As head of a state agency that manages more than 900,000 acres of recreational land, Patrick McGowan travels to all corners of Maine while on the job. While extended travel may not be unusual for a state commissioner in Maine, McGowan’s periodic means of transit… Read More
    Peter Thibeau’s letter “Bush deploys troops” (BDN, Aug. 17) asserts, “It is not the function of Congress to do anything with the military except to vote for funding.” In fact, Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution provides that “The Congress shall have Power … To declare War… Read More
    With more places to ride and more clubs to promote responsibility, all-terrain vehicles are naturally moving from being viewed mainly as nuisances to an important part of the state’s recreational economy. With continued state support the trail ahead should be less bumpy. ATV sales in… Read More
    The current CIA director’s strenuous objections to the release of a report on the agency’s failings prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a former director’s denial of its conclusions shows a continuing and dangerous denial of the shortcomings of the country’s war on terror. Their reactions… Read More
    Augusta asks, “How can we save $10.1 million?” Simple: Set the salary and benefits package of Maine state legislators equal to that of New Hampshire and state and University of Maine System employees shall have a salary and benefits package no greater than that of the governor. Read More
    As summer began, I noticed many of those mobile roadside signs blinking the following message: “School is out. Drive safely.” With school right around the corner I’d like to see those same signs back up saying something like this: “School is in! Stop speeding! Stop… Read More
    I’m rather liberal on some issues. So I was surprised to find that, after meeting first Rep. Tom Allen and later Sen. Susan Collins, I had far more respect, admiration and confidence in Collins. And now I know with certainty that I will actually feel energized and proud… Read More
    Communities around the state are making great progress discussing possible partnerships as required by the School Administrative Reorganization Law. We have already received almost two dozen notices, assigned facilitators to more than 60 regions, and provided financial data to dozens of units as part of their planning and… Read More
    I do not believe for one moment that Karl Rove will fade quietly into the night. Perhaps from afar, but he still will remain President Bush’s “brain” until his presidency expires in 2008. It’s naive for the American people to think otherwise. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    Early morning I often see Penobscot river fog. In Maine we take fog as well as rain, snow and sleet for granted. But water-blessed natural surroundings are not universal – many parts of the globe currently face severe water shortages that are expected to intensify in the coming… Read More
    For 25 years, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded about a dozen National Heritage Fellowships annually to folk and traditional artists who are the very tops in their fields. Six will be performing in Bangor this weekend at the American Folk Festival. Some… Read More
    You can see some pretty bizarre things regarding America’s hopeless addiction to cellular telephones, but the tableau that unfolded in front of me on a busy downtown street in a neighboring community one recent fine day was surely one for the books. As I watched… Read More
    As true northern New Englanders, many of us tend to take a “glass half empty” approach to life. We are known to be stoic, independent and sometimes just a bit surly when it comes to strangers. And why not? Our taxes are high, our winters… Read More
    There are plenty of places along the Maine coast where anyone can walk down to the end of a rustic pier and buy fresh or freshly cooked lobster while taking in a view of the water. But that’s not how most of the lobster that… Read More
    BANGOR – More than three decades after the end of the Vietnam War, those who served were given a rousing welcome home Friday during a ceremony at the Cole Land Transportation Museum on Perry Road. The ceremony, organized by museum founder and World War II… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – During a ceremony honoring the late Jean Harding on Friday at Northern Maine Community College, her husband, Floyd, announced he was donating $1 million to the college on his and her behalf. The gift is the largest individual private contribution received to… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The swishing of hand-held blueberry rakes wielded by dozens of field workers is being replaced by the rumble of tractors across Maine’s wild blueberry fields as growers turn to mechanical harvesters to pick the lucrative crop. A decade ago, about 20 percent of… Read More
    SEARSPORT – The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition will sponsor a plant hike across Sears Island at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Leo Gillam will lead the hike and talk about edible and medicinal plants available along the walk. The two to three hour trip is… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The Rockland Public Library will host a talk Sept. 6 on the humanitarian crisis in Africa. Stan Stalla will present photos and speak about his recent experience as a humanitarian worker in Chad’s eastern region on the border with Darfur, Sudan. The talk… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – Two artists in residence will offer art sessions from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Schoodic section of Acadia. Printmaker Tim Merrick will demonstrate and discuss his technique as participants try their own project, and in the afternoon, multi-medium artist Natalie Craig… Read More
    FORT KENT – Denise Anderson has joined the medical staff at Northern Maine Medical Center. Anderson will provide a wide range of medical assistance in the St. John Valley, primarily focusing on preventive care, and management of chronic illnesses. Her areas of specialty include the… Read More
    Dover-Foxcroft District Court Cases July 6-Aug. 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… Read More
    AUGUSTA – As the first day of school looms on the near horizon, Maine’s chief health officer on Friday issued a reminder to parents to protect their children’s health by making sure their immunizations are up to date. A number of immunizations are required for… Read More
    Ralph M. Long, a Dover-Foxcroft native and well-known Boston newspaperman died Wednesday in Inverness, Fla., at the age of 81, according to an obituary published in Friday’s Boston Herald. Long, a World War II Navy veteran, served as managing editor of the Boston Herald Traveler… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Schools across Maine have received student and school reports from the Maine Educational Assessment, and the Department of Education says the test scores show improvement. In addition to improved average scaled scores, the percentage of students who are “proficient” – those who met… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – Police have charged two people in connection with a robbery early Thursday morning and are still seeking a third suspect. The robbery occurred at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Sean Geagan of the Bucksport Police Department. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    ORLAND – A group of village residents is fed up with what they call a long-standing eyesore in the center of town, the result of alleged violations of several town codes, and with the so-far futile efforts of town officials to resolve the issue. They’ve… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Early Saturday morning, police, fire and medical personnel were still at the scene of a fatal accident involving at least two vehicles on Route 1A about a mile west of town. The accident happened at about 11 p.m. Friday, according to Daryl Clark,… Read More
    LEVANT – A New Jersey man was taken to the hospital Friday after crashing his motorcycle into a turning vehicle in Levant. Philip Easton, 42, of Madison, N.J., was cresting a steep hill around 3:45 p.m. near 139 Stetson Road as a car was turning… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Carmel woman faces felony theft charges related to a series of fraudulent checks she reportedly cashed from a subsidiary of her employer, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. Rita Worster, 48, is suspected of cashing as many as a dozen checks since November 2006… Read More
    . City Council’s personnel committee, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27, City Hall, executive session, appointment to water district board of trustees. . City Council, 6:45 p.m. Monday, City Hall, school superintendent’s briefing on school consolidation law and notice of intent. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    BANGOR – The Simon Youth Foundation and Bangor Mall store managers will hold the Top Dunk 2007 fundraiser at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Bangor Mall, 663 Stillwater Ave. at the Macy’s court. The cost to dunk a favorite manager is $2 for… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Russell Page of Bowerbank has been named the new executive director of the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce. Page begins his new duties on Sept. 4, replacing retiring executive director Dennis Lyford. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Lisa Hayes, John Raymond, John Rudge and incumbent David Cyr have filed paperwork to run for the Town Council this November, officials said Friday. Cyr is seeking his second three-year term on the council. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    Like teenagers at their first dance, northern Penobscot County’s school administrative districts and unions are exploring partnering to comply with a Maine Department of Education deadline for consolidation. SAD 67, which consists of Chester, Lincoln and Mattawamkeag, is considering partnering with SAD 31, which represents… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – The Maine Sea Coast Mission is honoring two well-known Mount Desert Island residents at its annual awards gala. Father Jim Gower and the late Henry “Nick” Harris are this year’s recipients of the mission’s Sunbeam Awards, named after the ecumenical organization’s flagship… Read More
    CASTINE – Ward Graffam, chairman of the Maine Maritime Academy board of trustees, announced his resignation as chairman Friday citing a conflict of interest connected with plans by Camden National Bank to acquire the Union Trust Co. The board elected member Victoria Larson of Windham… Read More
    Moving forward with their plans to collaborate on a joint prison facility, state and Washington County officials agreed that their collective need is 425 beds. An exploratory committee that was formed recently to examine the possibility of a combined facility met Thursday in Machias for… Read More
    As the nation continues to face a home loan foreclosure crisis, state officials are trying to come up with ways to improve Mainers’ knowledge of personal finance. “Financial illiteracy is at the heart of the current sub-prime lending crisis our country is now experiencing,” Rep. Read More
    MADAWASKA – Union and labor representatives at Fraser Papers Inc. told a U.S. senator, a workforce representative and local town managers Friday afternoon that the company needs assistance to retrain its remaining labor force and laid-off workers. They expect that as much as $5 million… Read More
    MADAWASKA – In an effort to lessen the blow to laid-off workers from Fraser Papers Inc. at Madawaska, community leaders in three St. John Valley towns are collaborating to create a local fund to assist workers losing their jobs. This weekend 36 papermakers are losing… Read More
    August is such a nice month. The regular rain has kept the plants lush this year, and exulting in the moisture is a healthy crop of frogs that startle me every time I step foot into the vegetable garden. Their numbers no doubt were aided… Read More
    Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, begins this year on the evening of Sept. 12. Ten days later is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (at-one-ment), the holiest day of the year. This 10-day period is referred to as “aseret yemay teshuvah,” the 10 days of returning or… Read More
    The American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront is all about tradition, right? Well, what could be more traditional than shopping? I mean, I’ve been doing it for years. And it’s a skill that has been passed on through the generations – you should see… Read More
    “Blades of Glory”: A figure skating satire in which somebody naturally gets knee-capped. Will Ferrell is the alcohol-soaked, oversexed figure skater Chazz Michael Michaels, a man whose claim to fame are the flames that shoot out of his hands at the end of each routine (nice touch) and… Read More
    You have not camped until you have camped with The Commander. Not that I am complaining. I have eaten better on the camping trips with the Upside Down Canoe Club – the UDCC – than I ever did at home. (Beating Fluffernutters was not a… Read More
    Crab is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Maine seafood. Still, we have some of the best-tasting crab anywhere, and if you know a lobsterman, you might even get a bucket for yourself. Lobstermen are usually happy to take a few of… Read More
    Recent night temperatures remind us that autumn is near, that leaves soon will be on the ground. Sadly, too many of those leaves will end up in plastic bags at curbside destined for landfills. Too many will be burned, polluting the air and creating numerous health hazards. Neither… Read More
    Each summer, long before the weather begins cooling and the leaves begin falling, diehard bird hunters are looking ahead. They’re anticipating days spent afield, riding roads or following skilled dogs in search of a clear shot at a speedy grouse or woodcock. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    BREWER – A yard sale fundraiser featuring golf-related items is set for Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jeff’s Catering to assist in healthcare costs for a local man suffering from cancer. The yard sale will have an assortment of items and will… Read More
    HOLE-IN-ONE PAUL BESSEY 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
    HIGH SCHOOL At Searsport Pines GC, par 36 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
    MUNCIE, Ind. – Host Ball State University pulled out a 3-2 volleyball decision over the University of Maine in the Nike/Active Ankle Classic on Friday night. Ball State won the fifth game 15-13 to snap a 2-2 tie. The Black Bears won the last four… Read More
    If the reports are true, and there is no reason to believe they are not, the tip of the steroid scandal that has rocked all sports for the past decade is about to get bigger. A former New York Mets clubhouse attendant is under investigation… Read More
    Two former student-athletes, one friend and supporter, and one team will comprise the University of New England Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2007. Ruth Gagnon Shaw (Class of 1984), Jay Corey ’90, Andy Scontras, and the 1991 University of New England women’s volleyball team… Read More