FORT KENT — The warm weather of the past week has created some changes, but the trails are still good for the eighth annual Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races Saturday. People preparing the course for the 250-mile race have had to detour two waterways… Read More
MACHIAS – Steven Pineo and Gary Craig, co-chairmen of the Sunrise Chapter Ducks Unlimited Commitee, have been calling on conservation-minded individuals in Washington County to help support the annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet and Auction. The event is scheduled for Saturday April 1 at the University of Maine at… Read More
ORONO – Joanne Palombo-McCallie sat in her Memorial Gym office recently, gently stroking her round belly and wondering which will arrive first – the end of the basketball season for her University of Maine women’s basketball team or her second child. Palombo, 34, has spent… Read More
Women’s college basketball MAINE vs. VERMONT googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0]… Read More
For four years since John Giannini arrived on the University of Maine campus to take over the men’s basketball program, a common theme has peppered practices and pregame talks. Toughness, the coach has said, is the key. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
ORONO – Pitching is the critical position on any baseball team. University of Maine coach Paul Kostacopoulos believes pitching is the strength of his Black Bears, who open the 2000 season Friday with a four-game series against Wofford College (S.C.). googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
ORONO – The puck was in the air. It was about waist-high. So Winslow High School center Ben Fraser, standing in the right faceoff circle, figured “I’d just try to put it toward the net.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Newburgh’s Ricky Craven knows why he hasn’t qualified for the first two races on the Winston Cup circuit, the Daytona 500 and the Dura Lube 400 at Rockingham, and is addressing the problems. He qualified 43rd for the Daytona 500 and 38th for the Dura… Read More
From the 50th row of the Alfond Arena bleachers, it would be easy to dismiss Julian Dunkley as just another product of his generation. On the basketball court, he’s one of those kids who dunks, as they say, with a purpose: Every slam is not… Read More
WATERVILLE – Ken Allen tossed in 18 points and three other players scored in double figures as Colby College posted a 67-55 victory Wednesday over Wheaton in an ECAC New England Region first-round game at Wadsworth Gym. Colby plays host to UMass-Dartmouth in a Saturday… Read More
ORONO – Watching Katie Clark’s stiff, strained stride, one can almost feel the pain she experiences with every step she takes. Clark has been hurting nearly every day since her senior year at Bangor High School, when a degenerative bone condition in her right foot… Read More
ORONO – Jamie Cassidy, the star center for the University of Maine women’s basketball team, is accustomed to being approached in public by loyal Black Bear fans. This winter, in addition to the usual compliments, she and her teammates have been quizzed about why UMaine… Read More
When Brendan Walsh was playing hockey for Boston University, he and his teammates were trying to figure out who Cory Larose was. “We wondered who the kid at Maine was who kept scoring all those points,” recalled Walsh. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
When you’re fighting for third place in your nine-team league, you probably aren’t considered a national championship contender. Unless, of course, you are the defending national champion and your league has produced five of the last eight Frozen Four participants, including three of four last… Read More
It’s town meeting season in Maine. The annual gathering of a town’s voters is “the purest form of democracy,” an overused description that pops up each season as regularly as oozing mud and melting snow. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Merrymeeting AIDS Support Services of Brunswick is now in its 11th year of operation and, for those 11 years, has sponsored a statewide Buddy Program for people living with HIV-AIDS. This week we spoke with two MASS staffers, public relations director Rob Fairburn and Buddy… Read More
Until recently the major evidence for planets circling other stars has been anomalies in their orbits. Now an extrasolar planet has been caught in the act of transiting, or passing across the face of, its star. Two teams of astronomers have independently confirmed that the… Read More
ALFRED — A civil jury has ruled against a man who claimed that four Sanford police officers sprayed pepper spray into his eyes and kicked him down the stairs of his apartment building, all after he had been handcuffed. The officers arrested Daniel Warden, 42,… Read More
MEXICO — A Mexico police officer has been charged with two counts of domestic assault after an investigation by the Maine State Police. Rumford police arrested Officer Andrew Collora, 30, of Dixfield on Friday, according to Lt. Wayne Gallant. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
ORONO — EnvisioNet, a Brunswick-based Internet support company, detailed Wednesday its plans to expand into a new technology center here, creating up to 1,000 jobs. Scores of state and local leaders crammed into the Orono Town Council chambers for the afternoon news conference, during which… Read More
Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley says he wants Mainers to look upon him as the reformer when they go to the polls next Tuesday. Bradley, who launched a television advertising campaign this week in Maine, has high hopes for Maine because he claims to have… Read More
FARMINGTON — A Farmington man accused of sexually assaulting and killing his stepdaughter reached a deal with prosecutors Wednesday. Dana McAlpine changed his plea in Franklin County Superior Court. He pleaded guilty to gross sexual assault and murder for the death of 11-year-old Amber Pond,… Read More
AUGUSTA — It’s apparently easier to talk about legislative solutions to domestic abuse than it is to pass them. Just ask members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee. The committee labored for more than five hours Wednesday on domestic abuse, the problem that has been… Read More
AUGUSTA — The number of Maine senior citizens will surge during the next quarter-century, according to a Clinton administration report that raises questions about whether they will receive adequate health care. The report says the number of seniors will grow from today’s level of 172,000… Read More
BANGOR — If passengers checking in Wednesday at Bangor International Airport weren’t already “In the Mood” to fly somewhere “Over the Rainbow,” the Bangor High Jazz Band took care of that. The young musicians were on hand to lend an air of festivity to ceremonies… Read More
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A bill that would create a parallel to marriage for gay and lesbian couples overwhelmingly passed a key committee of the Vermont House on Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee recommended on a 10-1 vote creating “civil unions” for gays and lesbians, which… Read More
PORTLAND — The state dismissed a murder charge against a teen-ager Wednesday, just two days before he was to go on trial for the fatal stabbing of a Gorham man in a brawl outside a restaurant. Police Chief Michael Chitwood agreed with the decision but… Read More
ASHLAND — Local municipal officials are preparing to do battle with Beaver Plant Operations Inc., a major property owner, over payment of property taxes that could cost the town hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beaver is an electric plant fueled by waste wood products. The… Read More
WASHINGTON — Sen. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins Thursday received a computer file from the U.S. Department of the Interior containing remaining genotypic data on Atlantic salmon that forms the basis for the proposed listing of the wild Atlantic salmon under the Endangered Species Act. Read More
PORTLAND — Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $205,650 for more than 1,400 violations of child labor laws in the biggest case of its kind ever investigated by the Maine Department of Labor, officials said Wednesday. The case marked the greatest number of citations and the… Read More
BREWER — An international company here is pumped up about its latest creation. Nyle’s Special Products LLC, a division of Nyle International Corp., has developed a residential “heat pump hot water heater” that apparently uses 60 percent less electricity than a water tank alone, said… Read More
BANGOR — City councilors on the Bass Park committee said Wednesday they’d like to see a site chosen for the proposed skateboard park by the end of April. Councilor Patricia Blanchette suggested the deadline, with the rest of the committee concurring. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Maine goes to the polls next week to vote in what might be called the primary that Time forgot. As well as Newsweek, CNN, MSNBC. Any national media mention of Super Tuesday invariably refers to it as the day of reckoning in California, New York, Ohio and “several… Read More
When it comes to claims by outdoor equipment makers about the capabilities of their products, weigh what they say carefully. You may find that there’s a bit of hype contained in those glossy phrases. It may not seem like much at first glance, but you… Read More
In theaters WONDER BOYS There is a moment in Curtis Hanson’s excellent film, “Wonder Boys,” when Michael Douglas’ character, Grady Tripp, a boozy, disillusioned, adulterous, pot-smoking English professor who has failed to follow the success of his first novel, “Arsonist’s Daughter,” with anything remotely publishable,… Read More
The Maine Insane Hospital was built 16 years before the birth of Sigmund Freud, who illuminated the unconscious world, and well over 100 years before the understanding that mental illness was at least as much a biological condition as an environmental one. When lawmakers today are presented with… Read More
Recently, I read an article about the principal at Narraguagus High School and how the teachers thought he was being unfairly portrayed as a harsh disciplinarian. The article went on to say how the parents of the students were overreacting to what the teachers called half truths. The… Read More
As Maine sifts through it s budget surplus, looking for additional dollars to help renovate its schools, it may receive a substantial boost from the federal government. And unlike many other gifts from the feds, this legislation doesn’t come with more conditions than dollars. The… Read More
A story in Wednesday’s Maine Day incorrectly indicated that two school units attended a Tuesday meeting with Education Commissioner J. Duke Albanese. SAD 13 representatives attended the meeting, while representatives of The Forks did not. Read More
Folk musician and activist Joan Baez has been changing the world in quiet ways since the 1960s. She is still actively touring, presenting material from her most recent recording, 1997’s “Gone from Danger.” She has received numerous awards for both her music and her humanitarian efforts, most recently… Read More
BANGOR — Laura Bush, wife of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, will make a brief stop here Friday to rally support for her husband’s campaign. Maine’s presidential preference primary election will be held Tuesday. Laura Bush will speak at 10:30 a.m. in the Campus… Read More
AUGUSTA — The sponsor of a bill that would create a commission to study firearm laws is rewriting it to soften opposition from gun owners. Rep. Christopher Muse, D-South Portland, is proposing to include gun rights supporters on the commission to address concerns that the… Read More
With the upcoming primary election, we have the opportunity to ask some tough questions of our presidential candidates. The National Priorities Project’s (NPP) report, “State of Maine 2000,” points out that in l999, Maine received $l43.4 million less from the federal government than it did in l980. Now… Read More
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In the snowfall sweepstakes, Rochester has inched ahead of perennial favorite Caribou, Maine, as the snowiest city in the Northeast this winter. So far, Rochester has pulled clear with 91.5 inches, 15.5 inches more than usual by this time of year and… Read More
A letter from Peter Higgins (BDN, Feb. 23) offered well-founded criticism of the Clinton administration for its response to the outrageous spike in oil prices that has wreaked havoc on Maine and other Northeastern states over the past several weeks. Higgins also suggests a need… Read More
PORTLAND — As his trawler filled with seawater and heaved back and forth in vicious waves, Shawn Rich scrambled to climb into his immersion suit. The bulky suit proved to be a lifesaver, keeping the fisherman from freezing to death as he was tossed about… Read More
FORT KENT — Town and sports center officials were ecstatic Wednesday with the news that for the first time, a national biathlon competition will be held at local ski facilities. The Junior National Biathlon Championships for 2000 will be held March 9-11 at Lonesome Pines… Read More
WASHINGTON — The energy secretary told a skeptical House panel Wednesday he expects oil production to be stepped up soon. Reacting to the news, Maine lawmakers too were leery and unsure whether oil prices would drop. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson told the House International Relations… Read More
PHILLIPS — Three people who moved from Florida last year were charged Tuesday with running a marijuana growing operation on 17 acres purchased in the town of Phillips, authorities said. Andrew R. Deihl, 34; his wife, Melissa Deihl, 36; and William Cumming, 32, were arrested… Read More
AUGUSTA — Though it wasn’t on the table Wednesday during spending discussions between the Legislature’s Education and Appropriations committees, the 800-pound gorilla casting a shadow over the room was Gov. Angus King’s $50 million school technology proposal. The governor is scheduled to unveil the details… Read More
MACHIAS — Marshall Health Care passed its latest state licensing inspection, but will pay a $9,100 penalty for problems identified during two visits last fall. The deficiencies at the 64-bed nursing home did not harm patients, but had the potential to do so, according to… Read More
Had he lived through a Maine winter, Sigmund Freud might have developed some colorful theories about why so many men love to plow snow. Sure, there are women who climb into pickups and drive off into the face of blizzards to push back the white… Read More
In “Sound Advice,” the first Thursday of every month, veteran NEWS entertainment writer Dale McGarrigle reviews new rock, pop, alternative, country, folk or blues albums. Different NEWS writers contribute reviews from other musical genres. NEW DAY DAWNING (Curb/Mercury) — Wynonna googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
When Robert Whiteley Patterson Jr. was a boy of 4, his grandmother gave him the choice of which piece of music he would like to listen to before going to bed: Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf” or Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “HMS Pinafore.” He… Read More
BAR HARBOR — A motel operator who has become a key figure in a court battle between the Town Council chairman and an Ellsworth lawyer says the councilor helped him obtain illegal drugs, court filings disclosed Wednesday. But the councilor, Robert DeSimone — who is… Read More
Michael W. Smith may be one of the biggest names in the field of contemporary Christian music, a multihyphenate who is among the most honored within the genre. Yet he’s content simply to be at home with his wife and their five children. “I’m just… Read More
BANGOR — Libby’s Hallmark Shop will be sold today to a local couple who already own five stores around the state, three of them in Bangor. Edward Libby of Camden, son of the late Helen Libby, who died Feb. 3, confirmed Wednesday that the family… Read More
On Sunday, March 5, Democrats in the following Penobscot County municipalities will caucus at the places and times listed below to select delegates to the Democratic State Convention. Municipal officers and county committee members also will be elected. Attendees are asked to bring their viewpoints,… Read More
LINCOLN — Students in SAD 67 will no longer be dismissed and sent home from school as the result of bomb threats. In the last two months, Lincoln schools have had a total of eight bomb threats, five at the high school. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE — In a town where the Atlantic Ocean sometimes washes over a part of Route 1, commercial interests and view preservation were bound to clash. Residents have a chance to take sides in this long-standing conflict Tuesday on two ballot issues. Both cases are… Read More
ROCKLAND — An Isle au Haut pupil, in a hot spot during the 17th round of the Knox County Spelling Bee on Wednesday, kept his cool and correctly spelled “tamale” to capture the title for the second consecutive year. Leland Small, a sixth-grader at Isle… Read More
CASTINE — A priest who ministered on the Maine coast and now works with orphans in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country returned home this week, bringing along some creations by his youngest parishioners. The Rev. Mark Boisvert once served the Roman Catholic parish in Castine… Read More
In those days, we knew it was coming long before any robins were seen strutting through the town like tourists. In fact, we knew even before the orange heavy loads signs went up, warning pickup drivers they might sink in the mud up to their… Read More
HOULTON — The on-again, off-again debate scheduled to take place Sunday, March 5, concerning a proposed regional landfill is on again, but it is doubtful that any of the opponents will participate. “They [the opponents] do not like the format and neither do I,” said… Read More
PRINCETON — State officials have determined that the town’s 30-year-old town office is sick. At the town election later this month, voters will be asked to vote on a nonbinding resolution on whether to build a town office or pursue other options. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BELFAST — City councilors expressed second thoughts but ultimately approved the purchase of a former downtown bank for a new police station. The council voted 4-1 to take $375,000 from surplus to buy the two-story building in Post Office Square from Bangor Savings Bank. The… Read More
WASHINGTON — The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a COPS Universal Hiring Program grant of $68,108 to the town of Tremont, according to U.S. Rep. John Baldacci. This will assist the town in adding one full-time… Read More
Maria Victoria Walker, accounting technician and business manager for the morale, welfare and recreation department at the Cutler naval station has been selected as Civilian of the Year for 1999. Walker discovered and corrected numerous errors in the financial documents she receives as part of… Read More
FRANKLIN — Food orders under the Share program may be placed from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Franklin Grange Hall. A yard and food sale also will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day. Pickup day for the… Read More
WINTER HARBOR — A unit of The Jackson Laboratory called JAX Research Systems will sponsor a job fair today. It will focus on opportunities in laboratory animal care. The fair will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at the Winter Harbor town… Read More
ELLSWORTH — The Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its annual banquet Friday. The event will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 3, at the White Birches CZY Gill’s restaurant, Ellsworth. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
The more I read about electricity choice the greater it seems this is nothing more than a scam. It’s supposed to create competition and lower our rates. But the restructuring appears more like a plan to line the pockets of the distribution companies than an attempt to benefit… Read More
The Maine Senate may give 50,000 federal and state employees a break in paying the state income tax. The part I’m trying to figure is how the 9,911 retired military got lumped into this group. Being in the military is a huge sacrifice on family… Read More
The major problem affecting Pacific salmon is the high dams and great impoundments behind them which adversely affect upriver and downriver migration which has had a very adverse effect on salmon stocks. This is an in-river problem within the control of state and federal governments. Read More
Your Feb. 28 editorial, “Where retirees go,” has a great deal of truth to it pertaining to bringing in wealthy retirees to enjoy our safe and environmentally sound state. There are many organizations taking advantage of enticing richer retirees to Maine. For example, Waldo County… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Residents will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on whether to close the Mayo Street School. Whatever the outcome of the vote, the school will no longer serve district pupils because of its deteriorating condition. But the facility can serve adults,… Read More
A motorist who did poorly on field sobriety tests but had no measurable alcohol in his system faces several charges after his arrest in Veazie and his admission that he had smoked a lot of pot and was high. Late Monday night, a Veazie police… Read More
EAST MILLINOCKET — School Union 113 is joining the ranks of a number of other schools across the state in offering an all-day kindergarten program. The union’s school board on Tuesday approved the all-day program for East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville pupils, who will attend… Read More
CLIFTON — For the first time ever, voters will conduct their annual elections and town meeting in their new municipal building. The election and the meeting are slated for Saturday, March 18. In secret-ballot elections, from 8 a.m. to noon, voters will fill nine municipal… Read More
BREWER — A Stillwater woman is lucky to be alive after a collision Wednesday between her car and a tractor-trailer, according to a Brewer police officer. Injured in the crash was Julie Ann Cota, 42, according to Cpl. Chris Martin of the Brewer Police Department. Read More
Fishing is the focus this weekend as harvesters, scientists and politicians gather for the 25th annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. “A lot of hot topics handled in a neutral environment” is how forum coordinator Chilloa Young described the event. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
STOCKTON SPRINGS — A large tract of land on Cape Jellison has been tabbed as the site of a proposed $30 million luxury spa. Developer Eric Sonnabend of Baron Associates of Boston unveiled his plans for The Inn at Stockton Springs before a skeptical group… Read More
LIMESTONE — HORIZONS Wellness Services will provide free body fat analyses between 8 a.m. and noon Tuesday at the Limestone Health Center. Jill Boyd, certified therapeutic recreation specialist and coordinator of HORIZONS Wellness Services, will provide the service. For more information, call 768-4833. Read More
PATTEN — Town Democrats will hold a caucus at 1 p.m. Sunday at the town office. Delegates to the state convention will be elected, and unenrolled voters may register at the caucus. For information, call Catherine Howes at 528-2984. Read More
BEALS — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 16 illegal aliens at a sea cucumber processing plant where they were working, officials said Wednesday. The 16 men had apparently been living in the area but did not have immigration documents allowing them to work or live… Read More
MONSON — A proposed budget that would increase the town’s mill rate by 40 cents per $1,000 valuation is set for a town meeting vote on March 20. As proposed, the $234,041 budget would increase the mill rate from $15.10 to $15.50 per $1,000 valuation. Read More
LIMESTONE — The Maine School of Science and Mathematics will host a “Midnight Madness” sleepover for area youngsters in grades four through six, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, in the Limestone Community School Gymnasium. Children will arrive after supper. Each group of 10… Read More
Every source about Bill and Hillary Clinton’s college education confirms they are not just Democrats, they are hard-left socialists. The president’s professors at Oxford University were all avowed Marxists-Leninists. He is a Rhodes scholar under obligation to the one-world government philosophy of Cecil Rhodes, who was inspired by… Read More
CARIBOU — Caribou Middle School’s Skate Night will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at Melody Roller Rink. All Caribou Middle School pupils, teachers and parents are welcome to attend. Parents who are chaperones skate free. The event is sponsored by… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Local selectmen, in a vote of 6-1 on Monday, embraced the concept of a public safety department with police and firefighters working from the same building. Residents will be asked at the annual June town meeting to approve the relocation of the Police… Read More
PLYMOUTH — Communication between Soil Preparation Inc. of Plymouth, a sludge-composting facility, and the town has been “a little sluggish” and needed a “tuneup,” according to Soil Preparation owner Larry Frost. On Tuesday night, Frost started the “vehicle” he hopes will correct that situation —… Read More
PALMYRA — Eleven-year-old Will French of Pittsfield took top honors at the Somerset County spelling bee Wednesday night by correctly spelling “voluminous” and “dilapidated.” Although 11 contestants from schools across the county competed at the Palmyra Consolidated School, the final rounds came down to a… Read More
GUILFORD — Warren Myrick, SAD 4 adult education director, will speak on electric industry restructuring at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at Piscataquis Community High School. For information on the presentation, call Toni Blake at 800-223-6007. For information on restructuring, call the PUC’s information line… Read More
GREENVILLE — Tom Austin of the Maine Public Utilities Commission will be the guest speaker at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Greenville High School. The PUC discussion, sponsored by the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce, will include information about electric industry restructuring, competing companies, and… Read More
RIPLEY — Some Ripley residents want all major road work in the town completed by Nov. 1, and their request will be decided at the annual town meeting March 11. Andrew Sevey, first selectman, said Wednesday that some residents want the roads improved as soon… Read More
WASHINGTON — The United States Department of Agriculture has approved grants and loans totaling $925,000 for community development projects in the towns of Anson, Andover and Bingham, according to U.S. Rep. John Baldacci. The funding, which is being made available through the USDA’s Rural Development… Read More
Fort Fairfield High School Second quarter honor roll Seniors, high honors: Jonathan Helstrom, Grace Montee, Amy Van der Wende; honors: Jessica Barnes, Melody Belanger, Nicholas Bubar, Melissa Butler, Mark Cote, Emily Cyr, Matthew Davenport, Joshua DeMerchant, Timm Findlen, Paul Guiou, Jessica Ireland, James LaPointe, Kiersten… Read More
Island Falls Polls will be open for annual municipal elections from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 13, at the town hall followed by the 7 p.m. business meeting. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
HOULTON — After an absence of 10 years, the Miss Greater Houlton Pageant will be held again this year. “It’s not a beauty pageant,” Jim Unker, executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday. “It’s a pageant that stresses poise, personality, talent… Read More
