TOLEDO, Ohio – President Bush, Sen. John Kerry and their political parties are spending nearly $40 million on TV ads in the final week of the presidential campaign as they adjust their strategies in a shrinking battleground. It’s a staggering amount, even considering the unprecedented… Read More
BANGOR – Taxpayers from Bangor and Lincoln – and possibly other Maine communities – have been paying unnecessarily for a county service they did not use, according to an opinion issued late last week by a Penobscot County Superior Court justice. In a judgment that… Read More
BANGOR – For more than a century, it was a dog-eat-dog world for W.A. Bean and C.H. Rice when it came to frankfurters. The competition was so intense the two local hot-dog producers would conduct blind taste-tests to see whether Bangor area consumers could tell… Read More
The incorrect first name was listed in a Monday sports story on the high school cross country championships. The winner of the Class D boys race was Justin Morin of Madawaska. The wrong person also was listed as the Madawaska coach. The coach is Maurice Lizotte. Read More
WASHINGTON – Despite a flurry of last-minute offers between the House and Senate, chances of Congress enacting the Sept. 11 commission’s terror-fighting recommendations before Election Day are all but gone. Congressional negotiators and their staffs worked through the weekend toward an agreement. House and Senate… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Despite the cold, gloomy weather Monday afternoon, the mood at Pleasant River Lumber Co. was upbeat as Gov. John Baldacci and an enthusiastic crowd of 30 attended a certification and groundbreaking ceremony for Piscataquis County’s first Pine Tree Zone business. “I am particularly… Read More
ORONO – Typically the Maine Tourism Association does not allow brochures from any other state or country in its 11 statewide visitors centers because it wants to promote Maine destinations. But lately the commission is making an exception for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – Norm’s Cleaning Service broke ground Monday on a 6,000-square-foot facility that will expand the 14-year-old business and add 15 full- and part-time jobs. The new facility at 94 Banair Road, as well as other expansion costs, will total $450,000. Construction should be completed… Read More
BREWER – Most of the original floor-to-ceiling windows at the defunct Eastern Fine Paper Co. mill have been bricked over, but as Drew Sachs led a tour through the big empty structure, he described how each room would be filled with sunlight if the windows were returned. Read More
There is an urgent need for more balance in our state Legislature. Such a balance would promote a better working relationship between parties. There is a crying need for tax reform, an objective review of funding priorities, and a workable health program which would be of benefit to… Read More
Do you want to limit property taxes to 1% of the assessed value of the property? To say Question 1 is bad fiscal policy, bad education policy and an unwarranted swipe against local control doesn’t really begin to describe it. If passed, the Palesky tax… Read More
Do you want to make it a crime to hunt bears with bait, traps or dogs, except to protect property, public safety or for research? The biggest failure of Question 2 is that it lumps two bear-hunting practices the majority of the public, and many… Read More
I was not surprised when the BDN editorial department endorsed John Kerry for president, just saddened. In the junior senator from Massachusetts we have a man who supports abortion on demand, without restrictions; who is solidly anti-gun (a bill of his before the Senate would… Read More
I am so upset that you have backed John Kerry for president. I am a retired serviceman and I served under several commanders in chief and without question, President Bush is the best commander in chief I have seen. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The Democratic Party has not “moved left.” The Republican Party moved right, and it only looks like the Democrats moved left. In the 1990s, President Clinton co-opted a lot of Republican programs and they got mad at him. They wanted to be able to take… Read More
In response to Randy Bumps, director of the Maine Bush-Cheney campaign, who was quoted as saying in the Bangor Daily News on Oct. 15, “the new jobs make up a changing economy and are comparable to and pay as well as the ones that have been eliminated.”… Read More
What a privilege to support a moral, ethical man like Randy Mailloux for re-election to judge of probate. Judge Mailloux has held this position since Gov. Angus King appointed him in 1997. Unlike his opponent, Mailloux brings to the position 25 years of active trial law experience in… Read More
If you were not in the line last week at the flu clinic held at the Spectacular Event Center with the older people waiting in long lines to get their flu shots, perhaps you should have been. To see these older adults waiting for hours in the cold… Read More
During the more than 20 years I worked on the staffs of Sen. Edmund Muskie and George Mitchell, we were always on the lookout for talented new people who were idealistically attracted to public issues and public life. Dozens of them became outstanding judges, legislators, town and city… Read More
It looks as though President Bush and I will be walking around naked this winter. No need to cover your eyes in alarm, however – the only thing the two of us will really be exposing to the public is our immune systems, since he and I will… Read More
Maine’s 2004 bear hunt is just about over. Although fall deer hunters may take a few bears during early November, provided the bruins don’t go into hibernation early, the majority of Maine’s bear harvest occurs during the bear-baiting season in September. After all is said and done, bear… Read More
If you think buying cheaper prescription drugs in Canada is a good idea, what would you say to buying a cheaper health insurance plan from another American state? What would you say if it meant the average Mainer could have another $3,300 a year tax… Read More
Fear. It’s what makes us buy more insurance than we need, mistrust the new kid, or idea, on the block, and question our own best instincts. Fear is also what’s being aggressively peddled to defeat Question 2, which will outlaw bear hunting with dogs, bait and traps. Read More
BANGOR – A Tennessee man has accused a former Bangor middle school teacher of sexually assaulting him in the 1970s and is seeking $5 million in compensation in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court. Miles Guptill, 41, of Cleveland, Tenn., announced Friday at a… Read More
GREENVILLE – Local people remain divided over whether moose hunting and moose watching can coexist in “the back yard of the Moosehead Lake region.” Ten people attended a Monday evening public hearing on whether to add a second week of moose hunting in wildlife management… Read More
WARREN – A father and son leaped about 15 feet off a railroad bridge after their all-terrain vehicle got stuck on the tracks just as an excursion train with 60 passengers aboard was bearing down. The train hit the ATV at 45 mph Saturday morning,… Read More
BANGOR – An El Salvador man on Monday was detained temporarily by a federal judge after being arrested over the weekend for allegedly attempting to smuggle seven men and women from India into the United States from Canada. Carlos Galdamez-Guardado, 26, of Chelsea, Mass., also… Read More
Standing next to former President George H.W. Bush at Walker’s Point earlier this month, Charlie Summers looked like a seasoned politician being ushered into the inner circle of Republican leaders. Tall, blond and handsome, Summers, 44, was on hand at the Bush summer home to… Read More
I’m not the kind of Red Sox fan who believes that good-luck charms can help the team, although I know there are plenty of people who do. Before the start of each game, they make sure to put on a favorite jersey, preferably one that… Read More
BELFAST – Both sides of the big box issue are lining up supporters for the stretch drive to next week’s referendum vote. Both Belfast First, the group opposed to allowing big box retailers in the city, and New Shopping Opportunities for Belfast, which favors them,… Read More
ORRINGTON – The top taxpayer in town – Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. – would pay $265,000 less in taxes if the tax cap initiative before voters were passed Nov. 2, officials said. PERC paid nearly $724,000 in property taxes this year. Under the tax cap,… Read More
An employee of Quirk Auto Park on Haskell Road in Bangor reported to police Monday that thieves stole more than $5,000 in tires and aluminum rims earlier that morning. A video surveillance camera caught the vehicle the thieves used coming and going. The rest was… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Penquis Community Action Program is offering Business Ownership 101 from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, at the Penquis CAP office at 50 North St. The class provides an overview of the pros and cons of operating a microenterprise, how to create… Read More
HAMPDEN – The town of Hampden will survive if the Palesky tax cap initiative is passed on Nov. 2. That was the message Monday night at a public meeting of school and town officials from SAD 22, which includes Hampden, Newburgh and Winterport, held at… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A Gouldsboro man was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for terrorizing and assault. Sherman Merchant, 42, was convicted in August of assaulting Gouldsboro police Officer James Cathcart in May 2003. Merchant also pleaded guilty Monday to charges of terrorizing and assault… Read More
PERRY – Tribal officials at Pleasant Point may be seeing dollar signs now that tribal members have approved construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal, but neighboring Perry residents see a plan that could drive local fishermen to bankruptcy and destroy the environment. They have… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A Prospect Harbor man was back in Hancock County Superior Court on Monday trying to persuade a judge to grant him a new trial. Eugene Merchant, 40, was convicted in November 2001 of kidnapping and gross sexual assault for forcing a 17-year-old girl… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Registration for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program has begun at Aroostook Service Centers. The electronic DCP service allows farm producers to choose their payment options, assign crop shares, and sign and submit their contracts electronically. The user-friendly service is designed… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – When you ask local Girl Scouts about the idea of a woman being president of the United States, a few of them will tell you that they’re thinking of taking the job. In fact, three teenage girls ran for president over the… Read More
BLUE HILL – Selectmen are keeping their options open on whether to appeal a Superior Court decision earlier this month regarding tax-acquired property on Long Island. The selectmen have instructed the town’s attorney to keep the application for appeal open, according to Selectman Jim Schatz. Read More
CARIBOU – Residents will elect two city councilors, two school board members and one member of the Jefferson Cary Memorial Hospital Fund on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2. Voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Caribou Learning Center at 754… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – Residents are either very satisfied with the way things operate in the central Aroostook County community or there is an extra dose of apathy going around. The town has three seats up for bids next week, two on the Town Council and… Read More
LINCOLN – If the Palesky property tax cap initiative passes, Lincoln town government and most of the services it offers will practically cease to exist. That was Town Manager Glenn Aho’s prediction Monday as he discussed the tax initiative’s potential impact upon the town and… Read More
DOLBY – Investigators continue to piece together what led to a fight late Saturday night at a strip club that ended with charges against 11 people. An investigator said Monday that the fight took place inside the strip club, which is part of the Adobe… Read More
LINCOLN – It might otherwise be perfect, but as far as town firefighters are concerned, the EZ To Use Big Book has one very big error. The latest edition of the smaller-sized telephone book for Bangor, Dover-Foxcroft and the Katahdin region confuses the Lincoln Fire… Read More
BANGOR – Police arrested a Brewer woman on Monday morning for one burglary and are looking for a Glenburn man wanted in connection with a string of business burglaries discovered the same morning. “It sounds like they were running through town burglarizing places,” Bangor police… Read More
Dover-Foxcroft District Court Cases Sept. 24-Oct. 18, 2004 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… Read More
GLENBURN – A public hearing on the proposed revisions to the town’s subdivision ordinance will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the municipal building. The subdivision moratorium has been extended several times, and it spurred a lawsuit against the town. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
HERMON – Improperly stored wood stove ashes appeared to be the cause of a fire Monday that burned a section of a home’s garage. Firefighters contained the fire to the left front section of the garage and prevented it from spreading to the rest of… Read More
CALAIS – Calais voters are invited to set aside preparations for ghosts and goblins and delay watching a World Series game – at least for a half-hour – to attend a candidates forum. The forum will begin at 7 tonight at the Unobskey School. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
MACHIAS – Kim Bagley of Machias, who has been a write-in candidate for state legislative seats twice before, has announced she is running again as a write-in candidate on Nov. 2. A Democrat, she is running for the Senate District 29 seat. Republican Kevin Raye… Read More
ELLSWORTH – At least 18 candidates for state legislative positions will be present Tuesday, Oct. 26, for a panel discussion highlighting the annual meeting of the Washington Hancock Community Agency. All the candidates running for positions from either Washington or Hancock counties, the two counties… Read More
Andrew Drake has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio, Texas. A 2002 graduate of Houlton High School, he is the son of Clifton Drake of Houlton. Read More
BANGOR – A Canadian man was released Monday on $10,000 unsecured bail after being charged in federal court with smuggling OxyContin into the United States. Wayne Dow, 37, of Tower Hill, New Brunswick, was arrested Friday at the Milltown border crossing, a few miles north… Read More
Bereavement: The Journey through Grief” is the title of a workshop to be presented by licensed professional counselor Marjorie Withers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Kay Parker Building, 66 Hadley Lake Road in Machias. The site is handicapped-accessible. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
AUGUSTA – An election reform group whose efforts led to Maine’s law allowing public funding of political campaigns says it will ask the incoming Legislature to impose additional campaign financing restrictions. Maine Citizens for Clean Elections is seeking limits on how much money contributors can… Read More
CARIBOU – Two local people died in a head-on collision Monday afternoon on the Madawaska Road. Killed in the 2:45 p.m. crash were Dana W. Thompson, 59, and Shirley Collins-Pelletier, 44, both of Caribou. Thompson was driving southbound in a 1990 GMC pickup truck, according… Read More
MACHIAS – The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will hold one of 16 meetings statewide at the University of Maine at Machias from 5 to 8 tonight. Called “Shaping the Future,” the meetings around the state have been called for residents in all Maine counties… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Association for Charter Schools is sponsoring a workshop to review proposed legislation that would allow charter schools to be formed in Maine. The event is from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, at the Mediation Center at 11 King St. Read More
ANSON – A man was fatally shot during an altercation at an acquaintance’s house early Monday morning, officials said. Wayne Crowley, 32, was shot at 1:30 a.m. Monday and was taken to Redington-Fairview Hospital in Skowhegan, said Stephen McCausland of the Maine Department of Public… Read More
SOUTH PORTLAND – A co-founder of the church reform group Voice of the Faithful said Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone’s words have minimized the actions of a priest accused of sexual misconduct in the 1980s. The Rev. Paul Coughlin was forced to resign as pastor… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Kim Thebault of Sebec, director of patient care services at Mayo Regional Hospital since 2001, has been named president of OMNE: Nursing Leaders of Maine. Thebault’s one-year term began this month. OMNE’s mission is to direct the course of professional nursing in Maine… Read More
Pamper yourself: Relax with buckwheat hulls. No, you don’t eat them or make them into a facial mask. You make pillows out of them. Buckwheat hulls are the byproduct of milling buckwheat for flour, as the Bouchard family does in Fort Kent. The Bouchards use… Read More
Dear Jim: I am considering installing a keyless entry lock on my front door so I don’t have to keep the outdoor lights on to find the keyhole. Also, my kids can’t lose the keys then. Is one as secure as a standard lock? – Lynn E. Read More
In the current vernacular which I despise – that of using nouns for verbs – I apparently have morphed from a parent into a grandparent. Remember the word as we used to know it: Metamorphosis meant any transformation or a marked change or appearance, character,… Read More
It seemed like an easy enough assignment: Find a few St. Louis Cardinals fans in the area and talk to them about being fans of “the bad guys” as the World Series progresses this week. Turns out it’s more difficult to find Cardinals fans around… Read More
ORONO – Defense has been the cornerstone of success for the University of Maine football team so far in the 21st century. This season has been no different, although the results have not been as impressive. Seven games into the 2004 season, a look at… Read More
I played in one soccer game in my life. It was the fall of my senior year in high school. I was attending Bangor High at the time, and our physical education teacher, Gerry Hodge, was recruiting members of his PE classes to play against… Read More
Most days, the words that appear in this space are my own. We writers tend to agonize over the smallest grammatical nuance, and (when deadline isn’t approaching) tend to stop, start, and restart as many times as necessary in order to tell the tale we set out to… Read More
LOCAL At 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
The Bangor High boys soccer team may be out of the playoffs, but considering how much experience the Rams’ young players got this year, the squad should be ready for an even deeper run next season. Consider the case of Aaron Taft. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Woodland 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 Josh Berman 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
COLLEGE North Atlantic Conference 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
HIGH SCHOOL At Cumberland, 3.1 miles 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
Television broadcasts of each World Series game between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are available to satellite, cable, and regular (over-the-air) TV viewers via the Fox Network and local Fox affiliates like Bangor’s WFVX (Channel 22). Non-satellite and non-cable viewers can see the games on… Read More
A-Rod chose unwisely Looks like A-Rod picked the wrong 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
ORONO – Husson College golfers captured the top three spots to win the North Atlantic Conference title at Penobscot Valley Country Club Monday. The Eagles of Bangor posted a two-round score of 602 to beat UMaine-Farmington’s 637. Thomas College of Waterville finished third with 646,… Read More
BANGOR – Two horses that had great years as 3-year-olds this summer live and train at Bangor Raceway. Abby C, a filly trotter, easily won her division of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, and Regarding Riley, a colt pacer, finished second in his division. The… Read More
BANGOR – House Speaker Dennis Hastert touted Republican congressional candidate Brian Hamel’s history of bringing jobs to northern Maine, saying the 2nd District’s current representative, Democrat Michael Michaud, has not produced similar results. “Nice guys have to have a record too,” Hastert, an Illinois Republican… Read More
BREWER – Even though unions are perceived to have strong relationships among its members, the heavyweights still are needed to encourage the ranks to get out to vote – and to vote for Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry. The Republican Party, however, counters that the… Read More
BANGOR – Take away the long lines, parking headaches and the inevitable exit polls, and voters are breathing a little easier this election year in the Queen City, thanks to a large number of absentee ballot requests. The Bangor city clerk’s office has received 2,495… Read More