PORTLAND – Maine has experienced more smoggy days this summer than in any period since 1995 and likely will break the state record, the Environmental Protection Agency reported. On Thursday, ozone levels reached an unhealthful level in southern and midcoast Maine for the 12th day… Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – Cruise the Park Loop Road near Sand Beach on a sunny afternoon in August, and the much-ballyhooed fear of an overpopulated park becomes frighteningly real. Parked cars, trucks and campers stretch as far as the eye can see in one lane,… Read More
LEWISTON – Maine ranks better than the national average for nursing homes cited for abuse or neglect of patients, but it’s still nothing to brag about, a state official says. The study prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, looked at two years’ worth of state… Read More
With the continued growth of the aquaculture industry, immediate efforts need to be made to eliminate the accidental release of farmed fish into the wild, scientists say in a report released this week by the Pew Oceans Commission. The commission, headed by former White House… Read More
ROCKLAND – A South Carolina-based newspaper publishing firm has purchased Courier Publications, Courier CEO David Morse said Friday. Courier Publications publishes the thrice-weekly Courier-Gazette in Rockland, and the weekly Camden Herald, Republican Journal in Belfast, Bar Harbor Times, Ellsworth Weekly, Lincoln County Weekly and Capital… Read More
PORTLAND – A Virginia company has become the third firm to express an interest in buying EnvisioNet Computer Services Inc., the fast-growing technology support company that filed for bankruptcy in June. CustomerLinx, a call center company based in Alexandria, Va., said its offer would include… Read More
CAMDEN – You won’t see its advertisements on television. Its branch offices are not bigger than those of its competitors. And its territory does not span from one end of the state to the other. But quietly, Camden National Corp., the parent company of Camden… Read More
If, as Paul warned the Romans, there are wages for sin, Michael Heath and his Christian Civic League of Maine want to make sure they come without benefits. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
On June 19 we all retired for the night with no thought of the tragedy that was only a few hours away. Sometime early Wednesday morning, June 20, after 1 a.m., a fire destroyed much of what we hold dear in our lives. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
I live in a multi-level facility called Harbor Hill in Belfast. I have been here a little more than a year and could not ask for a better place. One section is called Assisted Living, one is the Health Center for nursing care and one… Read More
I have watched Fox News air the Chandra Levy-Gary Condit story for three months. They have beaten this story to death. If a Republican congressman had been involved with an intern, would it would have been so interesting to them? Fox News claims to be fair and balanced;… Read More
I am the victim of a terminal disease. I was told on June 17, 1999, upon release from the hospital that I had, at the very most, two years to live. I am constantly in pain, of such magnitude that the ordinary person cannot even begin to understand… Read More
Pete Didisheim, advocacy director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, says he is concerned. The Plum Creek Timber Co. plans to sell 89 lots around First Roach Pond near Moosehead Lake (BDN, July 31) and Didisheim says this will change the north woods forever. He may want… Read More
Am I the only one in Maine who sides with the Wall Street Journal? Are we so naive way up here that we don’t understand the concept of brand recognition? This David vs. Goliath sob story written by Tom Weber (BDN, July 21-22) just doesn’t cut it. Read More
Back in Maine recently to visit, I found myself envying Bangor-area residents for three reasons: their excellent newspaper, the Bangor Public Library and the new Maine Discovery Museum. When I was growing up in the Bangor area, I took the Bangor Daily News for granted. Read More
A commission headed by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford this week presented a blueprint for election reform to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing debacle the world’s leading democracy suffered in the 2000 elections. President Bush gave his qualified blessing to the report, endorsing its key… Read More
There’s a common test for perception and memory in which you’re shown a photograph and given several minutes to study it, with no comment from the test-giver. The photo then is taken away and you’re asked to recall such specifics as what color the car was or how… Read More
It was the ambition of Sheldon Gross, a former reporter and copy editor at this newspaper, to some day be able to write what he considered would be the all-time greatest headline ever to come out of the state of Maine – something that any headline writer would… Read More
Wednesday’s front page Bangor Daily News story regarding Maine’s business climate may have been more important for what it did not say, than for what it did. Every year states are evaluated according to what kind of climate or environment they provide for business. Some… Read More
As another year of scholastic sports approaches, there is something that overzealous parents might want to consider as they take their places on the sidelines and in the bleachers to cheer on their children. Maine’s athletic directors will be watching to make sure these parents… Read More
CALAIS – Some prescription drugs were seized at the border earlier this week after a U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped two men who appeared to be trying to sneak into the country. Each man was fined $5,000 for failing to report to U.S. Customs at… Read More
TRENTON – A couple who apparently feigned ignorance about the value of U.S. currency made off with more than $400 in cash from a grocery store here Wednesday night. A similar scam was perpetrated in Camden Tuesday evening, police reported, by a couple who relied… Read More
A new round of military base closures could threaten the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Brunswick Naval Air Station in Maine. But one Maine lawmaker already predicts the bill will not succeed. Bush administration officials contend that 20 percent to 25 percent of the country’s bases… Read More
NORTH HAVEN – In a heated moment during a June selectmen’s meeting, the island doctor quit on the spot after six years of serving the community. Now a 112-signature petition is seeking his return and the formation of a physician committee to act as an… Read More
When the state’s head fisheries biologists begin a series of hearings around the state to gather input on their proposed fishing regulations, they’ll go from Ellsworth to Calais, over to Standish and on to Rangeley, before bracing for the heated debate that is sure to occur in Greenville,… Read More
BANGOR – A 16-year-old Hancock girl accused of ramming a state police cruiser on Route 1A in Dedham in March after she fled from home in her mother’s van and led three police agencies on a high-speed chase through Ellsworth has admitted to felony charges in juvenile drug… Read More
Ellsworth District Court James Anderson, 35, Bucksport, terrorizing, dismissed. 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] googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Waldo County Superior Court Donald G. Pacheco, 49, Belfast, two counts of gross sexual assault, eight years in prison with all but three years suspended and six years’ probation. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Town councilors will continue on Tuesday night their ratification of changes and revisions to the town’s land use ordinances. A complicated, 2-inch- thick document, the ordinances are being refined in bits and pieces to mesh with state law and to eliminate conflicts within the document. Read More
PITTSFIELD – A Louisiana woman has challenged parishioners of St. Agnes Catholic Church to raise $10,000 by Aug. 12 to benefit the parish school. On that day, Rita Bouchard Norton of Pineville, La., and her daughter, Rose Marie Norton of Hawaii, will arrive at the… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – The break-in-prone county sheriff’s storage barn was the scene of another stakeout this week. Previous stakeouts were successful, netting burglars in the act and resulting in several arrests. Monday night’s detail at the Norridgewock Avenue barn was equally successful, officials announced Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PITTSFIELD – It may take months before the full financial picture of this year’s Central Maine Egg Festival is known, president Elaine Taylor said Friday. Every year, the event is held the fourth week of July, culminating on the fourth Saturday. This year, there was… Read More
Bangor District Court Nicole R. Willette, 24, Milford, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, bound over for jury trial. 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;… Read More
HOULTON – Arguments were heard Wednesday in Aroostook County Superior Court regarding motions in a civil lawsuit filed by a former trash hauler for Houlton against the town and three competitors. In April 1999, Andy Marino, doing business as Andino Inc., filed suit against the… Read More
The following divorces were granted in 1st District Court in Caribou by Judge Ronald A. Daigle on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences. Russell O. Leighton of Limestone and Trisha D. Leighton of Limestone, married in Limestone on June 9, 1990; shared custody of two children. Read More
OAKFIELD – Local residents will be asked later this month what they want to do about a new town office and vault. The existing office on School Street is 20 years old, and “we’re running out of room,” Town Manager Candy Roy said Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – A twilight, guided walking tour of Mount Hope Cemetery will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the superintendent’s building, 1048 State St., with staff and volunteers in historic costumes of the 1840s through 1890s. The tour is being held by the Bangor Historical… Read More
BANGOR – The city paving program will continue on Monday, Aug. 6, with final grading before paving on Maine Avenue, and on Tuesday, Aug. 7, paving will be done on Maine Avenue. On Thursday, Aug. 9, paving will be done on Howard Street from Stillwater… Read More
OLD TOWN – A three-dimensional plan of the proposed elementary school will be on display Monday during the meeting of the City Council. The panel will meet at 7 p.m. at the Old Town Public Library. Superintendent Owen Maurais will give a presentation on plans… Read More
A routine patrol stop was anything but routine early on the morning of July 26 when a motorist fled from Brewer police on foot and then squared off with a pursuing officer. Officer David Lord stopped the pickup truck for speeding, pulling it over about… Read More
DEXTER – Penquis CAP Head Start has openings in Dexter, Abbot and Milo centers for the fall. The program for preschool children ages 3 to 5 runs from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Friday, September through May. Full-day child care services are available Monday… Read More
BANGOR – Thunderstorms in Massachusetts prompted five flights to divert to Bangor International Airport Friday night, including one apparently carrying a disgruntled passenger. The storms affected domestic and international flights into Boston and Worcester, Mass., and included two British Airways flights, an Icelandair flight, one… Read More
Bangor District Court James C. Smallwood, 46, Tuscumbia, Ala., causing operation of commercial motor vehicle without recording current status of truck log, $250. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
HOWLAND – Voters in the eight towns served by SAD 31 will consider a reduced school budget proposal during a daylong referendum vote on Sept. 4. SAD 31 includes the towns of Burlington, Edinburg, Enfield, Howland, Lowell, Maxfield, Passadumkeag and Seboeis Plantation. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
ROCKLAND – A tractor-trailer truck hit a sport utility vehicle Friday morning after running a stop sign at the intersection of Broadway and Thomaston Street. Jerge Ramirez, 57, of Elmhurst, N.Y., was summoned for failure to stop at a stop sign, according to Rockland police… Read More
ROCKLAND – Maggie Dorothy Johnson snagged the 2001 Maine Sea Goddess title and a $2,000 cash prize Friday at the 54th Maine Lobster Festival. Johnson, 18, of Rockland is a 2001 graduate of Rockland District High School, where she was president of the student senate,… Read More
ROCKLAND – Following is a list of events scheduled Saturday and Sunday in connection with the 54th annual Maine Lobster Festival. The festival runs through Sunday. Saturday, Aug. 4 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
GUILFORD – Three people were treated Friday afternoon at Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft after being involved in a one-vehicle accident in Guilford. Andrew Thompson, 49, of Blanchard was driving a 1999 Mercury Mountaineer sport utility vehicle on Route 15 about 2:20 p.m. when he… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Maine Department of Human Services and Maine Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services have awarded Penquis CAP $40,772 to establish Aspirations for Young Entrepreneurs, an after-school program for ages 12 through 15 at SeDoMoCha Middle School and Foxcroft Academy. Read More
SANGERVILLE – The Center Pond Improvement Association annual meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Sangerville Town Hall. Representatives of other lake associations may attend but should call CPIA President George Cross by Aug. 18. Agenda items include information on… Read More
Bangor District Court Keastol Ferry, 38, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., possessing marijuana, transferred to Superior Court. 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())… Read More
CALAIS – Water, water everywhere, but the question is? Is it good enough to drink? When the City Council adjourned its special meeting Thursday night, the question remained unanswered, as did the issue of how much it will cost to find the answer. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Little Miranda Pomerleau of Milo has been through so much these past few weeks, it is hard to believe the news is so very good. Miranda, the 3-year-old daughter of Shawn and Melanie Burton Pomerleau, and little sister of 8-year-old Tayler, has just undergone several… Read More
ORONO – Just three days after the University of Maine announced that Montana was snatching away one of the school’s top administrators, it is announced that it is grabbing one from the same state. On Tuesday, UMaine announced that its vice president for finance and… Read More
BANGOR – County officials and employees from Fort Kent to Kittery will be in Bangor next month when Penobscot County plays host for the Maine County Commissioners Association’s annual convention, a role it last played 11 years ago. The theme of this year’s convention –… Read More
PORTLAND – A Portland landlord is suing his former lawyer after losing a $1 million civil case. Joseph Soley alleges Neil Weinstein failed to turn over documents and made “incredible false statements that offended the court.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
PORTLAND – Revenues from commercial fisheries in the Northeast set another record in 2000, growing 4 percent to $1.106 billion, the National Marine Fisheries Service said Friday. Maine, which posted a 9 percent gain, led the region in the value of its catch for the… Read More
WASHINGTON – The United States Senate on Friday confirmed Ross J. Connelly of Biddeford to serve as executive vice president at the Overseas Private Investment Corp., U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe announced. Snowe recommended Connelly for the appointment earlier this year, and presented him on Tuesday to committee… Read More
WEST BATH – An ex-wife of accused murderer Gary Sampson said he is an “evil” man who deserves the death penalty. Nancy Beaton, who married Sampson when she was 17 and pregnant, said she believes Sampson capable of murder. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
CAPE ELIZABETH – A popular restaurant has been destroyed by fire. Flames broke out early Thursday morning at the Good Table. The restaurant’s kitchen and most of the building’s roof was destroyed. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
PORTLAND – The 25,000 members of the Maine Education Association are among those who will receive on-the-job homicide insurance from the National Education Association. The nation’s largest teachers union began offering the $150,000 benefit in June in response to increasing incidents of violence at schools. Read More
The annual Stearns-Townsend family reunion will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Stetson Meeting House, Route 222. Members should bring dishes to share and items for auction. The annual Gray Family reunion will be held Saturday, Aug. 18,… Read More
They held a going-away party in Biddeford last Friday night. You may have heard about it. Heck, you may even have been one of the 5,000 or so who packed Waterhouse Field for the festivities. The honorees? Eighty-eight of the state’s top recently graduated football… Read More
Mingled among all the sounds in the paddock – the clop-clop-clop of the horses, the crunch of sulky wheels along the gravel, the announcements for the next race – is the whistling. Step carefully around the cigarette butts, muddy puddles, and occasional manure pile and… Read More
BANGOR – As good as the pitching and defense have been for the Bangor Comrades this season, it was their leadership which provided the biggest boost toward their second straight Zone 1 American Legion baseball title. Two players in particular have served as the unofficial… Read More
John Norris BREWER – John Norris of Brewer aced the 115-yard, 14th hole of Brewer’s Pine Hill Golf Course using a pitching wedge. Witnessing Norris’ second career hole-in-one were Paul MacKinnon of Bangor, and Mike Lachance of Eddington. Read More
If you think the crop of No Hunting signs sprouting in this neck of the woods is enough to sour the chowder, brace your feet because what you are about to read will curdle your coffee. A recent Coastal Conservation Association newsletter states that environmental extremists and their… Read More
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Efforts to extend the Northeast Dairy Compact suffered a serious setback Friday when the Senate passed a package of special farm assistance that does not include a provision to reauthorize the compact. Supporters of the compact had hoped to use House-Senate negotiations… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Some of the finest realist painters have portrayed Maine, and the visions of seven contemporary artists are being showcased in “Varieties of Maine Realism” in the Ethel H. Blum Gallery at College of the Atlantic. The show will open Sunday, Aug. 12,… Read More
The Maine Lobster Festival has come a long way, as has the city of Rockland, unfortunately. They both used to be wild and woolly and they would give you as much trouble as you wanted. Even if you didn’t want. One festival night we walked… Read More
The velvety gray shape slipped silently into the waters of Pushaw Lake one recent Saturday as a small crowd gathered to watch. It was Bill Terra’s battleship – a model so large that, from a distance and without landmarks to compare with it, some might… Read More
SULLIVAN – Bertha Joy likes to toot her own horn. At 75, many grandmothers are ready to put their feet up, relax and enjoy their grandchildren, but Joy is no ordinary 75-year-old. Joy, of Sullivan, is still working and still enjoys her grandchildren. She is… Read More