Bangor and Brewer each earned one-run victories in the first night of the District 3 Junior League (age 13) All-Star baseball tournament at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Brewer edged Old Town 8-7 and Bangor nipped Millinocket 4-3. Old Town and Millinocket will play Saturday night… Read More
BIDDEFORD – Thanks to good old-fashioned smash-mouth football, the West is still unbeaten in the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic. Thanks to a dominating second-half performance by its massive offensive line and a punishing ground game led by Andrew Powers from Marshwood High School in… Read More
GARDINER – When the whistle blew and Amy Vachon stepped to the penalty-stroke line, her father started laughing. “Oh no, no way, not in a million years,” Paul Vachon chuckled. “She’s taken – what – one of these in her whole life?” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jason Lenfest of Hampden made the cut in the Boy’s Handicap division of the 1996 Coca-Cola Youth Bowling Championships at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. Lenfest sits in 21st place after two days. Jimmy Clark of Hermon failed to make the cut… Read More
ORONO – The Maine Senior High School All-Star Baseball game, which was rained out June 21 and 22, has been rescheduled for July 17 at 7 p.m. at the University of Maine’s Mahaney Diamond. The Mr. Baseball Award will be announced. Candidates for the Dr. John Winkin Award… Read More
ORONO – The Elmira Pioneers spotted the Bangor Blue Ox two solo home runs, then came back to win 6-2 in Northeast Baseball League action Friday at Mahaney Diamond. The Ox took the early lead when Lonnie Goldberg slammed a home run over the left… Read More
Contrary to the adage, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth,” Maine Atlantic salmon anglers are wondering where all the fish are coming from this year. Word is that salmon rivers from the Saco to the St. Croix are showing increased returns of the anadromous fish whose… Read More
Sports fans across the globe will sit down on July 19 and watch as the 1996 Olympic Games begin with the pomp and ritual of the opening ceremonies in Atlanta. Among the 649 athletes from the United States who file into Olympic Stadium, pointing their… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Ricky Craven made it all the way back from Talledega on Friday, and he made the trip in record time with a home crowd waiting to welcome him. “This is a perfect homecoming,” he said after winning the pole for Sunday’s Jiffy… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Hurricane Bertha has become a factor in the weekend’s racing at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H., and could threaten Sunday’s Jiffy Lube 300. After two near-perfect days Thursday and Friday, rain was forecast for Saturday morning when Winston Cup… Read More
The Poplar Hill Falls section of the lower Dead River is one of the wildest half miles of river a canoe or kayak will cross. Canoe and kayakers from around the country will test their skills on the treacherous strip of river in West Forks… Read More
BOSTON — One of the nation’s largest egg producers was fined nearly $3.7 million by the federal government Friday after ignoring years of requests to improve “atrocious” working and living conditions for migrant workers. DeCoster Egg Farms of Turner, Maine, also was ordered to pay… Read More
The family of Robert and Madelyn “Mud” Gonya will hold an open house to celebrate the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Timber Cruisers Clubhouse, Millinocket. Gen and Mike Salvato will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house… Read More
DEXTER — About 20 Dexter homeowners have applied for funding for housing rehabilitation work as part of an upcoming project by the Dexter Community Development Office. Actual work on the homes is expected to begin in early August, John Simko, community development director, said Friday. Read More
WINDHAM — The Windham Chamber Singers share the two top prizes in the prestigious International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, making it one of the world’s best youth choirs. The 36-member choir from Windham High School shared Thursday both the best-of-competition prize and… Read More
Suppose the Republican National Committee started running a political ad like this on Maine television stations: (SCENE:) Late night at the White House. A gray-haired man dashes to an automobile and hides under a blanket. The car speeds to the nearby Marriott Hotel. A blonde… Read More
Maine transportation, power company, and emergency relief officials were hoping Friday that Bertha was no Bob. Nearly five years after Hurricane Bob rolled up the Atlantic Coast and pounded Maine with 68 mph winds and up to 8 inches of rain, state officials were glued… Read More
BEALS ISLAND — By the time the dishes are cleared from Maine’s annual 40-million pound lobster feed, we Americans have gobbled, slurped and splashed our way through about 20 million pounds of the ultimate white meat, succulent and butter-drenched. That’s the good part. Rotting out… Read More
Cardinal Bernard Law stepped effectively into his role as societal critic and spokesman for the powerless this week when he admonished American business that it threatens the foundation of its economic system when it mistreats workers. It had better pay attention. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Linda, a science teacher at a junior high school in north central Maine, tried to reach out to a girl who had cheated on a test in one of her classes. It cost Linda her job. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
John Day’s Page Two column on Thursday said U.S. Rep. John Baldacci supported a term limits proposal, but not the one written by U.S. Term Limits, a national organization. This isn’t true; Baldacci actually supported all four term limit proposals that came up for a vote. Read More
AUGUSTA — Members of a legislative committee had a tough time Friday getting beyond the major obstacles of patient and employee confidentiality in their efforts to probe weaknesses within the state Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. After a five-hour meeting at the State… Read More
It’s hard talking about Cezanne. His paintings and drawings have the power to amaze, but they are also bewildering. The fruit and flowers, mountains and trees, bathers and skulls are unemotional — and mystifying because they say more about the structure of an object than about how you… Read More
Limestone — The Rev. Anthony J. Brima is the new minister at the Limestone United Methodist Church. Born and educated in Sierre Leone, Africa, he was ordained an elder in 1981 and received a master’s degree in California in 1990. Most recently, he was a chaplain counselor in… Read More
Growing up in Cape Elizabeth and looking for ways to make mischief, Doris Luther used to let the air out of tires of cars parked around her family’s neighborhood. She never saw the people who discovered their cars immobilized, and she never got caught. Today,… Read More
PORTLAND — Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B., of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, has announced the following clergy assignments, which took effect July 1 in northern and central Maine: The Rev. Philip Cyr, ordained to the priesthood in May 1969 by Bishop Peter L. Gerety,… Read More
A POCKET GUIDE TO HIKING ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, and A POCKET GUIDE TO PADDLING THE WATERS OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, by Earl D. Brechlin. A POCKET GUIDE TO BIKING ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, by Audrey Minutolo. Down East Books, Camden, 1996. Paperback, $7.95 each. Read More
I opened my back door and was about to put a foot on the single step that leads down to the lawn, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a movement and heard a thumping noise. Not 40 feet away stood a doe and her… Read More
“Why, you’re just a poor little Downeast herring choker who’s never even sipped a martini.” She laughed and shoved my shoulder. “Say whisk that stuff away to the Wertses before the ice melts! They probably need a few drinks before they watch each other get dressed for dinner.”… Read More
Watching Stone Circus on stage is like witnessing an explosion of rock ‘n’ roll music take place right before your eyes. “We do the high-energy thing because it’s kind of what comes natural,” says Ian Barclay, lead singer of the Maine-based band. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
OVER THE HILLS: A MIDLIFE ESCAPE ACROSS AMERICA BY BICYCLE, by David Lamb, Times Books, 254 pages, $23. In 1994, international journalist David Lamb got the same unwelcome advice from his physician that has greeted many Americans at midlife: Start taking medication to reduce your… Read More
AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVENTY-NINE DAYS, by Cam Lewis and Michael Levitt, Dell Publishing, 1996, 316 pages, $12.95. Adventure books tend to run the predictable scenario. They came, they competed, they conquered. This book is different, very different. They sailed in an around-the-world race, they… Read More
ISLAND JOURNAL, The Annual Publication of the Island Institute, Vol. 13. Island Institute, Rockland. 96 pages. $14.95 Surrounded by water, often remote and windswept slips of land, islands have an allure for certain people. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
The news media are a much-afflicted group. We often suffer from a superiority complex that breeds arrogance, or from a bias that confuses subjectivity with objectivity, or, in this national political season, from a sort of Attention Deficit Disorder that causes us to ignore important issues. Read More
DEXTER — Property owners here will see no change in their tax rate for the coming year. According to Dave Pearson, tax assessor, councilors adopted a $3.4 million operating budget for the coming year at a meeting Thursday night. Dexter’s current tax rate is $18.90… Read More
A police investigation has concluded that five Levant juveniles are responsible for the slaughter of a group of prize sheep in the town last month. “Unfortunately, cases such as this strike at the heart of the public and of law enforcement as well. As a… Read More
BANGOR — Messiah Baptist Church will be on the agenda of the Bangor Planning Board on Tuesday to request approval of a site development plan for a 13,216-square-foot place of worship at 987 Union St. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. Read More
Penobscot County has eight agencies in a half-dozen communities that provide emergency dispatching service 24 hours a day. These agencies could save as much as 50 percent of their annual dispatching costs countywide by consolidating under a regional umbrella, according to a recently completed study. Read More
HAMPDEN — A Winterport man was killed Thursday night when his all-terrain vehicle crashed, the state Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department said Friday. Jason Cote, 21, had been drinking with friends before he decided to ride his three-wheeled ATV, said department spokesman V. Paul Reynolds. Read More
MATTAWAMKEAG — Limited funding has made the 22-year existence of the scenic Mattawamkeag Wilderness Park Campground as rocky as sections of the river running through it. But park supporters hope a new management plan will be the key to making the 1,000-acre park financially self-sufficient. Read More
Not only were recent surreptitious meetings between paper-company officials and LURC commissioners potentially illegal, they displayed an arrogance by industry that breeds distrust in the public. Especially for large landowners trying to improve their reputation among voters, the meetings were a self-destructive abuse of state law. Read More
Mid-July has always been a prime time to head to Castine for the annual polling of the tourists — a ritual not unlike the Christmas bird count undertaken each winter by passionate members of the binocular-toting Audubon set. The objectives are pretty much the same in each operation:… Read More
BRIDGTON — A Bonny Eagle High School teacher accused of hitting a student in the face has been charged with misdemeanor assault. Robert Bourget, a Bonny Eagle teacher for 27 years, is accused of striking Timothy Harmon, 17, on May 29 in the school office… Read More
While watching a newscast on television a couple of months ago, I was astonished as the alleged underground ralroad beneath the Holyoke (Christmas) house in Brewer began to surface before the public eye. To my surprise, the tunnel was being cast as both a “theory” and a “mystery.”… Read More
If President Clinton directed or even suggested that files of GOP personages be brought to the White House, in contrast to Sandor Polster, I believe the action to be impeachable. If guilty of those deeds, the president of the United States was implicated in illegal… Read More
Congratulations to Gov. Angus King for reversing his decision to ban police use the aerial searches for marijuana! In so doing. Gov. King has overturned the one good, decent thing he had done for the people of Maine. Surely King knows that this will have… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE — A Sherman family that saved a truck driver’s life last year was honored by the Maine State Police during a ceremony Friday. Nancy Langley and her son, Eric Bettencourt, accepted on the family’s behalf the MSP’s special award of commendation for their… Read More
Governor King, posed with hand to his chin in a pensive gaze, recently announced that an agreement had been reached between large landowners and officials of the Maine Audubon Society and the National Resources Council. He went on to say, “This is the most far-reaching… Read More
The IRS recently seized and may soon auction off the home of Elizabeth Gravalos and Arthur Harvey and their children, Emily and Max, in Hartford, Maine (near Lewiston-Auburn), because of their refusal to pay federal income taxes for military/war purposes. The IRS should not be… Read More
BANGOR — A representative of the Bangor Police Department said this week that an incendiary device was found late Wednesday night on the property of W. Tom Sawyer’s home on Heritage Lane. The device was described as a bottle with some kind of liquid in… Read More
Your editorial endorsement of a bill in Congress to reduce taxes through corporate sponsorship of national parks projects gives new meaning to President Calvin Coolidge’s 1925 assertion that, “The business of America is business.” We know that corporations are not charitable institutions. Their bottom line… Read More
BANGOR — The Municipal Operations Committee will continue its discussion of revised ordinances regulating picketing when it meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. The City Council passed a parade ordinance last year after local physicians complained about targeted residential picketing over issues such… Read More
BIDDEFORD — State troopers arrested a Biddeford man and charged him with his wife’s murder after he was released Friday from the hospital where he was treated for wounds resulting from a suicide attempt. Samuel Collins, 40, entered no plea at his initial appearance in… Read More
ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick — Thousands of tons of wood flakes piled as high as an eight-story building burned for several hours at the Flakeboard Plant in the Milltown area of St. Stephen Friday. Firefighters from both sides of the international border were fighting the… Read More
BREWER — A worker from Eastern Fine Paper in Brewer was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Friday evening after an explosion occurred inside one of the mill’s silicone coater ovens, resulting in the evacuation of 20-25 workers. Paul Verrow of Brewer was… Read More
BATH — Thomaston’s former bookkeeper was sentenced Friday to 15 days in jail for embezzling an estimated $32,000 from the town. Sagadahoc County Superior Court Justice Donald Marden said the jail term was reduced as a result of strong community sentiment, including 55 letters, in… Read More
ORONO — The town has generated nearly 80 tons of wood chips from spring recycling operations and will offer free chips to anyone willing to haul them away, officials said. The chips are at the town garage on Penobscot Street and at the start of… Read More
WAITE — Baby Flower owes at least one of her nine lives to a passerby and the Indian Township Fire Department whose quick response saved her life. The black long-haired cat was trapped inside a burning house early Friday morning and had to be revived by Indian Township… Read More
BANGOR — Paul Bunyan, the legendary woodsman whose statue stands on Main Street, was honored in Paul Bunyan Park on Friday with a dedication ceremony marking the issuance of Folk Heroes commemorative stamps. The U.S. Postal Service also released stamps featuring Pecos Bill, John Henry… Read More
WINTER HARBOR — The U.S. Navy base has a secure mission here until at least the end of the century, Sen. William Cohen forecast a year ago. It’s after the year 2000 that seems less certain. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
CALAIS — Canadian custom officials love to examine what Americans are taking across the border, but they probably will pass up that opportunity if this border community decides to ship its solid waste to a new landfill in Charlotte County, New Brunswick. Representatives of the… Read More
CARIBOU — An Aroostook County grand jury indicted two Houlton men Friday on separate charges of murder and manslaughter. The charges were among the 42 indictments issued after a two-day session of the grand jury. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
HARTLAND — Mock tax bills were distributed to Hartland property owners recently in conjunction with the town’s revaluation. The bills had the new valuation figures. The mailing was part of preliminary calculations and provides an opportunity for taxpayers to seek explanations for any changes in… Read More
Michael Mylander, 25, of Brewer saw his probation from a 1994 theft and burglary case revoked Thursday after he pleaded innocent to another burglary indictment. As a result of the revocation, Mylander may spend the next 2 1/2 years in jail. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
OAKLAND — A three-hour standoff between an Oakland man and local and state police ended peaceably late Thursday night when 31-year-old Christopher Ring was talked out of his home by police negotiators. According to Oakland Police Chief Kevin O’Leary, his department went to Ring’s mobile… Read More
HAMPDEN — An errant bee may have caused an accident on Patterson Road near Route 9 Friday evening, police said. Cheryl Sherburne, 17, of Hampden told Patrolman Richard Smith that a bee had gotten into her car and distracted her about 7 p.m. She apparently… Read More