FALLUJAH, Iraq – U.S. warplanes and artillery attacked Sunni insurgents holed up in a slum in a thunderous show of force that rocked Fallujah Tuesday, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the night sky. The assault came after American troops killed 64 gunmen near the southern city… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday said he will sign a bill this week that paves the way for up to 1,500 slot machines at Bangor Raceway. “I’ll be signing it affirmatively and I’m looking forward to signing it,” Baldacci said just minutes after… Read More
Seven years after the Maine Learning Results were adopted, schools are working to create local assessment systems to measure whether students are achieving the state’s academic standards. The assessments will be used to determine whether students progress to the next grade and whether they receive… Read More
A Greenville School budget story on Tuesday should have read that the local share increased by $54,246, which is significantly less of an increase than in the previous two years. Also, the elementary and secondary principal’s office account was pared by $10,000. — googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
A regular meeting of the Maine Municipal Bond Bank will be held at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 29, in the bank offices at 3 University Drive in Augusta. An advance agenda is available at the bank’s office. Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – An office supply superstore chain plans to set up shop in town if it can secure a lease agreement with the owner of a local shopping center, according to a company spokeswoman. Staples Inc. could be operating in the building on North… Read More
BELFAST – Longtime Belfast potato processor Penobscot Frozen Foods Inc. still faces a foreclosure auction on Thursday. As of Tuesday, Penobscot’s two industrial properties in Belfast, a plant in the Aroostook County town of Washburn, as well as the business itself, were scheduled to go… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci has appointed Jeffrey Thaler to the Land for Maine’s Future Board, an extension of the Legislature designed to protect lands that have exceptional natural or recreational value. Thaler, a lawyer with Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, is one of 11 members of… Read More
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has issued an alert after receiving several complaints from consumers who have been sent potentially fraudulent e-mails. According to a statement from FDIC director Michael J. Zamorski, the e-mail informs the recipient that his or her bank account has been… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine Aviation Corp., the state’s leading air charter operator, is exploring the feasibility of offering nonstop jet charter service from New York to Bar Harbor for the summer of 2004. Allyn J. Caruso, owner of Maine Aviation, said in a statement that he… Read More
Mark S. Awalt, co-owner of JSI Store Fixtures Inc., recently was named Maine’s Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration. Awalt will receive his award formally at a ceremony during the SBA’s annual National Small Business Week in Orlando, Fla., May… Read More
CAMDEN – Camden National Corp. announced recently that 2004 first-quarter earnings were up 7.4 percent per diluted share compared with the 2003 figures, according to a statement from president and CEO Robert W. Daigle. Read More
Mid-State Machine Products, a General Electric supplier based in Winslow, was presented with GE’s 2003 Excellence in Quality Award, the highest form of recognition for outstanding quality performance, according to GE. Mid-State Machine Products, one of six subsidiaries of Precision Partners Inc., specializes in close-tolerance… Read More
The Nature Conservancy announced Tuesday that a finance corporation has purchased $31.5 million in debts incurred in its 2002 land acquisition deal with the former Great Northern Paper Co. The 2002 deal – in which The Nature Conservancy took on the responsibility of refinancing $50… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Growers and suppliers at the Maine Potato Board meeting last week were given few options for recovering money owed to them by Penobscot Frozen Foods Inc., the Belfast company facing foreclosure. Some Aroostook County firms supply produce to the company, which also… Read More
Most scientists have long concurred that it is happening. The Pentagon has begun planning for its consequences and insurance companies are already paying for it. Yet, most companies do not acknowledge climate change as a cost of doing business. Several state treasurers, including Maine’s Dale… Read More
President Bush’s first threat of a veto, on the transportation bill, looked serious enough for House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to pass an extension on the current funding to give the House time to develop a smaller bill. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers last week warned… Read More
The article, “Willimantic selectmen may face recall petition” (BDN, April 15), began with the words, “Selectmen who ignored a petition…” In my decision, I stated that I took the petition signed by 25 people into consideration, but was elected for the fourth time to represent a town with… Read More
Citizens who wish to keep Social Security, listen up. If you will take some responsibility, help is on the way. History is rife with greedy forces ready to grab what they don’t deserve. One way to undermine Social Security is to privatize it; to put… Read More
So, President Bush comes to Maine to promote environmentalism. What’s next, Bill Clinton coming to promote chastity? Peter Rees 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
I read with amusement Leslie Bennetts’ column, “Not across my daughter’s big brass bed” (BDN, April 21). I can’t say I was surprised, because I first read it before that after it was posted on an Internet news group devoted to Bob Dylan. Seeing Dylan… Read More
Dylan is a supremely talented guy who’s written many terrific songs over the years. He’s an artist. He didn’t ask to become an icon. That role was thrust upon him by fans like Leslie Bennetts and her husband. If Dylan can get his ugly 62-year-old… Read More
I am writing to commend Rep. Sean Faircloth for his courage and leadership. Recently, our Legislature enacted LD 1903, which will ease the pressure on the Department of Corrections. This is accomplished by nearly doubling the “good time” criminals get taken off their prison sentences, letting them out… Read More
“Poor” and “work” are not on the list of four-letters words getting attention in Washington in recent days. But Maine’s two senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, are paying attention to the nation’s desire and responsibility to help millions of people break the chains of poverty by going… Read More
In Hebrew the word for peace is Shalom and in Arabic it is Salaam. In both contexts it has a spiritual dimension, as well as being a greeting, and suggests a divine gift bestowed upon the person being greeted. In Latin it is “pax” which became the French… Read More
PORTLAND – President Bush’s re-election campaign began broadcasting television commercials on Tuesday tailored specifically to Maine. The TV spot in Maine is one of nine state-specific commercials the Bush-Cheney campaign has planned, and many political leaders wonder if it might be an indication of the… Read More
CALAIS – A popular former mayor who wielded a gavel with the best of them died Monday after a long illness. Harold Clark was 74. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
ORONO – Students from Maine and Palestinians from the West Bank explored diverse perceptions during a long-distance video conference between the University of Maine and An-Najah National University in Nablus on Tuesday. The forum allowed students to openly discuss forces surrounding the Israeli-Palestine conflict from… Read More
AUGUSTA – A day after expressing optimism over a potential tax relief plan, legislative leaders appeared to be ready to part company Tuesday after failing to agree on a key provision of the proposed compromise. On Monday, Senate President Beverly Daggett, D-Augusta, said her majority… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Attorneys representing a Masardis man who last week allegedly beat, shot and stabbed his father to death received approval Tuesday from Judge Bernard O’Mara to continue the man’s bail hearing to a later date. Michael D. MacDonald, 25, was scheduled to appear… Read More
A West Coast composite material manufacturing company’s plan to start operations in Bath and Millinocket is being questioned by state officials and met with skepticism by professionals in the composites industry. Monolite Composites of Tualatin, Ore., announced plans last Friday to start a company in… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci on Monday night used a pen made of bird’s-eye maple harvested from the northern Maine woods by an Allagash logger to sign a bill that gives loggers and haulers negotiating rights to set work rates. Baldacci waited until Rep. Troy… Read More
HOULTON – When James W. Sewall Co. representatives went to Monday night’s council meeting, they intended to deliver a presentation on the geographic information system mapping that they will design for the town. Instead, they were thrust into the middle of a fierce debate which,… Read More
WINTERVILLE – An Eagle Lake man suffered neck and shoulder injuries on Tuesday morning when his car was struck by an unloaded tractor-trailer on Route 11. Michael O’Brien, 41, was taken by ambulance to the Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent. He was in… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Police are seeking local tips to solve two burglaries that occurred in the past two weeks, Detective Wayne Selfridge of the Presque Isle Police Department said on Monday. Police responded April 14 to a report from a Parsons Road resident that someone… Read More
FORT KENT – Residents will decide on May 10 if the town will take part in a state-sponsored Pine Tree Development Zone program aimed at encouraging economic development. The Town Council and Town Manager Don Guimond would like to incorporate into the plan the town’s… Read More
WARREN – Lives may have been saved Tuesday by crying cats that awakened three Western Road residents to a bathroom fire, which was reported just after midnight, a fire official said. Fire Chief Edward Grinnell said Tuesday that nobody was injured in the fire at… Read More
FRANKLIN – A burglary over the weekend at the local town office netted several thousand dollars in stolen money, according to police. The break-in is believed to have happened on Friday night or early Saturday morning, Maine State Police Trooper Alden Bustard said Tuesday. The… Read More
Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers will hold summer meetings for all area beekeepers starting in May. The following is a schedule for the meetings: . 1 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at 147 Lower Cross Road, Nobleboro. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE – The Waldo County Republican Committee will hold its annual spring fling buffet dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, April 30, at the Lobster Pound Restaurant, Route 1. Featured speakers will be the Waldo County Republican candidates. Tickets are $25. Reservations are required. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
EASTPORT – The Eastport Chamber of Commerce and the 2004 Maine Salmon Festival Committee will soon be selling the Maine Salmon Farmers Calendar. It will feature men who work in the farm-raised salmon industry in Maine and New Brunswick. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
HOULTON – Town Manager Peggy Daigle came under fire at a Monday night council meeting when a local attorney questioned her about the process that awarded the town’s geographic information system mapping project to the James W. Sewall Co. of Old Town. Comments made by… Read More
HOULTON – Town councilors were slammed during the public comment portion of Monday night’s council meeting by angry residents who protested any change in the council’s public comment strategy. The residents denounced the proposed plan to have public comments screened by the town manager before… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Maine Winter Sports Center is building more than 17 kilometers of mountain bike trails at the Nordic Heritage Center. The trails also will serve runners and snowshoers. Rich Edwards, a trail designer with The International Mountain Bike Association, will return the second… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Applications to participate in Presque Isle’s citywide yard and garage sale are available from the Presque Isle Area Chamber Office, Aroostook Centre Mall’s customer service desk and City Hall. The yard and garage sale will be at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 5. Read More
The Brewer High School Class of 1984 20th reunion will be from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at Spectacular Event Center, 395 Griffin Road, Bangor. Reunion festivities will include Allison Ames and the Flames, door prizes and a 50-50 raffle. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – One of two people charged in a heist of drugs and money from Harris Drug Store last year pleaded guilty to the crimes Tuesday in Piscataquis County Superior Court. The drugs had an estimated street value of $10,000, police said. Nathan Dilworth, 26,… Read More
ROCKLAND – Coronation Chairman Kay Warren is accepting applications for the 2004 Sea Goddess Pageant at the 57th Maine Lobster Festival, to be held Aug. 4-8. Women under 21 who will have graduated from high school by June are eligible to apply. The number of… Read More
Belfast Area High School Fourth 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
ROCKLAND – A cruise ship welcoming committee got under way Tuesday, preparing to greet thousands of passengers from 14 vessels expected to dock here this summer. Making a good first impression is pivotal to securing repeat port calls, Bob Hastings, Rockland-Thomaston Area Chamber of Commerce… Read More
BANGOR – Should Bangor join the list of cities, towns, states and other government entities that have weighed in on the USA Patriot Act? Is it appropriate for city officials to get involved in federal matters? If city councilors decide to adopt a position on the act and… Read More
ORONO – Faulty equipment forced the Maine State Police dispatch Tuesday morning to relay 911 and emergency calls to the Penobscot Regional Communications Center in Bangor, officials said. “The phone service was intermittent,” said Lt. Ray Bessette of the Maine State Police. “Because it wasn’t… Read More
Bangor police charged a woman with theft after she allegedly hid clothes in a stroller and rolled them out of J.C. Penney at the Bangor Mall on Monday afternoon. Officer Jason McAmbley reported that at about 3:45 p.m. he went to J.C. Penney after a… Read More
Following are divorces granted in 5th District Court in Ellsworth during January and February on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences: Marion Sieber, Orland, and Ryan Sieber, Warren, married June 24, 2000, at Orland. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield officials, along with pet owners across the state, are carefully watching the final state budget figures to see if a bill that could have an impact on the pet population will get funded. The proposed bill creates the Companion Animal Sterilization Program… Read More
Bar Harbor panel likes parking plan Council addresses issues from employee spaces to tourists’ needs
BAR HARBOR – The Town Council cobbled together a new parking plan Tuesday that would eliminate 3-hour spaces in the downtown and create permit-only parking for employees on one side of West Street. The proposal approved on a 5-2 vote also would convert the all-day… Read More
SULLIVAN – Schoodic Community School District is accepting kindergarten registration for Sullivan, Sorrento and Franklin pupils for the 2004-05 year. Pupils must be 5 by Oct. 15, and parents must bring their child to the screenings, along with a copy of the child’s birth certificate… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The Early Childhood Subcommittee of the Bucksport Community Health Advisory Committee will sponsor a free School Readiness Fair for families with children under 5, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 8, at the Miles Lane School. The event will feature fun activities,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Union River Watershed Coalition will hold a meeting to hear from area residents about what resources and areas along the Union River are most important. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, at the Ellsworth City Hall. The… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Child and Family Opportunities will hold a Scholastic “Buy One Get One Free” book Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Monday-Friday, May 3-7, at its Ellsworth Early Child Care and Education Center, 18 Avery Lane. The fair is open to the public. Most… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District is taking orders for its annual trout sale for stocking private ponds. Orders must be received by Thursday, May 6, and can be picked up at noon Wednesday, May 12. To purchase trout, a current… Read More
SURRY – The Surry Community Improvement Association annual awards dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, May 3, at the Surry School gymnasium. Two awards will be presented, for service to the association and service to the community, at the spaghetti dinner. Community members wishing… Read More
PENOBSCOT – After reconvening the annual town meeting Tuesday night, voters approved a $1.4 million school budget. The total budget figure of $1,412,138 represents a decrease of more than $19,000, or 1.38 percent below the current budget. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BAR HARBOR – A woman who has worked at a nearby high school for 23 years has been hired as the new Mount Desert Island High School principal. Sally Leighton, who has been principal of Sumner Memorial High School in Sullivan since 1998, was picked… Read More
CORINNA – Throughout the 10-month tax revolt and budget battle in SAD 48 that began last June, Barbara and Gerry Marshall remained steadfast in their opposition to the $16.8 million budget. Gerry attended every budget committee meeting, monitoring the progress, while Barbara was appointed to the school board… Read More
UPPER ENCHANTED TOWNSHIP – A search in this remote township for a Bangor man who fled from a Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife game warden Tuesday after being questioned about a wildlife violation was called off at about 4:30 p.m. Wardens hope friends and… Read More
ORRINGTON – Town leaders decided Monday to reissue the request for snowplowing bids after issues surfaced with the bids received in March. Selectmen “changed the rebidding requirements so you have to have a bid bond with the bid, not cash or check,” Town Manager Dexter… Read More
PITTSFIELD – As police await toxicology tests to confirm whether a Plymouth woman died of an opiate overdose, two people who were at the Pittsfield residence where she died have been charged with drug violations. Colleen Marie King, 20, was found dead at a High… Read More
Bar Harbor panel likes parking plan Council addresses issues from employee spaces to tourists’ needs
BAR HARBOR – The Town Council cobbled together a new parking plan Tuesday that would eliminate 3-hour spaces in the downtown and create permit-only parking for employees on one side of West Street. The proposal approved on a 5-2 vote also would convert the all-day… Read More
BANGOR – The Levant woman arrested last week with three others on federal drug charges was released from jail Tuesday into the custody of her parents. Theresa Mayhew, 25, will be reunited with her 21/2-year-old son, but conditions of her release are so stringent that… Read More
The caring volunteers of Save our Strays in Fairfield know that when it rains, it pours. Not only are they in the midst of preparing for what Laurie Mountain describes as “our huge Indoor Yard Sale,” which is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday,… Read More
ORONO – Ellen Mariani speaks softly but from strength as she talks about her fight against the government and for what she calls the truth about the Sept. 11 attacks. “Nobody is going to tell me to sit down, shut up and take a pill,”… Read More
PORTLAND – They may not be as adamant in their dissent as their counterparts on other University of Maine System campuses, but the faculty and students at the University of Southern Maine also have concerns about a proposed reorganization of the statewide system. University of… Read More
PORTLAND – A former Mainer will leave a corrections position in Alaska to run the state’s first regional, multicounty jail after overseeing its construction. George W. Miller, 51, of Anchorage, Alaska, will serve as the first administrator of the Lincoln and Sagadahoc Multicounty Jail Authority. Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The driver of a vehicle that struck a Monson pedestrian who later died pleaded no contest to manslaughter in Piscataquis County Superior Court Tuesday. Sentencing for Konrad Thornley, 23, of Monson, charged in the January 2003 death of Albert Wheaton, 51, was continued… Read More
“Music is the staff of humanity,” Derrick Semler’s mentor, Los Angeles blues pianist J. D. Nicholson, once told him. “It is a bridge for a person’s mind to walk on.” It was one of many lines that registered in Semler’s mind during the ’70s when he played gigs… Read More
When I was growing up, my mom had one foolproof way to gauge asparagus: If it was any thicker than a pencil, it didn’t make it into the grocery cart. Needless to say, we didn’t eat asparagus very often. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
If a housebound woman invites a vigorous young actor to her home for an acting lesson, you have to think something is amiss when she pulls out not one, but two guns as props. For some, that would be the first step toward the closest exit. But for… Read More
Temptation island Looking for a great getaway – and an even better glass of wine? Check out the eighth annual Nantucket Wine Festival, which takes place May 19-23 at the White Elephant hotel. The event will feature world-class wines paired with cuisine from renowned East… Read More
University of Maine athletic director Patrick Nero said he hopes to have a women’s ice hockey coach named “by early June” and ready to start on July 1. Rick Filighera, who directed the program since its varsity inception in 1997, did not have his contract… Read More
BANGOR – Husson College President William Beardsley wanted to share the school’s vision for the future. But while neighbors who attended a community meeting on campus Tuesday evening listened politely, most wanted to talk about baseball. About 15 people from the community attended the session,… Read More
It was inevitable. Whenever you have a system that results in a formulated finish, like NASCAR has in its Nextel Cup series, there are bound to be problems. The formulated finish is what occurs when a caution flag comes out in the waning laps of… Read More
It won’t take long for the defending Eastern Maine Class B champion Bucksport High baseball team to get an early reading on its postseason hopes for 2004. The Golden Bucks, 2-0 after a season-opening sweep of Caribou, were scheduled to play Hermon on Tuesday, then… Read More
ORONO – Coming off of a disappointing conference weekend and heading into what should be a tough conference day, the University of Maine softball team got a bit of a lift with a 7-1 victory over Colby College Tuesday. The Black Bears pounded out 13… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Van Buren 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 slot_sizes… Read More
Former University of Maine quarterback Jake Eaton has signed a contract with the Canadian Football League champion Edmonton Eskimos, a team spokesman confirmed Tuesday. Eaton, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder from Rutland, Vt., will report to the Eskimos’ training camp beginning May 22. Eaton had a superb… Read More
COLLEGE Adam Lemieux 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
COLLEGE All North Atlantic Conference Men’s Tennis Team 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
Softball 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
Call it another Tommy John comeback. The former major league pitcher, whose name became synonymous with reconstructive arm surgery, was in Portland last week to get acclimated to minor league ball, as a coach. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
CARIBOU – Brian St. Peter had two doubles and two RBIs to lead the Caribou Vikings to a 4-2 baseball victory over Presque Isle on Tuesday. Ryan Cousins added a double and an RBI for the Vikings. Anthony Ouellette had two singles. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Ricky Leclerc’s three-run home run in the seventh inning snapped a 4-4 tie Tuesday and gave Bowdoin College a 7-4 baseball victory over Saint Joseph’s College of Standish. Winning pitcher Tom McMahon and Jon Koperniak each doubled and singled for the Polar Bears. Read More
HARRINGTON – Nick Wood slammed a two-run home run in the eighth inning to help lift the Washington Academy Raiders to an 8-5 high school baseball victory over the Narraguagus Knights Tuesday. James Ramsdell contributed an RBI single in the decisive eighth and Steven Colbeth… Read More
Pushing forward with the development of their schools’ local assessment systems, area educators said recently they have a variety of concerns as well as ideas about how to get the job done. Mount Desert Island High School has created an assessment system that, among other… Read More