BANGOR – Most of the time, Assata Sherrill says, people are simply curious, not judgmental. The black woman has lived in predominantly white Maine for the past four years and considers it her home. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Warm days and cold nights are the perfect combination to make tree sap run for the manufacture of maple syrup and to turn winter into spring without any significant flooding, say state officials. “We’re in pretty much a normal situation for right now, but we… Read More
Torrential rains and melting snow and ice caused a catastrophic flood 20 years ago that inundated homes and businesses along Maine’s major waterways and swept away roads and bridges, including at least two historic structures. It was April Fools’ Day 1987, but the more than… Read More
Is it rat poison that has sickened and killed an unknown number of pets across the country or is it melamine, a fertilizer and plastics ingredient? Should consumers be wary only of wet pet food sold in packets and cans, or has dry food been contaminated as well?… Read More
BUTTE, Mont. – Butte has landed the host role for the National Folk Festival for three years starting in 2008. The three-day event draws thousands of people and celebrates American culture through music, dance, workshops, storytelling, parades, craft exhibits and food, according to the National… Read More
House votes Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud (2nd District) and Tom Allen (1st District) 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… Read More
As of Friday, March 30, 2007, at least 3,245 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Latest identifications: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
AUGUSTA – Army Sgt. Edmund Wayne McDonald, who was from Casco, was killed this week in a crash while he was riding in a military convoy in Afghanistan, Gov. John Baldacci said Friday. McDonald, 25, was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. He died… Read More
Maine communities can take a number of steps to reduce the effects of catastrophic floods: . Practice responsible flood plain management. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Thousands of people recently expressed their desire for peace by braving the winter weather demanding an end to this illegal war. Their desire for peace is admirable but let us not forget that those who speak for peace and nonviolence do not have a seat at the president’s… Read More
An Allagash Wilderness Waterway advisory council will provide a needed forum for airing, and in some instances resolving disagreements while allowing the waterway to be managed without the distractions and delays caused by trying to accommodate differing views of how the 92-mile river should be run. Read More
What should worry legislators even more than the news this week that state revenues will be lower than expected is that these shortfalls are happening in relatively good times. The fragile condition of the state budget demands a new response from lawmakers and new responsibility when they propose… Read More
Our Legislature is once again considering an increase in the excise tax paid on beer and wine. Excise taxes are not only regressive but are passed on to our customers as part of the price paid at retail. It is important to note that Maine… Read More
I have an idea. Concerning the recent rejection of the seat-belt measure (BDN, March 23), I completely agree with Rep. Doug Thomas. Government is indeed becoming way too intrusive and regulatory. I adamantly resent being told what to do every time I turn around. Yet Rep. Deborah Simpson… Read More
The recent capture and imprisonment of the 15 British sailors by Iran is a test and nothing more. Iran’s overt movement toward an atomic future was prompted by perceived Western weakness and disunity in Iraq and in dealings with North Korea. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
The BDN reported that Senate President Beth Edmonds has introduced legislation to provide state funded abortions to poor Maine women (“Maine abortion funding proposed,” March 14). She is quoted as saying, “It is not fair to deny poor women their protected constitutional right to reproductive choice.”… Read More
After four years, $500 billion spent and $100 billion about to be authorized, 3,200 U.S. lives, 53,000 wounded or mentally impaired U.S. troops, 4 million Iraqi refugees, a destroyed Iraq economy and oil fields – what now? I thank you and agree with the Bangor Daily News editorial… Read More
The threat of school-district reform has provoked Maine into talking about the value of local communities again, but the discussion almost never extends beyond an assertion of town boundaries. That is a loss because it avoids any responsibility to make a community something more than a collection of… Read More
Maine’s marine fisheries are in trouble, but help is hopefully on the way in the form of LD 1237. This bill, which I formally introduced March 26, would authorize a $55 million bond to create hundreds of fishing-related jobs and ensure the sustainability of the state’s marine resources. Read More
One conclusion to be drawn from the “March Madness” national collegiate basketball tournament, men’s version, presently winding down on CBS-TV may be that a guy can’t play Division I college basketball these days unless he sports garish tattoos from his toes to his nose, supposedly as certification of… Read More
PERRY – Decades after the Maine shoe industry began suffering a long decline due to foreign competition, a small Down East footwear business has bucked the trend and found a healthy niche in the global marketplace. Quoddy Footwear LLC, begun in 1998 by Kevin and… Read More
ROCKPORT – Pen Bay Healthcare, the parent company of Penobscot Bay Medical Center, Mid-Coast Mental Health Center and other health care facilities in the Camden, Rockport and Rockland area, has cut 15 employees in a move to address a gap in its 2007-08 budget. In… Read More
Elderly victims of financial abuse are almost always harmed by family members and caregivers, not by predatory telemarketers and strangers, an official from the state Department of Health and Human Services said Friday. About 90 percent of people who demand or steal money from an… Read More
PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Medical insurance for about 7,000 workers affected by the strike at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ shipyard in Pascagoula will run out today with no new talks scheduled between the two sides. The workers on strike no longer have a contract, and for… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in February, unchanged from January’s rate, the state Labor Department said Friday. February’s preliminary unemployment figure was also the same as it was in February a year ago. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Youth not wasted on this tot Having lived and worked in this community for 20 years, I’ve met a lot of people of various levels of intellect and character. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
AUGUSTA – Legislation authorizing a “support our troops” license plate moved one step closer to passage Friday as members of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee indicated strong support for the measure at a public hearing. “Funds raised through the sale of these specialty plates would be… Read More
Between 4 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday, police in Bangor and Brewer responded to five reports of possible suicides. Nobody died. 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
ASHLAND – A local man died Thursday night after his snowmobile tangled with some small trees on the side of a major snowmobile trail, sending him spinning and crashing into a large fir tree, according to an official with the Maine Warden Service. Steven J. Read More
HAMPDEN – Using every tool at their disposal – from hoses to water jugs to snow – fire crews stamped out a brush fire Friday that charred almost an acre behind a home at 111 Mayo Road. The pesky fire prompted firefighters to bring in… Read More
MILO – Town officials say their patience for the Department of Transportation to keep a promise made 11 years ago for the reconstruction of a dangerous intersection has been exhausted. The latest blow came earlier this week when a state official advised Town Manager Jane… Read More
Donovan is an attractive 12-year-old child who has a great sense of humor. He is affectionate, sensitive and energetic. He participates in karate classes, which he greatly enjoys. Donovan loves to listen to music on his portable CD player. He knows the words to many… Read More
NEWPORT – A howling wind rattled the old dairy barn Thursday, but Ryan Parker was deep in a spring mood anyway. He was kneeling on the cement floor, a pile of soil and a bucket of water in front of him. Mixing as carefully as… Read More
Rockland District Court Cases March 19-23, 2007 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
SKOWHEGAN – It isn’t just the low turnout at annual and special town meetings that has Skowhegan Town Manager Phil Tarr concerned. It’s the unruly and intimidating behavior of many of those attending. Things have gotten so bad that Tarr has suggested abandoning the town… Read More
EASTPORT – School Union 104 is not rushing to hire a permanent superintendent. Rather, it’s heeding the governor’s advice to look at consolidating its administrative offices with another school district. Union 104 comprises Eastport, Charlotte, Dennysville, Pembroke and Perry. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
MOUNT DESERT – The MDI Water Quality Coalition recently received a $2,000 grant from the T.H. Maren and S.K. Fellner Fund. The funding will help to support research at the Community Environmental Health Laboratory in an effort to educate the public on how to improve… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The annual Bucksport High School student art exhibit will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in the high school library. Students from eight art classes at the school will be on hand with their work, and refreshments will be… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Maine women still are being shortchanged on the job, and local women’s groups want area residents to have the information they need to do something about it. In an effort to promote awareness of the gender wage gap issue, officials from several… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The parent company of WEGP 1390 AM radio began a transition on March 21 to broadcast at 25,000 watts, up from 5,000 watts, as newly licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. “We began the permit process in November and we are happy… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – When it comes to domestic violence issues, Mark Wynn invites law enforcement officials and victim advocates to step back and take a look at the whole picture. The nationally recognized trainer was in Presque Isle on Wednesday to lead a stalking and… Read More
FORT KENT – Residents had their town meeting and elections earlier in the week, but four seats on the SAD 27 board remain open because there were no candidates on the ballot. Town officials are hoping that some of the write-in candidates offered by voters… Read More
HOULTON – Investigators are still working to determine what caused an accident on North Street that took the life of a local man and seriously injured two others on March 13. Lt. Daniel Pelletier, acting chief of the Houlton Police Department, said Friday that investigating… Read More
HOULTON – When spring begins, the exhibits move in – at least that is the case this weekend at the Millar Civic Center, as the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce kicks off this year’s Home, Garden and Recreation Trade Show. A number of local businesses… Read More
PROSPECT – Children are urged to be on hand at “noon sharp” Saturday, April 7, for the seventh annual Great Easter Egg Hunt at Fort Knox State Historic Site. About 5,000 Easter eggs will be hidden around the fort. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
UNITY – An Easter egg hunt and Spring Fling celebration will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 7, at Unity Community Center, 32 School St. There will be games, prizes, healthful snacks and a visit from Brock the Bunny. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Author Frances Moore Lappe will speak as part of a fundraiser for KIDS Consortium at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at College of the Atlantic’s Gates Center. Her talk, titled “Learning the Arts of Democracy,” focuses on education and a new stage… Read More
Belfast District Court Cases March 12-16, 2007 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
DEER ISLE – Construction will begin on the Deer Isle-Sedgwick bridge Monday, April 2. Flaggers will direct traffic around limited lane closures until April 16. One-lane traffic will begin in November. Workers will be on site day and night. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
UNION – The state’s highest court ruled Thursday the town’s planning board erred by not treating a quarry full of water the same way it would a pond in deliberating on a development application. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court remanded the case to Knox County… Read More
CHARLOTTE – Maine State Police are expected to charge Penny Barakate, 39, of Eastport after she smashed a sport utility vehicle that belonged to a Princeton man into a utility pole Friday, sheering the pole in half. Around 11 a.m. Friday Eastport Police Chief Matt… Read More
Knox County Superior Court, Rockland Cases March 19-23, 2007 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 police summoned two roommates for possession of drug paraphernalia after finding their marijuana pipes in plain view, according to the police report. Officers responded to a call at 303 Essex St. at 10:35 a.m. Friday from Kimberly Roberts, 32, who wanted her roommate, John… Read More
Children’s charities and programs supported by the Kiwanis Club of Brewer will benefit from your talent, and you can benefit from a winning performance, if you enter the club’s first “So You Think You Have Talent” Show. The event is planned for 7 p.m. Saturday,… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci on Friday transferred ownership of the Kennebec Arsenal to a private developer from North Carolina who will revitalize the historic property with condominiums, a hotel, restaurant, retail space and a new boat dock. In a ceremony at the 30-acre site… Read More
WATERVILLE – The Massachusetts Air National Guard wants to be able to make low-level training flights over western Maine in F-15 fighters. An officer at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod suggested the flights over a narrow space from Bethel to Monson would… Read More
Though researchers say there are no interpretive conclusions to be made from a report issued this week about Maine’s populated offshore islands, there are indications that the islands as a group are succeeding in maintaining their status as viable year-round communities. But if anything is… Read More
PORTLAND – Jury selection began Friday in Cumberland County Superior Court in the murder trial of a Bridgton man accused of raping and fatally stabbing a woman in the western Maine town nearly 13 years ago. Michael Hutchinson, a self-employed mason, lived a few miles… Read More
BATH – A Bath man found guilty of setting the largest fire in the city’s history, a blaze last spring that destroyed the former Stinson Cannery, is headed to prison for six years after showing no remorse for what he had done. Franklin Dolliver Jr.,… Read More
AUGUSTA – State officials repeated their warning to Maine’s horse owners Friday to be on the lookout for a highly contagious, often fatal, horse disease that made its first documented appearance in Maine last week, claiming the life of a least one horse. “This is… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – A motorist with a suspended license was killed early Friday after losing control of his van on the Maine Turnpike, according to state police, who cited alcohol as the cause of the crash. John Rose, 41, of Bridgton, who was not wearing a… Read More
MAINE’S JEWISH HERITAGE, by Abraham J. Peck and Jean M. Peck, Arcadia Publishing, Portsmouth, N.H., 2007, 127 pages, $19.99, paperback. Jews throughout Maine and the world will gather with family and friends at Passover Seders on Monday night to answer the question, “Why is this… Read More
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, which I am part of, approved at our annual convention on March 13 the following resolution on the foreign policy of the United States regarding Iraq and Iran: “Whereas the war in Iraq has been promoted by the Bush administration as… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci will honor 18 teachers nominated for the 2008 Maine Teacher of the Year program at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the State House Hall of Flags. The teachers include Peter J. Devine of Dexter Regional High School, Joseph A. Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – Relatives of a New Brunswick man whose head was severed in a grisly murder two years ago are furious that the trial of his accused killer has once again been delayed. Family members and friends of murder victims Fred Fulton and… Read More
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A woman who was acquitted of killing her husband in Maine has been jailed for a second time for domestic assault. Amy Bowen, formerly Amy Dugas, was arrested on March 19 for assaulting her husband of three weeks at their home in… Read More
ORONO – During his final season in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, University of Maine senior center Mike Hamilton scored 42 goals and had 51 assists for 93 points. Keith Johnson, the Black Bears’ senior right wing, had 28 goals and 28 assists in… Read More
The most important pitching change of the 2007 season for the Boston Red Sox may have already been made. The persistent, pesky question with no answer now finally has one: This year’s closer will be last year’s closer – Jonathan Papelbon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
2006: 86-76, third place. Manager: Terry Francona (fourth season). 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
PRESQUE ISLE – Kris Freeman was all alone when he skied into the biathlon side of the Nordic Heritage Center stadium for the first time during Thursday’s 30-kilometer men’s cross country pursuit race. As he skied out for his second loop, Freeman looked briefly behind… Read More
University of Maine coach Tim Whitehead is one of 11 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given to the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year. It is the sixth time he has been a finalist. He won the award in 2002, taking over the… Read More
In most of our cozy freshwater fishing hamlets, the beginning of open-water angling is still a few weeks away. The ice that coats most of the state’s lakes and ponds has conspired to make sure of that. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Jeff Wren, who has been a member of the coaching staff of University of Maine swimming and diving teams for 36 years, has applied for partial phase retirement with the university. Wren remains the head coach of both the Black Bear men’s and women’s programs. Read More
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Maine committed three errors, one of which opened the door for five unearned runs in the third inning, as the University of New Orleans earned a 10-8 baseball victory Friday night at damp and windy Maestri Field. The Privateers… Read More
A lot of dirt and dust is being kicked up at Bass Park these days, but it has nothing to do with horse racing. The Main Street entrance to Bass Park, Bangor Raceway, and the Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center has been closed for much… Read More
Whitewater paddlers will head to Searsmont this morning for the first local race of a busy canoe and kayak season. The St. George River Race is back after a one-year hiatus caused by historic low water conditions in 2006. This will be the 28th “annual”… Read More
When my frequent hiking partner and good friend, Scott Fisher, called and offered me a spot on his permit to climb Mount Katahdin over the weekend of March 10-11, I jumped at the chance. Actually, I had started begging him to go back in mid-January. After almost a… Read More
Compared to the forecast, Saturday turned out to be a gem, didn’t it? Last I heard the dire outlook was 90 percent chance of precipitation, maybe 80 percent. Wrong, thank you! After giving the day a good start and waiting to see if things were… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Max Saenger won’t be at the Nordic Heritage Center when it hosts the 2009 U.S. Junior Olympics. His fingerprints, however, will be all over both the grounds and the organization here. So will his name. Officials from the Maine Winter Sports Center,… Read More
The alarm went off at 11:45 p.m. I had been able to get about three hours of sleep before heading out to listen for owls. “Whose idea was this?” I grumbled as I drove to meet my survey partner, Paul Markson. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
For once, I’m speechless. After watching the first elimination on Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars,” I found myself unable to change the channel, yet shocked that what I was watching really had made it to ABC. The Man on the Couch also was troubled,… Read More
If you visit the apartment of Annette Sohns, Tony Sohns and Chris Dodd, located on the first floor of a late Victorian-era house turned duplex on Fifth Street in Bangor, you can expect one of the following things to happen: Tony, 29, will play his… Read More
I have holiday-induced attention-deficit disorder. At Easter, it’s especially severe. Purple Peeps? I’ll take ’em. Another basket? Sure. Because the 30 baskets I already own aren’t quite right. More ornaments for my nonexistent egg tree? Yes! To complicate matters, this year’s Easter crop is especially… Read More
When I read the recipe for this dish, I thought, “Whoa, that is one weird lasagna.” And then I wondered, “Who the heck is Al Brown?” As it turns out, my neighbor Midge Welldon sent this recipe to me. I called her up and said,… Read More
There are those learned colleagues who guide their perilous lives by the writings of Plato, Descartes or Spinoza. I myself stick to the modern philosophers … such as Woody Allen. The Wood-Man not only told us pretty much all we needed to know when he… Read More
“Charlotte’s Web” Some movie. Based on E.B. White’s novel, Gary Winick’s film doesn’t come close to achieving the magic of the book, but that likely will surprise only those who haven’t read the book. For those who have and who have great affection for it, the good news… Read More
I remember the year when Japanese beetles found my garden in Orono. I had planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the front steps and by the second year this vigorous vine had reached the porch railing, heading up the corner post. Then one day in late… Read More