BANGOR – A national aviation industry analyst is questioning a plan by a Florida company to partner with the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build a $20 million aerospace maintenance and manufacturing company on tribal land in Washington County. On Thursday, Passamaquoddy Gov. Melvin Francis and John… Read More
If it had happened in August, it would have been just another small hometown fire. But the paralyzing subzero temperatures, combined with the high winds on Jan. 15, 2004, made the millions of gallons of water thrown at the burning Masonic Hall turn into a… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Legislature’s special committee on property tax reform met its deadline Friday night by referring two bills crafted to lower the state’s tax burden to the House and Senate for a final vote next week. Gov. John E. Baldacci called on lawmakers to… Read More
A story on Page B2 in Thursday’s Final edition about a Dedham accident contained incorrect information. Roger Grindle of Hancock was driving east on Route 1A when his vehicle was hit by an oncoming vehicle driven by David Hamilton of Dedham. Hamilton was turning onto Lily Road when… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci expressed optimism Friday that he can resolve concerns raised by a Maine State Retirement System official over the governor’s budget-balancing plan to borrow $250 million from the pension plan and repay it with future lottery revenues. David Wakelin, chairman of… Read More
Thursday, Jan. 15 8:26 p.m. Passer-by calls in fire. Reports smoke coming from front door. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
In the article, “Workplace slaying a wake-up call” (BDN, Jan. 8-9), I was stunned to read an offhand comment by Tim Horton’s vice president, Nick Javor, that an employee charged with murdering a woman he had been harassing repeatedly in their Caribou restaurant may have just snapped: “It’s… Read More
Embezzlement is a growing problem in Maine. An article in the current issue of Chamber Business, published by the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce, reports that employee theft losses total as much as $100 billion a year nationally. It quotes District Attorney Michael Povich as saying that enough… Read More
Children feel pressure to perform at a high level in sports regardless of their enjoyment of it, to specialize early in a particular sport and to put winning ahead of participation. Out-of-school sports leagues can worsen these conditions as can parents who live fantasy lives through their children’s… Read More
I would like to inform readers of a piece of legislation that is being reintroduced into Congress: HR 23, Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act. Last year it was HR 3729 and had 160 co-sponsors, including both Maine congressmen. Read More
Another Sunday has come and gone and I have been unable to attend a full service of church. I have always loved going to my home church, but for the past two years I have spent most of my time in the foyer of that… Read More
All Maine citizens “own” the wildlife. A 26 percent minority purchase hunting, fishing or trapping licenses to take their “share” of wildlife. The majority prefers their share alive and not hunted. The delicate balance between those of us who want their wildlife share alive and… Read More
Here again, we see SAD 40 pleading for “essential” improvements to their school, including a rubberized track and tennis court while in Washington County we are assessing if we can even keep one school out of three open in SAD 77. The state needs to… Read More
For young wanna-be investigative reporters there are many lessons to come out of the CBS fiasco involving the discredited report questioning President Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service, aired on the network’s “60 Minutes Wednesday” program last fall. But two of the more obvious would be… Read More
To make the opposing party sound more like a curse than a political choice, Republicans have for years dropped the adjectival form of Democrat when referring to their respected friends across the aisle. It’s not “Democratic leaders …” but “Democrat leaders” or “Dem-ocrat ideas” or, for all I… Read More
This coming week we will commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and a few days later President Bush will be inaugurated. President Bush claims to have a mandate for the war in Iraq, but many in the peace movement recall the prophetic words of Martin Luther… Read More
In the late 1950s, Alton Bell was one of Maine’s more worldly farmers. An electrical engineer graduated from the University of Maine, he was a right fielder for the Red Sox and a paratrooper in Europe during World War II. He arrived home in Edmunds in 1957 to… Read More
BANGOR – The state Department of Labor has revised its first version of draft rules intended to protect overtime eligibility for workers that could lose it under federal standards set last year. But members of Maine’s business community that participated in a public hearing on… Read More
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Smithfield Foods Inc. says it’s test-marketing a new, higher-fat pork to cater to consumers following low-carbohydrate diets. Called Smithfield Preferred Stock, the product goes in the opposite direction of the company’s Lean Generation Pork line, developed more than a decade ago… Read More
DEXTER – A unique idea that would draw three communities closer together in SAD 46 and would promote regionalization is being supported by town officials in Dexter, Garland and Exeter. The three towns together have applied for a $10,000 state planning grant to develop a… Read More
Slippery, slushy roads made for difficult and in some cases dangerous travel for motorists Friday afternoon in Piscataquis and Penobscot counties. Dozens of accidents were reported in the region where diving temperatures changed rain to snow and made roads slick. Many accidents were simply motor… Read More
DEXTER – The Town Council agreed Thursday to send a proposed moratorium on the establishment of methadone clinics to the planning board for review and possible inclusion in Dexter’s land use plan. There have been no inquiries made about opening a methadone clinic in Dexter,… Read More
The debate over property tax reform moved out of the abstract and closer to the pocketbook Friday with the release of a Maine Revenue Services report predicting an average savings of $207 for Maine property owners next year. The study, presented Friday afternoon at the… Read More
One of the more enjoyable aspects of working in the newspaper business is getting to meet people who have lived such rich and rewarding lives that you can’t help but question how much you’ve accomplished in your own. The Rev. Robert Sullivan, who served as… Read More
GREENVILLE – At last! The wait for their laptop computers ended Thursday for ninth-graders here who were handed the portable, wireless machines during an assembly in the school auditorium. The 30 freshmen from Greenville Middle-High School wasted no time pulling the Apple iBooks out of… Read More
TREMONT – Two local men were arrested Thursday after their cars collided during a drug bust and they then allegedly tried to elude police, one by speeding off in his damaged vehicle while a police officer reportedly hung onto him through the open window of his car. Read More
AUGUSTA – As a special legislative panel plodded through its final leg of deliberations Friday on a comprehensive property tax reform plan, Gov. John Baldacci called on lawmakers to give his legislation supermajority support when the bill comes up for a vote next week. “It… Read More
WATERVILLE – A plan to fund the cleanup of hazardous chemicals in homes and schools by levying a new fee on pesticides sold in Maine has the Board of Pesticides Control asking whether the well-intentioned proposal is the best way to ensure public safety. Schools,… Read More
BANGOR – The state’s tourism and logging industries are bracing for another season without the help of many of the foreign workers they have relied on in the past. A federal cap on the number of H-2B visas issued to foreign workers was reached last… Read More
Brian is a friendly, active teenager with auburn hair and freckles, a good move to the basketball hoop and a decent fadeaway jump shot. He likes animals, playing soccer, snowboarding, horseback riding, playing video games and going on outings. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Bangor eyes central polling place City clerk proposes consolidating voting districts at Civic Center
BANGOR – The city clerk has come up with a plan that would bring all nine of the city’s polling places under one roof, namely the Bangor Civic Center. “This isn’t a cost-saving measure. It’s about enhancing the process,” City Clerk Patti Dubois said Friday… Read More
GLENBURN – The fatal accident that claimed the life of a Route 15 man Thursday morning is still under investigation by the Maine State Police. Frank Leighton, 70, was walking across the road with his neighbor’s newspaper and mail when he was hit by a… Read More
SWANZEY, N.H. – A Hampden, Maine, pilot was killed Thursday night when his cargo plane crashed in heavy fog at Dillant Hopkins Airport. Police said Douglas Nelson, 46, was believed to be the only person on board. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
CARIBOU – A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 3, in 1st District Court at Caribou for Christopher Shumway, who is charged with murder in the Jan. 2 death of Erin Sperrey. Shumway, 19, is being held in Aroostook County Jail until then. Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – A new coordinator has been hired to lead the National Park Service’s efforts to establish and help run an education and research center at Schoodic Point. James McKenna, a former associate director at the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program in… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – The Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring a free presentation called “Building Profitable, Living Soil Systems,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Skowhegan Community Center. Mark Fulford, an independent soil consultant from Monroe, will lead the… Read More
HOULTON – With progress going “slow but sure,” the town’s planning board is three-quarters of the way through its process of rewriting town ordinances. Code Enforcement Officer Wade Hanson said Friday that the group is still working diligently on the project it began early last… Read More
BELFAST – A man police believe was responsible for the theft of prescription drugs from a Belfast woman last month was in Waldo County Jail on Friday, charged with a Class B robbery. Chief Deputy Bob Keating of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department said Jeromy… Read More
ROCKLAND – A man apprehended by officials of the Maine Eastern Railroad while allegedly riding a dirt bike on railroad tracks faces charges from police. Deputy Chief Wallace Tower said Friday that Craig Curtis, 30, of Rockland was stopped at 10:15 a.m. Thursday on the… Read More
ASHLAND – At least 40 people have signed up for the fourth annual Ashland Rotary Club trek to Quebec City’s winter Carnival on Feb. 11, according to organizer Janet Jandreau. The trek, with nearly half of the trip made through the northern Maine woods on… Read More
AMITY – Town officials received a double dose of bad luck this week when two fires in four days damaged various parts of the town office. Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were on the scene Friday reviewing the second, most extensive fire, which… Read More
OLD TOWN – The American Veterans Post 9 will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the American Legion Hall on Water Street. Those interested in becoming an AMVETS member or for more information, contact Don Plummer at 827-6575. Read More
BLUE HILL – The Blue Hill Peninsula Parkinson’s Support Group will hold its monthly meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Parker Ridge Retirement Community. The featured speaker will be Ben Sidaway, a professor in the physical therapy department at Husson College. For information,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Downeast Sexual Assault Services is looking for concerned, caring volunteers to help staff its 24-hour Crisis and Support Hotline. The program will offer a free 40-hour training for new volunteer advocates beginning Tuesday, Feb. 28. The six-week program will meet 6 to 9 p.m. Monday and… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – The first meeting of the Southwest Harbor Historical Society will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the public library’s Holmes Reading Room. Memberships are $10 for an individual, $15 for a family, and $20 for businesses and organizations. To… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Hancock County Planning Commission will hold a meeting to discuss a communitywide household hazardous waste collection from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension office. As of Jan. 1 residents are no longer allowed to… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Maine Coast Memorial Hospital will hold a flu clinic at Ellsworth Internal Medicine from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 22. Flu shots are available to adults 50 and over, health care workers, day care providers and pregnant women. For information, call 667-2474. Read More
LINCOLN – The Bureau of Motor Vehicles Driver’s License Unit will move to a new location starting Thursday, Jan. 27, at the Avon D. Flanders Post 1438 VFW Hall. The hours will remain the same: the first and last Thursdays of each month, 9:30 a.m.-1… Read More
MONSON – The town will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, in the municipal building multipurpose room to discuss the submission of an application to the Maine Community Development Block Grant Program for Innovative Housing Funds. The application will be completed in conjunction with… Read More
DEXTER – The North Country Riding Club will hold its first meeting of 2005 at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Wassookeag Snowmobile Club. The club will select new officers, set show dates and events for the coming year. Representatives from the Garland Horse… Read More
HOULTON – It won’t be long before officials unveil a soon-to-be-completed geographic information system mapping project, and town councilors are preparing to hear an update on the initiative by the end of the month. Councilors were told Monday evening that the $82,000 undertaking should be… Read More
MADAWASKA – A Madawaska handyman died Friday after he was found on the ground near a building where he had been hired to clear snow off the roof. Jean Louis Charette, 51, was pronounced dead at Edmundston (New Brunswick) Regional Hospital where he was taken… Read More
GOULDSBORO – The town has chosen a well-known engineering firm to oversee the creation of a new fishing pier in Prospect Harbor. A six-member selection board on Thursday night chose Woodard & Curran, an environmental consulting firm with offices in Bangor, to be the contractor… Read More
Tragedy struck the Daniel Ackley family of Nichols Road in Searsport just after Christmas, when they lost their home to fire. Not only did they lose their home, but they also lost their dog that had awakened them, their cat, and all of their Christmas… Read More
BANGOR – Spruce Run Association, the domestic violence project serving Penobscot County, is seeking volunteers for hot line work. A new training session will begin Jan. 20. Hot line training consists of 12 evening sessions designed to be personally supportive and informative, providing all of… Read More
WASHINGTON – Maine students who were born in or are legal residents of the state are eligible to apply for scholarships offered by the Maine State Society Foundation of Washington, D.C. Applicants must have completed at least one year at a Maine college or university… Read More
PORTLAND – Two chief engineers have been sentenced to two years probation and fined $3,000 each for hiding the overboard ocean dumping of waste oil from their cargo ship, the Department of Justice said. Alfredo D. Lozada and Felipe B. Arcolas worked aboard the M/V… Read More
We are in the season of Epiphany. In January many Christians around the world celebrate this feast holiday, a celebration older and more holy than Christmas. This is a season and a celebration of discovery and understanding. It commemorates three entirely different events: Jesus’ baptism… Read More
Why are you reading this Religion section column? Are you casually interested in the assorted religious views of a variety of religious writers? Or are you seriously searching for authoritative truth regarding the basic issues of life? If the latter is your motivation, how will… Read More
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Seminarian Shawn W. Cutler, who grew up in Brewer, Maine, was ordained Dec. 18 as transitional deacon and is expected to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest this spring. Cutler, 32, is the son of Sheila and the late Dr. William H. Read More
BANGOR – Crystal Martin made one field goal in Friday night’s North Atlantic Conference matchup between the Husson and Maine Maritime Academy basketball teams, but it was the biggest basket of the game. Martin’s driving jumper with one second left on the clock lifted the… Read More
AMHERST, Mass. – It was a game that could have just as easily wound up in the win column for the University of Maine men’s hockey team. But the Black Bears had to settle for a 2-2 overtime tie when UMass sophomore defenseman Mark Matheson,… Read More
HAMPDEN – Jordan Cook likes it when the Hampden Academy boys basketball team takes a methodical approach to offense. That’s because the 6-foot-10-inch junior center usually will end up with the ball in good scoring position, as he did Friday night when the Broncos pulled… Read More
A week ago, Gov. John Baldacci announced plans to open most Sundays to hunting in the state, in exchange for a $3 license fee increase that would become permanent for hunters and fishermen. On the same day, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife commissioner Danny… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Bowdoin College, the No. 2-ranked Div. III women’s basketball team in the country, ran its home winning streak to 48 games by downing No. 9 Bates 67-48 Friday night. Marisa Berne scored 17 points to pace the Polar Bears, Vanessa Russell added 13,… Read More
NEWPORT – Mark Socoby scored 11 points and had seven rebounds to lead the Bangor boys basketball team to its sixth win, a 67-34 verdict over Nokomis on Friday night. Aaron Gallant contributed nine points and nine rebounds for the Rams, and Mike Francis added… Read More
MOUNT DESERT – Amanda Hodgdon scored all four of her points in the second overtime, including the game-winning basket with 10 seconds left, to give Mount Desert Island a 56-55 upset of Presque Isle in girls basketball action Friday night. Kelsey Stratton scored 17 points… Read More
CARIBOU – Kyle Wambold scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth as the Caribou Vikings upset Mount Desert Island 43-41 in boys basketball action Friday night. Ben Wakana netted a game-high 16 points and Kyle Corrigan had eight for Caribou. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Maine hockey coach Tim Whitehead was behind the bench for Friday night’s game against the University of Massachusetts although it has been a trying week for the fourth-year coach. His mother, Eleanor Ferguson-Whitehead, died Monday after a brief illness. She… Read More
Women’s basketball MAINE vs. ALBANY 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
Once every year or so, the University of Maine women’s basketball team gives up its home-court advantage at Alfond Arena in Orono and plays a home game away from home. That is the case today when coach Sharon Versyp’s Black Bears travel to Portland for… Read More
I hope you took the time to read my hiking buddy Brad Viles’ last two columns published on these pages. He was gracious enough to fill in for me while the holidays took me outside the walls of my cubicle. And his advice to the cabin-bound hikers was… Read More
The following snowmobile trail conditions report is from members of the Maine Snowmobile Association. The complete report is posted on the MSA Web site: www.mesnow.com Aroostook County googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
During these last few weeks, reports of a sandhill crane near Lewiston reminded me of the last time I saw one of these striking birds. It was in Florida, during the month of March, I think – and I remember how impressive this bird appeared. Read More
While many people will head to their local gyms in earnest this month to follow up on New Year’s resolutions, there are a number of outdoor activities that can help folks shape up. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are plenty of… Read More
I’m not one to scarf down the latest celebrity gossip, although I do confess to the occasional late-night “True Hollywood Story” or People magazine at the gym. But who could have missed the big news last weekend? Brad and Jen are ovah. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
A National Stage Young classical musicians in spotlight at Maine taping of radio show ‘From the Top’
Brian Bush, who is 17, lives in Midland, Texas, the hometown of the president of the United States. Brian’s mother’s name is Laura. His grandmother is Barbara. When Brian is interviewed on public radio Monday evening, he’ll explain his relationship to Pres. George W. Bush. More important, he… Read More
Some girls have all the luck. Kayla Noddin of Milford is one of them. For her Sweet 16, her mother, Jennifer Rossignol, threw her a luau party AND gave her a giant shopping spree. Since her birthday falls right after Christmas, it was a joint gift,… Read More
It had to be the strangest moment in 30 years of covering court. Poor Randy Lind (he would soon be murdered) was about to be sent away for driving after suspension, because he drove (without benefit of a license) to his mother’s house to get… Read More
Q. Last summer all my of my lilies were devoured by orange bugs (ladybug size). I looked in all my insect books and could not find them. Many of my friends had their lilies eaten also. Have you any idea what bug it was, and how to prevent… Read More