Snow clouds loomed in the distance Friday as a group from the Appalachian Mountain Club gazed down on a vast expanse of rugged forestland in Township 7 Range 10 that, in many ways, epitomizes the current tug of war over Maine’s North Woods. Standing on… Read More
After years of pushing for increased Internet bandwidth, the state’s university system and research institutions in Hancock and Penobscot counties could find themselves moving into the passing lane on the information superhighway if a proposal contained in Gov. John Baldacci’s emergency supplemental budget bill is approved by the… Read More
LEWISTON – Standing behind a counter with Zippo lighters on display and a sign overhead displaying cigarette specials, Tonya Medlen didn’t mince words about Gov. John Baldacci’s proposal to raise taxes on cigarettes. The Democratic governor’s plan to raise the state tobacco tax by another… Read More
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and many Mainers may be wondering how to celebrate the holiday. Joe Perry, the new president of the Greater Bangor Area NAACP, has some suggestions that will make today, the rest of the year, and possibly a lifetime more… Read More
PORTLAND – A legal case in which the daughter of an IBM executive who built the company into a computer giant adopted her same-sex partner to ensure her financial security is playing out in a complex legal dispute that is taking place in Maine courtrooms. Read More
Several events are scheduled around the state today and Tuesday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Among them are: Monday events: 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
Dear Jim: I just stored the Christmas tree up in the attic. I realize there is no insulation on the access door in the ceiling nor did it seal well. Is there much energy lost through there and what can I do about it? – Dan W. Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The large number of available skilled workers in the Penquis region and their eagerness to work prompted a businessman to pull his roots in the southern Maine town of Eliot and move north. While looking for a permanent home in Dover-Foxcroft, Glenn Ruesswick… Read More
We’ve certainly been spoiled this winter with the mild weather. The culprit could be global warming, El Nino, or just random luck. No matter the cause, snow shovels and snowblowers have stayed in the garage and furnaces have not been running full-bore. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
The U.S. Department of Labor defines a coal miner as anyone at the mine site and paid by the hour. Electricians, diesel mechanics, carpenters, etc., are all considered “miners” if they work at the mine site and are paid by the hour. Given that definition, western coal miners… Read More
I take issue with Jonah Goldberg’s assessment of America being “simply a lot more generous than most other countries.” He’s talking about individual private donations, in which case, Americans are very charitable and generous. Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University in New York quotes figures… Read More
Thanks for the OpEd piece by John McCain (BDN 1/9) in which he advocated “substantial and sustained” increases in force levels in Iraq. But my reading of it raises the question: Even recognizing McCain’s valorous service during the Vietnam conflict, particularly his travails as a POW, one still… Read More
What insanity is this? The Bangor city council passed a ban on smoking on town roads in city limits in your car if a child is present under the age of 18. This ban obliges police to stop cars and impose a fine of $50. It is a… Read More
I applaud the Bangor City Council’s initiative in banning smoking in vehicles carrying children. Research clearly shows that exposure to secondhand smoke increases health risks for children. The November 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that an hour-long drive in a… Read More
There may be no more fitting way to observe the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. than to recall his defining speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. . googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Scores of news stories have noted the wonders of military medical care that have saved the lives of thousands of wounded troops and resulted in a new and growing wave of veterans who will need long-term care. Now a study has researched some of those costs and found… Read More
If the cornerstone of sound public policy is enlightened self-interest, then perhaps Maine officials ought to rethink Indian affairs. Marked by a continuing string of federal court suits, the recent history of Maine-Indian relations remains one of confrontation. Maine spends hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to convince… Read More
The propensity of Somalia and its miseries to make great mischief for the United States and the international community is endless. In October 1993, less than a year into a U.S.-led United Nations effort to rebuild the failed Somali state, 18 American soldiers were killed in the wake… Read More
On Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m., I will be attending the special town meeting at the Hermon High School auditorium. Residents will consider approving a $400,000 matching fund to assist with Phase 2 of the Greater Hermon Community Athletic Complex. If approved, it will not… Read More
I was astounded when I opened the Bangor Daily News on Jan. 6 and saw that one of Gov. Baldacci’s answers to the budget was to single out the smokers again with another dollar being added to a pack of cigarettes. I quit smoking nine… Read More
Reference to the article, “Millinocket still divided on MAGIC” (BDN, Jan. 8), struggle in Millinocket is not new, but is apparently again news. The noisiest factions emerging are only teams choosing up sides at recess and the real discussion is yet to come. In the… Read More
Your editorial page, Jan. 7, offered up a staff-drawn cartoon of Nancy Pelosi as a queen with bowing courtiers. How come when Gingrich took over as speaker of the House you didn’t run a cartoon of King Newt? Or later of Emperor Hastert? googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
On Jan. 6, in a moving ceremony in Waterville, I was privileged to attend the deactivation ceremony of A Battery, 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery of the Maine Army National Guard. The deactivation was the first of five. The 152nd has been a part of the Maine Guard… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Women at risk in domestic violence situations will soon have an added layer of protection provided by the Cole Family Foundation. The foundation is working with law enforcement in 10 communities to test a computerized system that will allow police to provide a… Read More
PORTLAND – A Searsmont man who runs a blog site about Maine politics is among the bloggers who have been given media credentials to cover next week’s federal trial of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff. The national Media Bloggers Association was given… Read More
MOUNT DESERT – Paul Rozeff never envisioned the type of event that happened Saturday. He did not foresee that he would be badly injured Dec. 20 while headed out of Southwest Harbor on his fishing vessel Tasha Lyn. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Swaddled in a soft pink and white blanket, Makayla Ferris opened and closed her tiny fingers as she contentedly nursed from her mother’s breast. With a crown of brown hair and azure-colored eyes, Makayla, the daughter of Raymond and Alicia Ferris, appeared to be the… Read More
BANGOR – Walk downtown past the Hammond Street display windows of Epic Sports and you’ll be able to read what Maine youths hope for in 2007. “I want my brother home safely from Iraq,” wrote one local youngster. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
ELLSWORTH – One of the immediate ways Maine could reform its tax structure and start alleviating the tax burden away from property owners is to raise the state lodging tax from 7 cents on every dollar to 10 cents, members of the League of Women Voters were told… Read More
FAIRFIELD – A Waterville man is expected to face a murder charge Tuesday now that his estranged wife has died after he reportedly shot her Friday morning in front of their 5- and 6-year-old children. Rhonda Reynolds, 37, died shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday at… Read More
MACHIAS – At both the December and January selectmen’s meetings, board members have questioned among themselves why town police cruisers have been seen out of town. Police Chief Grady Dwelley said Friday he was surprised at the concern since no one, including any selectman, has… Read More
LUBEC – Disaster relief is on its way for 15 Lubec clammers who suffered losses as a result of red tide closures in 2004 and 2005 after Maine Department of Marine Resources officials reversed an earlier denial of claims. Those Lubec clammers who filed an… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – More than 300 parents, grandparents, business owners, teachers, law enforcement officers and state officials gathered Saturday morning at the Skowhegan Armory to brainstorm how best to serve the youths of the area. “We didn’t come here to blame someone,” Jerry Lynch, an educational… Read More
PITTSFIELD – At its regular meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 16, the Pittsfield Town Council will likely hire an independent review of the town’s Vegetation Management Plan for the Pittsfield Municipal Airport as part of a requirement to get a $113,810 federal grant to implement the plan. Read More
DEXTER – This town has always been known for its patriotism, but its love of country will be taken a step further by the local posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. Shirley B. Carter VFW Post 4298 and Poulliot-Seavey American Legion… Read More
BANGOR – Drugs or alcohol usually come to mind when people think of addictions, but in Fred Bryant’s case, he’s addicted to history. “I can’t stop it now,” said Bryant, who started collecting historic Bangor Police Department memorabilia as an officer in the mid-1970s. “It’s… Read More
AUGUSTA – A Winthrop lawyer faces criminal charges after his indictment for theft, forgery, misuse of entrusted property and falsifying private records. The indictment alleges that Brian Condon, 37, took between $1,000 and $10,000 that was the property of a client and Condon’s former law… Read More
SANTA FE, N.M. – Maine has joined more than a dozen states that are challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s rules governing mercury emissions from power plants. The states have filed a brief with a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., asking that the existing… Read More
MONTICELLO – Kenneth Eastham, 44, of Mapleton was charged with operating after suspension and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants Saturday after his vehicle collided with an oncoming vehicle at midnight on Route 1. At about 11:30 p.m., a motorist reported… Read More
CARIBOU – Local officials who have joined forces in the fight against substance abuse in the region are working to establish a countywide prevention network after garnering a $50,000 strategic planning grant from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse. The grant will allow community drug… Read More
An 85-year-old man working on a 1993 pickup truck Saturday at his home on U.S. Route 2 in Etna was struck and pushed against a wall by the vehicle when the accelerator apparently got stuck, Maine State Police said. The accident occurred just after noon. Read More
TOPSHAM – Active-duty and retired military families stand to lose out on bargain food prices and a part of the social fabric of military life when the commissary at the Topsham Annex to the Brunswick Naval Air Station shuts its doors. Closing the store would… Read More
You are invited to attend a benefit pancake breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Unity House of Pizza on Main Street in that community. The cost of the breakfast is just $5 per person and all proceeds benefit the Unity… Read More
KIBBY TOWNSHIP – A Canadian-based energy company has filed an application with state regulators seeking a zoning change and development permit for 2,900 acres in western Maine to build a $270 million wind farm. TransCanada Corp., based in Calgary, Alberta, is proposing to erect 44… Read More
HAMPDEN – Brewer had a vision. John Bapst wanted to make a statement. Both school’s cheerleading teams took home top awards at Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference competition for Classes A and B in front of about 1,500 spectators packed into the gym at Hampden Academy. Read More
ORONO – The Orono boys basketball team parlayed a fast start and a strong finish into a 51-43 Class C victory over Fort Kent on Saturday afternoon. The Red Riots (6-4) jumped out to a 10-0 lead over a Fort Kent team playing its first… Read More
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Maine had hoped its experience would take over during the second half of Sunday’s game against Vermont. Instead, it was the poise and enthusiasm of the Catamounts that prevailed. The Black Bears struggled repeatedly with turnovers and Vermont capitalized… Read More
ORONO – Maybe it was a result of the plunging temperature at Alfond Arena on Saturday afternoon, but the University of Maine’s second-half foul shooting was as cold as the chilly facility. Luckily for the Black Bears, Chris Bruff and Kevin Reed got hot at… Read More
ORONO – On Saturday night, the Boston University Terriers showed why they entered this weekend’s Hockey East series against the University of Maine with the lowest goals-against average (1.72) in the country. One night after surviving a furious Maine rally to hang on for a… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Greenville, giant slalom 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 At Pittsfield 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
HIGH SCHOOL At UMaine Field House, 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… Read More
COLLEGE At Lewiston, Saturday 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
HIGH SCHOOL PVC Championships 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
JOHNSON, Vt. – Crystal Martin tallied 20 points, eight rebounds and six steals to lead the Husson College women’s basketball team to an 81-56 victory over Johnson State Saturday. Annie McIntosh added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles of Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
CESANA SAN SICARIO, Italy – Russell Currier of Stockholm finished a personal-best third place Sunday in the junior men’s 10-kilometer sprint at a Europa Cup biathlon competition. Currier, a 2006 Caribou High graduate who competes for the Maine Winter Sports Center, finished 28.6 seconds behind… Read More
PORTLAND – Jared Turcotte, a running back and linebacker from Lewiston High School, was named Sunday night as the recipient of the 36th James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy presented annually to the state’s top senior high school football player. Turcotte led Lewiston to an Eastern Maine… Read More
ELLSWORTH -Angela Norsworthy scored 21 points to lead Presque Isle to a 50-29 schoolgirl basketball win over Ellsworth on Saturday. Sarah Porter had 10 points for the Wildcats. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
EAST MACHIAS – Senior Ashley Tilton scored her 1,000th career point in the first quarter Saturday to help lift Washington Academy to a 59-45 girls basketball victory over Lee Academy at Gardner Gymnasium. Tilton finished with 14 points and four steals while becoming the first… Read More
BANGOR – Ethan Cushman scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead John Bapst to a 65-53 victory over previously unbeaten Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln in a Class B boys basketball game Saturday at the Bangor Auditorium. Aaron Healey added 17 points for the… Read More
In the nearly 40 years that have passed since composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice collaborated on “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” I have managed to avoid every production. Community, amateur, professional, American, English or South African – I missed them all. And that’s a… Read More
Taking place in the darkness of moist soil, the awakening of a seed and the early stages in growth of the seedling are events many of us have never seen. This activity, suitable for children at any grade level, provides an opportunity to monitor seed germination and seedling… Read More
At first we thought they were aliens. Long spindly legs. An abdomen like a squared-off arrowhead. A sticklike head out of a science fiction movie. They lumbered lonely along countertops then fluttered away in drunken V-trajectories sounding like toy outboard motors. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
On this Martin Luther King Day at the beginning of the 21st century, it’s hard to imagine how popular minstrel shows once were. People packed the Bangor Opera House to see professional white performers with blackened faces pretend to be “darkies” in the Old South. Meanwhile, a multitude… Read More
The gravestone for Walter L. Mower lists him as “historian and hobbiest.” An historian he certainly was, and a genealogist, too, one we know as Walter Lindley Mower, author of the “History of the Town of Greene.” No doubt Mower would be pleased to know… Read More
. Loons are water birds. They nest on the shores of deep freshwater lakes and feed mainly on fish. . They are strong swimmers. They dive as deep as 200 feet, and can remain underwater for as long as 10 minutes. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
In theaters THE DEAD GIRL, written and directed by Karen Moncreiff, 93 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