AUGUSTA – In response to criticisms of his original tax relief package, Gov. John E. Baldacci has offered a new proposal with some significant changes. And on Tuesday he invited members of the Taxation Committee to revise his plan further if they believe this will make the plan… Read More
BANGOR – A vacant shoe factory will provide a small Bangor college with new opportunities for its students while the space it leaves behind will provide new opportunities and second chances for some of the area’s less fortunate people. In a real estate game of… Read More
AUGUSTA – In his two spare minutes between meetings one day last week, Jack Cashman said two words. “That them?” the senior adviser to Maine Gov. John Baldacci asked, motioning outside his office to two men in the hallway and craning his neck to see… Read More
David Trobisch is no ordinary detective. He’s one of the few scholars in the world who study the centuries-old handwritten manuscripts of the Bible. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
In a story about West Nile virus published Tuesday, the toll-free phone number for reporting dead birds to the state Bureau of Health should have been: 1-888-697-5846. — googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
BANGOR – Unsecured creditors owed millions of dollars from bankrupt Kent Inc. are planning to oppose the upcoming sale of the children’s wear manufacturer because there isn’t any money in the deal to pay them. On Tuesday, a federal bankruptcy judge approved procedures to sell… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Aroostook County potato crop specialists have been scouting fields for potato blight, but they had not found any as of Tuesday afternoon. Potato blight, a fungal disease that destroys the potato plant from leaf to stem and the tuber itself, has been… Read More
I’m writing to comment on Dr. Erik Steele’s column about hospital administrators (BDN, Aug. 5). They work 70 to 80 hours a week, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That is at least two full-time jobs. They are paid $160,000 per year, $60,000… Read More
Many trends, not all of them good, start in California. The latest – the political recall – may be a laughing matter for talk show hosts and columnists, but its consequences could be severe for California and the rest of the country. California is a huge state with… Read More
It is the nature of opposing parties to oppose, and the number of ways to oppose the handling of the war in Iraq is vast. But Democrats, their many presidential candidates especially, should show patience on the most recent round of news stories that say the White House… Read More
In reference to comments made by Toby M. Manring of Lamoine regarding state-funded pre-kindergarten programs (BDN, Aug. 4), how fortunate he is to be able to stay home with his children. I am glad for him. As a mother of three children who “must” work… Read More
I am 17 years old and scared to drive at night. I don’t drive at night because of the rising number of accidents involving moose in Aroostook County. I live in Grand Isle and I have family in the Van Buren area, about five miles away. If I… Read More
I am happy to see, in their “Marquee” newsletter, that Penobscot Theatre has adopted a strategy for living within their budget and the budget of the area served, while still providing high-quality theater to the region. Throughout PTC’s well-publicized financial troubles, I have wanted to… Read More
Was it happenstance or a macabre sense of editorial humor that placed the first-page article titled “Who owns our coast?” next to the article titled “Aquaculture’s future debated”? Those who debate the latter should consider the former and vice versa. The landowners that are driving… Read More
I was disappointed in the article “Who owns the coast?” (BDN, Aug. 9-10). The same story has appeared every few years, during boom real estate times over the last 25 years. Surely it is a problem if people who have lived on the coast for… Read More
Produced in some 160 countries, apparel is one of the most global industries, and therefore a useful medium for considering alternative paths to the corporate globalization that appears to be, in part, what the war in Iraq was about. A few giant retailers and super-labels… Read More
Figures released today by the U.S. Fire Administration show that, nationwide, children under 5 years old are twice as likely as older children and adults to die in a fire. In Maine, they are more than three times more likely to die in a fire. Read More
BAR HARBOR – In two years, Mark Dittrick has produced four bags of garbage. Now the Nova Scotia resident is coaching Mainers on how to accomplish what seems to be an impossible goal: living a life that produces zero waste. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
AUGUSTA – A career public policy analyst, Martha Freeman, was named Tuesday by Gov. John E. Baldacci as new director of the State Planning Office. The 50-year-old Orono native and Portland resident was a key adviser to Baldacci during his gubernatorial campaign and has served… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A new bridge over the Penobscot River, a park-and-ride location by the Interstate highway in Brewer, two stations in Ellsworth and a new transit corridor west of Route 3 in Trenton all are being considered as possible elements in a proposed state-run, seasonal mass transit system… Read More
HOULTON – It’s tough being a teenager. It’s even tougher when you’re homeless and have a 6-month-old baby. That’s how it was for Ingrid, 16, of Jonesport, who with her now 9-month-old son wondered where she was going to sleep each night and what she… Read More
BOSTON – Authorities were investigating Tuesday how two young children were given arsenic instead of water at a weekend barbecue, killing a baby boy and sending his sister to the hospital. The Glynn family of Middleton was at a cookout Saturday in Nahant, a seaside… Read More
HOULTON – The Town Council has voted for the second time in a month to reject a plan that would have required all buildings in town to be marked with blue and white reflective house numbers for Enhanced-911 emergency service. In rejecting the proposal Monday… Read More
BANGOR – Four proposed ordinance amendments, one of them concerned with efforts to bring the Bangor Lumberjacks to Husson College, were among the matters city councilors addressed Monday night. Two others would regulate ice cream trucks, while the fourth would pave the way for a… Read More
BREWER – The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to settle a lawsuit between the city and North Shore Distributing Inc., the owner of an adult video and amusement store that opened on South Main Street earlier this summer. The 5-0 vote essentially allows Pandora’s Boxxx… Read More
GUILFORD – Bruce Lindberg’s resignation as Piscataquis Community High School principal was accepted Tuesday by SAD 4 directors. This week’s board meeting was the first held since Lindberg submitted his resignation in June. In anticipation of his departure, school officials advertised the position and received… Read More
A Stetson man was arrested on domestic assault charges Monday afternoon in Levant. Penobscot County Sheriff’s Deputy James Kennedy said a woman called the sheriff’s department after fleeing her East Newport Road home where she said her husband, John Carter, grabbed and choked her. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – A former SAD 47 administrator has been hired to take the helm at SeDoMoCha Middle School. SAD 68 directors last week voted to hire Jay Robinson, 34, as the new principal. He will receive a pro-rated annual salary of $59,000 and an administrative… Read More
LUBEC – Residents will head to the polls for a third time Sept. 3 to vote on the three SAD 19 school budget items that still have not been passed. This time, however, the school board has made additional cuts and plans to include a… Read More
ELLSWORTH – To find out whether Hancock County residents want to establish a law enforcement drug task force, county officials have decided to ask their municipal counterparts for help. County commissioners decided Tuesday that they would mail out letters about the issue to elected municipal… Read More
ROCKLAND – The Rockland-Thomaston Area Chamber of Commerce would like to review photos or slides of various scenic places, the different seasons and area activities in preparation for its 2004 Area Visitors’ Guide and Business Directory. The Chamber, in a news release, said it also… Read More
ROCKPORT – Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corp.’s Swap Shop has been awarded more than $5,000 to pay for a new building. The Maine State Planning Office and credit card lender MBNA’s Maine grants committee approved enough in matching grants for $5,250 to replace the building at… Read More
OLD TOWN – With only 14 days left before students start heading back to school, the Old Town “transitional team” is trying to pull together a program to provide free backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies to needy area children. “A lot has been said about… Read More
MADAWASKA – Northern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick politicians are hoping to revive an old idea: a Maine-New Brunswick legislative conference. They had one in the early 1980s. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
PORTLAND – The sale of Squirrel Point Light to a Virginia couple is scheduled to take place next week amid concerns about restrictions on public access to the historic property on the Kennebec River. Leonard Picotte, a retired Navy admiral, and his wife, Sandra Whiteley,… Read More
Following are divorces granted in 5th District Court in Belfast on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences: Powell B. Atlass, Belfast, and Lynn D. Marsden-Atlass, Norfolk, Va., married at Paris, France, on Nov. 26, 1979, shared custody of one child. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
SANGERVILLE – The Sangerville Historical Society will hold a yard sale from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 23, at the museum across from Numberall Tool and Stamp Co. Donations are needed. Anyone with items to donate should contact Diana at 876-4579 or Shirley at 876-3022. Read More
GREENVILLE – The Moosehead Historical Museum will offer an escorted bus trip to Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village and Poland Spring on Friday, Aug. 22. Stops for passengers will be made from Greenville through Corinna. Tours of the Poland Spring buildings will be conducted by a… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Local snowmobile clubs will meet at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, at the Penquis Higher Education Center in Dover-Foxcroft to continue a discussion on a proposed snowmobile loop that will connect local communities. For more information, contact the Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – About $5,000 damage was done to a Dover-Foxcroft pumper truck recently when a water gun on top of the vehicle struck a door as the truck was being backed into the fire station. Town Manager Owen Pratt called the incident a “freak accident”… Read More
BELFAST – It looks like the city will be picking up some of the tab for computer upgrades at the Waldo County Regional Communications Center after all. Although the city had disputed paying a 25 percent share of the upgrade, the communications center’s board of… Read More
LINCOLN – The town will sponsor a karaoke night and a road race this weekend to benefit the Lincoln Community Recreational Fund. V-J Karaoke of Lee will provide musical services 5-11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Prince Thomas Park. Donations are encouraged for the all… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Construction is expected to close the on and off ramps of Interstate 95 at Exit 38 northbound periodically on both Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 13-14, according to the Department of Transportation. Drivers will need to use Exit 37 in Clinton or Exit 39… Read More
Belfast District Court Cases Aug. 4-8, 2003 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
BELFAST – Iranian native Lily Alavi will talk about the challenges of relocating from a Muslim country to the United States during a talk next week at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center’s Senior College. Alavi will speak and answer questions at 7:30 p.m. Thursday,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Child and Family Opportunities plans to hold a community open house at its new Early Child Care and Education Center. Tours and information will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at the center, 18 Avery Lane. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
CUSHING – A Rockland woman was injured Monday night when she lost control of her vehicle and rolled it over on River Road. Valerie Oakman, 46, was taken by Cushing ambulance to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport. She was treated and released, according to… Read More
THOMASTON – The deputy warden at Maine State Prison pleaded not guilty Tuesday in 6th District Court to a charge he assaulted his daughter’s friend. Albert L. Barlow, 53, of Thomaston, who is second-in-command at the maximum security prison in Warren, is accused of punching… Read More
MACHIAS – Town Manager Christina Therrien has told selectmen she will leave her job in April. Therrien first alerted selectmen to her plans during budget discussions this spring. Although there has been talk of her staying on part-time, no decisions have been made. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BELFAST – Waldo County commissioners know they have a hard sell in convincing county residents to pony up millions for a new jail and sheriff’s office. When the commissioners met with their consultant and architects on the proposed 70-bed facility Tuesday, they learned the project… Read More
SEBEC – In a room humming with electric fans to bring relief from the humid weather, more than 100 Sebec residents at the annual town meeting Monday approved a 2003-2004 spending plan that reflects about a 5 percent increase. Despite the increase, the amount to be… Read More
OLD TOWN – Children’s entertainer Rick Charette will entertain young and old at Riverside Park in Old Town 6:30-7:30 p.m. tonight as part of the free Concert in the Park series. Charette is a singer and songwriter. “His performances blend original contemporary pop music and… Read More
BREWER – A Community Policing meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Brewer Auditorium. Brewer police will review progress made on the department’s yearly goals and seek suggestions from the public for developing goals for 2004. Police also want to hear the public’s… Read More
BANGOR – Building Blocks Inc., 189 Perry Road, has announced its participation in the United States Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program. Meals are available at no separate charge to all enrolled participants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age… Read More
HAMPDEN – A dunk tank and puppet theater are among the activities planned for Hampden Children’s Day to be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Weatherbee School. After a 7 a.m. pancake breakfast at the Kiwanis Center, the annual… Read More
BANGOR – A Health and Safety Party for children and their families will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at Cascade Park. Families can learn about MaineCare, free or low-cost insurance offered through Maine, and other free community services and enjoy… Read More
MILFORD – All schools in Union 90, including Milford, Bradley, Greenbush, Greenfield and Alton, will begin classes on Wednesday, Aug. 27. New students should register at their schools before Aug. 27. Children entering school for the first time must provide their birth certificate and verification… Read More
LINCOLN – Town officials are requesting help from Main Street property owners in locating property line pins before the sidewalk is rebuilt. The sidewalk reconstruction is tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 21. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Hampden Children’s Day gets off to a great start with the annual Hampden Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Hampden Kiwanis Civic Center on Main Road. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Read More
BANGOR – Two additional members of the Waldo County “Red Devil” heroin ring were sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court . Peter McLaughlin, 40, of Lincolnville was sentenced to 35 months in prison and four years of supervised release for possession of narcotics with the… Read More
WATERVILLE – The plain brown house will soon be forever known by passers-by as the house that was in the movie “Empire Falls.” Movie officials knocked on the front door of the Carren Street home five weeks ago and asked owners Raelene Thurlow and Steve… Read More
JONESPORT – The carcass of a dead humpback whale was reported floating off the coast of Head Harbor Island on Saturday. The dead whale was photographed in the water by researchers, but fog has impeded efforts to find it again so that it can be… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Telephone pioneers will be remembered this weekend during the seventh annual Telephone Fair. The festivities, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, will be at the Telephone Museum, 166 Winkumpaugh Road. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
ORONO – A manhunt continued Tuesday in and around the University of Maine for a Caucasian man in his mid-20s with gel-spiked dirty blond hair who allegedly tried to abduct a female student on Sunday, said university officials. “As a result of the attention that… Read More
BUCKSPORT – A broken power line Tuesday left about 3,500 residents without power for almost three hours. The line, located between the Bucksport substation and the River Road (Route 15), came down at about 11 a.m., knocking out power to sections of Bucksport, Orland, Castine… Read More
WATERVILLE – A Waterville youth honored this year for his leadership skills and exemplary character has been arrested and charged with gross sexual assault involving a 6-year-old boy. Mark Allen Desisles, 18, was accused of forcing the boy to engage in oral sex at the… Read More
OAKLAND – A pharmacist accused of Medicaid overbilling and poor record-keeping has proposed a settlement with the state Department of Human Services to close the investigation. Rep. Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, who owns True’s Pharmacy, has proposed paying the federal government’s portion of the estimated $857,000… Read More
AUBURN – Police who arrested Mayor Normand Guay for drunken driving described an off-balance man who weaved, stumbled and twice nearly fell down during a field sobriety test. A 16-page police report, obtained by the Lewiston Sun Journal, came to light as a former U.S. Read More
DEER ISLE – The state Department of Transportation will try again today to conduct load testing on the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge. The daylong test is likely to cause delays for drivers traveling across the bridge, according to DOT officials. Delays are expected to last for up to 10… Read More
Editor’s Note: Senior Style writer Alicia Anstead spent two weeks last month in Iraq. The following piece is the last in a 10-part series about her journey. If you think it’s hard to get good food in Maine, try going to war-torn Iraq, where for… Read More
PORTLAND – An independent film by Tony Shalhoub, a University of Southern Maine graduate who stars on the TV series “Monk,” makes its Maine premiere Wednesday. Shalhoub, who won a Golden Globe Award for playing an obsessive-compulsive detective on the USA network series, stars with… Read More
Winter port Why settle for any port in a storm? You can have “The Flying Dutchman,” a blackberry port-style wine that is the first in the Winterport Winery’s schooner series of specialty wines. It is a full-bodied, rich, fortified wine that pairs as well with… Read More
Editor’s Note: The following piece is one in a series of short stories profiling performers in the 65th National Folk Festival Aug. 22-24 in Bangor. Although this is the first time the Silver Hearts Gospel Singers has played at a National Folk Festival, anywhere is… Read More
ORONO – You won’t see the bull’s-eye on the back of University of Maine junior tailback Marcus Williams’ football jersey. But it will certainly be there as opposing defenses key on him. And that’s just fine by Williams, who was the Atlantic-10’s leading rusher last… Read More
Series Notebook BANGOR – As Mike Brooker awoke at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday only to hear heavy rainfall outside, it was not a pleasant, soothing sound, but the annoying sound of a schedule being jeopardized. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Mark Johnson remembered the talk. It was brief but right to the point. The United States hockey team’s gold medal aspirations at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid were in jeopardy. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR – What a difference a day made for both of the winning teams in the Pool A competition at the Senior League World Series. European champ Moscow was no-hit by West champ Hilo, Hawaii, and South champ Chesterfield, Va., was two-hit by Canada on… Read More
BANGOR – Rain has been a significant part of South Vineland, N.J.’s run to the Senior League Baseball World Series. To win the U.S. East championship, the team won a title game played over two days due to a rain-induced suspension. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
PORTLAND – Red Sox Legend Jim Rice will be appearing at Hadlock Field on Saturday, August 23rd when the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Erie Sea Wolves at 6 p.m. Rice Will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and twenty lucky fans will… Read More
MAINE JUNIOR OLYMPICS State Championships 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
ELMIRA, N.Y. – Juan LeBron’s three-run home run with one out in the fourth gave the Bangor Lumberjacks a three-run lead early, but it was a four-run ninth that provided the final margin as the ‘Jacks came away with an 8-4 Northeast League victory over Elmira Tuesday night. Read More
The Fort Kent Community High School boys basketball team has endured some tough times in recent years, but Tim Farrar hopes to turn that around. Farrar has been hired as the Warriors’ new coach, replacing Mark Baxter, who stepped down after last season. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More