As MBNA tiptoes out of Camden, its presence in Maine remains powerful enough to set off seismic tremors. In just 10 years, the world’s second-largest credit card lender has employed up to 4,300 workers at a time in a half-dozen Maine communities, contributed more than… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Bush administration and Republican congressional leaders are being forced to take a hard new look at the idea of importing cheaper prescription drugs from foreign countries as an election year clamor grows for removing prohibitions. Continuing increases in prescription drug prices –… Read More
    Lincoln Pulp and Paper: 186,000 gallons sulfuric acid 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
    Observers agree it is nearly impossible to overstate MBNA’s impact on the midcoast and Maine economy: . Thousands of new paychecks and the spinoff jobs they create. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
    Camden is where MBNA first landed in Maine. The story is told that company co-founder Charles Cawley, whose grandfather ran businesses in Camden and Belfast, was in town at a cocktail party in the summer in the early 1990s and was told by a local… Read More
    U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, Republican: . Voted in favor of the act. 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
    Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. 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… Read More
    Gov. Baldacci has found Maine in such a tough financial fix that he felt he had to suspend his principles and support Powerball. But he is caught between a present culture in which most states and most people find gambling acceptable and P.T. Barnum’s still-current truism that, “There’s… Read More
    With a $138 million shortfall in the state’s Medicaid budget and, absent the possibility of a tax increase to fill it, it was expected that Gov. John Baldacci would propose broad cuts to the health care service for at least the remainder of the ’04-’05 biennium. The cuts… Read More
    Shame on the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department for the decision to close the East Side pool. When Stephen and Tabitha King generously gave money to the city for a better pool on the West Side, I seriously doubt that they would have wanted the children on the… Read More
    After months of reading a steady stream of letters deriding the Bush administration for every conceivable problem in the world, I am more convinced than ever that liberals live by a single credo – saying an untruth many times over will make it true. A… Read More
    I have a small proposal which can raise some substantial revenue, contribute to economic development and improve our environment: The state should solicit bids for Sears Island from any and all interested parties. The Maine chapter of the Sierra Club and the rest of the… Read More
    In this upcoming election, much is being said about how the economy is the most important issue. Yes, it is an important issue in the next election, but it is not the most important issue. We might do well to listen to what Gen. Douglas… Read More
    There they go again – trying to kill the New Deal while claiming to save it. The goal of President Bush’s radical right has been stated by their compassionate pointman, Rep. Tom DeLay: Downsize the federal government right out of its capacity to promote the common welfare. Read More
    “Local unions help Eastern workers” (BDN, March 10) deserves credit as it tells about the most important side of unions – that unions are all about workers helping workers. Too often, the media portray unions as merely a special interest group selfishly defending their own… Read More
    In Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” a fortune teller issues his famous warning to Caesar. “Beware the ides of March, Big Guy,” the soothsayer advises, hinting at a vast right-wing conspiracy to do in the statesman general. But Caesar, never keen on taking direction from the… Read More
    Few issues are as important to the American people than the availability of good jobs in their communities. Manufacturing jobs have long provided quality employment for generations of Americans. Today, we are losing these jobs at a terrible rate, and no state has been hit harder than my… Read More
    OK, everyone who doesn’t generate solid waste, please raise your hand.tttt ttOne would think from all the negative publicity over the West Old Town Landfill project that some folks have achieved zero solid waste. The truth is, landfill opponents and supporters alike have one thing very much in… Read More
    So … heard any ugly rumors about gays lately? Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine and fretter about homosexuality, would love to hear them. Strike that; earlier this week he wanted “tips, rumors, speculation and facts” about the sexual orientation of legislators and… Read More
    PORTLAND – The Portland Fish Exchange has banned two seafood buyers from the fish auction for life after an investigation into the alleged theft of fish and underweight shipments being sent to customers. The exchange’s board of directors also suspended the buyers’ employer, Maine Stream… Read More
    Golf has to be the most maddening recreation ever devised. Just ask any hacker who lives for the weekend when he can gleefully submit himself to all the self-loathing and humiliation that this wonderful game is famous for dishing out in such devilish abundance. You… Read More
    CALAIS – A for-profit methadone provider met the public for the first time Friday in a community where prescription drug abuse is rampant, but where many residents are wary that an outpatient clinic isn’t an easy cure. Discovery House, a Providence, R.I.-based company that operates… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Holden woman has filed suit against George Stevens Academy charging that the Blue Hill high school was negligent during a band trip two years ago when her daughter, a member of the band, was sexually assaulted by another student. The suit, filed… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci said Friday he doesn’t want to see another town divided the way Harpswell was over a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal. But, in a broadly worded statement, he noted that LNG “may bring breakthrough opportunities for certain towns in Washington County.”… Read More
    BANGOR – A Bangor partnership unveiled initial details Friday for an upscale condominium complex proposed for the city’s waterfront redevelopment zone. Development plans for Belvedere on the Riverpark, as the complex has been named, were submitted to the city’s Planning Office on Friday by Penview… Read More
    BROWNVILLE – The Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee have presented different funding proposals for consideration by residents at the annual town meeting to be held Monday, March 15. Selectmen have proposed a budget of $749,451 while the Budget Committee has recommended a spending… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – There has been a subtle shift in Pittsfield over the past year, among both administrators and town councilors, as the town takes a more aggressive stand on economic development. Once labeled anti-business by both outsiders and its own business community, Pittsfield leaders have… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – As requested by a Superior Court justice, the local planning board conducted a second site plan review of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Station and have once again approved it. Chief Justice Nancy Mills in November 2003 ordered the board to conduct additional proceedings on… Read More
    GUILFORD – Two SAD 4 towns will be affected if a proposed reapportionment plan is implemented. To comply with the state’s one person-one vote theory, SAD 4 directors recently approved the creation of a reapportionment committee to review census figures in relation to the number… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Southwest Harbor man who forced the evacuation of his apartment building when he intentionally started a fire in his home was sentenced Friday in Hancock County Superior Court to serve seven years in prison. Brian W. Polley, 36, pleaded guilty last week… Read More
    Following are divorces granted in 5th District Court in Ellsworth during December 2003 and January 2004 on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences: Rhonda Hammond, Franklin, and George Hammond, Ellsworth, married April 13, 1995, at Kileen, Texas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    THOMASTON – Two pickup trucks were damaged in a crash early Friday on Route 1 near Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, but no one was seriously injured. At 6:09 a.m., Cynthia Poblete, 55, of Rockland was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado east on Route 1 toward… Read More
    CUSHING – Some significant changes may be under way for this peninsula town if voters Tuesday approve the idea of switching to a town manager form of government. On the Tuesday town meeting agenda is an “advisory” article to go from a three-person Board of… Read More
    FRIENDSHIP – Townspeople will vote Tuesday on a roughly 7 percent increase in the municipal budget when they gather for the annual town meeting. On Monday, the election of town officers will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hahn Community Center. Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The following Integrated Awareness opportunities will be offered by the DTA Center for Learning and Growing in March and April: . Brain Cramps and Stomach Knots: Improving Brain and Gut Functioning. Call for times and dates. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    ORLAND – Kent Price of Orland is running as a Democratic candidate representing District 41 in the Maine House of Representatives. The district includes Orland and Verona Island in Hancock County and Searsport, Stockton Springs, Frankfort and Prospect in Waldo County. Price is retired from… Read More
    WHITING – Republicans from Lubec and Whiting will gather for a caucus at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, at the Whiting Town Office. For information, contact Donald Smith in Lubec at 733-2331 or David Burns in Whiting at 733-8856. Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – Local residents packed the City Council chambers on Thursday night during a planning board special work session to voice concerns over three proposed routes for the Presque Isle bypass – routes they say will force some people out of their homes, use prime farmland and… Read More
    HOULTON – Despite lingering questions about former SAD 29 Superintendent Susan Johnson’s alleged misuse of the district credit card, Interim Superintendent Omar Norton said Friday that he thinks it is time to move on. “I think that the citizens of SAD 29 are sick of… Read More
    Thirteen-year-old Brandy is outgoing, friendly and engaging. She enjoys listening to music, surfing the Internet and singing. Brandy also loves animals, particularly dogs and cats. One of her favorite activities is horseback riding. Brandy, who came into state care in January 1999, participates in the… Read More
    MADAWASKA – Jordan McGuire of Linneus never faltered on Thursday night. Instead he deliberately spelled word after word through 11 rounds of competition to win the Aroostook County Spelling Bee and taking home the title. It was the second time around in the spelling competition… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Two men involved in a boating accident last August on Sebec River that killed Shirley Carrier of Dover-Foxcroft have been sentenced. David Worster, 46, of Brownville was fined $500 for operating a watercraft without lights and received an eight-month sentence with all but… Read More
    CARIBOU – Local groups A Celtic Weave and the Gallagher Brothers are bringing Irish music to the area with a St. Patrick’s Day concert at the Caribou Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 14. The event is sponsored by the Council for the Arts and Aroostook… Read More
    HOULTON – Houlton Higher Education is accepting registrations for the following courses: . Adobe Photoshop and MS Excel, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, March 15, at the Houlton Higher Education Center. Cost is $60. For information and to register, call the office of Adult Education at 521-3154. Read More
    HOULTON – More that 65 amateur radio operators in Aroostook County volunteer to provide communications during emergencies in a partnership with the American Red Cross. The operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and are part of the more than 300 operators nationwide. Every… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – F.A. Peabody Insurance Co. has pledged $50,000 to the Aroostook Partnership for Progress, a private-public economic development partnership between Maine Public Service and Northern Maine Development Commission to fight out-migration and stimulate Aroostook County’s economy. The partnership’s goal is to raise $1.5… Read More
    EAST MACHIAS – Tired of paying what they believe is an inappropriate share of the SAD 77 budget against what three other member towns are paying, town selectmen have a message for the board at its next meeting. They will request that the 12 directors… Read More
    COLUMBIA – Town voters will be asked Monday to approve a budget that is about $7,500 less than the current year’s spending plan. They are being asked to raise $100,430, slightly less than the budget they approved a year ago for $108,044. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – The Town Council will meet Tuesday night to debate a wide range of issues, from selecting new checking account options to appointing a task force to redesign the Mill Pond area. The meeting, which is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, will… Read More
    ST. ALBANS – A new Board of Selectmen will be seated Monday after last week’s elections ousted two incumbents and elected a completely new board of three selectmen. Veteran selectmen Harry Bridge and Jimmie Neal were defeated by Wolfgang Fasse, Gary Hanson and Chester Morse… Read More
    Mount Desert Island Regional High School Second 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
    ELLSWORTH – A local man was sentenced Thursday to serve five years in prison with all but six months suspended for threatening his father with a stolen shotgun. James Murphy, 39, had pleaded guilty to charges of criminal threatening, reckless conduct, burglary and theft in… Read More
    Ashland Residents will vote Tuesday on a $1,020,396 municipal budget during their annual town meeting. 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())… Read More
    BANGOR – After being shut down for nine weeks because of a fire, Shaw’s Supermarket on Main Street reopened Friday bigger than before. During the closure, the store underwent an 11,000-square-foot expansion and a transformation that included a new look and features such as a… Read More
    BREWER – The Brewer-Bangor Food and Fuel Assistance Fund, set up for workers who lost their jobs in January when Eastern Fine Paper Co. closed its doors, received two $1,000 checks on Friday. Bangor Savings Bank and Town Auto Sales in Ellsworth both donated funds… Read More
    GARLAND – Residents will once again be asked to support a building notification ordinance at the annual town meeting. This is the third consecutive attempt by the Garland board of assessors to persuade residents to adopt the ordinance. The proposed ordinance does not require a… Read More
    ORONO – Two new councilors will be inducted at Monday night’s special council meeting. Tom Spitz and Mark Haggerty will begin serving their three-year terms on Monday, replacing Councilors Nick Houtman and Bryan Pearce, who did not run for re-election. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    BANGOR – The Bangor Public Library will feature presentations by the following authors: . Kathy Lynn Emerson, “Deadlier Than the Pen,” 2 p.m. March 18. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
    BANGOR – Maine Public Radio has added on-demand audio to its Web site, www.mainepublicradio.org. The new feature allows listeners to hear current or previous broadcasts online. For information, go to www.mainepublicradio.org/ondemand/index.html or go to the homepage and click on Audio On-demand. Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The following people recently completed the four-hour Hospice Orientation program for volunteers at Pine Tree Hospice: board members Sherry Corbin of Blanchard, Dr. Larry Labul of Dover-Foxcroft, Andrea Gilbert and Michelle Nichols of Guilford, PTH bereavement coordinator Stosh Spoors of Monson, and new volunteer Jan Downing… Read More
    BREWER – The Brewer Parks and Recreation Department will offer family photo album workshops from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, March 23 through April 13, at the Brewer Auditorium. The program will teach participants how to organize and preserve photos, give information on photo-safe materials,… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – The Manson Park Preschool program is currently taking applications for the 2004-2005 school year. Children born between Oct. 15, 1999, and Oct. 15, 2000, are eligible to register. Parents are advised to bring their child’s birth certificate and immunization records. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    BANGOR – The Maine Educational Opportunity Center will offer a workshop on “The Essentials of College Planning,” on Tuesday, March 23, at the following times and locations: . Noon-3 p.m., Dexter Training and Development Corp., Dexter. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    BANGOR – Dr. Clifford Rosen, medical director of St. Joseph Hospital’s Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education, is seeking female participants for an important clinical research trial. Qualifying subjects will be female, post-menopausal, ages 45-70, have not been diagnosed with osteoporosis, are not currently… Read More
    OLD TOWN – The National Organization for Women will hold a benefit NOW Rock’n’Blues Dance for Choice, featuring The Sunset Strip Band, from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at H.E. Sargent School, 342 Bennoch Road. Suggested donation $5. All proceeds to benefit the… Read More
    James Connolly of Corinth, a senior at Central High School, has been selected to receive the 2004 Principal’s Award. Jennifer M. Davis of East Millinocket, a senior at Schenk High School, has been selected to receive the 2004 Principal’s Award. Read More
    BANGOR – Life Line Peer Support Volunteers Inc., a local Web-based, anonymous peer-to-peer counseling service, has applied for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The organization offers peer counseling to those suffering from depression, as well as referrals to professionals, and immediate one-on-one crisis intervention. It uses a… Read More
    How pleased I was when I learned one of Bangor’s most visible churches will benefit from a capital campaign, helping to preserve one of our city’s most historic structures. Carolyn Hopkins, administrative assistant for Hammond Street Congregational Church, wrote that during its regular service at… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Religious leaders appealed to the state Thursday to use more fuel-efficient vehicles in the name of conservation, economics and God. The Maine Council of Churches presented a report to state officials urging the state to replace 30 percent of its vehicles with electric-gas… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The Christian activist who prompted a firestorm of criticism when he asked people to e-mail him tips about which Maine lawmakers might be homosexual got plenty of responses, but not the sort he had hoped for. The Christian Civic League of Maine has… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A bill seeking to ban the use of a highly polluting gasoline additive called MTBE got the unanimous support of the Maine Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee on Friday. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether was embraced by state environmental officials as a means of reducing air… Read More
    BANGOR – Angry residents rallied outside the Merchants Plaza offices of Northeast Occupational Exchange Friday in protest of proposed slashes in Maine’s Medicaid program. About 100 people gathered to call angrily for the impeachment of Gov. John Baldacci, chant slogans against MaineCare, as Medicaid is… Read More
    TOWNSHIP 31 – A Marshfield man was killed Friday morning on Route 9 when his pickup truck crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer. Joshua Hanscom, 28, died instantly, according to Miles Carpenter, the investigating officer with Maine State Police. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    PARKMAN – Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an elderly local man. Arthur Bailey, said to be in his 80s, was discovered lying in his driveway early Monday morning by a newspaper deliverer. Bailey, who was alive but had a head injury,… Read More
    Retired Bangor surgeon Dr. Dennis Shubert has been named to head Dirigo Health’s Maine Quality Forum. The forum is charged with acting as a “quality watchdog” as Maine develops a statewide network of health care services and facilities under the provisions of Dirigo. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    Editor’s Note: Voices is a weekly commentary by a panel of Maine columnists who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life. The recent release of “The Passion of the Christ” in theaters nationwide has evoked new interest in the purpose of Jesus’ suffering and death. Read More
    LEWISTON – Police say the two men charged with murdering an 82-year-old Lewiston man are pointing the finger at each other, according to court documents. David Lakin, 22, and Shaun Tuttle, 21, made their initial court appearance Friday in Lewiston District Court after their arrest… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – The Penobscot Nation has taken the first step in developing a cultural and learning center in the unused space at the former Stearns High School. The tribal council voted unanimously last week to begin planning the project’s scope and determining its feasibility, according… Read More
    WEST HARTFORD,Conn. – Abby Schrader has felt some disappointment of late in her play for the University of Maine women’s basketball team. But her nine points, six rebounds, and excellent post defense on an all-conference first-team player in Friday’s 62-49 America East Conference semifinal victory… Read More
    BRUNSWICK – How do you break down a game between the top two teams in the nation featuring more twists and turns than an amusement park ride, highlight reel plays, and enough drama to make a soap opera writer envious? Leave it to the losing… Read More
    During the summer months, Wiggie and Joyce Robinson spend plenty of time at their camp on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. It’s a truly special spot. Katahdin looms in the distance. Rafters float by. The promise of scores of nearby secret trout ponds… Read More
    NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Pinch runner Greg Norton scored the winning run in the 11th inning as the University of Maine baseball team defeated Cortland (N.Y.) 3-2 Friday afternoon. The win was the Black Bears’ fourth straight and evens their record at 6-6. Maine… Read More
    The MDI YMCA swim squad will attempt to defend its boys team title when around 1,200 young swimmers gather for the YMCA state championship meet this weekend at the University of Maine’s Wallace Pool. Swimming events start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and wrap… Read More
    America East men’s championship MAINE vs. VERMONT 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