AUGUSTA – Although four candidates for governor were on the stage during Tuesday night’s television debate, viewers might have had the impression it was a two-way race after independent gubernatorial candidate Barbara Merrill repeatedly challenged Democratic Gov. John E. Baldacci on tax policy and other issues. Read More
More than 50 years after being honorably discharged from the military, Richard Grenier of Old Town watched Tuesday as a Purple Heart was pinned to his gray blazer for wounds he received during the Korean War. Grenier, now 74, entered the military at age 17… Read More
AUGUSTA – In a crowded hearing room at the State House on Tuesday, consumers expressed their frustration at the latest rate increase proposed by the state’s largest health insurance company. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine has requested increases between 3.3 percent and… Read More
AUGUSTA – Slot machine players at the state’s only racino in Bangor are having an impact on state lottery revenues, Maine Lottery Director Dan Gwadosky told members of the state revenue forecasting commission Tuesday. “There is only so much disposable income to go around,” Gwadosky… Read More
A coalition of conservation groups has agreed to pay Plum Creek roughly $35 million to protect permanently more than 340,000 acres of forestland central to the company’s massive Moosehead Lake development plan. Back in March, Plum Creek Timber Co. officials said they had brokered tentative… Read More
An article in the State section Thursday, Oct. 19, about Houlton board positions on the Nov. 7 ballot requires clarification. Nancy P. Ketch is a past member of the Shiretown Development Corp. She is a current member of the Southern Aroostook Development Corp. Read More
College price increases slowed this year, but they again topped inflation, and financial aid isn’t keeping pace, a new report says. Tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $344, or 6.3 percent, to an average of $5,836 for the 2006-07 academic year, according to… Read More
WEST ENFIELD – A small Passadumkeag company that makes fishing nets and other sports equipment for retailers such as L.L. Bean will be adding another four or five workers and moving to the former Dan’s Sports Bar under a $200,000 plan to expand. Wallace Bros. Read More
The Maine International Trade Center is sponsoring a free seminar on international business finance Thursday. “The Tools of the Trade: International Payments, Trade Finance and Legal Documents” is open to the public and will be held 1-5 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch… Read More
Philip E. Harriman of Falmouth has been named the 2006-2007 president of the Million Dollar Round Table, an international association of insurance and investment financial services professionals with more than 35,000 members from 80 countries. Harriman’s position became effective Sept. 1 and marks the culmination… Read More
We are writing in support of Judith Alexander for the Maine House of Representative, District 31. In the time we have known Judy, she has proven her devotion to those she has served in Washington County in her two terms as mayor of the city of Calais. Read More
As in states across the nation, Maine is home to candidates whose campaigns are inspired primarily by their anger about the war in Iraq. They want U.S. troops to leave Iraq either immediately or quickly. The growing success of the insurgents and the nascent Iraqi civil war fuel… Read More
DDT has certainly had its ups and downs. The powerful and almost indestructible insecticide was hailed in World War II as the “savior of mankind” as it killed the fleas that carried typhus and the mosquitoes that spread malaria. Farmers increased their harvests by spraying it on crops… Read More
It certainly is not good news for the planet that our population passed 300 million and continues to grow at a rate that exceeds the rest of the industrialized world. Based on per capita consumption, we are already grossly overpopulated. As a nation, we consume… Read More
There have been much discussion and advertisements on the good and bad points of the citizen’s initiative that is on Maine ballot as a referendum question on Nov. 7. I have reviewed as much information as possible that I have been able to assimilate, so… Read More
I applaud Kristen Andresen for her article, “Destination: Millinocket,” in the Living section (BDN, Oct. 21-22). It’s about time something positive was written about the Katahdin region. Ms. Andresen accurately highlighted some of the reasons I moved to this wonderful community. Space did not allow… Read More
Wheeler, for a change Once again we enter into another election year. The city of Bangor is experiencing a monumental change since urban renewal, Main Street and the racino, the old Railroad Street and the waterfront, along with homeland security. These changes are important to… Read More
We support Ruth-Marie Spellman of Brewer who is running for the state Senate to represent an area on the eastern side of the Penobscot River including Brewer, Eddington, Orrington, Bucksport, Orland, Penobscot, Verona Island and Castine. Spellman is a fiscally conservative, socially progressive Democrat who… Read More
I urge all Mainers to look for and sign the petitions to place the Opportunity Maine initiative on the ballot, and I thank the Bangor Daily News and columnist and political economist John Buell for their recent commentaries encouraging the same. This initiative will make… Read More
Colorado governor Bill Owens, whose state voted last fall to suspend its Taxpayer Bill of Rights because of the damage it was doing to public services, is featured in a new TV ad in Maine claiming that “The Taxpayer Bill of Rights has been a tremendous success here… Read More
WASHINGTON – New identification rules for crossing the United States-Canada border are causing lingering confusion and distress among local and state officials and business owners in Maine. At issue is a 2004 law that required the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to… Read More
ORONO – Concerns about air emissions from the biomass boiler in Old Town slated to be operated by Red Shield Environmental LLC, the company purchasing the former Georgia-Pacific Corp. mill, have prompted Orono councilors and administrators to request a public hearing to get some answers. Read More
When asked about the prospects of Democrats winning back the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Allen, the five-term incumbent in the 1st District, smiles. He is confident, he tells a handful of supporters who have gathered at a town hall meeting in Bridgton on… Read More
BAILEYVILLE – Five years ago only a handful of Baileyville residents pressed their case to have a third bridge built in this community but in the end neighboring Calais was chosen. Shortly after the announcement in 2002, work began on the site near the city’s… Read More
MACHIAS – The deputy for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department who was suspended without pay in June for having taken up an opponent’s campaign signs 10 days after the primary election will receive five months of back pay and has resigned. The settlement decision came… Read More
Woman faces charge of aid in escape try Troopers with assault weapons converge on Maine State Prison
WARREN – The state shut off all visits to Maine State Prison on Tuesday after an apparent escape attempt in which area police were summoned to the site. State troopers were later spotted at their barracks dressed in camouflage gear and carrying assault rifles. A… Read More
BANGOR – Husson College said Tuesday its board of trustees has unanimously approved development of what could be northern New England’s only school of pharmacy. The college hopes that the six-year program will begin in 2008, with the first doctorates in pharmacy to be awarded… Read More
Ellsworth District Court Cases May 16-Sept. 18, 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 () { //… Read More
BANGOR – The city’s government operations committee approved a revised ordinance Tuesday that would increase housing assistance after landlords complained that the initial monthly rental allowances proposed were too low. The committee is recommending that the revised ordinance be passed by the full city council… Read More
William Larrabee of the Sebec Lake Weather Station will be recognized Thursday for his 46 years of service as a volunteer observer with the National Weather Service. Larrabee is one of six recipients in the country to receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award… Read More
BREWER – All of the participants at Tuesday’s Meet the Candidates forum said they oppose the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and encouraged residents to vote against the measure on Election Day. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a ‘no’ for me,” City Councilor Larry Doughty,… Read More
BANGOR – Laptop computers with wireless connections soon may provide another link between Penobscot County law enforcement agencies and the information they need in the field. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and six Bangor area law enforcement agencies are seeking $267,000 in federal Homeland Security… Read More
ORONO – The Orono School Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved a request for 11 high school students to travel to the Bronx, N.Y., to participate in an exchange program with the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy. The visit is sponsored by Operation Breaking Stereotypes, a nonprofit organization… Read More
A High Street resident told police Tuesday that someone had entered his unlocked vehicle between Monday night and Tuesday morning and had taken about $80 worth of hunting items. The missing items included knives, gloves, a scope and binoculars, according to Dexter Police Chief Art Roy. Read More
The Brewer School Committee is heading to Augusta on Thursday for a Maine School Management Association conference and also will meet with an attorney behind closed doors about a pending litigation while in the state’s capital. “There is no action anticipated,” Superintendent Daniel Lee said Tuesday. Lee declined… Read More
CALAIS – The metal was glowing, the bed of coals was red hot as a group of young women from all over Washington County tried their hand at forging for the first time ever. It was all part of the Totally Trades Expo, a daylong… Read More
Steven Juskewitch, an independent candidate for district attorney in Hancock and Washington counties, knows he’s a long shot. He’s not a defeatist, it’s just … well, he’s been in this position before and history isn’t exactly on his side. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
DEER ISLE – Investigators have some suspects in a bomb threat Tuesday morning that forced evacuation of students from the Deer Isle-Stonington High School. Students were evacuated from the high school about 10:30 a.m. after a note was discovered in a boys’ restroom indicating that… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The city recently tore down a building near the municipal dock on the Union River, but so far it doesn’t have plans to redevelop the half-acre property. In the meantime, City Council chairman Gary Fortier said Tuesday that the property likely will be… Read More
ROCKPORT – Schooner Bay Towing is expanding into the Camden-Rockport area with the purchase of Spear’s Wrecker Service of Rockport. Schooner Bay Towing now will have trucks based out of Rockport as well as its current location in Rockland. Spear’s Wrecker Service customers can still… Read More
INDIAN TOWNSHIP – Whitney Wreath has recently opened a new location on Route 1 in Indian Township. Whitney Wreath produces Christmas wreaths and balsam products Down East. They previously had a seasonal operation in Eastport. Read More
CALAIS – Senate Homeland Security Committee staff members will be in Calais to hear concerns of border residents at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Bernardini’s Restaurant, 89 Main St. A few issues that will be discussed are the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and the… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library will host the play “A Rebel Redeemed” at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Library Multipurpose Room. The play was written by Phil B. Turner and directed by the Rev. Lynne Josselyn. Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Northern Maine Community College will host a panel of human resources managers who will give a talk titled “How to Lose a Job in 10 Days” at noon Oct. 25 in the Keegan Room of Reed Dining Commons. The workshop is geared toward students who… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Chamber of Commerce will hold a scooter raffle fundraiser Dec. 20. The Chamber will raffle off a 2007 Honda Scooter, which normally retails for $2,100 and gets approximately 100 mpg. Raffle tickets are $20 each and will be sold until Dec. 19. Community members… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the Citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards for 2006. Applications are available at all financial institutions in Presque Isle, local service clubs and at the Chamber of Commerce office. The deadline… Read More
Democrat Clifford Norton III 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
NEWPORT – It didn’t matter that it was raining and cold early Tuesday morning as historians, contractors, town leaders and committee members gathered on Main Street under a red striped tent. Supporters of the Newport Cultural Center huddled around hot coffee and doughnuts at the… Read More
BANGOR – Police arrested a Glenburn woman Tuesday morning after it was reported that she rammed her former boyfriend’s car with her own car then smashed his windows with a barbell. Kimberly Ugro, 32, was charged with criminal mischief and driving to endanger after the… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Eastern Agency on Aging Community Service Consultant Leslie Lizotte will offer outreach services to senior citizens at 11:30 a.m. at the following locations in November: . Thursday, Nov. 2, at St. Ann’s Parish in Dexter. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – There will be an informational meeting held on the proposed Plum Creek development project at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Penquis Higher Education Center. The Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce will host the meeting, which is open both to the Chamber’s membership… Read More
BANGOR – The Department of Health and Human Services will host a public informational meeting about adoption and foster care in Bangor 1-3 p.m. Nov. 17. Those considering adoption or foster care are encouraged to attend the open, no-obligation meeting. For location or to attend, contact A Family… Read More
BANGOR – Jim Dowe, president and CEO of Maine Public Broadcasting will be the speaker at the next Husson College Business Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Dickerman Dining Commons. The title of his speech is “Compelling and Trusted Content: For Our… Read More
BREWER – The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is holding its fourth annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Jeff’s Catering beginning at 11 a.m. today. The keynote speaker is radio and TV personality George Hale and the master of ceremonies is Ric Tyler. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
CALAIS – A 14-year-old Robbinston juvenile who said he threatened his neighbor’s grandchildren with a bullet, not a gun, was sentenced Monday in 4th District Court on threatening charges. Jordan A. McLellan was charged with two counts of criminal threatening as a result of a… Read More
MACHIAS – A Washington County couple, Hattie Alley of Jonesport and Alexis Velez of Beals, were indicted Tuesday on charges of trafficking in heroin by the Washington County grand jury. Alley, 24, faces a Class B charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, and Class… Read More
MADAWASKA – A contingent from the Maine Department of Transportation will be at Madawaska on Nov. 2 to discuss local plans for the construction of a new international bridge, according to Rep. Rosaire Paradis. The 1 p.m. meeting at the Gateway Motel, where Paradis believes… Read More
MADAWASKA – St. John Valley towns and school districts have been lining up against the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Indeed, finding a municipality or school district that supports the TABOR initiative is like hunting for the end of the rainbow. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
HOULTON – A trial date has yet to be set in the case of a local man accused of beating and stabbing a woman to death inside her motel room last Dec. 9, an Aroostook County Superior Court clerk said Tuesday. Daniel Boles, the then… Read More
HOULTON – The Houlton Police Department is becoming better equipped thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Town councilors on Monday evening unanimously accepted the $975 grant, which will be used to purchase two bulletproof vests. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
HOULTON – Although the Town Council did not follow in the footsteps of other municipal boards throughout the state in taking a position on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, the board on Monday evening did talk about what the initiative could have done to town finances in the… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The school committee on Tuesday expelled two students who created a CD containing violent lyrics about a shooting spree at Bucksport High School. Committee members deliberated the case of each student separately, finishing late Tuesday night. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield police Officer Jason Emery rounded a curve on Route 100 on Tuesday morning and activated the cruiser’s radar. The machinery whined and locked onto an oncoming van. “There’s a good one,” Emery commented. “71 in a 30.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
One of the ways folks in Aroostook County are able to show support for our troops is by contributing to the work of SOAR of Houlton. SOAR stands for Support Our American Recruits. Marilyn Sjoberg e-mailed me saying that the first Maine SOAR chapter was… Read More
The Bangor Daily News asked all of the congressional candidates their positions on several issues handled by Congress in recent years. The date in parenthesis indicates year Congress last dealt with the issue. In some cases, their answers have been edited or excerpted for space. For the complete… Read More
AUGUSTA – Flanked by his party’s leading legislative committee members, Assistant House GOP leader Joshua Tardy laid out a Republican six-point “pledge for prosperity” for the state Tuesday that was immediately dismissed by House Democrats. “This rises to much more than attacking Democrats for what… Read More
BANGOR – Stephen King fans eager to join in a pre-Halloween bus tour of Bangor locations that were featured in his best-selling novels and movie adaptations are out of luck. This year’s final “Tommy-knockers & More” tour, set for Sunday afternoon, has been sold out,… Read More
ORRINGTON – Keeping the water levels constant at the leaking Meadow Dam is crucial to maintaining wildlife in the area, state officials are telling town leaders. Town officials are considering replacing the deteriorating dam with a new rock ramp fishway dam. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor man sentenced last week to 14 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography was sentenced Tuesday in state court for sexually assaulting a boy more than 15 years ago. Jacques Croll, 46, was sentenced in Penobscot County Superior Court to… Read More
When Halloween rolls around, creative party-throwers go out of their way to create creepy cuisine. Recipes abound for witches’ fingers (which are really just breadsticks with nuts as fingernails) and cheese balls that – with a careful manipulation of food coloring – resemble bloodshot eyes. For the daring,… Read More
Savor the season Raise a toast to autumn’s bounty at the Nov. 4 wine dinner at Pairings in Winterport. The event will begin at 6 p.m., and guests will have the opportunity to watch chef Robert Waldron prepare a four-course meal. The menu includes Pumpkin,… Read More
Quite a few readers have called the Bangor Daily News, wanting to make Dan Manzo’s now-famous tomato sauce. Unfortunately, we left out the can sizes for the tomatoes. The full recipes – with the correct measurements – follows. The Manzo Family Tomato Sauce googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR – Maine is a state rich in the traditional arts, and on Friday, the Maine Arts Commission introduced a program to celebrate those traditions. During an awards ceremony at the Bangor Opera House, Passamaquoddy birch-bark canoemaker David Moses Bridges of Pleasant Point received the… Read More
ELLSWORTH – It took a textbook goal to decide a high-quality Eastern Maine Class B girls soccer semifinal at Del Luce Stadium on Wednesday . And a pair of sophomores showed they had studied well, teaming up midway through the second half to lift second-ranked… Read More
Toronto Blue Jays third base coach and Orono native Brian Butterfield said there is a reason the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals are in the World Series. “[St. Louis’] Tony La Russa and [Detroit’s] Jim Leyland are the two best managers in baseball,” said… Read More
ORONO – There were some anxious and excited players on the basketball court Saturday during the annual Blue-White scrimmages at Alfond Arena. Senior captain Kevin Reed and freshman Mark Socoby of Bangor competed in front of a crowd for the first time in more than… Read More
The shift of Brewer back to Class A and the addition of Nokomis of Newport to the Eastern Maine Class B ranks are the only changes expected in the state’s high school football ranks for the next two years. The football committee of the Maine… Read More
BANGOR – Looking for a second-half spark in Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal against No. 9 Mt. Blue, the No. 1 Bangor girls soccer team turned, as it has so many times this season, to Casey Hartley. Once again, Hartley responded. The junior forward… Read More
PORTLAND – Novice class super lightweight boxer Josh Harvey of Dexter won a unanimous decision over Bryce Landry of Nashua, N.H., at the Northeast Regional semifinals over the weekend. Novice class super lightweight Calvin Elwell of Stockton Springs won by forfeit, and both boxers advanced… Read More
COLLEGE 72nd Annual NEIGA Championship 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 KaroleAnne Emery 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 = [[300,250]];… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL PVC All Conference Field Hockey Teams 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
BANGOR – The city’s government operations committee on Tuesday heard a proposal from Bangor Municipal Golf Course management to raise membership rates and weekday greens fees for the 2007 season. “It has been two years since we’ve changed our rates,” Frank Comeau, Bangor’s director of… Read More
BANGOR – There’s always a strong, deep rivalry between teams from Bangor and Brewer high schools. But at one time, a few members of the Rams and Witches boys soccer teams, who will have an unprecedented Eastern Maine Class A semifinal meeting this evening, were… Read More
WINSLOW – The fourth-ranked Bucksport High School girls soccer team had allowed just four goals in 15 games entering Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinals against top seed Winslow. But Black Raider center midfielder Katie Caron scored a pair of goals 6:07 apart within the… Read More
CASTINE – Laura Clarke scored a first-half goal and Shelby Pickering added two in the second half as the Husson College Eagles recorded a 4-0 women’s soccer victory over the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners Tuesday. Clark’s goal came at the 41:24 mark when she scored… Read More
GREENVILLE – Hannah Breton scored two unassisted first-half goals to propel the No. 2 Greenville Lakers by the No. 3 Buckfield Bucks 3-1 in a Western Maine Class D girls soccer semifinal Tuesday. Greenville advanced to Friday’s regional championship at No. 1 Richmond, which defeated… Read More
The members of the No. 1 Belfast field hockey team packed up their equipment and mingled near their bench, reveling in the moments after Saturday’s 4-1 Eastern Maine Class B semifinal win over No. 5 Foxcroft. Coach Allen Holmes had something else on his mind. Read More
For the eight survivors of the Pine Tree Conference Class B football regular-season wars, this weekend marks a new season – the playoffs. For at least two of the teams in the field, it also marks a new beginning of sorts. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More