AUGUSTA – What one national group has called the mother of all campaign finance law loopholes – one that would be closed by a reform bill passed in the House this week – is being used in Maine for the first time. While limits do… Read More
Who is Donald Sussman and why is he pouring a portion of his sizeable fortune into Maine political campaigns? These are questions that have vexed timber industry folks – often the target of Sussman’s efforts – for years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Scotty Skinner has flown hunters over the north Maine woods in the fall to help them locate moose ever since the season started 22 years ago. Skinner, who flies out of Shin Pond near Baxter State Park, said as many as 20 percent of Maine’s 3,000 moose hunters… Read More
A group of Portland urologists who serve patients from across the state joined a growing number of Maine specialty doctors this week who won’t accept new Medicaid patients. Portland Urologic Associates sent letters to Maine’s doctors to say they wouldn’t accept new Medicaid referrals except… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. is preparing to cut costs by 20 percent, eliminate some jobs and freeze its rates in response to criticism from the Maine Public Utilities Commission that the company has sought too many rate increases in recent years. Bangor Hydro President… Read More
In a front page story Friday on the proposal for a local-option sales tax in Bangor to help fund a replacement for Bangor Auditorium, an opponent’s name was misspelled. The correct spelling is Rep. David Bowles, R-Sanford. — googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
I find no credibility in Rep. Bob Daigle’s letter, “Mercury: truth vs. myth” (BDN, Feb. 14). The groups opposing mercury amalgam dental fillings do so in the name of public health and safety. They have no earthly reason and nothing to gain by falsifying their… Read More
Something funny has happened to The New York Times best seller list published in the Sunday Times Book Review section. For several weeks in a row, three of the top five in the current hardcover list had a dagger at the end of the listing. The dagger leads… Read More
The next chancellor for the University of Maine System, Joseph Westphal, breezed this week through a couple of issues he will surely face when he starts in April: boosting research and development, capturing students now lost to schools out of state, being more accountable to the public. All… Read More
I would like to offer an explanation to Tom Weber’s column (BDN, Feb. 9-10) regarding the lack of teen-age snow shovelers. I have a houseful of “ruddy-faced capitalists” who have tried snow shoveling, lawn mowing, dog walking and berry selling. My 7-year-old even offered to take the neighbor’s… Read More
What real benefit is there in announcing what some special interest group in Washington says about the gun laws of Maine (BDN, Feb. 4)? No person or business ever made a decision about locating in Maine based on what the Brady Campaign said. Whoever has moved out of… Read More
I will not be buying anything in Bangor or any other city or town that adds a sales tax to purchases as long as I can buy them nearby without the tax. As far as the Bangor Auditorium is concerned, many of us live in… Read More
Increasing gasoline mileage requirements on light trucks, SUVs and mini-vans will make those vehicles smaller, lighter, riskier and more expensive. And if history is any guide, we will use just as much foreign oil because we drive more. Sorry, Sens. Snowe and Collins and environmental… Read More
Upon application for a license in Maine, the Lions International has prepared a uniform donor card. This card has an orange sticker to affix to your license and simply requires the signature of two witnesses plus your own. In the event of a fatal accident, this sticker will… Read More
Nadine Biss of the Eastport Elementary School – you are my hero today. Your letter, “Anyone can be a hero,” in the Bangor Daily News on Feb. 6 shows you exhibit many of the traits: confidence, strength, smarts, patience and wisdom above all; exceptional for a fourth-grader. Read More
We’re No. 1 in the nation!” Commissioner of Education Duke Albanese exhorted to a group of Maine middle-level educators gathered at Sugarloaf for their annual middle level conference. “Once again Maine is leading the nation in its Laptop Initiative!” “Well, who cares, Duke?” I found… Read More
As the development director for the city of Brewer, I am writing to express my concern over continued efforts by some in the Maine Legislature to chip away at or eliminate the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement (BETR) program. The BETR program was instituted by the… Read More
Two seemingly unrelated news events – one involving a promise from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the other concerning a challenge from Gov. Angus King – have combined to light a fire under boosters of regional pride here in The Real Maine. If… Read More
WASHINGTON – The farm bill approved this week in the U.S. Senate could provide millions of dollars to help blueberry and cranberry farmers stop drawing water from Down East salmon rivers, according to a proponent of the federal legislation. Scott Faber, an attorney with Environmental… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – At their biweekly meeting in a conference room off the closing stitch area of the New Balance athletic shoe factory, the six members of team CS-39 worked out a plan to become cross-trained in one another’s skills. On the following Monday, Lisa Sherburne… Read More
WASHINGTON – Chrysler announced the recall of 1.6 million Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles Thursday in response to a series of accidents in which the vehicles unexpectedly lurched into reverse, causing at least five deaths and more than 150 injuries. A federal safety agency… Read More
BOSTON – New England’s wholesale electricity market is more competitive than others in the United States, but prices still are higher than they would be in a perfectly competitive market, according to a new report. The study was an attempt to determine why deregulation of… Read More
PORTLAND – Banknorth Group Inc. announced Friday it is raising $200 million through a public offering of a new class of preferred stock. The financial services company said proceeds from the issuance of shares of Banknorth Capital Trust II, an indirect subsidiary, will be used for general corporate… Read More
PORTLAND – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court said Friday that the Bangor planning board failed to produce sufficient reasons in denying a controversial plan for a Wal-Mart Supercenter near the city’s Penjajawoc Marsh. The six-member court has asked for more information from the Bangor planning… Read More
HOLDEN – Careless use of smoking materials was cited as the cause of a mobile home fire late Thursday night that claimed the lives of a local couple and injured a police officer, who also is a full-time firefighter for the nearby city of Brewer. Read More
PORTLAND – A man who says he was sexually abused by his parish priest 22 years ago is criticizing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland as more interested in damage control than in showing compassion to victims or preventing more abuse. Until now, David Gagnon,… Read More
Ellsworth schools fined for violating waste storage rules Science lab chemicals past expiration date
ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth School Department, in a process that officials are saying has been educational and increasingly expensive, has been fined $7,500 for improper storage of hazardous waste. “We got pinged,” Superintendent Jack Turcotte said Thursday, referring to the violations discovered during an inspection… Read More
CASTINE – More high school students are looking to Maine Maritime Academy than ever before. Applications to the academy are running well above last year’s level, according to MMA President Leonard Tyler, and are “well ahead of any time in recent history.” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
If you watched the dazzling opening ceremonies of the Olympics last week, you probably remember when President George Bush used the athletes’ cell phones to chat spontaneously with a few surprised fellow Americans in their homes around the country. So who were these select people… Read More
PORTLAND – The father of a man who fell to his death in an elevator shaft in Portland cannot sue the Salvation Army, which owned the building, the state supreme court ruled Friday. Michael Coulombe died on Sept. 30, 1996, at the adult rehabilitation center… Read More
TREMONT – A Seal Cove woman was arrested Friday morning after she allegedly caused a commotion at the grammar school, according to police. Rose Gray, 35, became involved in a verbal confrontation at 8:20 a.m. Friday with the principal of Tremont Consolidated School in a… Read More
ORLAND – The Orland Republican Committee will hold a caucus at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Orland Town Hall. The purpose of the caucus is to elect delegates to the state GOP convention and the county committee. Read More
CAMDEN – Rapid development between the traditional village centers of the midcoast is a problem that must be addressed regionally, according to the Friends of the Midcoast. The group, which consists of elected municipal officials, planners and those who work with land trusts, is holding… Read More
AUGUSTA – With an estimated 300 supporters of mental health services cheering her on Friday, Liz Carignan urged state lawmakers to think twice before agreeing to more than $10 million in cuts to programs benefiting the mentally ill. As president of the Advocacy Initiative Network… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Principals’ Association has named Lynne Coy-Ogan, principal of Morton Avenue, Monson and Charleston elementary schools in SAD 68, as Maine’s 2002 Elementary National Distinguished Principal of the Year. This award recognizes one elementary principal in Maine each year for effective leadership,… Read More
ST. FRANCIS – A California man pleaded guilty Friday to violating a protection order after he was arrested near a local school from which he was barred. David Bennett, 40, of Big Bear City, Calif., was arrested without incident on Thursday after officials at the… Read More
BANGOR – Homemade canned spaghetti sauce made a Madawaska father and son sick with botulism a month ago, an official of the Maine Bureau of Health said Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., has not isolated the cause of the… Read More
MADAWASKA – Municipal emergency personnel and Dead River Co. employees quickly cleaned up a small oil spill Friday morning on Main Street. Fire Chief Norman Cyr said the cleanup was done within 45 minutes. He estimated that less than 5 gallons of home heating fuel… Read More
St. John Plantation The annual town meeting will begin at 7 p.m., Monday, March 25, at the community center, preceded by municipal elections from 1 to 5 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
ST. FRANCOIS, New Brunswick – A disastrous fire that caused an estimated $20 million in damage on Thursday has thrown 240 people in northwestern New Brunswick out of work. The fire, still of unknown origin as of Friday, took place at Nadeau Ferme Avicole Ltee.,… Read More
MADAWASKA – The school board and the board of selectmen met Thursday, so it must be close to budget time in the St. John Valley’s largest community. It’s an annual session between the two groups during which discussion does not range far from where the… Read More
MILFORD – The town of Milford will hold a Democratic caucus at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 at the town hall. For information call 827-8294. Read More
BREWER – The Brewer Parks & Recreation Department has started monthly dance classes Friday afternoons at the Brewer Auditorium. A kinder-dance for 3- to 4-year-olds is held at 3 p.m., and includes basic ballet, tap, and creative dance skills. Advanced classes are held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor YMCA kicked off its 2002 Giving Campaign this week with a series of events including a celebration at the Sea Dog Restaurant. With a team of 65 volunteers, a seven-week campaign period, and a concerted community effort, the YMCA is hoping to achieve its… Read More
Orono High School Second quarter honor roll 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
Brewer High School Second quarter honor roll 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
MILFORD – Members of School Union 90 recently met with the commissioner of education in Augusta to discuss tensions in the four-town union. The union consists of Milford, Alton, Greenbush, and Bradley. Despite being told that the trend is to consolidate school districts statewide, Greenbush… Read More
ARUNDEL – An elderly pedestrian from Arundel was struck and killed on Route 1 Thursday night, state police said. Robert Godin, 77, was hit at the Camp Road intersection in Arundel by a car driven by Arthur Quint, 67, of Westbrook. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
LINCOLN – Town officials are moving forward in their efforts to restore Lincoln’s downtown. On Friday, Town Manager Glenn Aho completed the last application – a $60,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant – for federal planning assistance through Rural Development. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
GLENBURN – The Maine State Police are investigating a break-in at B.J.’s Market this week where money earmarked for a memorial skate park was taken. The front glass door at the convenience store on the Hudson Road was shattered, reported Trooper Seth Edwards, who noted… Read More
HAMPDEN – A Presque Isle motorist suffered bruises and scrapes after she made a U-turn on Route 202 and was struck by the pickup truck behind her. Traffic was reduced to one lane for about 20 minutes after the accident, which occurred about 9 p.m. Read More
ROCKPORT – What other high school principals might see as a colossal headache, Jim Anastasio sees as a great opportunity. Anastasio, who was recently named the Maine Principals’ Association High School Principal of the Year for 2002, has a streak going when it comes to… Read More
PORTLAND – A Topsham teen-ager was in critical condition Friday after being shot in the face by another teen-ager, police said. Kyle Steinle, 14, was shot with a .22-caliber handgun around 3:30 p.m. Thursday in his home in the Bay Park development, according to Maine… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – The Indigenous Language Institute of Santa Fe, N.M., a group dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating endangered American Indian languages, will honor 26 American Indian tribal elders at the Wabanaki Confederacy today. The event will be held at 2 p.m. at the… Read More
CARIBOU – A Public Advisory Committee meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. The partial agenda includes a summary of recent meetings in the county, project issues, observations and public hearing comments. Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. Angus King on Friday nominated District Court Chief Judge Jon Levy of York for a seat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. King described Levy as “a highly respected and regarded jurist who has served ably” as the District Court leader. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
CALAIS – The State Board of Education this week gave concept approval to the city to move ahead with planned construction and renovation projects at the Calais elementary and high schools, school officials said Thursday. The concept approval for the proposal, which calls for $8… Read More
CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy has a new academic dean. The academy’s board of trustees on Friday named longtime professor John Barlow as the new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. Barlow has been the acting dean since William Eisenhardt resigned… Read More
People planning their summer vacations – particularly veterans and their families or people seeking a brief summer volunteer opportunity – should consider being part of the Sherman VFW “Veterans’ Week 2002” from July 20 to 26 at Katahdin Elementary School in Sherman Station. It should… Read More
The Rev. Gregory J. O’Keefe is the only Maine native in his parish, the only person of French and Irish descent, and the only one whose native language is English. He’s definitely the only person at the Church of St. Cyril of Turov in New… Read More
PORTLAND – A terrorizing conviction against a Biddeford man who was accused of harassing a black candidate for mayor was overturned Friday by Maine’s highest court. In its 4-1 ruling, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court concluded that defendant Robert Kalex should have been allowed to… Read More
BANGOR – At the season’s start, first-year varsity player Jon Chasse became a surprise starter as injuries hit the Caribou Vikings. Once the Vikings were fully healed, Chasse went to the bench and bid his time, waiting for an opportunity to contribute however he could. Read More
From time to time (usually after I’ve done something either remarkably ridiculous, or ridiculously remarkable), someone will look me in the eye, wag their head back and forth, and hit me with this: “You know something? You’re just like a big kid.” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – While the Maranancook girls were keeping an eye out for their top matchups, Houlton senior Sarah Beasley made the most of her opportunity Friday afternoon in the opener of the 2002 Eastern Maine basketball tournament at the Bangor Auditorium. Beasley, a 5-foot-10 forward,… Read More
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The University of Maine’s hockey team got back to the basics of team defense Friday night. Interim head coach Tim Whitehead devoted this week’s practices to the fundamentals of team defense and even moved junior left winger Michael Schutte back to defense, where he played… Read More
BANGOR – A Thursday morning car accident in Bangor has left basketball player David Chrisos of the Bangor Christian School in critical condition at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Chrisos, a starting guard and tri-captain for the Patriots, has been held in the intensive care unit… Read More
COLLEGE America East Championship 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
All-Star HIGH SCHOOL 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 () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Game highs Sarah Beasley, Houlton senior, 31 points, five rebounds, five steals, 14-for-25 shooting in 55-45 Class B quarterfinal win over Maranacook of Readfield. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
Friday’s Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal matchup between Winslow and Caribou was a rarity in many ways. Not since 1986 has Winslow played a tournament game at the Bangor Auditorium. Back then, the Black Raiders were a Class A team. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BANGOR – Erinne Magee scored 20 of her 22 points in the first half as the Bangor Rams ran to a 75-47 Class A girls basketball win over the Brewer Witches Friday night at Red Barry Gym. The Rams took a 51-16 halftime lead. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
MEN’S 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] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BRUNSWICK – The Bowdoin College Polar Bears shot 52 percent in the second half to pull away for a 72-53 women’s basketball victory over Amherst Friday night. Kristi Royer paced Bowdoin with 20 points, Lora Trenkle scored 16 and Jessie Mayol added 11. Sarah Bergman… Read More
Fisheries biologist Jim Stahlnecker oversees central Maine inland waters from Topsham to Dexter. Because there are so few cold-water fisheries in his region, he pays special attention to those under his charge, like Wassookeag Lake in Dexter. At the 1,000-acre lake off Route 7, the… Read More
Keep warm in synthetic down, Cool in high tech fabrics One of these days I’m going to be walking around in my underwear. No, not because I’ve passed the double nickels mark (although that could be a major factor, but to date that’s only meant… Read More
Step by step, machine by machine, sportsmen have become more dependent over the last 30 years on technology to support outdoor ventures. Four-wheel-drive trucks, snowmobiles, bigger outboard motors, fancy beeping LCD fish finders, motorized ice augers, four-wheelers, elaborate boats and global positioning systems (GPS are just a handful… Read More
The snowmobile report is gathered from the Maine Snowmobile Association’s Web site. The complete report is available at mesnow.com Overview 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
WINDHAM – The Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby offers thousands of Mainers the opportunity to socialize, fish and win an array of prizes. It also helps thin out the population of togue, a fish that preys on a dwindling supply of smelt – an important… Read More
Where are all the birds? That is the question many people are calling into the Fields Pond Nature Center to ask. All through spring, summer and fall, they have faithfully kept feeding stations filled with all manner of delectable morsels for their birds. Come mid… Read More
Marvin “Red” Garner: “Pots & Paintings”; Barbara Rich Anderson: “My Familiarities”; and Aviva Rahmani: “IF”; through March 2 at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art has kicked off its 50th anniversary year with exhibits by past board… Read More
If memory serves, it was the day of Hurricane Bob, in August of 1991 when my hippie-dippy carpenter, one Frank Magrogan, took his chain saw the to the dining room wall. Magrogan, my unofficial interior decorator, had decided it was time for an atrium door leading to the… Read More
Sunshine streams through the windows of Donna Kausen’s log cabin in South Addison, casting light over her shoulders as she applies the finish to a handmade wooden bowl. Her fingers caress the yellow birch carefully and knowingly – the hands of an artisan perfecting her work. Read More
A few weeks ago, I met with the St. Albans Garden Club, a group of pleasant and gracious women, who sent me off after an evening of gardening talk with several related gifts. One of the items was an interesting brick of coconut fiber pressed into a 4-by-8-by-2-inch… Read More