A photograph and caption depicting work under way on a boat ramp and marina in Stockton Springs that appeared in Wednesday’s State section was a BDN file photograph. The work on the ramp and marina was completed more than a year ago. Because of a… Read More
    NEW YORK – Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who’s leading the investigation into steroid use by baseball players, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to his law firm. “The cancer is small, low-grade and localized, and can be effectively treated and cured,” Mitchell’s… Read More
    PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Mass., suffered a setback Friday when environmental regulators rejected a proposal to dredge Mount Hope Bay. The decision by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management marks the second time… Read More
    Recently while listening to the news about the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota, the report was followed by a story on the sorry state of America’s infrastructure nationwide. It stated that it would take billions to rebuild bridges that are in unsafe condition and to upgrade roads. Add… Read More
    The bad news came through loud and clear in focus-group surveys in Bangor, Belfast and Ellsworth: High cost is what keeps many travelers from flying in and out of Bangor’s airport. Participants in the survey appreciate the friendly service, short waiting lines, cheap parking and… Read More
    Lawmakers in Augusta seem to like Maine’s clean election funding; in 2006, more than three-quarters of them accepted the funds. Still, they have no compunction about raiding the state’s Clean Election Fund to cover other state expenses. Now, however, the fund is in danger of not having enough… Read More
    In his letter “Why protect evolution?” (BDN, Aug. 6), Charles A. Sykes repeats the assertion of Sara Alexander, “State Sponsored Atheism” (BDN, July 21-22), that the separation of church and state is not found in the Constitution. Although those specific words do not appear in… Read More
    We are no longer “a government of, by, and for the people,” but one of the Congress, by the Congress, and for the Congress. They don’t represent us, but themselves, and sell out to big business and lobbyists. Washington is a giant feeding trough. They are the new… Read More
    My 2008 Brewer tax bill arrived yesterday. There was a 37.51 percent increase in one year. I am outraged. Are you outraged about your Brewer tax bill? Please let me know how you feel. Contact me at madtaxpayerbrewer@yahoo.com. I’d really like to find how Brewer residents and businesses… Read More
    In his letter, “Atheists have a God” (BDN, Aug. 2), Wesley Matthei states that atheists believe in an almighty God. He apparently misses the obvious and self-evident absurdity of such a statement. Given that atheists lay no claim to having an invisible friend who will… Read More
    It may seem like a surreal roadtrip to travel from a muddy logging operation deep in Maine’s woodlands to the floor of the U.S. Senate and back to a climate controlled laboratory in Orono, where wood is sheared into tiny nanofibers, eaten by experimental enzymes or cooked down… Read More
    A recent study showing that children favor food presented in a McDonald’s wrapper over identical food in a plain wrapper comes as about as much of a surprise as would learning that San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds was, indeed, juiced on steroids on his run to… Read More
    Perhaps you recall some of the key findings and the call to action of last year’s Brookings report, “Charting Maine’s Future.” To be successfully positioned for future prosperity, Maine must: push innovation, embrace efforts to reduce spending and support sustainable prosperity and produce savings through efficient delivery of… Read More
    The state Department of Transportation advises drivers using the Stetson Road in Levant and Kenduskeag to allow additional travel time for the next two weeks. “We need to replace three drainage pipes which run under the Stetson Road near the Call Farm. Because the pipes… Read More
    MACHIAS – A joint county jail and state Department of Corrections facility in Washington County could become a reality if both sides can agree on their respective needs, a viable site and funding sources. The collaboration would be the first of its kind in Maine… Read More
    Four years after his name made headlines statewide, Warren Cook has something new on his plate. The Kingfield resident is promoting a new program being spearheaded by Common Good Ventures, a nonprofit he helped create in 2000. He has donated $50,000 of his own money… Read More
    AUGUSTA – State inspection of six bridges similar in design to the span that collapsed last week in Minneapolis revealed no serious problems, state Department of Transportation officials said Friday. DOT spokesman Herb Thomson said the inspection of the six deck truss bridges showed conditions… Read More
    JONESPORT – The U.S. Coast Guard assisted a 63-year-old Kennebunkport man who had experienced heart attack symptoms aboard his sailboat, Morning Star, near Roque Island on Wednesday night. Coast Guard members from Coast Guard Station Jonesport googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    HOULTON – A sizable grant is in the hands of the Houlton Band of Maliseets to assist with a variety of affordable housing activities. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced that the Maliseets would receive $457,290 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban… Read More
    ENFIELD – A Vermont woman suffered internal injuries when the Chevy sedan she was driving collided with a Dodge pickup truck at Routes 2 and 155 late Thursday, state police said Friday. Joanne Stetson, 66, of Enosburg Falls, Vt., was in fair condition at Eastern… Read More
    Following are city government meetings planned Aug. 13-17 in Bangor: . City Council, 6:30 p.m., Monday, City Hall, workshop, briefing by school superintendent on school consolidation law and its effect on Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – He has owned the Northern Plaza Shopping Center off Route 157 for only two weeks, but Gary Silversmith hasn’t wasted any time. The cracked and chipped sidewalks have been repaired, the windows have been professionally power-washed, the roof has been patched and the… Read More
    DEER ISLE – Deer Isle Artists Association, with more than 150 members, will hold an artists’ reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, for the annual Volunteer Show. The artists volunteer their time in a variety of ways, including gallery sitting, providing refreshments… Read More
    FORT KENT – It’s all about bigger is better this weekend when the fourth annual International Muskie Fishing Derby and Ployes Festival shine a spotlight on two of the area’s tastiest resources. Registrations have been coming in steadily for weeks by mail and over the… Read More
    FORT KENT – In Fort Kent, it’s all about the ployes. In Patten, the focus will be on pioneers. 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;… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The speed limit on Main Street is 25 mph. In the past few weeks, however, the Police Department has received complaints from a number of residents who say that drivers are flouting the law. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    HOLE-IN-ONE NED SALINAS 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
    PORTLAND – Aaron Bates, the California League’s home run leader, has been promoted from Single-A Lancaster to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, the Boston Red Sox announced Friday. Bates, 23, posted a solid .332 batting average with 24 home runs and a .456 on-base percentage… Read More
    Shaine, born in 1999, is creative, artistic and funny. His favorite subject in school is gym. And almost every day at school, he buys popcorn for a snack. His other favorite snack food is banana bread with chocolate chips. Shaine enjoys playing sports and lists… Read More
    ROCKLAND – Penquis Community Action Program recently received a $1,500 grant to help buy computers and software for Head Start classrooms in Knox County. Jean Bridges, director of child development for Penquis CAP, said the grant from the Knox County Fund of the Maine Community… Read More
    FRENCHBORO – The 45th annual Frenchboro Lobster Festival will be held Saturday, Aug. 11. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the Outer Long Island Congregational Church. Maine State Ferry passengers will make a Frenchboro Lobster Festival… Read More
    ORLAND – H.O.M.E. Inc. will hold its annual auction with a preview from 10 a.m. to noon with the auction beginning at noon, Saturday, Aug. 18. H.O.M.E. has provided food and shelter for the homeless for 35 years. All proceeds will fund shelters and soup… Read More
    BLUE HILL – Peninsula Peace and Justice will show the documentary “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death” at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, at the Blue Hill Library. The film is free and open to the public. For information… Read More
    TRENTON – The town of Trenton has received a safety enhancement grant in the amount of $443.33 from the Maine Municipal Association. The grants are used to buy safety equipment or services that assist in reducing the frequency and severity of workplace injuries. For more… Read More
    BELFAST – The Waldo County grand jury completed its summer term this week and handed up the following indictments: Raymond Tucker, 61, Northport, two counts of gross sexual assault, two counts of unlawful sexual contact, two counts of visual sexual aggression against a child and… Read More
    BANGOR – Registrations are available for this fall’s Frogs, Logs and Bogs Road Ride, a 20-mile loop for bicycles that will begin and end at Bangor Waterfront. Set for Oct. 14, the ride through Bangor, Veazie and Orono is the Bangor Land Trust’s first fundraising… Read More
    A 44-year-old male, who is listed as a transient, told Bangor police that he was attacked and robbed by three or four people while walking through a city park early Friday. The man was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center for minor injuries, Bangor police… Read More
    Anyone preparing for the upcoming school year or anyone who has long hair and is considering having it cut is asked to stop and think about what a wonderful difference your newly cut hair could make in the life of another. Lorraine Colpitts, owner of… Read More
    Maine Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as an advocate for Maine children, is seeking nominations for the 2007 Giraffe Awards. Since 1995, MCA has recognized those who stick out their necks for children in communities statewide. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    CONWAY, N.H. – The Windham, Maine, man who has admitted publicly to killing three people in a Conway store last month is expected to say the same thing to a judge next week. A plea hearing is scheduled next Friday for Michael Woodbury in Carroll… Read More
    EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. – A prosecutor says he will use an anti-gang statute in prosecuting six New England members of the Hells Angels, including one from Maine, who are accused of beating a group of rivals. The bikers are accused in a July 29 attack… Read More
    ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – For the second time in the past four years, Homans Path on Dorr Mountain has been opened to the public. In 2003, the path was newly restored after having been abandoned for some 60 years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    BRISTOL – Pemaquid Point Light, an iconic Maine lighthouse that’s guided ships at sea for 172 years, will keep on shining for another century thanks to a $106,000 restoration that’s scheduled to wrap up next week. “We are witnessing lighthouse history,” said Bob Trapani Jr.,… Read More
    A researcher and a conservationist were honored by the state this week for their contribution to Maine’s forest landscape. John Hagan of the Manomet Center for Conservation Science and Sherry Huber of the Maine TREE Foundation were both given the Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship… Read More
    QUINCY, Mass. – Five New England journalists, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and a TV reporter at the center of the national debate over confidential sources, are the recipients of the 2007 Yankee Quill Award for their contributions to improving journalism in the region. The… Read More
    BANGOR – A Bangor man who admitted to a two-week robbery spree last year that included the theft of firearms was sentenced Friday in Penobscot County Superior Court to eight years in prison. Christopher Roderick, 32, will serve that sentence before serving a 46-month federal… Read More
    Justin Fowler (BDN, Aug. 4) posits a thesis that’s sadly true when he writes about Christians’ dissent frequently overshadowing the things they have in common. The myriad schisms and divisions that have cropped up over the past 500 years have splintered the Christianity of the early church fathers… Read More
    WINSLOW – The Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, will receive the solemn profession of vows of Friar Rex Anthony Norris at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Church of St. John the Baptist, 14 Monument St. Read More
    ADDISON – The Friends of the Church on the Hill continues to plan for restoration and use of the Evangelical Union Church building on Ridge Road. The building was constructed in the 1860s and is on the National Historic Register. This is the third building… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – The recent announcement of a pending sale of regional Rural Cellular Corp. for $757 million in cash by Nationwide Verizon Wireless has not altered Rural Cellular’s plan to put a 190-foot tower on Public Works Department property near a town garage. Town Manager… Read More
    ORRINGTON – Town leaders met Wednesday with federal officials at the deteriorating Meadow Dam, then on Thursday signed a design and engineering contract for a new rock ramp fishway dam to replace it. The dam will look like natural rapids created by a pile of… Read More
    SOUTH PORTLAND – A community group wants to help South Portland High School graduates to continue their education and will put up money to get the job done. The South Portland Scholarship Committee this week launched a fundraising effort with a long-term goal of providing… Read More
    “The values we care about the deepest, and the movements within society that support those values, command our love. When those things that we care about so deeply become endangered, we become enraged. And what a healthy thing that is! Without it, we would never stand up and… Read More
    MARS HILL – Brittany Charette scored twice to lead Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook to a 4-2 season-opening girls soccer victory over Central Aroostook Friday. Janel Rockwell and Rochell Nadeau added goal for the 1-0 Warriors. Jasmine Rockwell provided an assist and Emily Cummings made… Read More
    HERMON – Marcus Nadeau drove in James Strout from second base on a one-out single in the eighth inning to lead MovingMe.com to a 5-4 victory over the Freedom Generals in the Bay League playoffs Friday. MovingMe advances in the playoffs and will play Montville… Read More
    First-year University of Maine women’s hockey coach Dan Lichterman on Friday announced the hiring of an assistant coach and released the Black Bears’ 2007-08 schedule. Quebec native Sara Simard has joined the UMaine coaching staff after spending the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant… Read More
    It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon, about 84 degrees, and just the hint of a breeze caressed and riffled the river’s surface as I maneuvered the boat closer to a rocky, stump-strewn shoreline. Standing in the bow and using the foot pedal control to steer the electric… Read More
    The high-pitched, burry squealing of terns reached me on the hill, and I looked down to see squadrons of them patrolling the surf. Their bodies were dazzling white against the blue-green of the ocean, their flight light and buoyant. Every now and then I saw… Read More
    The sky is falling. I knew it. The last time I looked, the Red Sox lead over the despised (ptui) New York Yankees was five games and falling. It could be less by now. It could be more. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    Zucchini squash are sprouting and swelling as we speak. As soon as the heat hit, our plant – we grow only one, one way to keep the supply down to a dull roar – doubled in size in one week, and I saw it was setting. So far,… Read More
    “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” Blu-ray: Hironobu Sakaguchi’s 2001 sci-fi thriller, now out on high-definition Blu-ray disc, is a paradox – it’s at once exhilarating yet exhausting, thrilling yet boring, masterful yet banal. Its apocalyptic story of a ruined Earth overcome with soul-eating monsters is hardly new, but… Read More
    Small fruits Reaching into the middle of the purple raspberries to pick one berry ripe enough to slip from its receptacle with just a tickle, Marjorie said, “This is what the summer’s work is all about, August grazing on the fruits of our labor.” googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More