An article on coastal businesses in the B section of Saturday’s paper should have said MBNA’s offices in Camden dropped from a peak of 550 employees in 1996, primarily because of transfers to Belfast that year, to its current count of 400 employees. No jobs were cut during… Read More
    PORTLAND – As Amtrak’s Downeaster passenger train service marks its two-year anniversary, rail officials say they hope to boost ridership, revenues and the speed of the train. Rail officials said ridership and revenues are down from the service’s first year, which benefited from what they… Read More
    PORTLAND – Holiday lights adorning trees at Charles and Theresa Gendron’s home have become a Christmas landmark in their Yarmouth neighborhood, a display the couple now puts together without breaking a sweat. It used to take two days for Theresa Gendron to put up outside… Read More
    Crystal Small, a hairdresser formerly of “Choices,” has relocated to “Hair Review” on Ohio Street in Bangor, where she will work Tuesdays and Fridays. In addition, Small will be working at “Guys & Gals” in the Concourse Mall in Newport on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Read More
    President Bush’s emphasis on the certainty that Saddam Hussein would get a fair trial properly established the tone and direction of what happens next to the former Iraqi leader. Similarly, his refusal to urge that Mr. Hussein face the death penalty – President Bush said he has his… Read More
    Hermon town councilors deserve praise for being forward thinking. While many in this part of Maine deny that sprawl is happening, Hermon has realized it had better plan its growth, with an eye toward maintaining open spaces, before it is too late. Some may see this as radical,… Read More
    “We got him!” As we cheer those words and the capture of Saddam Hussein, let’s also remember the service and sacrifice of our military, some who gave their lives, in the noble, selfless act of fighting to liberate complete strangers in a foreign land. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    I am especially proud to be an American today; not because we finally got Saddam, but because, in spite of the naysaying and handwringing in the liberal press and media, we persisted and did what we said we would do. I hope the people of… Read More
    In its Dec. 15 editorial, the Bangor Daily News wrote: “Saddam Hussein was the prime goal of the war. He was the reason for the risk and the casualties, the alienation of allies, the expenditure of billions of tax dollars.” Are you kidding? Although the… Read More
    It’s troubling to me that the recent vote by the Bangor City Council on whether to adopt a resolution urging the governor to call a special session of the Legislature to consider new gambling regulations, was characterized by one of our city’s state legislators as a vote “…… Read More
    My wife and I would like to remind everyone to use extra care when walking, especially now that the snow and ice season is upon us. On the evening following a recent snowstorm we decided to go for a walk. The streets were deserted. As… Read More
    The Bush administration wants to allow power plants to spew more mercury into the air. Mercury lands downwind in the lakes and waters of Maine making our fish unsafe to eat. The Bush administration is threatening our fish, not to mention our children and us. Read More
    I noted with interest your editorial, “Dollars and sentences” (BDN, Dec. 10), pointing out the problems with the budget cuts that the administration has asked of the court system, some $3.5 million worth. At the same time, the state is pressing ahead to interview builders… Read More
    A business person coming to Maine, willing to invest capital and employ people, was blackballed by many before he could even explain the potential benefits of his business plan. It was not with open minds and open hearts that Shawn Scott, his family and Capital Seven were received… Read More
    The announcement Sunday that United States troops had captured Saddam Hussein should be greeted as good news by all. Even ill-conceived invasions can bring ancillary benefits. Removing any possibility of the return of this vicious tyrant opens up positive possibilities for Iraq. Yet to conclude that Saddam’s capture… Read More
    Many more generous donations arrived this weekend, bringing the Santa’s Helper Fund to $36,121.15. We are so appreciative of all the support received to date. We are beginning to be hopeful that we will reach our goal of $50,000, all of which will go to the Salvation Army. Read More
    RANGELEY – When he led this resort town’s overwhelmingly white high school to a conference soccer championship last year, Abdalahi Shakur Abdi appeared to be living the American dream. That dream became a nightmare of multiple rape charges a year later, culminating in the teenage… Read More
    BANGOR – Availability of the injectable flu vaccine continues to drop in Maine and across the nation, with public health officials recommending reserving supplies for only people who are most at risk. Stronger folks, they say, should get protected with a new nasal vaccine, but it too is… Read More
    Families grow up, kids move out, and even the most cherished holiday traditions must change with the times. We can prepare for some of the changes, but others still manage to catch us by surprise. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    TRENTON – Mount Desert Island Hospital will host its final public flu clinic on Friday, Dec. 19, at the Trenton Health Center at 394 Bar Harbor Road. The cost for the clinic is $8. MaineCare and Medicare are accepted. Those at high risk for flu… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Cheryl Lord of Charleston, a guild-certified Tellington TTouch practitioner, will offer a demonstration on animal massage as a fund-raising event for Prevent Euthanasia through Sterilization on Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Thompson Free Library. The massage technique will be… Read More
    WATKINS, N.Y. – When the workers at Farm Sanctuary were notified about the more than 200 sick and dying animals found on an Old Town, Maine, man’s property, it didn’t take them long to act. After launching a nationwide emergency adoption effort, the upstate New… Read More
    ALTON – The entrance to the West Old Town Landfill is located in Alton, and town officials want wording in the application to transfer ownership to the state to acknowledge that the municipality is a host community. The town’s Board of Selectmen signed a letter… Read More
    BANGOR – The attorney for a man charged with murdering a family friend argued Monday that evidence, including Walter Travis’ alleged confession to a corrections officer in July, should be suppressed in his murder trial. During Monday’s hearing in Penobscot County Superior Court, defense attorney… Read More
    BELFAST – Twenty years after Mervin “Sonny” Grotton was gunned down in his Wight Street dooryard in a murder-for-hire killing, A&E television’s “Cold Case Files” will recount the story of his death and the conviction of the widow who orchestrated his murder. Grotton, then 46… Read More
    MARS HILL – A local church lost approximately $5,000 in a Sunday night burglary, according to Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department officials. The Sheriff’s Department is investigating two related church burglaries in Mars Hill, Sgt. Mike Berube said Monday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    MOUNT DESERT – The selectmen’s meeting set for Monday has been rescheduled to Thursday because of Monday’s inclement weather. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the Seal Harbor Fire Station. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – The Town Council has rescheduled a public hearing on the proposed Conners-Emerson Elementary School renovation project to 5:30 p.m. today in the municipal building auditorium. The hearing was canceled Monday because of inclement weather. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A giant wreath measuring 150 feet across with 10,000 lights will be illuminated each night at the home base of the Maine National Guard to pay honor to Maine soldiers serving overseas. The wreath was lighted for the first time Saturday night at… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Maine nonprofit organizations involved in projects that help to strengthen their communities are encouraged to apply for funding from the Maine Community Foundation. The next deadline for submitting applications is Jan. 15, 2004. Grants will be awarded in mid-March. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Southwest Harbor man accused of setting his apartment on fire entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Monday in Hancock County Superior Court. Brian Wayne Polley appeared Monday morning before Justice Nancy Mills wearing jail-issued green pants and an… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Trenton man alleged to be a major drug dealer in Hancock County pleaded innocent Monday to 13 charges filed against him in Hancock County Superior Court. Darrell Dolliver, 33, responded “not guilty” when Justice Nancy Mills asked how he pleaded to each… Read More
    You have until Friday, Dec. 19, to purchase stars in honor or memory of someone to help decorate the Mount Desert Island Hospital Auxiliary Christmas tree. All stars are $5 each. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    BANGOR – Lawyer P. Matthew Darby left U.S. District Court earlier this year with a positive feeling in spite of the fact that his client won a much smaller award than he’d sought in a civil jury trial. What lifted Darby’s spirits as he headed… Read More
    MATTAWAMKEAG – The town’s planning board Wednesday night expects to discuss a proposed snowmobile lodge on the Back Settlement Road. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    CORINTH – Nomination papers for the following offices will be available at the town office on Dec. 22: . Two selectpersons, assessors and overseers of the poor for three-year terms. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
    BANGOR – Manna has more than 400 individuals who have asked for gifts for Christmas. Gifts of coats, socks, hats, shirts, snowsuits and shoes are needed. Those interested can: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    CORINTH – The town office will be closed from 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, until 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 29. It also will be closed Jan. 1 and Jan. 2. Read More
    MILLINOCKET – The Penquis Community Action Program is planning a free Incubator Without Walls Next Step course for small business owners. There will be an informational meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at the E&R building. Read More
    Winterport will be celebrating its 36th annual Live Nativity Pageant at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 and 20. The public is invited to join the gathering at the Union Meeting House in the center of the village to share in this interfaith celebration of the Christmas spirit. Read More
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine joined members of a U.S.-Israel Parliamentary Committee as they left Sunday on a weeklong trip to Israel. Collins is one of only four congressional members to be taking part in the visit. The other three are Sen. Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Maine State Society of Washington, D.C., honored U.S. Sen. Susan Collins with their Big “M” award on Dec. 13 for her service and loyalty to Maine. The award was presented to Collins during the society’s annual holiday event at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington,… Read More
    Beatrix Gates, a poet who lives in Hancock County and New York City, knows that writing can be an experience filled with discovery and freedom. Among other places she learned this axiom is Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, a women’s prison in Westchester, N.Y., where two years… Read More
    “Andrew Wyeth: Watercolors, Temperas and Drawings,” through May 21, 2004, Hadlock and Wyeth Study Center Galleries at the Farnsworth Art Museum, Main Street, Rockland, 596-6457. Andrew Wyeth’s work is a delicate balance of permanence and impermanence, the passage of time and the immediacy of the… Read More
    On that recent night as I walked down the lane to the shore, an old familiar phrase echoed in my mind, the rhythmic sound of the words as lulling as the foghorn on Egg Rock: “The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave… Read More
    A nice way for children to learn the joy of giving during the holiday season is for parents to spend time helping them make gifts for loved ones. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Decorated plant pots -Using washable craft paints, paint… Read More
    Dear Jim: Our dishwasher is about 10 years old and seems to get louder each year. I also have to prerinse the dishes first or they don’t get clean. Are the new “intelligent” dishwashers quieter and more efficient? – Paula N. Dear Paula: Many new… Read More
    Not every basketball player agrees with how referees call games, but officials on the Northern Maine board will probably hear a bit less griping from four Hodgdon High School basketball players. That’s because Amanda Fitzpatrick and Erin Foster of the Hodgdon girls team, and Hawks’… Read More
    Brittany Veazie may have just been named the state’s top senior field hockey player, but she’s still not allowed to know what she’s getting for Christmas. “Go on, get out now,” Veazie’s mother and coach Margaret admonished the Dexter High star Monday night. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    As I write this, it is (according to the folks at the U.S. Postal Service) officially the busiest mailing day of the year. Millions of cards and packages are making their way across the country. Millions more letters from anxious children are heading toward the… Read More
    University of Maine sophomore goalie Jimmy Howard will be sidelined for 2-4 weeks due to a knee injury he suffered when he stepped on a puck during pre-game warm-ups before Saturday night’s 3-2 win over Dartmouth. Frank Doyle replaced Howard as the starter and finished… Read More
    University of Maine freshman left wing Sonia Corriveau was named the TPS Hockey East Player of the Week for the second straight week. Corriveau scored three goals and assisted on another to lead Maine to 8-1, 8-0 victories over Union College this past weekend. The speedy Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec… Read More
    In more than two decades at what is now Camden Hills High School, Jeff Hart has dealt with most of the pressures faced by the state’s basketball coaching community. Hart has been more fortunate than most of his brethren. Guiding your program to three state… Read More
    MAINE vs. DARTMOUTH Time, site: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono 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
    Harvey says goodbye On Dec. 1, I worked my last day at WLBZ-2 (Bangor) as the sports director and anchor, a position I held for nearly three years. On that day, I was not afforded an opportunity to say goodbye on air to the people… Read More
    CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – Jane Tabb voted twice against allowing slots at Charles Town Races, a horse racing track in West Virginia. But the president of the county commission has since changed her mind. Since the controversial slots were installed in 1997, millions have visited… Read More
    PLEASANT POINT – Passamaquoddy leaders gambled last month that Maine voters would back a tribally owned casino that would provide jobs. They lost that bet, yet watched the state’s voters approve slot machines for Bangor’s harness racing park. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The Maine Harness Racing Commission hearings scheduled to start Monday were postponed for a day because of the winter storm that began late Sunday and raged through much of Monday. The hearings will resume at 9 a.m. today at the Augusta Civic Center… Read More