AUGUSTA – Anyone inclined to try his luck at “water skipping” his snowmobile has run out of time in Maine. The offbeat and dangerous practice of trying to speed across an open expanse of water becomes illegal Thursday on Maine’s public waterways. On the same… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Like most outdoor festivals in Maine this summer, there were hot dogs, homemade ice cream, and even a climbing wall for the kids. There were also machine guns, dynamite, exploding cars and earplugs – lots of earplugs – at this weekend’s Hiram Maxim… Read More
AUGUSTA – The chief justices of nearly all the states and the top administrators of those courts will meet in Maine next week, with some serious topics to consider while enjoying the Maine coast. “Court security, access to the courts, electronic records and many other… Read More
Maine’s new ban on snowmobile “water skipping” on open water skimmed through the legislative process with little notice. But it’s been a lingering issue in Maine and other snow-belt states where snowmobile aficionados have found a dangerous variation to the winter sport. Montana enacted emergency… Read More
GUILFORD – Guilford of Maine is one of four Maine companies pioneering a new environmental excellence program for the Department of Environmental Protection known as “Step-Up.” Joining Guilford in launching “Step-Up” are Alan Auto of Portland, Bath Iron Works of Bath and Brunswick, and Fairchild… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percent in June to 4 percent, the same rate as the state posted during the same month a year earlier, the state Labor Department said. Last month’s figure also was well below the national rate of 5.9… Read More
PORTLAND – Like many other Americans getting close to retirement age, some Mainers who have watched the stock market’s tailspin are reconsidering their plans to stop working. “I was looking into early retirement, which I’m not looking for any more,” said Patten Williams of Augusta,… Read More
For those of you who, like Dorothy, think you are still in Kansas and that you can trust telemarketing companies, take heed of the following: A federal court has ordered a temporary halt to an Arizona-based telemarketing operation that the Federal Trade Commission believes has… Read More
I don’t know which party Floyd L. Harding of Presque Isle belonged to when he was majority leader of the Maine Senate. It is impossible to tell because both parties here seem to love taxes. I remain confused about the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Read More
If there were a contest for post-Sept. 11 bad ideas, Operation TIPS would be the undisputed champ. The only good thing that can be said about the Justice Department’s plan to enlist a million or more Americans – truckers, letter carriers, parcel delivers, meter readers, cable installers and… Read More
For a politician with strong pro-business credentials, New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord is taking an awful pounding from his country’s business interests. He’s even been called – an indication of the Canadian fondness for punning – provincial. The issue is natural gas, of which enormous… Read More
I am now back in Salisbury, Md., and have recovered from my fall on the Appalachian Trial south of Long Pond Stream on June 27 (BDN, June 29-30). I want to express my appreciation to the Maine Warden Service and the 112th Air National Guard… Read More
It has been nearly 22 long years since my granddaughter was murdered in the small town of East Millinocket. Parts of us (her family) died with her, but our love for her can never die. Aug. 8 will be the 22nd anniversary of her brutal… Read More
A hidden cost that discussion on the neck snaring of coyotes in Maine does not mention is the cost in lives to what Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife glibly refers to as “non-target” animals. The final tally of non-targets reported killed by snarers in the 2001-2002… Read More
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released its annual report titled “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being.” This is the annual report of data from federal agencies that tracks the well-being of the nation’s children. Data are presented for the nation as a… Read More
School choice is increasing competition around the country and showing that competition in education improves student performance and stretches the tax dollar. Interestingly, Maine is leading the nation in benefiting from education competition. The U.S. Supreme Court recently approved the Cleveland school choice program, which… Read More
Outrage over the revelations about corruption in corporate America is an equal opportunity emotion, apparently – so many public figures appear to have succumbed to it. But purely reactive measures, though perhaps better than nothing, leave too many people in the lurch. By the time a reluctant system… Read More
The news that the legislators will come back for a special session early in the fall is a call to action for those few of us who believe that the laptop issue requires serious public discussion. I am incited to say “few” because I have read very little… Read More
BANGOR – With only four eligible voters, Saturday’s caucus of the city’s Democratic Committee marked perhaps the smallest contested primary vote in history. When all was said and done, however, the committee tapped a well-known entity, former congressional candidate Sean Faircloth, to run for the… Read More
GREENVILLE – Two teen-agers from Bangor and Glenburn were rescued without injury Saturday afternoon after they became stuck midway up a steep cliff on Mount Kineo on the west side of Moosehead Lake. Members of the Outward Bound adventure club helped rescue the women, who… Read More
Visiting arts lovers may have a difficult time booking rooms in Bangor for the National Folk Festival weekend of Aug. 23-25 unless they do it soon. But a recent sampling of motels just outside the city shows few rooms have been booked for the event. Read More
DEXTER – Times may be tough economically, but that hasn’t deterred a group of people from helping a Dexter boy become an Eagle Scout. The Dexter region has shown an abundance of community spirit by donating supplies and offering free labor to help Kyle Wilson,… Read More
PEMBROKE – Charlie Sawyer has his eyes on the stars, and now the Pembroke man wants everyone to see the universe through his homemade telescope. Perched high atop a hill in this quiet neighborhood, Sawyer has set up a building with a slide-back roof and… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – Maine’s congressional delegation, officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Northern Maine Development Commission signed a memorandum of agreement on Saturday officially establishing the Aroostook County Empowerment Zone. Approved by the USDA in January, the Bush administration program could bring… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – The population of 3,500 people here quadruples each year as the town celebrates Maine’s largest cash crop, the potato. It was no different this year during the 55th annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival. People stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and finding a parking place during… Read More
ST. AGATHA – Twenty-nine years ago Ned Berce, a graduate of the University of Maine, worked as a banker in the Dexter area when his potato-growing father, Woody Berce, died of a heart attack. He returned home to Aroostook County and started farming with his… Read More
THE FORKS – A Mount Vernon man drowned Saturday after he and a friend were thrown from a rubber raft into the Kennebec River. William Morgan, 51, was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel at the accident scene, according to Sgt. Dan Menard of the… Read More
CORINNA – A New Hampshire man fell asleep at the wheel and struck three parked cars early Sunday, causing more than $20,000 in damage, officials said Sunday night. Matthew Yenny, 21, of Hudson, N.H., had been traveling south on Route 7 about 1 a.m. after… Read More
TREMONT – A local woman was in critical condition Sunday at a Bangor hospital after injury in a traffic accident last week. Winter Colby, 24, was riding in a friend’s pickup truck Thursday night in Bass Harbor when the rollover occurred, state police said. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
ORONO – Curious passers-by early Sunday may have saved the Church of Universal Fellowship from extensive water damage after hearing a suspicious sound and reporting it, officials said. The unidentified passers-by heard a loud whirring sound coming from the church just after 1 a.m. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
A Brewer man faces charges of aggravated cultivation of marijuana after police seized 10 marijuana plants from the woods behind his home next to the Washington Street School, police said Sunday. Police obtained a warrant to search 22-year-old Matt Spencer’s apartment and nearby property Friday… Read More
BANGOR – A Searsport woman died Saturday at a Bangor hospital as a result of an automobile accident last week during which she lost control of a sport utility vehicle that rolled at least three times on the North Searsport Road in Frankfort. April Stevens,… Read More
PITTSFIELD – A federal appeals court in Boston issued a decision Friday in an appeal brought by the parents of Zach Logiodice of Pittsfield who was suspended for 17 days in January 2000 for cursing a teacher at Maine Central Institute State guidelines restrict such… Read More
BINGHAM – The days of employees and patients squeezing by one another in the cramped quarters of the Bingham Area Health Center will soon be over. Groundbreaking for a new half-million-dollar facility, to be constructed at the old railroad yard about a half-mile south of… Read More
ST. ANDREWS, New Brunswick – The foursome that has been kayaking the ocean as part of the Gulf of Maine Expedition is scheduled to arrive in this seaside community Tuesday. The Gulf of Maine Expedition is a 1,600-mile sea-kayaking journey to raise awareness about the… Read More
PRINCETON – The St. Croix Regional Family Health Care Center will receive a $110,000 grant to improve mental health and substance abuse services for low-income residents. The grant, part of President Bush’s multiyear plan to add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites over five… Read More
COLUMBIA – Coastal Furniture Gallery will hold an open house to honor local artist Pat Sharp from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Four Corners Shopping Center. Sharp has spent 35 years painting commissioned work from Montreal to Miami. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
MACHIAS – A discussion of eastern North American history will be held 7 p.m. Monday, July 29, at the University of Maine at Machias in Room 6 of Torrey Hall. Dane Hartgrove of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., will lead the discussion and show… Read More
JONESPORT – Officers were elected at the annual Jonesport High School and Jonesport-Beals High School Alumni Association banquet and business meeting earlier this month. Leigh Woodward was elected president; Majel Beal, vice president; and Frances Carver, secretary and treasurer. Julie Ferris, Raelea Merchant, Bobbi-Jo Smith,… Read More
ADDISON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 11553 received three awards, including a plaque commemorating the most volunteer man-hours of community service, during the recent 82nd state convention. Members donated more than 6,500 man-hours in community projects, including 4,000 in building a Faith Methodist… Read More
OWLS HEAD – A restored 19th century firetruck will be presented to representatives of the New York City Fire Department at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The truck, restored by Andy Swift of Firefly Restorations in Hope and Ken… Read More
ROCKLAND – The Maritime Challenge Foundation will begin its second season of sailing programs for people with physical disabilities or cancer Friday. The programs Discover the Sea and Sail for Hope will run through September. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
BANGOR – The state court system in Maine has a revamped Web site that is user-friendly, according to an official who helped create it. The site was retooled about five weeks ago to improve access and increase information about courts in Maine, according to Ted… Read More
ALFRED – A New Hampshire woman involved in a crash that killed her sister and another passenger has been sentenced to jail for manslaughter and drunken driving. Adrienne Emery, 20, of Dover, N.H., changed her plea to guilty in York County Superior Court. She also… Read More
BATH – A former construction worker has been indicted on a murder charge in the slaying of a 16-year-old Brunswick girl whose body was found in woods behind his mother’s home in Bowdoin. Olland Reese, 19, faces arraignment Friday in Sagadahoc County Superior Court in… Read More
CANTON – Ah, the sights of summer camp. Towering green pines surround a clear, cool lake. A girl relaxes by dipping her feet from the dock … and listening to a portable CD player? It may not be how you remember summer camp. But for… Read More
WASHINGTON – About 200 workers laid off earlier this month by Great Northern Paper in Millinocket will be eligible for federal retraining assistance, members of Maine’s congressional delegation announced. U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. John Baldacci contacted the U.S. Department… Read More
LAGRANGE – An all-terrain vehicle accident Friday night on the Decker Road in LaGrange resulted in serious injury to the driver. Warden Paul Farrington of the Maine Warden Service said Scott Lower, 23, of Worcester, Mass., was riding an ATV about 8 p.m. and was… Read More
BOOTHBAY HARBOR – A 46-foot commercial fishing boat hit a ledge and sank early Sunday in 100 feet of water, but the two people aboard were rescued, the Coast Guard said. The Aaron and Sarah was returning to its home port in Boothbay when it… Read More
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved nearly $4 million in grants for economic and community development projects in Bangor, Lewiston and Auburn. Bangor will get $1,292,000 in Community Development Block Grant money for housing rehabilitation and to expand employment… Read More
OWLS HEAD – Knox County will receive a $1.12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve runways at Knox County Regional Airport. The project is funded under the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport improvement program, and Knox County airport officials will use the… Read More
CAMDEN – The Mid-Coast Regional Planning Commission will offer a presentation dealing with subdivision rules, zoning regulations, “smart” growth projects and other planning basics at the Camden Opera House. The session is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
CAMDEN – Three people were injured Saturday in a three-car collision on Elm Street. Kathy Wood, 51, of Union, who had an infant passenger in her vehicle, had stopped her vehicle at 1:40 p.m. to make a left-hand turn from Elm Street onto Autumn Avenue… Read More
SEARSPORT – A discussion on the wreck of the World War II German sailing vessel the Seeadler will be presented at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, at the Penobscot Marine Museum on Route 1. K.C. Heyniger, waterfront coordinator at the Atlantic Challenge Foundation, will present… Read More
ROCKLAND – A campaign kickoff party for Democrat Stefan Pakulski will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at Second Read Books and Coffee, 328 Main St. Pakulski, a Rockland resident, is running for the state Senate District 12. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
ROCKLAND – Knox Greens will hold their next meeting, dealing with water conservation and the Route 1 widening, at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Rockland Recreational Center. For information, call Tim Sullivan at 236-0732 or visit maine.greens.org/knox. Read More
READFIELD – Loon counters were out in force this weekend in Maine, as more than 700 volunteers took to the state’s lakes and ponds listening for loon calls and looking for signs of one of the oldest bird species in North America. The 19th annual… Read More
AUGUSTA – A report by Kennebec County Sheriff Everett Flannery said there was no negligence by his staff in the April 8 suicide of an inmate at the county jail. An Augusta police report had concluded that the death of 24-year-old Jason Rozell of Whitefield,… Read More
BANGOR – Three public forums will be held at City Hall on Thursday, July 25, and on July 30, regarding the delivery of mental health services to people in northern Maine. Specifically, the forums are designed to elicit public feedback to four position papers developed… Read More
What exciting news Janice Charette, auxiliary president of the Sherman Veterans of Foreign Wars, had to tell me late last week when I called to check in with her on the continuing events of Veterans Week 2002, which is being celebrated through Friday at Katahdin Elementary School on… Read More
GORHAM – Town councilors are seeking more information about a proposed 8.2-mile toll road that would link Gorham village to South Portland’s Maine Mall area and the Maine Turnpike. The limited-access road is seen as a way to provide relief for thousands of residents who… Read More
ROCKLAND – Drawing a record crowd, the North Atlantic Blues Festival rocked into the early evening Sunday with legendary guitarist Bo Diddley playing beyond the usual closing time. He was still on at 6 p.m. because a half-dozen other bands had all performed a little… Read More
AUGUSTA – A Chelsea woman who claimed she was discriminated against because of a physical disability has lost her lawsuit against the state. Cathy Doyle, 42, claimed she was demoted for a physical disability that caused her to need frequent bathroom breaks. The state argued… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – For the first time since the Daytona 500, nothing went wrong for Ward Burton. Burton, stuck in a miserable slump since winning the season-opening race, found a groove to drive in, avoided all the accidents caused by a hazardous racing surface and… Read More
BREWER – All summer long, whenever Brewer’s American Legion baseball team is mentioned, it’s almost always done with the word “offense” in the same breath. That’s understandable, given Brewer’s gaudy scoring average of 11 runs per game, but the Falcons would like people to know… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Tom Carey Jr. was hoping for better. But an accident on lap 166 ended the afternoon for the Craftsman Truck Series driver in the New England 200 Saturday. He was running in the top 15 at the time. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Winston Cup points leader Sterling Marlin probably won’t be receiving a Christmas card from Newburgh’s Ricky Craven this year. Craven, who has struggled in his Winston Cup races at the New Hampshire International Speedway, appeared to be headed for a respectable finish… Read More
Brewer’s American Legion baseball team will hold its first Brewer Falcons Home Run Derby at Bucksport High School’s field Monday at 4 p.m. The team fundraiser offers prizes including a $100 gift certificate for participants paying $10 for 10 outs. The highest home run totals will earn prizes. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A team of Maine high school basketball stars fared well over the weekend, winning all four of its games at the 17-and-under U.S. Junior Nationals. The Maine Northstars won their four games by an average of 15 points and can automatically qualify… Read More
FORT KENT – Former University of Maine at Fort Kent shooting guard Morris Young has signed a contract to play professional basketball with the Derbyshire Torlane Arrows in the United Kingdom. Young, a Michigan native who came to Fort Kent from Detroit, averaged 15 points,… Read More
GREATER BANGOR OPEN Pro-Am starting times 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… Read More
HOLE-IN-ONE Stu Wight 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 concluded the regular season in American Legion Zone 1 Sunday with the best record, 21-1, which also earned it the top seed in the South Division. Also earning playoff spots for the baseball tourney from the South were Trenton and Waldo-Knox, both with 14-8 records. Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Trenton Acadians rallied past the Calais Suns 11-10 in an American Legion baseball game Sunday. Jonathan Dow reached base on a fielder’s choice bunt, moved to second on another fielder’s choice, and scored the game-winning run on an infield error on Mark… Read More
BANGOR – Lacey Littlefield tossed a two-hitter, striking out 13 and walking two, as Hampden posted a 6-1 win over South Portland American in the Little League Softball state tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds on Sunday. Hampden also received a fine pitching effort from Michelle Wells in a… Read More
HERMON – While the regular racing divisions at Speedway 95 enjoyed a weekend off, the Wednesday night crews headed to the track to put on a Fan Appreciation show. Lewis Batchelder of Milo survived six red-flag race stoppages to win the 50-lap little enduro feature. Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – On a day of frustration for the Maine drivers on the Busch North circuit, Center Harbor, N.H., native Brad Leighton continued his dominance on New Hampshire International Speedway’s “Magic Mile.” Leighton passed pole-sitter Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., on lap 81 in… Read More
The new executive director of the Arcady Music Festival is spending a lot of time on the phone seeing to last-minute details. That’s what Patricia Ciraulo expected the week before the opening of the 2002 season would be like when she started the job in… Read More
PILOTS: THE WORLD OF PILOTAGE UNDER SAIL AND OAR, Pilot Schooners of North America and Great Britain, editor and principal author, Tom Cunliffe, WoodenBoat Publications, Brooklin, Maine, 2001, $69.95. Make certain your coffee table is in good order before you add this book to its… Read More
Check out the public genealogy conference to be held Saturday, Aug. 10, at Williams Junior High School in Oakland, sponsored by Silence Howard Hayden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with vendors on site from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Read More
In theaters K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, written by Christopher Kyle, 138 minutes, rated PG-13. 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++) {… Read More
ROCKLAND – Maine authors and illustrators of children’s books will visit with children, read from their works, discuss illustrations and sign books at the Children’s Literature Festival to be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11 on the Farnsworth Art Museum lawn. This community festival is… Read More