Today is the 115th Anniversary of the Bangor Daily News. For 109 of those years, the NEWS has been owned by my family and five of us have served as Publishers of the paper. They are J. Norman Towle, Frederick D. Jordan, Lillis T. Jordan, Richard K. Warren… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Board of Environmental Protection Thursday approved the first of many rules expected in an ongoing effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide. This week, the board voted in favor of a new requirement that commercial facilities, including paper mills, power plants and… Read More
Neither can claim to be “the man from Hope,” but for presidential contenders George Bush and John Kerry, the race is on to see who can convince voters the cup is half-full. At the time, Bill Clinton’s slogan-worthy Arkansas birthplace came to symbolize his successful… Read More
AUGUSTA – As Maine motorists continue to feel the pinch at the gas pump, a 0.6 cent per gallon hike in the state’s gas tax will likely send the price higher by a full penny. The increase, which will bring Maine’s gasoline tax to 25.2… Read More
AUGUSTA – As Maine Beverage Company LLC prepares to assume control of statewide liquor distribution on June 28, the company is also pitching a plan that would completely revamp the state’s current pricing of distilled spirits. Representing the interests of Martignetti Cos. of Norwood, Mass.,… Read More
BALTIMORE – A triple murderer was put to death by injection Thursday after a week of appeals in which his lawyers claimed the execution method was potentially painful and unconstitutionally cruel. With his appeals exhausted and Gov. Robert Ehrlich declining to grant clemency Thursday, Steven… Read More
Wednesday’s Style page story on Maine microbrews should have identified Bar Harbor Brewing Co. as the producer of the award-winning Cadillac Mountain Stout. Atlantic Brewing Co. makes Bar Harbor Real Ale, which has not received any awards. — googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
WASHINGTON – Democrats helped give Republicans the margin of victory Thursday as the House passed a $155 billion bill that would cut taxes for American producers and pay tobacco farmers to give up a federal program that shores up crop prices. The 251-178 vote saw… Read More
AUGUSTA – Out-of-work Mainers can expect delays in their unemployment checks due to a computer problem, the state Labor Department said. Checks slated for mailing earlier this week were being mailed Wednesday because of a problem that occurred during a computer system upgrade. The system… Read More
FARMINGTON – State officials toured an innovative strawberry farm Thursday in central Maine that is using techniques that could extend Maine’s short but sweet berry season. “This is innovative technology used in other states that has been adapted to Maine,” Deanne Herman, marketing manager at… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Maine Potato Board on Wednesday named the Campbell family of Exeter as the 2004 Farm Family of the Year. Brian and Sheila Campbell, along with their son Jeff and his wife, Dawn, operate Campbell Farms, a fourth-generation farm that started with… Read More
The victories in Iraq these days are small but deserve attention. The latest positive development was an edict this week from radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr ordering his fighters to put down their arms and go home. Mr. al-Sadr says he intends to enter mainstream politics. This likely… Read More
Although scientists agree they lack important knowledge about past climate changes, especially those that occurred quickly, funding for a key climate change research program has been eliminated from the proposed federal budget, a portion of which will be considered by a Senate appropriations subcommittee later this week. Knowing… Read More
BANGOR – Edwin N. Clift, chairman and chief executive officer of Merrill Merchants Bancshares, announced Thursday that the company had declared a cash dividend of $0.14 per share on the company’s common stock. This represents an increase of $0.02 cents per share over last year’s second quarter dividend. Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – An office-supply store chain which was looking to set up shop at the North Plaza Shopping Center has signed on to become the latest tenant at the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle. Staples Inc., a $13.2 billion retailer which operates approximately… Read More
Like my own father, President Reagan lived for many years with, and died from, the terrible effects of Alzheimer’s disease. I watched helplessly as my father suffered, and my heart breaks for the Reagan family. Stem cell research appears to hold our best hope for… Read More
On behalf of the steering committee for the Hancock County Deferred Sentencing Project as well as our community at large, I want to acknowledge our deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation for their extremely generous grant. As noted… Read More
I read with great interest about the impending rearrangement of the University of Maine System. Of course, I read a comment supporting the view that the University of Southern Maine should have more funding than the purposed northern university because they have more “opportunity.” It all has brought… Read More
What an uncomfortable week it must have been for the editorial staff at the Bangor Daily News to hear the stirring tribute Americans paid to the most loved and respected president of our times. The June 7 and 11 editorials bring into question your qualifications to editorialize for… Read More
BANGOR – Wearing an old-fashioned turquoise polka dot swimming costume and a hat with a dolphin coming out of a tea kettle, Tabitha King emerged dripping from the pool that she and her husband helped fund while onlookers cheered enthusiastically. Tabitha King and her toddler… Read More
AUGUSTA – Ballots will be recounted beginning Friday in six legislative primaries that were held June 8, state election officials said. Three of the recounts are in House races and three in the Senate. The primaries set the stage for November’s legislative elections, when voters… Read More
BREWER – The Army Corps of Engineers is focusing on two possible routes to connect Interstate 395 with state Route 9, a major east-west link between the Canadian Maritimes and the Bangor area. Last summer, the state Department of Transportation submitted to the Army Corps… Read More
PORTLAND – The Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday reinforced Maine’s nonrecognition of common law marriage as it set aside a Dixfield man’s conviction for assaulting his live-in girlfriend. The court said there was no basis in Maine law for the trial judge’s conclusion that Michael… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Stabbed in the arm six years ago by an escaped prisoner he had cornered, Piscataquis County Sheriff John Goggin was recognized Thursday for his personal sacrifice. Goggin was presented a citation and the National Distinguished Service Award for Police Officers who have been… Read More
NEWPORT – The repeated failure of SAD 48 voters to pass a school budget – six defeats last year and one already this year – is having a deep ripple effect throughout the six district towns. As residents and teachers begin to doubt that education… Read More
CALAIS – You don’t have to be a seasoned paddler to participate in the first ever Calais Rod and Gun Club and St. Croix Valley Healthy Communities kayak race. All you have to do is squeeze into the tiny kayak seat. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
DEDHAM – Voters are expected Saturday to consider creating a new reserve account for capital improvements and whether to make improvements to the parking lot at the town office and school, according to a town official. Dedham’s annual town meeting is 10 a.m. Saturday, June… Read More
WARREN – SAD 40 voters on Thursday will reconsider the administration budget line, which has been reduced by $50,000. At the June 8 polls, district residents in Warren, Waldoboro, Friendship, Union and Washington approved all but the administration line when they cast ballots on the… Read More
WINTERPORT – A Maine Forest Service helicopter dumped water Thursday on a woods fire off the Boston Road. The fire apparently broke out around noon in an area near the Boston Road being cut for timber. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
LUBEC – The public is invited Saturday to celebrate the opening of the second season for the visitors center at the West Quoddy Head State Park and Lighthouse. Organized by the West Head Light Keepers Association, activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with… Read More
ROCKPORT – Sometimes, bigger is better. That’s the argument behind a proposal to site a regional waste recycling facility in Union that could serve the demolition and construction debris disposal needs of towns from Cushing to Liberty. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
MADAWASKA – Madawaska’s 27th annual Acadian Festival, Maine’s largest cultural festival, has been expanded this year to nine days, from Saturday, June 26, to Sunday, July 4. The festival, which features people singing Acadian songs, speaking French and displaying their traditions and culture, is highlighted… Read More
HOULTON – After twice tabling a decision on the matter, the SAD 29 board voted on Tuesday evening to bump the district’s gifted and talented teaching position from a half-time to a full-time slot. The measure was passed 537-385 by a weighted vote, with board… Read More
ST. AGATHA – The Board of Selectmen approved a mill rate this week that drops property taxes by 50 cents per $1,000 in valuation. The half-mill decrease, which means a $25 drop in taxes for residents owning a home valued at $50,000, was brought on… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Police are seeking information to verify the identity of a transient man they arrested Thursday morning after he allegedly broke into a local business and stole several items, according to Detective Sgt. Bill Campbell of the Presque Isle Police Department. A man… Read More
BANGOR – University of Maine System Chancellor Joseph W. Westphal has named William A. Shields acting president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, effective Aug. 1. Shields, 62, replaces Nancy Hensel, who announced her resignation in March to serve as executive director of… Read More
EASTON – Local kindergartners will be spending more time at school next year to receive enrichment in math and reading because of a school board-approved lengthening in the kindergarten school day, according to Easton Superintendent Frank Keenan. The Easton School Board recently approved phasing in… Read More
HOULTON – Ailing children in the area will see improved services with the opening of a new pediatric office suite at Houlton Regional Hospital, officials announced earlier this week. “You are looking at the future of our hospital,” said Elizabeth Dulin, executive director of the… Read More
CALAIS – The battle against cancer begins with a first step. And tonight, hundreds of people will take that first step during the county’s annual Relay for Life. The walk begins at 6 p.m. and ends noon Saturday at the Washington County Community College. Relay… Read More
NEWPORT – As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s deja vu all over again” in SAD 48. The district’s budget committee unanimously voted Thursday night to put the recently failed $17 million school budget back to a referendum vote intact. When individually polled, the committee members… Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor City Council’s appointed board of ethics voted Thursday to address ambiguous language in the city’s code of ethics, a code that has not been amended in more than nine years. Even if changes are made to the code, the board could… Read More
TRENTON – Consultants for the Maine Department of Transportation will recommend a 369-acre parcel on Route 3 for the future site of an intermodal transportation hub, officials confirmed Thursday. The recommendation would be only the beginning of a new phase of planning for the project,… Read More
ROCKLAND – The city swings into summer Saturday night with its annual summer solstice celebration. During the solstice festivities, the city will observe its 150th anniversary. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
BANGOR – Child Development Services will hold its advisory board meeting 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 21, at the Bangor Public Library’s board room, 145 Harlow St. For information, call 947-8493. Read More
DEXTER – Free workshops for adults considering college will be held at the following dates and locations: . 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, June 22, at Dexter Adult Education. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
BANGOR – A free workshop for first-time expectant fathers, called “Boot Camp for New Dads,” will be offered from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 22, at the Bangor Penquis CAP office on Harlow Street. For information, call Sheri Smith at 973-3579. Read More
BREWER – The Brewer Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registrations for its summer sports activities. Activities include youth tennis classes, Brewer youth track club, introductory field hockey, a Summer Hotshots basketball program and Major League soccer camp. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
BANGOR – The Penquis Community Action Program has received a $2,500 grant from the Maine State Troopers Foundation to help clients of the Law Project pay for expenses related to their cases. The Law Project’s clients are mostly victims of domestic violence who seek assistance… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer Parks and Recreation Department has announced its summer special events lineup, which includes the following: . Adventure of the Arts, June 25, which includes painting, theater and sculpture, open to children ages 6 to 13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BANGOR – The Aviation Career Education Camp is accepting applications for its June 20-26 session. Thirty-five students will be chosen to participate in the camp, which will feature hands-on projects, presentations of aviation careers and the opportunity to meet experts in the field and shadow them while they… Read More
BAR HARBOR – The town has reached a $25,000 settlement with a former employee who alleged that the town manager assaulted him and discriminated against him because he is black. Town Manager Dana Reed was cleared of all charges after an investigation by the Maine… Read More
WALDOBORO – Waldoboro Day 2004 will offer a full slate of activities Saturday, from a morning parade to a midday pig roast and evening fireworks. The all-day event is “all volunteer,” Steve Cartwright, co-chairman of the Waldoboro Day Committee, said. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
WINTER HARBOR – Voters at the local annual town meeting Wednesday night approved a proposal to borrow $500,000 for improving sidewalks in the town’s village and an overall budget of $1,076,000, according to a town official. Roger Barto, Winter Harbor’s town manager, said Thursday that… Read More
Only 2 attend meeting about proposed clinic Calais facility would serve opiate addicts across county
CALAIS – People might say privately they don’t want a methadone clinic in their back yard, but they haven’t made their concerns known to the company that hopes to open one in this Washington County locale. Only two women attended Thursday night’s informational meeting on… Read More
ROCKLAND – A Swedish midsommar celebration will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at Penobscot School. The celebration will include wreath-making for the maypole, music and games for the children. A smorgasbord will be held at 4 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BLUE HILL – A send-off for the Pastors for Peace caravan to Cuba leaving from Blue Hill will be held noon Saturday, June 20, at the Liberty School. There will be music and speeches. The caravan will travel for two weeks to Texas where it… Read More
BOOTHBAY – Fathers get in free on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 20, at the Boothbay Railway Village. The latest addition to the exhibit is a historic seven-passenger 1940 Cadillac Model 7533 chauffeured limousine originally purchased for Thomas A. Edison’s wife, Mina Edison. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – A Sangerville woman who had worked locally as a registered nurse was one of three people indicted Thursday by the Piscataquis County grand jury. Joanne Hegarty, 54, was indicted on a count of Class C marijuana cultivation. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
PITTSFIELD – The town pool – a 55-year-old relic – will reopen soon, but it appears this may be the last year for the crumbling asphalt structure. For the past several years, the condition of cracks in the pavement have deteriorated to the point that… Read More
HAMPDEN – A Hampden man charged with furnishing marijuana was arrested on Wednesday night when police executed a search warrant at his mother’s home. Edward Gastaldo, 18, faces up to $2,000 in fines and a year in jail if found guilty. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BANGOR – A Brewer man who last year was arrested with a former Husson College basketball player on drug charges has been sentenced to four years in prison for an unrelated drug incident before that arrest. Allan Geiser, 34, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Penobscot County… Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor Harbor Committee on Saturday will present its third annual Harbor Day at Bangor Waterfront. “From our point of view, the goal of this event is to increase awareness of our [waterfront] assets,” Harrison Clark, chairman of the harbor panel, said Thursday. Read More
HAMPDEN – The Lura E. Hoit Memorial Pool is getting a green face-lift thanks to an all-volunteer landscaping team that plans to plant 39 donated trees and shrubs near the pool’s entrance on June 25 and 26. Jim Feverston of Hampden and Julie Thomas Hintz… Read More
ST. ALBANS – The St. Albans Players will present “Rubies,” a two-act comedy play, at 7:30 tonight and Sunday, June 20, at the town hall. Tickets are available at Indian Lake Market, by calling director David Gilpatrick at 938-3468, or at the door. Read More
ORRINGTON – The Orrington First United Methodist Church will hold a lasagna supper and Tupperware party at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 19. Half the proceeds will benefit the church. Prizes will be awarded. Read More
CORINTH – The annual Strawberry Supper will be held at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 25, at the Corinth United Methodist Church on Route 15. The cost is $7. Reservations are required and will be taken at 285-3557. Read More
BANGOR – Dr. Adam Darcy, a podiatrist at Acadia Foot and Ankle, will speak on “Managing Foot and Ankle Pain” at the next meeting of the Fibromyalgia Support Group, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, at 12 Stillwater Ave. For information, call 945-2946. Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor Band will perform 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at the Bangor Public Library as part of the library’s summer music series. The summer music series is free and open to the public. For information, call Diane at 947-8336, Ext. 139. Read More
FREEPORT – Freeport’s town manager has his doubts about plans to run an excursion train from Portland to Rockland this summer. The train, which would run during the Maine Lobster Festival in early August, would stop in Freeport and Brunswick at temporary platforms that the… Read More
The community-minded members of Dynamic Performance Auto Club are back with their second annual car show 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at Bass Park in Bangor. Gates open at 7 a.m. Registration is open until 10 a.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
PORTLAND – The judge who lowered the bail for a man police accuse of beating his girlfriend and leaving her with fatal injuries has removed himself from the man’s coming murder trial. Maine Superior Court Justice G. Arthur Brennan, who reduced Gregory Erskine’s bail from… Read More
OGUNQUIT – A century-old school built before the town in which it now sits is on the brink of closing after voters in Wells and Ogunquit decided against spending money to fix the building so it could open next fall. During an end of the… Read More
BELFAST – Friends and fellow revelers in the unknown gathered Thursday to pay tribute to artist and physicist Bern Porter, a force of nature whose 93 years were filled with fun, disillusion and a profound love of all forms of art. He died last week… Read More
NEWCASTLE – A once busy Newcastle Railroad Station is one of several buildings that has been added to a list of historically valuable sites Maine risks losing to disrepair and age. “Day by day, you lose a little but of history,” said Bill Dunning, president… Read More
BANGOR – The Episcopal Diocese of Maine will ordain five people as deacons this weekend. The service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 225 French St., Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
AUGUSTA – Some of the 72 patients who moved this week from the Augusta Mental Health Institute to the new Riverview Psychiatric Center said they hoped the $31 million facility would be a boon to their treatment. “It is brighter over there, and it’s modern,”… Read More
Bangor’s Gary Smith said he and his team experienced a “learning curve” last season. And it’s paying dividends this season. 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
Joe Alvarez of Holden is hoping that spending the winter in Florida will be the final key to his winning the 40th Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament this year after his last two attempts came up a little short. “I’ve been close the… Read More
An ad hoc committee of the Maine Principals’ Association has made preliminary recommendations that could change the face of the state’s high school basketball tournaments beginning in 2006. Those recommendations would move the Eastern Maine Class A tournament from the Bangor Auditorium to the Augusta… Read More
With Ken Griffey Jr. one home run from becoming the 20th player ever to reach the 500 home-run mark, baseball fans are again left to ponder the impact the prodigious blasts have had on the game. The Babe started this whole thing in 1929 when he became the… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bucksport’s Alice Andrews is heading to the University of Maine next year, but she doesn’t plan to play any varsity sports there. So Andrews helped make the final softball game of her career a memorable one. Andrews singled, scored two runs and played… Read More
LOS ANGELES – Speedo announced endorsement deals with world recordholder Ian Crocker and seven-time NCAA champion Tara Kirk, both 2004 NCAA Swimmers of the Year. Both Olympic medal hopefuls will compete in Speedo Fastskin FSII. Crocker, a graduate of Cheberus High School in Portland and… Read More
HOLE-IN-ONE Chad Blake 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
The University of Maine’s football program has received commitments from four players, including a pair of in-state standouts. Winslow High School’s Ben McPherson, a linebacker-fullback, and Brunswick High defensive back-running back Devin Shepard are joined by Clairton, Pa. fullback Teron Allen and Lancaster, N.Y. tight… Read More
Fifty of Maine’s top schoolboy baseball players will converge on Mahaney Diamond at the University of Maine at Orono on Friday night for the 12th annual Maine High School Senior All-Star Baseball Game. Among them will be Mark Rogers, the hard-throwing righthander from Mount Ararat… Read More
Bangor television stations WVII (Channel 7) and WFVX (Ch. 22) will put the sport of auto racing in the driver’s seat this weekend. As part of WFVX’s Fox Network coverage of NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and its Sunday’s DHL 400 race at 1 p.m., WFVX and… Read More
The speed limit along upper State Street in Brewer is typical of most intown byways – 25 miles per hour. But 73 drivers hope to get away with a little speeding Saturday, in Soap Box Derby cars that reach speeds of up to 28 mph. Read More
Since early May, Bangor Raceway has played host to dozens of Canadian horse-owning families living out of motor homes in an area behind the grandstand. These families have traveled south to take advantage of harness racing opportunities. Canadian horse owners travel to Bangor for one… Read More
QUEBEC CITY – The Quebec Capitales pounded out 15 hits and routed the Bangor Lumberjacks 12-3 in Northeast League baseball action Thursday night. Sam Bozanich paced the Capitales with a double, two singles and three RBIs while Buck McNabb chipped in with a home run,… Read More
PORTLAND – Matt McDonnell of Oxford Hills of South Paris laced an RBI triple to lead the East to a 5-4 win in the Underclassmen All-Star baseball game sponsored by Frozen Ropes at Hadlock Field Thursday. Anthony Jones of Waterville and Stefan Black of Gardiner… Read More
AUGUSTA – It was supposed to be a surprise, but some of the senior softball all-stars gathered at Cony Park on Thursday evening seemed to know exactly who was going to be named Miss Maine Softball. Sam St. Hilaire of Leavitt was standing near some… Read More
“Keely and Du,” Jane Martin’s 1993 drama about personal choice and religious fervor, tells a relentlessly argumentative story. The two sides are represented by Keely, a working-class woman who gets pregnant after her former husband rapes her, and Du, a nurse whose biblical beliefs cause her to behave… Read More
Eight middle-aged men and women are having a musical fling before their golden years set in. They have found friendship and a little fame and fortune. The band members’ ages range from 39 to 59. Any midlife crisis has been overshadowed by a passion to… Read More
FRANKFORT – Outside the chicken barn on David Allen’s farm in Frankfort, chicks and pullets peck quietly at the ground, their silence disturbed every so often by a cackle. Inside, the barn stands clean and empty, save for a few partitions, a stack of hay bales, and a… Read More
In theaters THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, directed by David Twohy, written by David Twohy, Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat, 118 minutes, rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
BANGOR DAILY NEWS YESTERDAY AND TODAY Readers sat at their breakfast tables last week, coffee cups in hand, and pored over printed reports concerning carnage in Iraq, where to build Bangor’s new police station, and the passing of Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Bangor Daily News Yesterday & Today Welcome to the Bangor Daily News! This special pull-out section is our way of taking you on a self-guided tour of the newspaper. You’ll meet 11 people who work here, learn a little bit about what they do, and… Read More
BANGOR DAILY NEWS YESTERDAY AND TODAY Timeline 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