OLD TOWN – When the sale of Georgia-Pacific Corp. was announced Sunday afternoon, the status of G-P’s mill in Old Town and the fate of its employees was up in the air. However, Maine Gov. John Baldacci said late Sunday that both sides assured him… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s economic development efforts could be helped by the first ever study of how workers are treated. The Workplace Environment Index put Maine in a tie for 12th place nationally based on factors of how workers are treated in each state in terms of job opportunities,… Read More
FRYEBURG – In an environmentally conscious state with a lackluster economy, Poland Spring has been a decades-long delight: a nonpolluting industry that relies on a renewable resource to provide hundreds of well-paying jobs in small towns where they are often hard to come by. The… Read More
NEW YORK – Paper products giant Georgia-Pacific Corp., which owns and operates a paper mill in Old Town, Maine, has agreed to be acquired for more than $13 billion by Koch Industries Inc., the nation’s second-biggest private company. The $13.2 billion cash deal announced Sunday… Read More
WINSLOW – The drive lasted 6 minutes, 23 seconds, stretched over two quarters, ate up 66 yards of Poulin Field turf, and required 13 plays, but it effectively erased 35 years of Brewer High School football frustration. It also typified the Brewer Witches’ entire effort… Read More
WASHINGTON – Health care reform may be dead in Washington, but a growing number of states – under both Republicans and Democrats – are taking steps to expand medical insurance coverage. Faced with a problem they find increasingly hard to ignore, governors and legislators in… Read More
Joy Rising asks: A friend and I are interested in making something happen for the community of Eastport with alternative energy – wind, sun, or turbines to get energy from the tides that zoom among our islands. When we look online, we are overwhelmed with… Read More
Dear Jim: We drink a lot of coffee and other hot beverages. I thought of installing a hot water dispenser for convenience. Are these really useful and will using one decrease or increase my utility bills? – Glen J. Dear Glen: If you think about… Read More
Central Maine Power Co. is touting small, efficient electric heaters as ways to save on energy bills this coming winter. If you are going to be in a small, contained area for a length of time, it may be cost-efficient to use an electric heater rather than fire… Read More
The pressure on our own local food retailers (and all local businesses) has never been greater. In reality, many have long left the marketplace, and the shops where “the owner is in the store” are fast becoming an endangered species. Big boxes and retail chains… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Exxon just posted its profits for the most recent quarter. I hope you are sitting down. First, it set a historical record for a one-time quarterly profit by another company. The number posted was $9,900,000,000. That’s $9.9 billion – or, in another term, $33,000 for… Read More
Some good news has come along with the bad news that it soon will cost 39 cents, instead of the present 37 cents, to mail a one-ounce letter. The U.S. Postal Service is studying a proposal to offer a “forever” or “perpetual” stamp, which could be used regardless… Read More
A regional plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions could be finalized this week, further highlighting the failure of Congress and the White House to adopt a national policy on reducing the U.S. contribution to climate change. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which includes Maine, New… Read More
Campaigning again for a position on the Belfast City Council was an exciting and rewarding experience. I would do it again,if needed. Congratulations to Cathy Heberer on her victory. Thanks to the 855 people who voted for me so that I could carry Wards 3, 4 and 5. Read More
Americans who base their support of the Bush administration on its supposed Christian morality would do well to take note of Vice President Cheney’s insistence on obtaining permission for employees of the Central Intelligence Agency to torture its prisoners. Cheney clearly believes that though torture… Read More
What could you do right now that could help save your life if you are in an accident and can’t talk? The answer to that question could be as simple as using your cell phone. Nearly every day we hear about an automobile accident. In… Read More
I write from Washington County where Gov. Baldacci nixed the racino because people might commit suicide (but they won’t in Bangor now that there are slots on Main Street?). We voted for a racino because it would create spin-off businesses. These would grow and prosper providing goods and… Read More
The Bangor Daily News editorial on Dirigo Health, published Nov. 9, went way over the top. It makes the preposterous charge that Maine Republicans seek to destroy Dirigo for political gain. Adding insult to injury, it argues that we are so determined to kill the program that we’d… Read More
Randall Poulton’s op-ed in last Thursday’s Bangor Daily News contained the type of creative accounting that would make any Enron executive jealous. Readers deserve better. Let me respond to each of his statistical claims: “Fright at the Fort” -Poulton [interim treasurer of the Friends of… Read More
BELFAST – When operating at full capacity, Larry Gleeson’s hydropower dams on Belfast’s Goose River can crank out 1.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year – enough to provide the electricity needs of about 250 households. But this month, after record rains swelled the… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Could you please pass the cornmeal mush? Those words probably were uttered at least once over the dinner table at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
STEUBEN – Searchers recovered the body Sunday of a 32-year-old man missing since Oct. 16, about a quarter of a mile from where he had been staying, his mother said Sunday. It had been an anxious time for the family of David Nason, who suffered… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine will get its first public defender in January when the federal court system opens an office to handle federal criminal cases against people who can’t afford a lawyer. The creation of the office is a marked change in the state’s court system,… Read More
PORTLAND – The state’s stagnant tourism market could be pumped up by luring tourists from Massachusetts away from New Hampshire and into Maine. Travel officials are adopting a strategy that in part will lure Boston-area residents who now drive to New Hampshire. Ad campaigns will… Read More
On Saturday, we kicked off our annual Santa’s Helper Fund drive in support of The Salvation Army’s efforts to help families in need around the holidays. Based in Bangor, The Salvation Army provides much-needed assistance in the form of food, clothing and toys for children… Read More
MILO – A Dover-Foxcroft man will be arraigned in Superior Court in Piscataquis County today for allegedly violating conditions of his release and leading police on a chase for about an hour Saturday. Patrick Hathorne, 32, was charged with violating release conditions and held without… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – When two of three selectmen exchange e-mails on whether to buy a truck for the town, is that a meeting or a record? And are the e-mails public or private? The state’s Right-to-Know Law doesn’t answer those questions now, at least not… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – Officials in New Hampshire and Maine who are preparing for a possible outbreak of avian flu say quarantines will work to slow the disease only if people are willing to stay home. Both states have laws that authorize police to order people… Read More
PORTLAND – For the second year in a row, Maine lobstermen have enjoyed a late-season surge that has eased fears of a pending collapse of the lobster population. The summer months traditionally have been the peak moneymaking time for lobstermen. But the past couple of… Read More
OAKLAND – Three months after opening, the T-Mobile USA call center has nearly 300 employees, some of whom live more than an hour’s drive away. The call center at the FirstPark business park opened in early August with plans to eventually have more than 700… Read More
MARIAVILLE – An Aurora mother and her 5-year-old son suffered serious injuries Saturday when their car went off the road and rolled over several times on Route 179. Jennifer Beede, 25, and Joshua Young were both in critical condition Sunday at Eastern Maine Medical Center… Read More
FRANKLIN – Local smokers now have one less place to light up. Members of the Franklin Veterans Club voted this month to disallow smoking, a decision that has ruffled surprisingly few feathers, according to the group’s president. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
ENFIELD – Town officials will meet tonight to discuss a tax increment financing deal they want to establish with the owners of a Dover-Foxcroft-based spruce mill that plans to open a $17 million operation on U.S. Route 2 in West Enfield next year. Members of… Read More
HERMON – A longtime Hermon councilor who also serves as the town’s snowplowing contractor said that he’s not sure what he will do after last week’s town vote that effectively prohibits him from holding both a council seat and town contract. “I haven’t looked at… Read More
LEVANT – The Levant Heritage Library is a small library with big dreams. Opened a few months ago, the 20-by-30-foot library housed in the former U.S. Postal Service building on Route 222 is already looking at ways to expand its offerings. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Bangor police arrested a local man late Friday when his former girlfriend reported he had broken into her home. The woman came home to find her door kicked in and her boyfriend on the edge of her Kittredge Road property with her two dogs, police… Read More
FORT KENT- Through the donations of two corporations and private citizens, Tony Gauvin, University of Maine Fort Kent assistant professor of electronic commerce, has established the first Critical Information Assurance Group lab in Maine. The lab is located in the Old Model School building on… Read More
LAMOINE – An unknown amount of home heating oil spilled into the yard of a Seal Point Road residence Friday, apparently because of a leak in the basement fuel tank. Stu Marckoon, assistant chief for the Lamoine Fire Department, said the seeping fuel made its… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Roger T. Pelli D.O. was recently inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Out of approximately 400 family practice osteopaths in Maine, only five were selected to be Fellows. Dr. Pelli currently works at A.R. Gould Memorial… Read More
Air Force Airman Christopher L. Zubrick has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Wendy and Joseph Zubrick of Presque Isle and graduated from Presque Isle High School in 2004. Read More
BARING – Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge has announced that 150 acres of forest will be available for timber harvest this winter. The harvest is part of the refuge’s continuing forest management program. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
CALAIS – Downtown Merchants and Stakeholders will be holding a breakfast meeting starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Calais Motor Inn. The meeting will be to review the inventory work and to formulate a position statement that links merchants and their customers… Read More
MACHIAS – Susan Beal, owner of Sue’s Thrift Shop and More, has been recognized by Catholic Charities Maine Rapid Response for her dedication and assistance to families and children in need in Washington County. Sue’s Thrift Shop, through Rapid Response, has provided lightly used clothing… Read More
Last month, Penquis CAP Lynx volunteer drivers were honored for their willingness to put their free time to good use by providing those without transportation a ride to doctors’ appointments, dialysis, cancer treatments, counseling and many more services necessary to maintain health and life. I… Read More
JACKSON, Miss. – Cuts to a Navy destroyer program could devastate the nation’s shipbuilding capabilities and deal a major blow to developing future surface combatants, Northrop Grumman’s shipbuilding chief and others warn. The Pentagon has considered cutting as much as $15 billion from weapons and… Read More
JAMESTOWN, Va. – Scientists’ hopes that DNA testing would identify a nearly 400-year-old skeleton found at Jamestown have been dashed, but they remain confident that the remains are those of an unsung founder of North America’s first English settlement. American and British scientists had hoped… Read More
NORTHWOOD, N.H. – Police say speed and alcohol may have been factors in a car crash that took the life of a 49-year-old Maine man. According to police, Stephen Schuyler of Kittery Point, Maine, was on Long Point Road when his car went off the… Read More
MONROE – A Massachusetts man accidentally shot himself in the foot while hunting on Friday. Maine Warden Service spokesman Mark Latti reported Saturday that Michael MacDonald, 41, of Danvers, Mass., was staying at a camp in Monroe and hunting in the area off Key Hill… Read More
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of Maine men’s hockey team learned Saturday night there is little margin for error on the road against a quality opponent. The opportunistic University of New Hampshire Wildcats capitalized on some Black Bear mistakes and rode the goaltending of sophomore… Read More
LINCOLN – It was quite a weekend double feature for James McPhee. By night, he performed in Foxcroft Academy’s production of “Camelot.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
ORONO – Five weeks earlier at James Madison, the University of Maine had first-and-goal at the 1-yard line and failed to score – but never tried a quarterback sneak. “That was terrible!” exclaimed 10-year-old Matthew Cosgrove on Saturday evening while sitting alongside his dad, Black… Read More
COLLEGE NCAA Div. I Regionals 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
COLLEGE At Waterville 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
FORT KENT – The University of Maine-Fort Kent men picked up a win and a loss in the Bengals Tip-Off Classic basketball tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Bengals beat Mount Allison University of Sackville, New Brunswick 62-54 on Saturday and then were topped 74-57 by… Read More
William Paterson rallies by Husson Stepka, Bashaw power Colby past rival Bowdoin for seventh victory
WAYNE, N.J. – Ze Zhang scored his second touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter to lift William Paterson to a 14-10 college football victory over Husson at Wrightman Stadium on Saturday. Husson fell to 3-4 with… Read More
THETFORD, Vt. – Two Connecticut teams earned top honors Saturday at the 71st New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships held at Thetford Academy. Lyman (Conn.) Memorial High School girls team won the girls championship, scoring 119 points to defeat second-place Champlain Valley Union High of… Read More
HAMPDEN – Devin McNeill of Portland scored with two minutes remaining in regulation to lift the West boys all-stars to a 3-2 victory over the East in the 11th annual Maine Soccer Coaches Senior Bowl soccer all-star game Sunday at the Weatherbee School complex. The… Read More
ANY BITTER THING, by Monica Wood; Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2005; 347 pages, hardback, $23.95. To start with, Lizzy goes out jogging near her home in southern Maine at night, in the rain, in dark clothes. A car hits her and drives off. Another car… Read More
When you hit a brick wall searching for your ancestors, it’s good to have someone experienced to ask what you might do next. You may well find that someone who knows what to try at meetings of local genealogical societies, many of which in this state are affiliated… Read More
In “The Village of Basketeers,” Italian children’s book illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli has created a seaside village with reeds and grasses ideal for basket making. In this magical hamlet, people can weave just about anything, from a queen’s carriage to a house for a duck. Life is good until… Read More
NO PLACE FOR A WOMAN “Nine Mile Bridge: Three Years in the Maine Woods” (Islandport Press, $15.99), by Helen Hamlin is a reissue of Helen Hamlin’s bestselling memoir first published in 1945. A Fort Kent native from a family of Maine game wardens, Hamlin took… Read More
In theaters DERAILED, directed by Mikael Hafstrom, written by Stuart Beattie, 100 minutes, rated R. 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
Back when Las Vegas was just a dot in the desert and Hollywood was still a good place to grow bananas, you could put a nickel in a slot machine in Bangor, Maine, and win 50 cigars. Storm clouds were gathering on the horizon, however, as the county… Read More