional $500,000 in projects to improve the city’s sewage system. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
ORONO — The town’s Community Development Block Grant application for $265,400 in downtown improvements ranked seventh in a field of 30 applicants seeking assistance with public facility improvements. If the state received the same funding as last year for its CDBG program, Orono will be… Read More
LINCOLN — Roderick W. Carr, R-Lincoln, a retired state police sergeant and gun shop owner, is running for the Maine Senate to represent District 7. “Not only is it important to take an experienced, common sense approach to problems facing Penobscot Valley, it’s important for… Read More
BAR HARBOR — A public meeting on a proposed grant application for a public transportation system on Mount Desert Island is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Seal Harbor Community Center. Up to $600,000 in funding is possible through the T-2000 program… Read More
BANGOR — The Penobscot Valley Star Gazers invite the public to view the total eclipse of the moon at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course. For information, call Scott Burgess at 945-3867 or Alan Davenport at 581-1341. Read More
Osborn Peg Shannon was elected to the Board of Selectmen at the annual town meeting Monday night. She will serve a three-year term. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
SANGERVILLE — Residents will be asked at the 9 a.m. annual town meeting Saturday, March 30, to accept Turner Road for winter maintenance. Residents of Turner Road are also asking the town to accept and establish a public easement on the road. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
MACHIAS — A marriage of rails and trails seemed to be the hope of those who attended a meeting Thursday to discuss the future of the former Ellsworth-Calais railroad line. Sponsored by the state Department of Transportation, the meeting allowed airing of such proposals as… Read More
BREWER — The City Council earlier this week awarded a $21,816 contract to KBF Inc. of Dexter for renovations to the lower level restrooms at the Brewer Auditorium to make them accessible to the handicapped. The change will make them comply with the Americans with… Read More
MILLINOCKET — Gilda G. Stratton of Millinocket, a former administrative assistant at Great Northern Paper Co., is running for the state House of Representatives in District 140. “I want to improve the economy of the Katahdin region and bring economic stability to our area,” said… Read More
BRIDGEWATER — State Rep. Edgar Wheeler, a Republican from Bridgewater, has announced he will seek re-election to the Maine House of Representatives and will work to curb the growth of government. Wheeler said that the 117th Legislature made some progress in reducing the size of… Read More
PORTLAND — Before a packed meeting room at the Holiday Inn Thursday night, state Sen. Dale McCormick vowed to “make a difference” as she seeks to become Maine’s first woman Democratic representative to Congress. McCormick will battle Portland lawyer Tom Allen in the June primary for the chance… Read More
A free preschool screening to test the developent of 3- and 4-year-old children as well as 5-year-old children not yet eligible for kindergarten will be held in April for Union 34, including the towns of Hermon and Glenburn. The screening will be held from 8:30… Read More
LEVANT — Republican Donald A. Piper Jr. has announced he will seek election to the Maine House of Representatives in District 122. He owns and operates the Corner Country Store in West Levant with his wife, Sharon. Piper says that survival of small business is… Read More
WHITEFIELD — Bruce Mathews has announced his candidacy for the Maine House of Representatives for District 57 including the towns of Alna, Hibbert’s Gore, Somerville, Whitefield, Windsor and Wiscasset. “My primary reason for running is to restore trust and accountability to government. I have my… Read More
BANGOR — Maine’s 3-year-old term limits law is an unconstitutional affront to the rights of voters, an attorney argued during a federal court hearing Thursday that will help to decide the future of the controversial referendum. The law — the result of a 1993 initiative… Read More
BANGOR — If color had a smell, the Bangor Auditorium would have smelled green Thursday night. It’s the smell that strikes first, followed by a dose of humidity — welcome moisture that soaks into dry, winter-worn skin. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
I really enjoy reading fiction. I can usually buy a good book for say $5 or $10, depending on the author and place of sale, but I was surprised on Tuesday to find really good fiction for 50 cents. In the March 26 Maine Day section of the… Read More
Gov. Angus King’s column about education reform (BDN, March 23-24), as proposed in his bill LD 1791, is clever and inaccurate. He asserts that his bill is not similar to a very unpopular national idea known as “outcome-based education.” We compared the substance of LD… Read More
As a “woman of substance,” I take offense to the cavalier tone to Bruce Kyle’s article titled, “Justice delayed in search for pants” (BDN, March 19). Justice is destroyed by this characterization of obesity. What was the point of the article? Was it to praise the homestyle cooking… Read More
Re: “DA faces censure for comments” (BDN, March 27). David Crook should be commended for his restraint in pointing out the obvious: that Judge Francis Marsano “is insane” for giving Ray Tingley, a habitual drunken driver previously convicted of vehicular manslaughter, only 90 days for… Read More
I watched with great interest the special program, “Special Delivery,” which aired March 14 on WLBZ TV. Being involved in the health care of pregnant women for the past 19 years, I am well acquainted with the excellent quality of care that the pregnant families in this area… Read More
BELFAST — The planning board’s approval Wednesday of a new dock for the cruise boat Voyageur was a bright moment in what had been a dismal week for the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad. Although B&ML President Rod Rodrigue is pleased with the outcome of… Read More
PORTLAND — A Portland fishing boat has become the first in Maine to have its catch seized and sold by the U.S. Coast Guard after allegedly exceeding the number of days fishermen may spend at sea. Federal limits on days at sea were imposed two… Read More
SKOWHEGAN — Deputy Chief Rick Bonneau of the Skowhegan Police Department said Thursday that recent statements that his department’s dispatch center could be slated for dissolution are untrue. Meanwhile, a study committee in Pittsfield began assessing its dispatch center. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Smyrna Voters gave their support to a new town office-post office building when they met for their annual meeting Wednesday night. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Aroostook County Superior Court: Thomas J. Higgins Jr., 33, Caribou, unlawful sexual contact, three years in jail, all but nine months suspended, three years probation; unlawful sexual contact, three years, all but nine months suspended. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Bangor District Court: Eric Goyette, 22, Hollis, N.H., operating motor vehicle while under influence of intoxicating liquor, 72 hours in jail, 90-day license suspension, $450. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
BOSTON — An experimental new drug powerfully protects stroke victims from catastrophic brain damage and may someday be given to virtually all such patients, researchers say. Strokes are the nation’s No. 3 killer after heart disease and cancer, striking about 500,000 Americans annually. Until recently,… Read More
NORTHPORT — SAD 34 will team up with Americorps to create nature paths behind the Drinkwater Elementary School. The $2,000 cleanup-educational program will be funded by $1,000 from the school department and $1,000 from Americorps, the popular national service program instituted by President Clinton. “Learn… Read More
SKOWHEGAN — Organizers of AIDS Awareness Week at Skowhegan Area High School hoped to attract some attention to the issue this week. Instead, much of the publicity centered on protesters objecting to some of the information being offered about the disease. About 20 students and… Read More
BUCKSPORT — The Town Council’s approval Thursday night of a partnership plan for the local water company will result in the best deal for customers, officials predicted. At a special meeting, the council voted to support the plan of Consumers Maine Water Co. to buy… Read More
BAILEYVILLE — “This is basic, fundamental, Dr. Kevorkian … economic suicide for this state,” said John Cashwell III, president of the Seven Islands Land Co. of Bangor, as he described the impact he believes the Green Party’s proposed forest regulation initiative would have on Maine’s wood harvesting and… Read More
The Bangor Garden Show will be held 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at the Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center. Included will be landscape, educational, and bonsai exhibits and lectures by master… Read More
AUGUSTA — In a preview of the Legislature’s expected debate on a bill setting up statewide learning standards, the two sides in the battle staged back-to-back press conferences in the same location Thursday. About 20 legislators opposed to the bill spoke out at the foot… Read More
WASHINGTON — Congress gave final approval early Friday to farm legislation that would end price-based subsidies and government planting controls that have been the basis of farm policy since the Depression. The House passed the bill 318-89 shortly before 1 a.m., hours after Senate approval… Read More
ELLSWORTH — “Mary” began smoking when she was 8. The 14-year-old now smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. She drinks too much. Her 19-year-old boyfriend has sexually abused her. She has difficulty reading and other academic problems. “I think a lot of Mary’s problems… Read More
HERMON — The principal of Hermon High School escaped injury Thursday afternoon after a disgruntled student allegedly tried to run her down in the school parking lot. Patricia Duran went to the parking lot to try to wave away several teens who reportedly were speeding… Read More
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. William Cohen applauded a 13-4 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to remove a proposed border crossing fee from immigration reform legislation. The committee struck the provision for a $1-a-person fee, something Cohen had called for since it was proposed in… Read More
AUGUSTA — In an overwhelming rejection Wednesday night, the Maine House killed a bill backed by Gov. Angus S. King to privatize the state’s remaining 28 liquor stores. In a 102-37 vote, the legislators chose to postpone indefinitely action on the two competing reports sent… Read More
CARIBOU — The parks and recreation department will hold a hunter safety course 6-9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, April 15-16, at the Caribou Armory. The course is sponsored by the recreation department and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for those age 10… Read More
LIMESTONE — Although the Army has yet to divulge the findings of a cost analysis on where a new military prison should be built, it appears unlikely that it will be located in northern Maine. The cost comparison is complete, and high-level Army officials have… Read More