PORTLAND – It has been several decades since a senator from Maine served as chairman of a standing committee. Now Maine is getting two of them. Sen. Olympia Snowe announced Friday that she’ll serve as chairwoman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Sen. Read More
BANGOR – A Fryeburg man who pleaded guilty to murdering a Bangor taxi driver was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday in Penobscot County Superior Court. Carl Wayne Heath, 21, was also sentenced by Justice Roland Cole to two years each, all suspended, on… Read More
Kermit the Frog’s famous lament aside, last week’s elections would suggest that, in Maine anyway, being Green is getting easier. Maine’s Green Party, which during its 18-year history has struggled to shed its fringe status, is lauding its first-ever success in a state legislative race… Read More
It’s 10 o’clock in the morning, and Karen Baldacci is right at home in her kindergarten class at Fruit Street School in Bangor. It’s snack time, and 19 children are sucking on juice and talking with their neighbors at tables that aren’t even as tall as an adult’s… Read More
To the people or person who stabbed several cows in Norridgewock; this is when I wish we were back in the old days so you could be hung on a tree. Until Maine decides to really punish people who abuse these poor, innocent animals, these horrible stories will… Read More
In a dismal end of eight years as governor, Angus King will go through his budget once again, this time looking for another $40 million or $50 million in savings to match an expected shortfall in the current budget. It is, of course, not what he hoped to… Read More
The value of the announced gift to Maine last week from Electronic Data Systems, putting aside the enormous price tag for a moment, is that it takes the Maine Learning Technology Initiative far beyond the laptop program by which it is known. The gift greatly expands opportunities for… Read More
I wonder how much money this asinine [Michel Jalbert] case has cost U.S. taxpayers. If the border was so close, why didn’t they just tell him to go home? And people wonder why other countries hate America. I am a veteran with more than eight… Read More
Maine has spoken for a wild Allagash. When it comes to discussions about the protection of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, there are those who would like others to believe the people of northern Maine have not been heard. That is not the case. In 1966, by a two-thirds… Read More
There’s a good reason why [coyote] neck snares have been banned in most other state – they are horrendously cruel and cause prolonged suffering for any animal caught in one. Gandhi said that moral progress of a nation can be judged by how it treats… Read More
The great American feminist, Susan B. Anthony, wrote concerning abortion, “Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will… Read More
In an Oct. 15 editorial the Bangor Daily News rightfully endorsed three of the four recommendations called for in a recent energy report issued by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Mainewatch Institute. Your rejection of the… Read More
The Other Voices editorial republished in the Bangor Daily News on Oct. 26-27, denouncing student tobacco testing, claims those tests are “absurd” and “a violation of their civil rights.” This came from the heart of the tobacco belt, and was only pro-drug tobacco industry propaganda. The simple testing… Read More
I have been following the exchange regarding the Maine Office of Tourism advertising contract with more than a little interest. Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar. My company has a division that specializes in marketing research for the tourism industry. We are one of… Read More
The last thing a normal person should ever want to do is give any bright ideas to losing politicians. Which is why one can only hope that the pols who came up short on Election Day have not read a couple of subsequent news stories that ran in… Read More
When you heard that the Texas computer-services giant EDS gave the Maine Learning Technology Initiative – Gov. King’s famous laptop program and all its lesser-known siblings – $400 million worth of software, did you: (A) break into a happy dance at the breathtaking (the governor’s word) generosity of… Read More
BANGOR – PanAm Airlines will temporarily suspend direct jet service from Bangor International Airport to Florida’s Orlando Sanford International Airport for a few weeks this winter, but airport officials emphasize that travelers will enjoy better service and more choices when flights resume. “These are positive… Read More
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge has ordered UnumProvident Corp. to clean up its business practices after concluding the nation’s largest disability insurer abused its policyholders in a scheme to boost its profits. U.S. Magistrate Judge James Larson ordered Chattanooga, Tenn.-based UnumProvident to “obey the… Read More
OLD TOWN – Members of a papermakers union at the Georgia-Pacific mill could vote to strike as early as Monday. A federal mediator from Portland was called in to act as an outside third party and assist in negotiations between G-P’s management and members of… Read More
Equipped with an outgoing personality and a working knowledge of the burdens faced by small businesses, Roxanna Adams has found a niche as chairwoman of the New England Regulatory Fairness Board. Adams’ volunteer position on the RegFair Board lets her work with businesses that feel… Read More
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc. successfully bid at auction Friday to control 18 former Ames stores for $75.5 million. “This purchase further strengthens Shaw’s position as the second largest food retailer in New England,” Shaw’s president and chief executive Paul Gannon said. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – An insurance workshop for small-business owners will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Penquis Community Action Program, 262 Harlow St. Rob Weymouth of the National Association for the Self-Employed will discuss health insurance considerations for the small-business owner;… Read More
VERONA – Extensive corrosion in the main cables on the Waldo-Hancock Bridge could force the state Department of Transportation to replace the 71-year-old structure instead of continuing the current $25 million rehabilitation project. Replacement cost for the bridge was estimated at $60 million. “That’s a… Read More
NEWPORT – A Connecticut man who had fled that state after being convicted of attempted murder was apprehended at a local apartment building Friday morning thanks to the efforts of several police agencies. Brian Moore, 31, was arrested without incident by members of the Maine… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Maine Maritime Academy, the state’s premier college for maritime education, is being sued by a former employee who claims substandard working conditions at the Castine school have caused him physical harm. Donald Bradford of Penobscot, who was captain of the school’s research vessel… Read More
As the interpreter for Michel Jalbert, the Quebec man who was arrested Oct. 11 for allegedly entering the United States illegally to buy gas after a bird hunting trip, Yvon Labbe was prohibited from talking publicly about the high-profile case as it played out in federal court in… Read More
CARIBOU – Sherry Izaguirre wept, the tears running down her cheeks Friday afternoon in the lobby of Peoples Heritage Bank, as she was handed a $5,900 check from a relief fund started shortly after 14 foreign workers were killed in a woods accident in the Allagash on Sept. Read More
BLAINE – Flying a plane is one thing. Setting a world record is another. For Walter Mosher, the two just seem to go together. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A proposed plan for redeveloping the waterfront, including the formation of a municipal development corporation, has been drafted and is expected to be presented to the City Council next week. The document has been compiled from data and ideas that were brought up… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The Pine Tree United Methodist Churches of Bucksport and Orland will hold a benefit breakfast buffet, 6:30-10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Franklin Street United Methodist Church. Proceeds from the breakfast will be donated to the Bucksport Community Concerns Christmas Program to… Read More
WASHINGTON – The federal Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, has awarded a $149,447 grant to the Maine State Police to buy 30 in-car video cameras. Since 1995, Maine has received over $29 million in COPS grants to hire more… Read More
BELFAST – A man wanted by probation authorities for an offense in the Waterville area was taken into custody Friday by police and charged with terrorizing. Belfast Police Chief Allen Weaver said Jason Grant, 23, called Windi St. Thomas, 23, of Belfast at her home… Read More
ROCKLAND – The Knights of Columbus will hold a spaghetti supper Thursday, Nov. 21 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church on Broadway. The dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and will cost adults $5; children age 5 to 16, $3; and children under 5, free. Read More
ROCKLAND – Two property owners have filed a lawsuit against the town of Owls Head, asking that a zoning board of appeals decision regarding a variance for their property be overturned. Suzanne Benson and Eric Sloatman have a recreational vehicle on their land at 8… Read More
MONSON – A Monson family that embraces environmentally friendly practices and activities at their cross-county ski trail business has been recognized with a national award. John and Sue Chase, owners of A Fierce Chase Cross Country Ski Trails, were selected for the Eco-Active Award among… Read More
DEXTER – A modified proposal for the purchase of town-owned shorefront on Lake Wassookeag will be discussed by the Town Council next month. Stanley Russell of Dexter had asked to purchase the Frye Cove property earlier this fall so he could develop a marina with… Read More
HOULTON – There’s something new on the desks of pupils in SAD 29: bottled water. Two weeks ago the district began offering bottled water to 750 pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade pupils and 115 staff members at schools in Houlton and Monticello. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – Twenty men and women, and a dog, were honored Thursday by the Pine Tree Chapter, Aroostook County Branch of the American Red Cross during the fifth annual Real Heroes Awards breakfast. “We want to recognize those individuals in The County who’ve gone… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Fire Department will hold its 97th annual Thanksgiving Ball from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Music for the evening will be provided by Night Shift. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
UNITY – Longtime Bangor elementary school principal Daniel Lee was chosen to fill the superintendent post at SAD 3. Lee, 49, has been principal at the Fruit Street School in Bangor for more than 15 years, and before that, at the city’s Fifth Street School. Read More
ORONO – The Page Farm and Home Museum will offer wreath-making workshops from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 5. Claire Ackroyd will lead both sessions. Space is limited to 20 people per evening. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
BANGOR – Anyone who noticed a group of loud jet fighters flying over the city Friday were witnessing members of the Royal Air Force from England headed home. The RAF planes had taken part in joint exercises with U.S. military forces and stopped at Bangor’s… Read More
Central High School, Corinth First 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
An argument among several men in Old Town this week escalated into pushing and ended with one of the men getting into a car and hitting one of his adversaries with it before driving off, according to police. Ricky Scott Emery, 23, was summoned on… Read More
NORTHPORT – Gather a group of adults in a room and ask them to define leadership, and you might see some head scratching. But a group of students from high schools and middle schools who met on Friday to answer that question – and more… Read More
BANGOR – The Penquis Community Action Program is offering three hours of training in “Starting Your Core Knowledge Portfolio” for child care professionals 6-9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, at Penquis CAP offices in Bangor, Dover-Foxcroft and Lincoln. Dover-Foxcroft and Lincoln are videoconferencing sites. This training… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT- Local police confirmed this week that they removed three ponies from a Dover-Foxcroft home after a complaint was lodged about the condition of the animals. The removal came after a colt at the Roy and Alyce Gray home on Route 15 died last week. Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund board members on Friday approved the $56,977 needed for the purchase of a new multijurisdictional patrol boat for Moosehead Lake. The board voted 7-0 to award the funds to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to purchase a… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of Commerce is seeking parade floats from businesses and organizations for the annual Lighted Christmas Parade at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, in Dover-Foxcroft. The parade, which will travel from the Morton Avenue Elementary School to Merrick Square,… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Mayo Regional Hospital Auxiliary will hold a pre-Thanksgiving baked food sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Heart of Maine Cafe. Pies, cookies, bars, and sweet breads will be available. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
MEDDYBEMPS – The new owner of more than 4,700 acres on the Dennys River shouldn’t make changes to the property, according to area residents who attended public meetings on the purchase. Thursday’s sessions at the Meddybemps Community Center were sponsored by the Maine Atlantic Salmon… Read More
Although many businesses throughout Maine already have donated to the 16th annual PICA auction, which will take place 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at College Center, University College, 201 Texas Ave., Bangor, contributions to PICA’s major fund-raiser of the year are still welcome. Deborah Brown… Read More
PORTLAND – The opening of new lanes on more than six miles of the Maine Turnpike ends the third year of the toll road’s $135 million widening project. The five-year project is on time and slightly under budget, said turnpike spokesman Dan Paradee. The project… Read More
PORTLAND – The Maine Hospice Council is sponsoring a seminar and social on Saturday to raise money for the Maine Center for End of Life Care. “Giving Neurological Disorders Their Due” features Dr. Susan LeGrand, the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Hospice. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
LEWISTON – A preacher who led a group in shredding copies of Harry Potter books on the eve of the release of the movie “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” had to deal with a contingent of counterprotesters. “I feel like I’m in a… Read More
PORTLAND – After nearly five years of work, James Coleman’s feature-length documentary on Mount Katahdin will premiere this weekend. The Portland filmmaker hoped to create a film that would convey the mountain’s powerful hold on people, and its role as a symbol of spiritual and… Read More
PORTLAND – Some people are questioning a new rule that would keep menorahs, Nativity scenes and other religious displays out of the City Hall plaza. The rule issued by City Manager Joseph Gray last month allows Christmas trees, but other displays would be limited to… Read More
GRAY – Who can be against civility? It turns out that a number of residents are against it, at least as envisioned by the Town Council. The critics are complaining that the council’s vote to establish new rules of “civility” during town meetings infringes on their freedom of… Read More
PORTLAND – Nursing home administrators in Maine are reacting warily to a new Web site containing government data collected from all of the nation’s 17,000 nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. The site, which went online this week, contains information about 121 facilities… Read More
PORTLAND – A William Faulkner letter that was purchased over the Internet last month for $1,200 by a Portland collector turned out to have been stolen from Southeast Missouri State University. To Seth Berner, the short, typewritten note was a remarkable find: One of America’s… Read More
BANGOR – The pulpit was Catholic. The altar was Lutheran. The minister was an Assemblies of God preacher. And the building belonged to the Odd Fellows. Hope Lutheran Church on outer Union Street is joyfully furnishing its newly acquired home with castoffs in a secondhand… Read More
BREWER – Given the circumstances, the Maine Heat will take it. The defending champions of the World Team Candlepin Bowling Championships won the Holiday Inn Division of the tourney Friday at the Bangor-Brewer Lanes and received a two-round bye into today’s semifinals. But this wasn’t… Read More
HAMPDEN – It was an emotional moment as Mike Bordick tossed out the first pitch in Bordick Park Friday night on Mike Bordick Day with his father, Mike Bordick Sr., working behind the plate as umpire. The moment was heightened only by father ejecting son… Read More
RICHMOND, Va. – There’s little margin for error this weekend for the University of Maine football team. The 11th-ranked Black Bears resume their quest for the Atlantic 10 championship and an NCAA postseason berth today with a pivotal 1 p.m. league game at Richmond’s UR… Read More
As a fledgling member of the GPS-toting horde, it didn’t take me long to figure out that owning a device that can pinpoint my position on the globe is a pretty cool thing. In Maine, it’s common knowledge that knowing where you’re at is pretty… Read More
BOSTON – University of Maine hockey coach Tim Whitehead and his staff decided to change the personnel on all four lines in practice this week in order to prevent them from becoming stale. It worked beyond their wildest dreams. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The Maine Soccer Coaches Association senior all-star game scheduled for Sunday at Point Lookout in Northport has been canceled due to weather considerations. The game will not be rescheduled. Read More
HIGH SCHOOL All-East and All-West soccer teams for boys and girls as voted on by the Maine Soccer Coaches Association: 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
MINNEAPOLIS – Catcher Javier Valentin and former Bangor High School star right-hander Matt Kinney were traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday for righthanders Gerard Oakes and Matt Yeatman. Kinney, 25, was 2-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 12 starts and… Read More
LYNDONVILLE, Vt. – Led by Sunrise Conference Player of the Year Megan Woodcock’s two goals, the No. 3 University of Maine-Farmington women’s soccer team advanced to the NAIA Region 10 championship Friday with a 2-0 win over No. 2 Green Mountain College. First team all-conference… Read More
MEN’S HOCKEY MAINE VS. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 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… Read More
“A nation behaves well if the natural resources and assets which one generation turns over to the next are increased and not impaired in value.” – Teddy Roosevelt There’s something really disruptive about a Monday holiday, especially if you work on Sunday. The calendar says… Read More
Whitetail deer are the most sought big-game quarry in the United States. Hunting tactics, favorite firearms and loads, dependable terrain and cover, and most productive time of year vary greatly by region and personal preference of the sportsman. However, a few factors remain fairly constant no matter what… Read More
Though it hasn’t been detected in Maine, Chronic Wasting Disease is a hot topic among the state’s deer hunters, and has made some sportsmen leery. While state officials say no evidence of CWD has been found in Maine’s deer herd, the Department of Inland Fisheries… Read More
The day was cool and overcast, with strong, gusty winds. The rain predicted for the day seemed imminent. Yet not one member of our group regretted coming out to Acadia National Park on Isle au Haut; we were there to spot harlequin ducks and assist biologist Glen Mittelhauser… Read More
Charles “Chuck” Berry can’t figure out why his Japanese customers want to buy old cameras and discarded coffeepots. Not only will they pay $40 for a discarded Polaroid Land Camera, but they will gleefully pony up the shipping costs for the around-the-world trip. What do… Read More
It’s good to be king. Last week, a complaint in this column about the popular HBO masterpiece “The Sopranos” and its weakness in dealing with persistent, smirking villain Ralphie Cifaretto brought almost instant response. On Sunday night, Ralphie was not only choked to death by… Read More
“I of the Eye,” through Dec. 28 at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, 26 Russell Ave., Rockport. Museum curators make their living looking at art and deciding what others get to see. But what of their own art – their own passion? Where does… Read More
The first light snow fell on the shade cloth covering our garden pergola. The thin fabric sagged beneath the weight of the wet slurry, reminding me of yet another garden task overlooked and uncompleted before winter weather hurried in. But we who procrastinate were granted a reprieve of… Read More