Ten years ago the McKay family was living comfortably at their waterfront home in Winthrop. George was commuting to a corporate job in Boston while his wife, Jo Anne, stayed home, running the household and home-schooling their four children, Elizabeth, Aaron, Tom and Robert. But… Read More
PORTLAND – Unlike larger tribes out West, Eastern Indian tribes have never had a college they could call their own. New England tribal leaders who have long talked about the potential benefits of a tribal college will participate in a feasibility study of creating a… Read More
A story published in Saturday’s State section about convicted murderer Dennis Dechaine should have stated that it was prosecutors, not defense attorneys, who have suggested that a biological sample from the nails of victim Sarah Cherry, 12, may have come from another cadaver examined by state doctors or… Read More
American Indians earn college degrees at half the rate of the U.S. population as a whole. According to 2000 Census statistics, 24.4 percent of Americans 25 years and older have college degrees, compared to 12.1 percent of the Indian population. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
ROCKLAND – Your kids are in danger. If you watch TV news programs regularly, you might think that danger has something to do with a stranger lurking near the playground fence, or a newly identified disease. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Melinda Price, formerly of Columbia Falls, wasn’t looking forward to happy holidays when she contacted Northeast COMBAT. She had been self-paying health insurance premiums to a Nebraska company for years without a claim when she was told she needed major surgery for a life-threatening condition. Read More
History will say that the greatest diplomatic quandary of our time was the untangling of this country from Israel’s problems in the Middle East. Early in 2000, Israel was offered the Mitchell-Tenent plan. That did not work because Israel wanted only the cease-fire without first… Read More
The public is counting on Congress to assemble a broad and accurate overview of the abuses at prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, so that the persistent stories of what would be clear rights violations can be verified and understood. Congress must respond energetically not only to… Read More
Facing the prospect of a large fine from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Bangor came up with an innovative way to reduce pollution in the region. Beginning this spring, the city will burn a biodiesel mixture in its buses, fire trucks and heavy equipment. The… Read More
Thank you for printing Madison Shockley’ Dec. 7 commentary about the refusal of CBS and NBC to air an advertisement that was intended by the United Church of Christ to convey a message of welcome to all manner of people seeking a spiritual home. Like… Read More
The recent article about U.S. students’ international math standing cited two probable causes of our country’s mediocrity: insufficiently trained teachers, and not enough engagement of young students in mathematics. Deputy Education Secretary Eugene Hickock was then said to have used the report to promote two of this administration’s… Read More
A flood of illegal aliens has inundated several of our nation’s southwestern states. One of the causes of this influx is the North American Free Trade Agreement that has helped open the borders. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors member Mike Antonovich says that illegal… Read More
I am writing to share my views regarding the potential impact of the proposed liquefied natural gas import terminal at Pleasant Point. Although my primary residence is near Annapolis, Md., I have visited and vacationed in the Passamaquoddy Bay areas for a number of years… Read More
BANGOR – Over the cold, slushy weekend, crews of volunteers were making sure that others in Penobscot County will have a warmer and less costly winter. As part of the statewide Keep ME Warm initiative, volunteers fanned out Saturday and Sunday mornings from Bangor, reaching… Read More
Those of us processing the donations that come in to the Santa’s Helper Fund continue to be moved by the generosity of the people in this region. Individuals, families, children, businesses and clubs are reaching out to help those in need. We received the following… Read More
BANGOR – City councilors and local state legislators were in a fighting mood on Saturday, not against one another but cooperatively in an effort to make substantive changes in some difficult issues facing both. Held in the Bangor council chambers, but in a less formal… Read More
MACHIAS – Red tablecloths indicated a fairly dressy event on Saturday afternoon at Kimball Hall, ordinarily a casual gathering place for students at the University of Maine at Machias. But the appearance of the husband of the university’s acting president in a Christmas-red jacket and… Read More
WINTER HARBOR – A new sculpture has surfaced in town, and everyone who comes across it is seeing red. The unusual carving of a lobster claw has emerged right across the street from where many residents get their morning cups of coffee and the latest… Read More
MILFORD – The stakes are high, and the bigger and brighter the holiday lights and decorations are that they can find, the happier two Milford neighbors say they are. This year, the loser of their friendly holiday decorating competition has to shovel out the barn… Read More
Three men were arrested early Sunday morning outside the Ramada Inn in Bangor on charges of criminal trespass after each reportedly was warned several times to leave. Brian Scott, 27, was escorted out of the hotel bar after police saw him argue with a woman… Read More
CAMDEN – It appears likely that 2004 will end with the fate of the former Apollo tannery still in limbo. In late 2003, United Trust Fund, a development company based in Miami, signed an agreement to purchase the dormant industrial property on Washington Street from… Read More
ELLSWORTH – There have been bears in Belfast, lobsters in Rockland and lighthouses in Portland. Now a local group is hoping to bring salmon to Ellsworth. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
ROCKLAND – About 50 people turned out Saturday to protest a plan to open a methadone clinic on Park Street. Daryle Weiss, a Rockland District High School teacher and coach, has helped organize the protest marches each of the past four Saturdays. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
ROCKPORT – Members of the Camden-Rockport Pathways Committee expect to urge Rockport selectmen at their meeting tonight to work out a plan to keep the Union Street path plowed this winter. The 0.7-mile, paved walkway, completed two summers ago with Department of Transportation funding, links… Read More
BAR HARBOR – A 5-foot-high lobsterman is in custody of the local police, but not as a result of an arrest. The lobsterman sculpture, which depicts a man wearing a yellow slicker sitting on the back of a lobster, was found Sunday afternoon floating in… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Sebasticook Valley Hospital is offering a Supersitters baby-sitting course through the hospital education department 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, at the hospital. The daylong course costs $25 and is limited to 15 students. For information or to register, call Laurie… Read More
MILLINOCKET – The Bureau of Motor Vehicles Mobile License Unit will not be in Millinocket on Friday, Dec. 24, in observance of Christmas. The unit will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. Read More
BANGOR – The Railroad Retirement Board will send a representative to Maine Job Services on Oak Street from 8 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22. The representative will assist those who need help securing information about benefits payable under the Railroad Retirement Act or the… Read More
BANGOR – The Penobscot County office of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer master gardener training. The fee is $80, and participants will receive a reference manual. The application deadline is Jan. 21. Training will begin Feb. 8. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District board of supervisors will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the district office on Pine Crest Drive. The public is encouraged to get involved in conservation efforts by attending… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Mayo Regional Hospital will present an educational session titled “Weight Management Tips for Kids and Their Parents” at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, in the Piscataquis Room at the hospital. The session, featuring presentations by registered dietitians Bonnie Stone and Marion McLellan, is… Read More
LINCOLN – So what’s a mill town without a pool hall? A big, boring place, says Corey Hanson, who resolved to do something to make Lincoln a little more lively – and to make some money – by opening Shooters. With its eight regulation-size tables… Read More
BANGOR – A pedestrian walking by the Bangor Municipal Golf Course early Sunday morning saw something unusual on the fairway by the 10th tee. It was a car, a big car. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – A nude entertainment license that faced strong opposition this fall from some residents is again under scrutiny after the license holder received several boycott letters from community members. Kevin Simmons, who owns both the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center and the… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – When Kim Sebold teaches her students about life in South America, she doesn’t mind if it involves a trip to the mall. The University of Maine at Presque Isle history professor and her geography class of about 30 students recently visited the… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Some familiar faces are returning to leadership positions on the school board after the SAD 1 board of directors took less than a minute to re-elect its chairwoman and vice chairman. The 17-member board on Wednesday night elected Lucy Richard as its… Read More
BANGOR – Two Massachusetts men were arrested early Sunday morning on charges of trafficking cocaine after a housekeeper at a Bangor motel alerted local police. Police reportedly seized nearly 79 grams of cocaine and approximately $2,000 in cash from Angel Rafaele Pagan, 22, of Lawrence,… Read More
BANGOR – City representatives warned Saturday of a backlash and exodus in Bangor’s downtown should the state decide to move a proposed new court building out of that area. State officials have said they have not determined where they want to build the $20 million… Read More
SPRINGFIELD – When Shawn Gordon’s daughter Brianna was born without a left cheekbone, he didn’t have to go far to find help. He found that his Prentiss neighbors and others from within Penobscot County were holding dinners and other fund-raisers to get Brianna the surgery she needed. Read More
Editor’s Note: Student Union is written by students at Brewer High School, Hermon High School, John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Schenck High School in East Millinocket, Searsport District High School and Stearns High School in Millinocket. The weekly column is a joint effort among the schools,… Read More
BANGOR – Maine’s conservation education programs were honored at a banquet the first week of December. Honors and awards were given to the Hampden Academy Envirothon team, and to numerous men and women who have devoted years of service to conservation in Maine, including Leo… Read More
WATERVILLE – Smelly socks worn by Ed Harris during the filming of “Empire Falls” were among the treasures snatched up by fans during a weekend sale of props and costumes from the HBO movie. On Saturday, about 300 people bought a variety of items used… Read More
AUGUSTA – Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Maine will benefit from nearly $900,000 in federal funding that has been awarded to 25 Maine organizations in late November. Most of the funding comes from the federal STOP Violence Against Women grant program. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
EAGLE LAKE – Area loggers called for a level playing field and a look into foreign labor in the Maine woods after garnering the attention of the state’s top labor official and St. John Valley legislators Sunday. About 30 people attended a two-hour meeting of… Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – If there’s a Scrooge anywhere this Christmas, he’s in the New Brunswick mill town of Nackawic. In that small community on the St. John River, people are trying to cope with a past and a present filled with memories of good… Read More
MACHIAS – Two New Hampshire men face felony drug charges after they were caught on Friday night allegedly with more than 17 grams of heroin in their car, police said Sunday. Pablo Figueroa, 39, and Charles Duggan, 31, both of Manchester, N.H., were arrested Friday… Read More
PHIPPSBURG – A local man was killed early Sunday morning after he was ejected from his car and the vehicle then rolled on top of him. Kenneth McKenney, 37, was heading south on Route 209 and had passed the Fiddler’s Reach Road when his 1991… Read More
AUGUSTA – Randy Bumps, a former state legislator and aide to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, was elected on Saturday as the new chairman of the Maine Republican Party. Bumps, 32, of Minot drew no opposition as the party’s state committee picked a successor to three-term… Read More
ORONO – With a strong push in the second half of the meet, the Bangor High boys swim team grabbed back the title it lost last year in Saturday’s season-opening Penobscot Valley Conference Relay Carnival. Mount Desert Island, the winner of last year’s carnival, made… Read More
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Statistically, it would appear the University of Maine men’s hockey team simply ran into a hot goalie in Harvard University senior Dov Grumet-Morris during Saturday night’s 4-1 loss at the Bright Hockey Center. After all, Grumet-Morris, a two-time loser to Maine in… Read More
ELLSWORTH – First-game jitters in basketball usually are most pronounced on offense, disrupting the flow of a play more than affecting the anticipation and reaction inherent in playing defense. Both Foxcroft Academy and Ellsworth showed typical opening-night nerves as they kicked off their seasons Saturday,… Read More
BALTIMORE – The University of Maine men’s basketball team overcame a 10-point deficit with less than six minutes of the game, but it wasn’t enough for a rally as the Black Bears fell to Morgan State 71-63 Saturday night at Hill Field House. Ernest Turner… Read More
COLLEGE Kari Simpson 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
HIGH SCHOOL At Wallace Pool, 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] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL Football 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
FORT KENT – The Saint Joseph’s College Monks rallied in overtime for a 96-91 men’s basketball victory over the UMaine-Fort Kent Bengals Saturday. Jon Pratt led St. Joseph’s of Standish with 23 points. Chad Pulkkinen had 20, Noah LaRoche 17, Marcus Alexander 14 and Steve… Read More
BANGOR – The Husson College women’s basketball team rolled to two North Atlantic Conference basketball victories over the weekend at Newman Gym, evening their record to 4-4. The Eagles trounced Bay Path of Longmeadow, Mass., 97-36 Saturday and pounded Wheelock of Boston 87-31 Sunday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
MARS HILL – Jason Woodworth tossed in 21 points to lead the Central Aroostook boys basketball team to a 72-63 victory over Katahdin Friday as both teams kicked off the high school basketball season. Tim Carlson had 15 points and Andrew York 10 for the… Read More
MACHIAS – Five players scored in double figures for the Woodland boys basketball team as the Dragons earned a 78-59 victory over Machias Saturday in high school action. Brandon Tomah led Woodland with 15 points and Chase Smith netted 12. Tyler Harriman, Aaron Ellis and… Read More
BREWER – John Ambrose scored two goals and Zach Wilson notched three assists to help the Brewer Witches open with a 7-5 high school hockey win over the Messalonskee Eagles Saturday night. Zach Wilson, Mike Kotredes, Matt Grimes, Eamon Harding and Marc Relford each added… Read More
Editor’s Note: Maine Bound is a column featuring new books written by authors set in the Pine Tree State or with other local ties. CENTER CUT, by John R. Corrigan, University Press of New England, Lebanon, N.H., 2004, 281 pages, hardcover, $24.95. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
JINGLE CATS, by Michael McDermott, age 9, with accompanying music CD, photography by Scott Thomas, illustrations by Kristi Smith, 27 pages, Tommy Nelson, Division of Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tenn., 2004; hardcover $12.99; board book with CD, $9.99; board book without CD, $6.99. This holiday… Read More
Editor’s Note: In “Reading Alive,” an occasional column, Southwest Harbor writer Sarah Corson seeks to enliven your book life. She taught reading to a generation of elementary school children in Massachusetts and in Washington, D.C. She is working on a children’s chapter book. You’re puzzling… Read More
Joan Pratt wrote to remind us that Thomas Vining, originally from Bar Harbor, did some fine books on Mount Desert Island – and they’re still available. Here they are: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
In theaters OCEAN’S TWELVE, Directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by George Nolfi, 120 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 = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if… Read More
“Calvin Graves Will Soon Be Liberated” proclaimed the headline in large, bold type on Page One of the Bangor Daily News on Dec. 17, 1904. Underneath was a photograph of a neatly dressed man with a bow tie, starched collar and suit jacket. The blazing… Read More