Special Report Part Four Although it was the target of some rather uninspired graffiti artists the night before, one still could make out the name “Marnell Corrao Associates” on a temporary sign in front of a massive construction site on Las Vegas’ famous strip. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
AUGUSTA – The powerful Maine Education Association is balking at a key provision of Gov. John E. Baldacci’s health care reform plan. MEA Executive Director Mark Gray said Tuesday there’s no way to prevent insurance companies from raising premiums in response to a proposed 4… Read More
AUGUSTA – Public health interests prevailed over warnings that personal freedoms are being eroded as the Maine House gave its final approval to a bill to ban smoking in bars and taverns. Representatives’ 95-47 vote sent the measure to the Senate and put Maine a… Read More
AUGUSTA – Legislation limiting school employee criminal background checks to only new hires won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday by a narrow 18-16 vote. Despite the victory, supporters reluctantly conceded they did not have the votes needed to override a promised veto of the bill by… Read More
The name of Melanie Bernard of Bangor was inadvertently omitted from the May 28 announcement of the honor parts for the Class of 2003 at Penobscot Valley High School. She is the mother of valedictorian Edward Bernard. Read More
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe has introduced legislation she says would restore a quick refund of the child tax credit, which was struck from President Bush’s tax cut package that was passed last month. Snowe, R-Maine. who introduced the bill Monday with… Read More
VICTORIA, British Columbia – British Columbia will review a court ruling that ordered the closure and cleanup of some Atlantic salmon farms in Maine, officials said Monday. The Vancouver-based David Suzuki Foundation said the U.S. federal court ruling is further evidence that open-net fish farms… Read More
BIDDEFORD – The bankruptcy filing by WestPoint Stevens Inc. should have no impact on the company’s operations and should not result in any layoffs, a company spokeswoman said. WestPoint Stevens Inc., owner of the WestPoint mill on Main Street, filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors… Read More
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Phoenix Footwear Group Inc. shareholders have approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of the company’s common stock from 6 million to 50 million. The approval will enable Phoenix Footwear to initiate the 2-for-1 split of the common stock, which was previously approved… Read More
Clark Cail, car salesperson, two dependents, Vassalboro: assets, $2,700; debts, $1,703,920. Becky Laperriere, clerk, no dependents, Corinna: assets, $12,800; debts, $16,912. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
BANGOR – The University of Southern Maine, in cooperation with Eastern Maine Development Corp., will present a satellite telecast titled “Three Rural Economic Strategies” at 3 p.m. today in Bangor Hall on the University College of Bangor campus. David A. Sampson, the assistant secretary of… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Finance Authority of Maine has released an information guide on venture capital. The guide, “Financing Bright Ideas: A Primer on Venture Capital in Maine,” provides facts on what venture capital is, how to get it and what it does for Maine’s economy,… Read More
On June 10, voters will go to the polls to support a $60 million bond issue that will stimulate economic growth and job creation through investments in research and development, municipal infrastructure and facilities. The bond will be matched by approximately $134,150,000 in federal and… Read More
We are all concerned about acts of terrorism and the means of preventing them. The USA Patriot Act, passed shortly after Sept. 11, is supposed to address this issue. While this act was written to protect us, it creates a dilemma by giving power to the government to… Read More
On May 16 in East Winn,I attended the graveside service of a fallen comrade. The honor guard in attendance was from the 101st Air National Guard in Bangor. Being a U.S. Air Force retired Vietnam veteran, I could not have been more proud of such an exceptional ceremony. Read More
Pastor Vince Hartford (BDN letter, May 22) claims, “Christianity cannot be forced on anyone, via the throat or otherwise.” Has the pastor ever heard of the Spanish Inquisition, where between 9 million and 16 million people died rather than convert? The most horrible forms of… Read More
I once worked for a nonprofit agency. This agency was funded by the federal and state government, so my experience with budget cuts and shortfalls occurred often. I’ve watched programs run out of money and others just end because a grant was not approved. It’s… Read More
Lawmakers are now realizing that in their haste to hand President Bush a tax cut package last month, they overlooked some important details in the tax cutting plan. An important oversight was not extending the increased child tax credit to minimum wage families. That means that more than… Read More
A decade ago, a “throw the bums out” mentality swept Augusta. Fed up with scandals and entrenched leadership, voters approved limits on the amount of time lawmakers could serve in the State House. The bums left, some only temporarily, but problems persist. Now, instead of leadership that stays… Read More
Meka didn’t have to die. At least, not yet. Granted, she was old – a dog of nearly 15 years. Not bad for a chow. Yes, her health was beginning to fail. She was nearly deaf, and had a problem with cataracts. Still, she was a good old… Read More
SEATTLE – A lawsuit against the Maine-based manufacturer of the rifle used in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper killings and the Tacoma, Wash., gun shop that stocked the weapon could be broadened to include more victims and their families, attorneys said Tuesday. Seven more victims or… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci signed a pair of bills aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, an important element of the larger issue of health care, while two others were on his desk Tuesday awaiting action. A bill signed Monday will require pharmacies to disclose… Read More
TRESCOTT – A burst beaver dam early Tuesday morning washed out part of the main artery to the coastal town of Lubec, forcing drivers to travel 35 miles out of their way to reach the community. Heavy weekend rains may have caused the beaver dam… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – Town residents are mad as hell and they’re not going to take the drug dealers anymore – at least not without putting up a good fight. Frustrated by what they consider an inadequate and feeble enforcement effort by town and state police,… Read More
LIMESTONE – The military version of a Humvee isn’t hard to distinguish with its huge size, large, all-terrain tires and its military camouflage color. Police in Aroostook County are looking for one taken from a fenced-in enclosure at the Maine Army National Guard Readiness Sustainment… Read More
BANGOR – A tentative compromise has been struck regarding a dispute over release forms the state Attorney General’s Office requested as part of its probe into the Nevada developer who wants to build a $30 million racetrack-casino at Bass Park. At issue was whether Shawn… Read More
Maine legislators today approved the nation’s first ban on the sale of wood treated with arsenic, despite strong opposition from the lumber industry. “This is a significant action for the protection of children’s health,” said Michael Belliveau of the Environmental Health Strategy Center in Bangor. Read More
HAMPDEN – A pupil confessed Tuesday morning to writing the bomb threat that led to the evacuation of Reeds Brook Middle School on Monday. Police would not release the pupil’s name Tuesday afternoon. Pupils and faculty were evacuated to Weatherbee Elementary School on Monday afternoon,… Read More
BANGOR – Three hundred and ninety Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. customers in downtown Bangor were without power for nearly an hour Tuesday morning. At 9:22 a.m. stores, apartments and traffic lights lost power until 10:12 p.m., when workers were able to fix the problem. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR – The latest effort in the ongoing revival of downtown Bangor, a new museum which now contains an exhibit of the city’s multicultural history, was inaugurated Tuesday by Maine’s governor. Gov. John Baldacci previewed the new Bangor Museum and Center for History, which will… Read More
LEVANT – A Levant man, who totaled his car after driving it off the road Tuesday morning, was taken to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment and released. Eric Lane, 27, was driving his 1995 Subaru Impreza east toward Bangor on Union Street at about 10:45… Read More
GREENVILLE – There was much discussion and plenty of failed attempts to reduce the proposed municipal budget during the annual town meeting held Monday and Tuesday evenings. Residents ultimately approved both the municipal and schools budgets as proposed and agreed to borrow up to $75,000… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer City Council on Tuesday passed a no-tax-increase municipal budget for the 2004 fiscal year, praising city staff and City Manager Steve Bost for work that allows basic services to continue and developmental expansion to flourish without Brewer taxpayers bearing the burden. Read More
ORONO – The finance committee Tuesday night considered a 25,000-square-foot garage in Old Town owned by Georgia-Pacific as a possible site for a new public works facility. The town has outgrown the current site and is in need of more room to construct a sand… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A Bass Harbor man accused of passing bad checks was indicted Tuesday by a Hancock County grand jury. Leon Jacobs, 29, is accused of writing bad checks worth approximately $4,000 to two Ellsworth area businesses. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BELFAST – The case of the catnapped kitty has been solved by local police, and the valuable kitten, taken Friday from a local pet store, has been returned. The 9-week-old Himalayan Blue Point kitten, valued at $350, was taken from the Family Pet Center on… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Four Penobscot County residents accused of trying to steal a computer in broad daylight from an Ellsworth business were indicted Tuesday on multiple charges by a Hancock County grand jury. Glenburn residents Sherry Bedard, 29, and Kirk DePhilippo, 40, and Bangor residents Terri… Read More
ROCKPORT – All 3,200 residents may live – officially – in one town, but Rockport really is five distinct villages: the harbor area, Rockville, Glen Cove, Simonton Corner and West Rockport. And they have a host of concerns. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
ROCKPORT – The cost of keeping students and staff safe at Camden Hills Regional High School in the wake of two threats of violence is already more than $12,000. School officials and several law enforcement agencies are focused on finding the person responsible for writing… Read More
BELFAST – The City Council has completed work on its proposed $6.3 million budget and will present the document to the community next week at a public hearing. The $6,309,788 budget proposal represents an increase of 3 percent over last year’s figure. Although containing an… Read More
ROCKLAND – A two-vehicle accident Monday night near the industrial park injured four people when one car failed to stop at a stop sign. At 7 p.m. Monday, Michael McMahan, 34, of Rockland was driving north heading out of Gordon Drive from the industrial park… Read More
DES MOINES, Iowa – The director of Maine’s Medicaid program has been named to head the program in Iowa. Eugene I. Gessow has been director of the Bureau of Medical Services in Maine since October 2000. Iowa Department of Human Services Director Kevin Concannon, who… Read More
Machias to get new veterans care facility By Diana Graettinger 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
CARIBOU – An 86-year-old Caribou man was assaulted Sunday night by a masked intruder who also stole the man’s prescription drugs and some money. Police were continuing their investigation Tuesday morning. They had several suspects, according to Lt. Michael Gahagan of the Caribou Police Department,… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – City police charged two Presque Isle men Tuesday in connection with burglaries in April and May at a local business. Nicholas Robertson and Nicholas Hall, both 18, were each charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and two counts… Read More
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Orange lobster, anyone? Sanders Lobster Pound found five of the odd-colored crustaceans in a shipment last month. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Two burglaries to motor vehicles were reported on Blue Hill West Drive in Bangor on Monday night, following a half-dozen reported to police earlier in the day. . A case holding 100 CDs, valued at a total of $1,000, was stolen from a pickup truck… Read More
LINCOLN – Union workers at Eastern Paper’s Lincoln mill on Tuesday rejected pay concessions totaling about 16.5 percent of their incomes. Company officials said the cuts were needed to ease its financial crisis. By a vote of 234-68, Lincoln union workers rejected the proposal to… Read More
OLD TOWN – There’s no longer any cause for anxiety over Georgia-Pacific Corp. possibly pursuing revenue tax abatement, according to city officials. The issue has been settled and Old Town residents need not worry about a bill arriving in the mail from the mill. G-P… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Principal William Connors has announced the honor parts for the Class of 2003 at Ellsworth High School. Katherine Hessler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hessler of Ellsworth, has been named valedictorian for the Class of 2003. She will attend Bowdoin College. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PENOBSCOT – Voters accepted most of the budget cuts recommended by the school committee Tuesday night, but restored the funds needed to maintain three school bus runs for the coming year. The voters adopted a $1,431,914 budget during the continuation of the annual town meeting. Read More
FAIRFIELD – More than 50 years after leaving high school to serve in World War II, Richard Charity will graduate from high school together with his grandson and namesake, Richard Charity III. “I would have graduated in 1943, the year I got drafted,” the elder… Read More
CALAIS – Usually, students in the city’s high school and elementary school would still be in class this week. But they got an early summer break Tuesday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – More than a dozen rangers and volunteers, assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard, helped rescue a rock climber who fell 20 feet from Otter Cliffs on Tuesday, according to park and Coast Guard officials. Douglas Shilo, 18, of Wolfeboro, N.H., fell… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Next Step Violence Project of Hancock County is establishing a Safe Home for Pets project to serve the needs of those animals that have to leave a violent home. Domestic violence safe homes rarely have the resources to place pets, and many… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Coastal Acadia Development Corp. will hold its annual dinner meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at the White Birches. A brief progress report, including CADC strategies for economic development, will be made by Charles Davis and Richard Kelo, co-directors of CADC. The… Read More
Divorces granted recently in 2nd District Court in Houlton by Judge David Griffiths on grounds of irreconcilable differences: David A. Hanning of Monticello and Keri M. Hanning of Houlton, married Oct. 28, 1994, at Hopkinsville, Ky. Shared parental rights and responsibility for three children, primary… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – A retired Waterville police officer will not serve jail time for possessing child pornography but must undergo sex abuse counseling under a plea agreement. Roger Martin, 47, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty last week to one count of possession of sexually explicit materials. He… Read More
WATERVILLE – Nuns who watched a man kill two of their colleagues met Monday with state officials to discuss their fears about his expected release from an Augusta mental hospital for short, supervised outings. Mark Bechard, 44, was given permission last week to leave the… Read More
VAN BUREN – Motorists will be slowed this summer, but it’s all for the best as the town will have another section of its Main Street – U.S. Route 1 – reconstructed. The $1.8 million project is funded by the state and federal governments, except… Read More
HOULTON – A former elementary school secretary in SAD 29 pleaded guilty Tuesday in Aroostook County Superior Court to a charge of Class D theft for embezzling nearly $3,000 from the school where she worked. Judy Hughes, 44, of Houlton was fined $1,000 by Justice… Read More
According to Brewer City Manager Steve Bost, Deputy Mayor Michael Celli suggested that the City Council take a leadership position in helping 125 people affected by recent layoffs at Eastern Fine Paper. Celli told me that the public is being asked to bring “nonperishable food… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine is taking steps to increase security at the Witter Teaching and Research Farm after last week’s attack on a horse at the facility. Those steps will include new security cameras, completion of an electric fence around the farm perimeter and a new… Read More
At age 18, upholding your civic duty as a young adult, running for public office and maintaining a good credit rating are often some of the furthest thoughts from your mind. It’s much more important to drive a fast car with a sweet sound system, have a significant… Read More
BANGOR – Elation turned to disappointment Tuesday when the judge stayed a sentence that would have freed some Hampden fourth-graders from homework for the rest of the school year. Eugene Beaulieu, retired U.S. magistrate judge, along with his fellow Judges Sisco Montes and Jake Marsh,… Read More
HONOLULU – As Maine moves forward on implementing a plan aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for the poor and uninsured, a key Hawaii lawmaker is calling for island officials to do the same. Sen. Ron Menor, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce and… Read More
LEWISTON – Thirteen suspects from Lewiston and Auburn were arrested Tuesday on cocaine trafficking charges as part of an investigation linked to Maine’s first Mobile Enforcement Team of federal drug agents. Such teams are made up of agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who… Read More
PORTLAND – The plaintiff in Maine’s only active priest sexual abuse lawsuit has rejected a settlement offer from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, the diocese’s lawyer said Monday. The move paves the way for a trial in the fall and a subsequent showdown with… Read More
NORTHEAST HARBOR – Thousands of visitors will reach the summit of Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island this summer, but few will look at the stars from the top under the cover of a midnight sky. Fewer still, if anyone at all, will see the… Read More
FORT KENT – The University of Maine at Fort Kent Alumni Association will hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, in the Grindle Conference Room in Cyr Hall to vote on changes to the association’s organizational bylaws. At the regular annual meeting,… Read More
LIMESTONE – The Maine School of Science and Mathematics recently earned recognition at the 2003 National Physics Bowl. MSSM tied for the second-highest-scoring regional winner among first-year students. Team members included Sam Foss of Rockport, Giovanna Thron of Kittery Point, Corey White of Greene and… Read More
ORONO – The Women in the Curriculum and Women’s Studies program at the University of Maine is seeking nominations for its annual Maryann Harman Young Woman Social Justice Award. The award will recognize a young woman between the ages of 12 and 18 who has… Read More
TOPSHAM – A Durham man was killed and two people were injured in a head-on crash Tuesday on the section of Route 196 known as the Coastal Connector. Peter Perron, 38, was killed shortly before 8 a.m. when his sedan crossed the center line and… Read More
STANDISH – A 29-year-old Standish man was shot to death after confronting his former girlfriend and another man at a house, police said. Christopher Denis, who is from the Steep Falls area of Standish, was shot at about 11 p.m. Monday by Matthew Perry, 23, inside Perry’s home… Read More
BANGOR – A Veterans Service Officer from the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management will visit different towns in June to assist veterans, widows and dependent children in filing for state and federal benefits. The service officer will be available from 9 a.m. to noon at the… Read More
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has awarded $51,421 in federal grants to protect nesting waterbirds on Stratton Island, and to stabilize and enhance the habitation for Atlantic salmon in Maine. The grants are for: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
SEBAGO LAKE – State biologists are concerned that the predatory northern pike found this week in Maine’s second-largest lake will overwhelm native populations of salmon and trout. Biologists failed to find any more northern pike Tuesday as they used special gear designed to stun the… Read More
STONINGTON – A father-daughter artistic duo will team up tonight in Stonington for an art exhibit and performance protesting the Iraq war. Paintings by Robert Shetterly will be displayed at the G Watson Gallery and an excerpt from a work-in-progress directed by Caitlin Shetterly will… Read More
The AAA-List You don’t have to wait for your car to break down to enjoy a meal at one of AAA’s Four Diamond Award winning restaurants. The American Automobile Association of Northern New England has announced its Maine choices, which have set themselves apart for… Read More
As the week began, Joe Haroutunian was bittersweet as he looked ahead to today’s Eastern Maine team tennis championships. The 11th-year Sumner High School coach was excited to bring his top-seeded girls squad to the regional final for the third time in five years, but… Read More
BREWER – The ball had not left the infield, yet the Brewer High baseball team was poised for a big first inning, if only Kevin McAvoy could answer the call of the cleanup hitter. The bases were loaded with no one out, thanks to a… Read More
A man much wiser than me once told me that it’s great for a young person to have sports in their corner. Over the last several years, thousands of high school seniors like my son, Ryan, have also been fortunate to have several difference-makers in their corner. Read More
Mike Collar of Scarborough, a righthanded pitcher who just completed his junior season for the University of Maine baseball team, was drafted Tuesday by the Houston Astros in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball Draft. “It was more than I hoped for,” said… Read More
ORONO – The Bangor Lumberjacks are hoping one of these days their offense can come together with a good pitching performance. In previous games Bangor has relied on pitching when the offense has struggled. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
ORONO – University of Maine fans will now be able to purchase athletic tickets online at GoBlackBears.com. Tickets for the Maine football season home games are now available online. Men’s and women’s basketball tickets will be available once schedules are announced. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL Penobscot Valley Conference 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
Randy Lee, who guided the Orono High School boys basketball team to an Eastern Maine Class B tournament berth last winter, is returning to the collegiate ranks as the new men’s basketball coach at the University of Maine at Machias. Lee, 30, signed a contract… Read More
BANGOR – Heidi Baker’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the No. 5 Bangor Rams a 1-0 high school softball win over No. 12 Hampden in Class A prelim action Tuesday at Union Street Field. Baker’s hit plated Kelly White, who… Read More
ROCKLAND – Justin Kirk singled home Josh Davis in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the No. 6 Rockland Tigers to a 2-1 schoolboy baseball prelim win over the No. 11 Erskine Academy Eagles Tuesday. Davis had reached base on a fielder’s choice,… Read More