BANGOR – Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. is seeking approval for a rate plan that initially would reduce the amount of money residential users pay for their electricity by 25 percent. But the plan is being viewed by critics as a veiled attempt to hide a rate… Read More
NORTH HAVEN – The Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating an incident involving a schooner captain who fired an antique pistol in Pulpit Harbor last week in an effort to stop an erratic jet skier. Capt. Neal Parker, 45, of Rockland,… Read More
WASHINGTON – A plan that backers hope will give seniors greater choice in their health care under Medicare was unveiled by Sen. Olympia Snowe and other key lawmakers Wednesday. They said they intend to hammer out legislation for a full Senate vote by mid-September. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
A story published in Wednesday’s Maine Day on the proposed development of Ayers Island in Orono should have said that the town adopted the state model for shoreland zoning regulations in 1994. Read More
PORTLAND – A bill before Congress that would outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual orientation has the backing of three of the four members of Maine’s congressional delegation. U.S. Reps. Tom Allen and John Baldacci, both Democrats, are co-sponsors of the bill that was introduced… Read More
LEWISTON – Retiring state workers and public school teachers soon will be able to return to their jobs while drawing a full pension. A state law that takes effect Sept. 21 was intended to give retired state workers a way to supplement their pensions. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PORTLAND – An $11 million plan to develop a business and technology park in the Bayside neighborhood is the city’s latest proposal to revitalize a blighted cluster of scrap yards and weed-infested former railroad property. With the federal government paying most of the cost, the… Read More
BANGOR – Investment brokerage firm AG Edwards this week settled a lawsuit with the estate of a deceased Hampden man that alleged delays in selling stocks and mutual funds, resulting in losses of approximately $16,300. Terms of the settlement were not available because both AG… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Potato industries in the United States and Canada have agreed to lift some restrictions on the exportation of Prince Edward Island potatoes into this country, according to a Wednesday announcement. Maine potato industry officials, however, have concerns whether the deal, which follows… Read More
BREWER -The majority of Mainers have a negative view of the economy, according to a new poll released Wednesday, and is telling the state government to do something about it. Whether legislative and gubernatorial candidates will listen, though, remains to be seen. Election Day is… Read More
When people talk about the Bangor State Fair, they mention the sausage sandwiches, piled with peppers and onions, oozing oil out the bun. They talk about the rides that tossed them up into the air and down again, making their stomachs excited and woozy at the same time. Read More
Concerning the war on tobacco and trying to “force” Maine into being tobacco free: I believe many of our legislators have been misled by the paid professional anti-smoker zealots, and it is not fair to one in four of their constituents. The representatives were elected… Read More
The worst conclusion Congress could draw from a new study on vehicle fuel efficiency is that because members of the National Academy of Science believe previous fuel advances led to more highway deaths nothing can be done now. The NAS report, instead, should spur legislation that uses its… Read More
Few carcinogens in drinking water are allowed at the current level accepted for arsenic, making the House’s vote last week to maintain the level imposed by the Clinton administration but dropped by the Bush administration a reasonable, even encouraging outcome. But Maine has an equal if not more… Read More
Not to put down the lovely native Maine young women, Cindy Whitney and Joan Benoit Samuelson, but they are not the second and first persons from Maine to be on a cereal box, but rather the third and second. I’d like to remind you to… Read More
The Navy wants to deploy its “Low-Frequency Active” (LFA) high-powered sonar system across 80 percent of the Earth’s oceans. LFA has the potential to seriously affect many marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales. LFA noise is billions of times more intense than those known to disturb whale… Read More
I think we are being given some false information about human embryo experimentation, in that people want us to believe there are no other sources of stem-cell experimentation other than human embryos. What about adult stem cells which have been found to be of great… Read More
I cannot believe the city highway garage was paving their back parking lot the other day when our city streets are in desperate need of paving. You would think our tax dollars could be better spent on the roads the public is using. I am sure the back… Read More
I am dismayed at the way the media, especially the Bangor Daily News, have handled the Edward Dalton trial. First, of course, is the much ballyhooed picture of a smiling Ed Dalton and his defense attorneys. It seems irresponsible for the BDN to print such a picture and… Read More
The U.S. Senate last Friday continued its debate on the Patty Murray, D-Wash., amendment to the FY-02 Transportation Appropriations bill. Sen. Murray’s amendment would impose tougher U.S. standards on Mexican trucks traveling in the United States. President Bush and Sen. John McCain, for a change, are united in… Read More
A very local and very diverse group of more than 150 business people and community members from Greenville, Rockwood and Kokadjo have come together with one common goal: to preserve the integrity, beauty and character of a very unique and special area – the Moosehead Lake region. To… Read More
AUGUSTA – The pharmaceutical industry is taking its appeal of Maine’s landmark prescription drug law to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America notified the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday that it will ask the Supreme Court to… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The state is seeking to try an 18-year-old Sullivan man as an adult, accusing him of causing an estimated $50,000 in damage to a Sullivan home when he was 17. Christopher Kidder is one of two people accused of demolishing the contents of… Read More
GRAND FALLS TOWNSHIP – Investigators said Wednesday they have learned the identity of the man whose body was found after a mysterious automobile fire near Nicatous Lake. Sgt. Stu Jacobs, fire investigator supervisor for the State Fire Marshal’s Office, identified the man as Krishan K. Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – Racing a duckling across the glassy surface of Northeast Creek by canoe, it’s hard to believe that this peaceful expanse lies just a few miles from where bulldozers crawl over the land, scraping hills flat for new housing to contain Mount Desert Island’s burgeoning… Read More
BANGOR – With the price tag for environmental studies of the Penobscot River already topping $350,000, city officials are looking to the state for help with the cleanup of an 10-acre coal tar deposit near the Bangor landing. Last week, the city posed its offer… Read More
A longtime aide to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe marched quickly through the 2002 campaign starting gate, raising more than $75,000 in the first three weeks of his bid to win the 2nd congressional District seat being vacated by John Baldacci, who is running for governor. Read More
A Bangor police officer who tried to curtail a woman’s attempts to cut herself with a knife became the target of the woman’s rage, police said. Despite being ordered to drop the knife, the resident of the mental health home on Harlow Street continued to… Read More
ORONO – Tim Clement, a 2001 graduate of Orono High School, was one of two delegates selected to represent Maine at the 38th national Youth Science Camp from June 29 to July 23. Clement, who plans to study biology this fall at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and… Read More
ORONO – The Orono Parks and Recreation Department will hold a Hawaiian luau at the Orono municipal pool Tuesday, Aug. 7. The celebration, lasting from 1 to 4 p.m., will include a costume parade, swim relays and limbo and splash contests. Everyone receives a lei. Read More
BANGOR – The American Business Women’s Association will host guest speaker Nancy Golding, advertising sales manager at the Bangor Daily News, at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the Holiday Inn on the Odlin Road. Golding will speak on advertising for small businesses. The public… Read More
HAMPDEN – The Hampden Town Council and officials from Pine Tree Landfill failed to reach an agreement Wednesday during the first round of negotiations for a host community benefit package associated with Pine Tree’s current application for expansion. “The meeting was an open and cooperative… Read More
MILFORD – Registration for new pupils from Milford and Greenfield will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 21-22, at the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School. For more information or appointment, call 827-2252. Children entering school for the first time should have birth… Read More
BANGOR – Construction of a large sewer project began Monday on Union Street between Sixteenth and Westland streets and will continue through mid-September. Motorists should find alternate routes to avoid detours and delays. Local traffic to area homes and businesses will be maintained. Work also… Read More
OLD TOWN – The Old Town-Orono YMCA’s Older Adult Center is offering a trip to Lakewood Theater at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 8, at the YMCA for a matinee musical, “Oliver,” and dinner at the Lakewood Restaurant. Cost is $25, not including dinner. An evening trip… Read More
EDDINGTON – During a special town meeting next week, residents will consider a temporary ban on the construction of communication towers of 35 feet or more in height. A proposed 180-day moratorium on such structures will be decided during the special town meeting scheduled for… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Roughly 21/2 acres of woodlands caught fire near the top of Frenchman’s Hill off the Crooked Road on Wednesday evening. The fire started around 6 p.m. and was under control by 8 p.m., according to Deputy Fire Chief John Cunningham of the… Read More
MADAWASKA – The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night upheld a $500 zoning board of appeals fine for a man who installed a deck and swimming pool without first obtaining a building permit. Earlier this month, selectmen tabled action on the fine, pending clarification from… Read More
PATTEN – Residents at a special town meeting Tuesday night reversed a decision they made last March and approved $15,000 in funding for the Upper Valley Economic Council. “It went well,” Town Manager Rhonda Harvey said Wednesday of the special meeting. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
CARIBOU – Robert Pottle, a first-grade teacher in Eastbrook, will give a reading of his new book at the Caribou Public Library. The author of “Maine: The Way Life Is, a Year of Wicked Good Poetry,” will appear at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
CARIBOU – Cary Medical Center will hold a safety fair Aug. 11 at the Caribou Downtown Mall. Exhibits will cover topics such as car seat safety, dental health education, eye exams and tobacco education. There also will be bicycle helmet sales and inspections, horse and… Read More
LIMESTONE – Pat Farrell, a mathematics teacher at Maine School of Science and Mathematics, is a winner of the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching. Farrell is one of 24 teachers chosen from U.S. and Canadian high schools for the international recognition, the Mathematical… Read More
MADAWASKA – A handful of residents Tuesday night approved the transfer of $275,000 for construction and technology programs. The larger of the two transfers involved $225,000 from the Wastewater Pollution Department fund balance to pay for the installation of sewer lines on East Main Street. Read More
FORT KENT – A local man was injured Monday night when his all-terrain vehicle left a trail and overturned. Don J. Nadeau, 53, was hospitalized and kept overnight at the Northern Maine Medical Center after the 9 p.m. accident on the Heritage Trail. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
MADAWASKA – John Labrie, a registered nurse, critical care EMT and instructor and state EMT examiner, is the new part-time director of the Madawaska Ambulance Department. Labrie was hired by agreement of Madawaska selectmen and the Northern Maine Medical Center board of trustees. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
PORTLAND – Firefighters remained at a landfill Wednesday as a fire continued to smolder. Flames shot up 30 feet into the air at the height of the fire the night before, and firefighters from South Portland, Gorham, Scarborough, Windham and Westbrook assisted Portland crews. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PEMBROKE – It was billed as the cat and dog meeting, but there was no scratching around as representatives from eastern Washington County communities gathered to talk about the growing stray animal problem Down East. Pembroke Selectman Milan Jamieson said most small towns can’t afford… Read More
MACHIAS – Town Manager Scott Harriman said Wednesday that he has resigned effective Aug. 30 to take a position at Machias Savings Bank. Harriman, who has served as the Machias town manager since June 1998, said he will begin his new job with the bank’s… Read More
HOWLAND – The SAD 31 budget committee will meet tonight to look for ways to trim the school budget proposal. As the result of two separate daylong referendum votes, five of the 19 budget questions have yet to be approved by district voters. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
PORTLAND – A 63-year-old man who was caught trying to leave a Shop ‘n Save supermarket with a cart full of groceries he didn’t pay for was a career criminal on probation from a federal penitentiary, police said. The suspect, who used the alias John… Read More
PORTLAND – Two men accused of scheming to ship marijuana from California to Maine were in police custody on Wednesday. Eugene Monroe, 40, of Newburgh and Terrence Case, 28, of Santee, Calif., were arrested Tuesday as a result of an undercover investigation. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
WINDHAM – A 12-year-old girl remained in critical condition Wednesday after being hit by a truck. Erin Diffin of Windham was struck Tuesday evening, police said. She had just bought an ice cream from a truck parked across from her home and was crossing the… Read More
BANGOR – An Air National Guard C-5 cargo plane experienced a problem Wednesday while leaving the Bangor Air National Guard Base, but the incident was minor enough that the plane continued on its way back to Newburgh, N.Y. The C-5 came to Bangor from Stewart… Read More
ALFRED – A weekly newspaper has filed a civil complaint against the Sanford School Department, alleging it withheld public information about the firing of a teacher last month. The Sanford News, owned by the publishers of Fosters Daily Democrat in Dover, N.H., filed the complaint… Read More
BLUE HILL – David Hitchings, headmaster at George Stevens Academy for almost a quarter of a century, has retired from his post at the school and will become assistant headmaster at Washington Academy in East Machias. Hitchings submitted his resignation last week. The GSA trustees… Read More
CAMDEN – Two years ago, a fire in an outbuilding at the Apollo Tanning Co. was the last nail in the coffin for the company, which closed its doors several weeks later. Now, the prospect of a fire in the main building has the town’s… Read More
CAMDEN – Confusion, diversion and a quick hand were the elements used in a scam perpetrated on the clerk of a Camden store Tuesday evening. Camden police Lt. Ron Campbell believes it is likely the perpetrators may be working their way up or down the… Read More
THOMASTON – Police are investigating a report of an explosive possibly being thrown from a car Tuesday toward an Old County Road home. About 5:45 p.m., an Old County Road resident heard a car slow, then the sound of an explosion and the vehicle sped… Read More
BELFAST – Waldo County sheriff’s detectives continue their aggressive enforcement of court-imposed bail or probation conditions, with a city man on bail for allegedly assaulting a police officer being their latest pinch. Shawn Merrill, 32, of Swan Lake Avenue was arrested Wednesday after detectives found… Read More
BELFAST – A New Hampshire man who fled the city in a stolen car two years ago has been brought back to face charges. Frederick Mickelboro, 45, of Manchester, N.H., waived extradition on a number of charges and was returned to Belfast late Tuesday. Mickelboro… Read More
ROCKLAND – Following is a list of events scheduled today and Friday in connection with the 54th annual Maine Lobster Festival. The festival runs through Sunday. Thursday, Aug. 2 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
Rockland District Court Lunar Ecalyps, 36, Rockland, criminal mischief, jail 60 days, suspended, probation one year; criminal trespass, jail 60 days, suspended. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
MILO – The Three Rivers Kiwanis club of Milo and Brownville has been raising funds to renovate the Town Hall auditorium, located in the 77-year-old Town Hall building, into a performing arts center. Under way since April, the project is expected to meet the needs… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Penquis Community Action Program will sponsor several August events. Penquis CAP invites families to attend an open house at its Family Resource Center, located at 50 North St., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. Music, games, clowns, karaoke, and face… Read More
FRYEBURG – It’s an annual problem on the Saco River – rowdy, intoxicated canoeists vandalize campgrounds, argue with locals, and leave piles of litter behind. This year’s spate of alcohol-related incidents, including the drowning death of a Massachusetts man, have some residents renewing the cry… Read More
AUGUSTA – Election reforms are being proposed in the wake of last year’s razor-close presidential vote, but a key Maine official said most of the changes being sought are already incorporated in state law. Still, there’s room for improvement, Maine Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky… Read More
Thanks to patrons’ enthusiasm and overwhelming response, the Second Annual House and Garden Tour with Tea, to benefit Frontier Heritage Historical Society’s Friends Church Museum, is planned for noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, in Fort Fairfield. Tax deductible donations are $25 each, but committee member… Read More
ALLAGASH – Shauna McBreairty swatted away at black flies and wiped sweat from her face and arms while on a break from her six-week-long summer job. This summer, the teen-ager is involved in giving a face-lift to many town-owned recreational facilities that have deteriorated over… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – The Somerset County Jail can no longer accept female prisoners and it must install a fire-rated door within two months after an inspection by state corrections officials. The long list of problems at the old jail in downtown Skowhegan underscores the need for… Read More
STETSON – Police recovered the badly decomposed remains of a man Wednesday and said they appear to be those of Donald Johnson, 60, who has been missing for two months. The clothing matched what Johnson had last been seen wearing and the body was found… Read More
WATERVILLE – A former manager of Orchard Park Apartments in Waterville will serve 21 days in jail for secretly pocketing tenants’ rent checks. Tina Eaton, 32, of Clinton has also been ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
WELLS – An early morning fire at a Wells motel on Wednesday claimed the life of a New York woman. The woman, whose name has not been released, had been a guest at the Wells Moody Motel on Route 1, along with her husband, police… Read More
ORONO – The work of a distinguished Mexican artist, whose oil paintings are intended as “personal landscapes charged with spirituality,” is on view starting today through Sept. 1 at Maine Center for the Arts thanks to a collaborative effort between the University of Maine and the Mexican government. Read More
Editor’s Note: 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. “Viva Nueva” (Tommy Boy) – Rustic Overtones googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Driving down Day Hill on Route 9 and trying to stay on the road and in control can be a perilous, harrowing experience in an ice storm or driving snow. But flying down the steep incline on your back just a few inches from the asphalt is the… Read More
T.S. Eliot was not a columnist or he never would have said, “Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve.” It’s not difficult to achieve at all, as I’m reminded every so often by letter writers who find no merit – let alone… Read More
Twenty-five years ago last month, the Viking 1 space probe landed on Mars and spent the next 61/2 years sending back data about the Red Planet. Viking 1 stopped transmitting in 1982 while its sister probe, Viking 2, which landed in September 1976, fell silent after three years. Read More
Focus on the planets Mercury is at superior conjunction, meaning that it is behind the sun for Earth viewers, during August. Mercury will reappear low in the evening sky next month. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Do you remember Murray Sperber? You do remember Bobby Knight. It’s more important to remember Sperber. He’s an English professor at the University of Indiana. Sperber is the one who had the audacity to speak out against Knight when Knight was coaching basketball at Indiana. Read More
Maine native Dave Ahlers has signed on for another tour of duty with the Portland Pirates, and this time around, he’ll be taking on a lot more responsibility. After serving in almost every capacity other than deckhand and muzzle-loader for the Pirates the last eight… Read More
ORONO – If Martha White had a dilemma, which she says she doesn’t, it would be this: Wednesday, during the second round of the 71st Women’s Maine State Golf Association Championship, the 13-time-champion of the tourney fired a 1-over par 75. That’s four strokes better than White shot… Read More
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Nine Mainers completed the Isuzu IronMan Lake Placid Triathlon Sunday. The race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run, was won by Steve Larsen of Davis, Calif., in 8 hours, 33 minutes, 11 seconds. In all, 1,653 competitors… Read More
Stephanie Dickey of Orrington finished fourth in the intermediate (ages 15-16) javelin throw at the National Junior Olympics in Sacramento, Calif., last week, qualifying her for All-American status. Dickey’s top throw went a distance of 106 feet, 5 inches. She also placed 21st in the… Read More
WASHINGTON – Former University of Maine standout Peter Ferraro has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals, the Portland Pirates announced. Ferraro, 28, played on the Black Bears’ 1993 National Championship team, recording 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists). He has spent the last three years… Read More
HERMON – Kevin Colson of Frankfort took advantage of a late-race red flag to catch and pass teammate Cliff Knight of Frankfort and win the 20-lap Little Enduro feature Wednesday night at Speedway 95. Forty-one of the compact cars entered qualifying with 35 making it… Read More
INTO GALACTIC? Making a name for yourself in a city so rich with jazz as New Orleans isn’t achieved by playing the standards. There are plenty of bands for that. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
Anyone who considers bronze the third-place metal (or medal, as the case may be) clearly hasn’t seen the sculptures on view at the Portland Museum of Art. “Degas, Rodin and Moore: Bronzes by European Masters” showcases the metal’s beauty, warmth and practicality, brought to life… Read More
Three or four years ago, as Shirley Kennedy was preparing for the Bangor Rodeo, her husband, Paul, told her she and her horse were too old to compete. “He thought we were both over the hill,” said the 64-year-old horsewoman with an amused expression. “We… Read More
In theaters LOST & DELIRIOUS, 100 minutes, not rated, directed by Lea Pool, written by Judith Thompson, based on the novel “The Wives of Bath” by Susan Swan. Starts tomorrow, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
One of the reasons I hike is for the chance to see wildlife. As far as an excuse to go hiking, it ranks right up there with walking through lush forests of big trees and standing on top of mountains. I use all sorts of methods to improve… Read More
Many people not involved in or directly affected by the tourist industry may associate the height of summer with vacations, quiet and taking life a little more easily. At the very least, the warm weather means not having to clear your car, your property, or yourself of snow… Read More
You know the routine by now. You live in Maine and therefore no large-scale musical festivals will come near you this summer because you’re too far north. No Warped Tour, no Tattoo the Earth, no Area: One, and no Ozzfest. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Ever drive down Park Street on a Friday or Saturday night around 10 p.m. and wonder why people are filing into the Unitarian Universalist Church? I can assure you, they aren’t attending late-night prayer services. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More