Upward Bound students got a pep talk last week after the director of the college aspirations program noticed that a few participants weren’t living up to their potential. “If you don’t work hard you won’t succeed in life and you won’t succeed at college. It’s… Read More
BAR HARBOR – The last wishes of the Rev. Katrina Swanson were fulfilled Sunday when three of the 11 women with whom she was ordained an Episcopal priest 32 years ago conducted her funeral service, and her ashes were buried in the Memorial Garden of St. Saviour’s Episcopal… Read More
ATLANTA – The growing list of childhood vaccinations reads like alphabet soup: Hib, HepA, HepB, IPV, PCV, MCV4, DTaP, Tdap, varicella and influenza. Parents dragging their kids to the doctor’s office for those required school shots can expect to hear about more vaccines and, if… Read More
WASHINGTON – Some solace for traditional news outlets worried about how to compete with the Internet: A survey finds slowing growth in the number of people who regularly go online for the news. Almost three in 10 adults, or 31 percent, regularly log in for… Read More
SACO – Wind power is coming to a wastewater treatment plant to generate electricity – and cost savings – for the city. The City Council last week voted to spend up to $8,000 on a residential-sized turbine that’s projected to generate about 400 kilowatt hours… Read More
Dear Jim: I have always used electric bug zappers to try to control mosquitoes and biting insects. I want to find another method which does not use as much electricity. What options do I have and which are best to use? – Dawn W. Dear… Read More
AUGUSTA – Most candidates for governor are open to having a liquefied natural gas facility Down East if it clears regulatory hurdles. They also see development of wind power as a big plus in Maine’s energy mix. But most also express deep reservations about offshore… Read More
The summer of 2006 has certainly provided a wide range of weather. We have had torrential downpours interspersed with hot, muggy days. Southern Maine has had severe flooding, and while we have not had the recent deadly heat of St. Louis or California, we have… Read More
“The price has a lot to do with it, but if it’s only a little more expensive and better for the environment I’d go with that one.” WHITNEY FULTON , ORONO googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Five years ago, the Maine Highway Department rebuilt the road in front of my house. This raised the road to make it higher than my driveway. They left the drive sloping so that water gathers between the drive and my front door, which means ice in the winter,… Read More
Like Maine, Vermont has a small but busy “Impeach Bush” movement; unlike Maine, it has the only Socialist member of Congress in Rep. Bernie Sanders, who is running for Senate this year and has plenty of reasons to be supportive of the movement. But he isn’t, and he’s… Read More
Wind farms hold the promise of power without climate change-inducing greenhouse gases. But the tall towers and large turbines, especially if perched on mountaintops, change a scenic landscape. The choice then is between two public goods – clean, renewable power and preserving unique areas that are often used… Read More
Richard E. Faust [of Surry, who teaches a course at Acadia Senior College called “The Role of Religion in the Evolution of Society”] claims that scientists are “right” and the Bible “wrong” (BDN, July 22-23). I submit that judgmental terms such as these are not… Read More
John Kerry said something very silly. Kathleen Parker (“Crystal-gazing with John Kerry,” BDN, July 26) said something more disturbing. Embedded in her column, which generally wasn’t silly, was the nugget of the issue; that being “… southern Lebanese from electing 14 members of Hezbollah …”… Read More
Bombs bathed in blood and made in and sanctioned by the USA rain down on innocent Lebanese women and children. An overwhelming use of deadly force destroying life and infrastructure given the green light by President Bush seems to fuel the hatred of our government… Read More
Since the election of George Bush to the presidency in 2000, a gradual but steady increase in the single decision-making authority of the executive has been taking place. Beginning with the absolute assurance of the threat of WMDs in Iraq to the latest exposure of support of illegal… Read More
Many congressional observers thought that the flurry of investigations, convictions and negative press surrounding the scandal involving super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff had finally created the perfect storm to prompt Congress to pass real reform. After all, a recent Gallup Poll found that a whopping 85 percent of Americans see… Read More
The automobile industry has been “test driving” vehicles that get 60 to 90 miles per gallon of fuel for more than 25 years. I know, because in 1980 I went to Amherst, Mass., to interview popular economist and people-powered vehicle engineer George Benello for the local alternative weekly. Read More
NEW YORK – The son of millionaire philanthropist and socialite Brooke Astor transferred ownership of her Maine estate to his wife after his mother had given him title to the property, according to a published report. The transfer, reported Saturday by The New York Times,… Read More
GRAND LAKE STREAM – This tiny town of 150 year-round residents is located at the end of the road – literally. But the off-the-beaten-track location of this sportsman’s paradise in Washington County’s lake region has meant that canoes have played an important role in the… Read More
BAR HARBOR – It’s not easy being green, but officials at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory are willing to try. A new research structure planned there will be the state’s first environmentally friendly laboratory. The $6.5 million building should be up and running by… Read More
PORTLAND – One year ago, a tractor-trailer driven by a trucker with an abysmal driving record slammed into the rear of a car driven by Tina Turcotte on the northern end of the Maine Turnpike near Augusta. The 40-year-old Scarborough woman died of her injuries… Read More
PORTLAND – A state drug treatment official has concerns about the future of methadone clinics in Maine following the conviction of an addiction specialist for forging prescriptions at his Westbrook clinic. Kim Johnson, director of the Office of Substance Abuse, said she is concerned about… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Ferris wheel is up at the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair and Music Festival, but its basket seats are missing. So are the ticket booths and several rides. In fact, only five of the contracted 25 rides had been inspected and were… Read More
SEGUIN ISLAND – A historic lighthouse that was commissioned by order of George Washington is having maintenance work performed on a rare lens containing hundreds of prisms that reflect light for miles out to sea. The work, which began recently, was expected to take about… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Although it got off to a wet start on Friday and Saturday’s heat drove some festival-goers to seek cooler activities, the ninth annual Bucksport Bay Festival was a success, according to organizers. Heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning curtailed the opening night… Read More
GRAND LAKE STREAM – The area always has been known for its fishing, paddling and miles of green and blue wilderness. The members of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust have worked since 1999 to make sure that time and progress treat Washington County’s inland lakes… Read More
VAN BUREN – Locals mixed history and pleasure this weekend as they celebrated the town’s 125th anniversary during the eighth annual Van Buren Summerfest. “It’s a big celebration for us,” Ron Michaud, Van Buren Chamber of Commerce board member, said on Saturday outside the municipal… Read More
STONINGTON – The Island Medical Center formally announced plans on Sunday for an $875,000 addition and renovation to the center and also announced a $300,000 donation to kick off the capital campaign to raise the funds for the project. The project will result in a… Read More
Penobscot County Superior Court, Cases June 1-30, 2006 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
ASHLAND – A Massachusetts man was in the Aroostook County Jail on Sunday awaiting extradition proceedings after local police found the fugitive hiding in his cousin’s home in Ashland, Maine State Police Sgt. David McPherson said Sunday. Thomas Ouellet, 18, of Gardner, Mass., was arrested… Read More
HARTFORD, Conn. – Elite libraries have told federal investigators that more antique maps are missing than those stolen by E. Forbes Smiley III, a part-time Mainer who admitted in June to taking nearly 100 maps. The British Library, Yale and Harvard report more maps missing… Read More
Bangor police Officer Larry Morrill restrained a Bangor man around 2:30 p.m. Sunday who was threatening to hang himself from the footbridge in Bangor’s Pickering Square. The man, who is in his early 20s, called dispatch to request help, and was reportedly sitting on the… Read More
BREWER – Back-to-back accidents on North Main Street in Brewer kept police busy Saturday and slowed traffic briefly. Dana Chapman, 45, of Brewer was driving a limousine at about 10:50 a.m. on Union Street when his brakes failed and he struck a pickup truck hauling… Read More
BANGOR – Walking can be difficult for Edward “Butch” Myshrall, 47, after a boyhood accident left him with three slipped disks in his back. So news that his neighborhood store, the Eastside Market, on the corner of Garland and Grove streets, was closing was not… Read More
FORT KENT – A prominent businessman from Edmundston, New Brunswick, died instantly Saturday afternoon in a head-on collision between his motorcycle and a pickup truck driven by a Frenchville man, Fort Kent Police Chief Doody Michaud said Sunday. Jacques Gallant, 54, who owned the Edmundston… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE – Seth Gass has a pretty choice job for a 23-year-old, working in Los Angeles in the art department of the hit TV show “24.” Instead of hanging around during the show’s hiatus, however, Gass, a Bangor native, spends his days at a rustic… Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – Three of the park’s trails no longer have gone to the birds. Officials on Friday reopened the Precipice Trail, the East Face Trail and the middle section of Hadlock Trail. They had been closed to give nesting peregrine falcons and loons… Read More
You should be ordering your tickets now for “In Grand Style,” the fourth annual luncheon and fashion show to benefit The Grand in Ellsworth, because the event is always a sellout, reports fashion show committee co-chairwoman Paula Kee. The event begins with a chicken salad… Read More
CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy officials are inviting the public to add their voice to a comprehensive self-study of the college that is part of the regular New England re-accreditation process. The college will undergo an evaluation visit this fall by a team representing the… Read More
PORTLAND – Margery Eliscu, a longtime newspaper columnist who found gentle humor in everyday life, has died following a long battle with cancer. She was 81. Eliscu, who died Thursday, wrote her “Coffee Break” column for the Maine Sunday Telegram for more than 23 years. Read More
OXFORD – They dropped like flies. The pre-race favorites in the 33rd annual TD Banknorth Oxford 250 fell victim to the three-eighths oval known as Oxford Plains Speedway Sunday night. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
PORTLAND – The Brewer Falcons advanced to a winners’ bracket showdown against undefeated Andrews Post of Portland at the state American Legion baseball tournament by outlasting Coastal Athletics 9-7 in the final game of second-day action Sunday night. Righthander Corey Cushing scattered six hits over… Read More
OXFORD – Sometimes just qualifying for Maine’s biggest auto race is as much of a challenge as trying to win it. Many of eastern Maine’s finest pro stock drivers tried to qualify for the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, but only… Read More
OXFORD – Denny Hamlin has had a terrific rookie season in the Nextel Cup series. Hamlin is currently eighth in the points standings and is the top rookie driver. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
HOLES-IN-ONE Steve Staples 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
MILBRIDGE DAYS 5K Top 25 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
BIDDEFORD – Two days into training camp for Friday night’s Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, East coach Daryle Weiss already sensed how the game would be settled. So when Skowhegan’s Aaron Chambers accounted for the final 27 yards of the East’s winning drive in its… Read More
HERMON – George Tripp smacked two triples, a double and an RBI single as Montville beat Aerus Electrolux 8-2 in the first game of a Sunday Bay League doubleheader. Montville won the second game 8-5. In the first game, George Tripp smacked two triples, a… Read More
BANGOR – Tyler Desjardins pitched a five-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk as Bangor shut out Kennebunk 17-0 Sunday at Mansfield Stadium in the state Junior League baseball tournament. Desjardins tripled and singled with two RBIs while Lonnie Hackett hit three singles and… Read More
PORTLAND – Opening day at the American Legion baseball state championships was a big success for Zone 1 champion Brewer and runner-up Bangor. Brewer used a five-RBI performance by Ben Davis to defeat Zone 3 runner-up New Auburn 9-5 at Hadlock Field, while Bangor righthander… Read More
HERMON – Bangor’s Jason Witts battled through several caution flags to earn a win in the Limited Sportsman race as well as the points championship for the series Saturday at Speedway 95. Rowland Robinson Sr. of Steuben was the runner-up for the race, followed by… Read More
We do not understand much about virtue, as Socrates often observed. But one thing we know for sure is that size has nothing to do with toughness. Take the ruby-throated hummingbird, for example, which could be hovering by your flowers like a fine-tuned helicopter right… Read More
As the number of automobiles increased in Maine a century ago, many people speculated on their impact. Forty-eight resident automobiles cruised the streets of Bangor by July 9, 1906, said the Bangor Daily News. That was double the number reported just a few months earlier. They would double… Read More
In theaters “Miami Vice” 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
In November 2005 the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Venus Express on a three-year mission to study the surface and atmosphere of Venus, our sister planet. Venus is closest to Earth in size and mass of all the planets. It lies about three-quarters of… Read More
It has been 17 years since I visited the library at the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters in Washington – and it was worth the wait. Not that I came home with great gobs of new information on my ancestors. I didn’t,… Read More