A Maine telecommunications company is about to grant Bangor and Brewer one of their biggest economic development wishes – access to the fastest, most up-to-date broadband Internet service. Lewiston-based Oxford Networks has announced it will invest more than $4 million to install a 341/2-mile fiber-optic… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Senate rejected legislation Friday that would have ordered most U.S. troops home from Iraq in nine months, culminating a losing week for Democrats who failed to push through any anti-war proposal. The vote, 47-47, fell 13 votes short of the 60 needed… Read More
    Because of a production error in the color comics section in today’s paper, the comic strip “Zits” appears twice and the strip “For Better or Worse” was omitted. The BDN apologizes for the error. An Associated Press story on Friday’s Business page about Maine oil… Read More
    Republicans are hammering Rep. Tom Allen for traveling to California this week to attend fundraising dinners instead of voting in the House of Representatives. Allen’s campaign manager, Valerie Martin, confirmed that Allen was in California to raise funds for his Senate race and that he… Read More
    MACHIAS – After a complaint was filed with the Maine Human Rights Commission, the Washington County commissioners have decided to change the name Squaw Island near Grand Lake Stream to Epahsakom, which means in the middle of the lake. In the Waldo County town of… Read More
    There are now six ways to deliver the Internet to homes and businesses: cell phones, dial-up modem, DSL, cable, wireless and fiber optics.Fiber-optic technology uses strands of optically pure glass to carry digital information from one point to another in the form of lightwaves. Oxford Networks and other… Read More
    DEDHAM – A Bangor-based wireless Internet company announced Friday morning that it would expand to provide high-speed service in Greater Bangor communities. VVD Networks, which is slightly more than a year old, serves more than 100 customers from Newport to Clifton and has its sights… Read More
    BAILEYVILLE – Students at Woodland High School on Wednesday learned about how words can hurt. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Harnett was in the community to talk with junior high and high school students about how their actions -including their words – can do damage when… Read More
    A review of the climate-change effects of the Moosehead Lake development proposed by Plum Creek Timber Co. is useful not for its specifics, but for the point it raises, which is that the environmental impacts of building projects go beyond the destruction of wildlife habitat and the siltation… Read More
    Another Bureau of Insurance ruling on the state-subsidized health plan, another year of widely divergent views of how much the program saved the health-care system. But Dirigo Health has gone through this process enough, and endured a tough though favorable court ruling, so that the Baldacci administration and… Read More
    People in Orono should be aware that a fisher has been attacking and killing cats. The best way to protect your cat is to keep it inside, especially at night. Steven Colburn googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    I would like to address the article written by Eric Russell, “Gouldsboro woman hurt in motorcycle crash dies” (BDN, Sept. 11). It is, indeed, very unfortunate for the reporter to turn a horrific accident into an article portraying the victims as the guilty ones. In… Read More
    As does Tom Allen’s campaign staff, most Mainers recall Susan Collins’ pledge to serve only two terms in the Senate. Sen. Collins has changed her mind in response to circumstances and realities unthought of when the promise was made. Is it really a tradition for senators to live… Read More
    The sheepherder cried wolf, wolf, wolf. George W. Bush cries we are winning, we are winning, we are winning. Gen. David Petraeus says we are making progress. Gen. Colin Powell had said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The president said he never approved torture. How much… Read More
    The day I read that Dr. Clifford Rosen was leaving Bangor (BDN, Aug. 15), for a moment I felt like a woman without a country. I thought, What will I do? Then, what will we all do? I never met a more caring doctor and staff. Read More
    Now that the number of American dead in an ill-conceived and immoral war, orchestrated by George Bush, has exceeded the number lost on 9/11, can we not now all agree that the real axis of evil resides on Pennsylvania Avenue? Pat Moulton googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    Thank you, Gov. Baldacci, for your consolidation proposal and the focus it brings to Maine’s correctional crisis. Maine, like the rest of the nation, is dealing with the outcome of failed public policy: deinstitutionalization of people with mental illness and the war on drugs. Both… Read More
    Daniel Callahan’s portrayal of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” free market breakdown (BDN, Sept. 6) misses the mark. Adam Smith’s free market invisible hand is the result of thousands of free individual choices made in their own self-interest. These choices naturally flow to the most valued, efficient and highest-quality… Read More
    The illegal killing of a gray whale off the coast of Washington state earlier this month by five members of the Makah Nation caused a public outcry, and justifiably so. No one in this country has the right to unilaterally decide to kill a whale without a permit. Read More
    When sports fans read in the morning newspaper that San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds considers the guy who bought his record-breaking 756th home run ball to be an idiot, many probably found themselves in agreement, albeit for the wrong reason, as it would turn out. Read More
    AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control alerted health providers Wednesday that it is investigating a cluster of six E. coli cases in four Maine counties. Four of the six cases in Kennebec, Androscoggin, Lincoln and Franklin counties have been confirmed positive for Shiga… Read More
    I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but of late I’ve had this nagging urge to tell the lot of those involved in this jail consolidation debate to “grow up!” Let’s recap the professional discussions that have taken place over the past couple of weeks. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    BANGOR – Attempting to reach an acceptable compromise on wages, health insurance and staffing levels, nurses and administrators at Eastern Maine Medical Center on Friday were preparing to enter another week of thorny contract negotiations. The nurses’ three-year contract expires Sept. 30. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    MACHIAS – The Washington County commissioners will hold a public hearing on Oct. 4 to receive public comment on a proposed Washington County enterprise development and tax increment financing district. The TIF district would involve 4,800 acres located in Township 8 Range 3, Township 8… Read More
    HODGDON – With two meetings under their belts, administrators, school board and community members, and officials from five school districts in the region have begun formulating a strategy to fit into the state’s reorganization of education administration. The state Department of Education has recommended that… Read More
    An amazing young woman, Tia was born in 1992 and would be a great addition to any family. She is active in her community, involved in sports, volunteers at a teen center in her town and enjoys school. Tia has beautiful red hair and a… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Police Department is still working to determine who was behind a bomb scare that disrupted the school day at Presque Isle Middle School and tied up law enforcement for several hours earlier this week. Police said Friday that no… Read More
    FORT KENT – Northern Maine Medical Center will offer the following classes in October: . DSMT (Diabetes Class 1) 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at the Acadia, second floor. Call 834-3195, ext. 3624 for information. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    FRANKFORT – The Frankfort Congregational Church will hold the Fall Harvest Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the church on Maine Road. Items available include preserves, pickles, candies, baked goods, decorations and a take-home bean supper. Read More
    CHERRYFIELD – The Down East Resource Conservation and Development Council is celebrating National RC&D week with a Fall Tour for the Maine Association of RC&Ds on Sept. 28, in western Hancock County. Participants on the tour will meet at the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery… Read More
    THOMASTON – Montpelier, the General Henry Knox Museum on Route 1, will be open for its annual Harvest Weekend with tours every hour beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, Sunday, Oct. 7, and Monday, Oct. 8. The last tour each day begins at 3 p.m. Read More
    OLD TOWN – The Juniper Ridge Landfill advisory committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Old Town Public Library. Agenda items include a review of odor control issues and discussion regarding visual impact concerns. The meeting is slated to… Read More
    ORONO – A concert for Clean Clothes will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at the Bear Brew Pub at 36 Main St. There will be a $5 cover charge for ages 21 and over. Live music will be performed by the San Francisco-based Valerie Orth… Read More
    BELFAST – Dr. Frank Burtnett will present the one-day workshop, “The Effective Use of Volunteers in the Nonprofit Organization” from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the UMaine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave. The workshop is part of the Hutchinson Center’s certificate in nonprofit organizational… Read More
    SORRENTO – The Sorrento Fire Department will hold its third annual golf tournament with registration and refreshments at 8 am. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Blink Bonnie Golf Course in Sorrento. Tee time will be 8:30 a.m. Team and individual prizes and gifts will be… Read More
    BREWER – The city took an enormous step this week toward protecting its lone water source at Hatcase Pond and local officials hope other steps will follow. City Council members accepted a conservation easement from Dedham residents Philip and Joanne Johnson for 545 acres or… Read More
    Following are divorces granted in 5th District Court in Belfast during August on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences: Douglas Arnold and Carol Ann Arnold, both of Troy; married at Waterville on March 16, 1991; parental responsibility for two children granted to the mother; Carol Arnold… Read More
    . City Council, 5 p.m. Monday, City Hall, workshop, water district update. . City Council, 5:30 p.m. Monday, City Hall, workshop, Couri Foundation proposal for Hammond Street Senior Center. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    An intoxicated Old Town man spent the early morning hours in Penobscot County Jail on Friday after kicking in a trailer door and pulling a knife on a group of friends, according to Veazie police. Derrick Beal, 23, picked fights in the Greystone Trailer Park… Read More
    Editor’s Note: This story ran in Friday’s paper with an incomplete list of towns and contact numbers for more information. BANGOR – Bangor Public Works at 530 Maine Ave. will be host to the region’s annual household hazardous waste collection day from 9 a.m. to… Read More
    BREWER – Residents and people traveling through the city and the communities of Bradley, Eddington, Holden and Orrington will see helicopters in the sky this weekend and for the next two to three weeks. InfraSource Transmission Services of Mesa, Ariz., is using helicopters to string… Read More
    BANGOR – Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. plans an interruption of service in the downtown area from 2 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, as part of a system upgrade. Addresses that will be affected by the outage are 99-123 Franklin St., 74-118 Harlow St., 73-98 Central… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – In conjunction with the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, and Environmental Projects Inc., the town of Pittsfield will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day at the Pittsfield Recycling Center. This is for residents of Pittsfield only. Sign-up is at the transfer station. Read More
    LINCOLN – Hank Dusenbery doesn’t golf. Nor does he do much fishing, hunting or kayaking, and while he enjoys skeet shooting and rebuilding antique Jeeps, the 59-year-old couldn’t imagine doing that full time. So the retired Lincoln police chief decided to become something else –… Read More
    Seven women who work in Bangor are trying to raise $5,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation Women’s Cancer Fund, and you can help. Gail Creath e-mailed that she, Nancy Torresen, Darlene Emerson, Margaret Kravchuk, Julie Morse, Brenda DeRoche and Elizabeth Richardson “have formed a core… Read More
    BANGOR – The first courthouse in Penobscot County was built nearly 200 years before the groundbreaking Friday for the Penobscot County Judicial Center. That first structure was built on speculation by private citizens to be used as a house of public worship and a courthouse… Read More
    PORTLAND – A former high school English teacher who was described as “a true child predator” has been handed an 18-month prison term for possessing child pornography on his computer. Melvin Logan, 67, of Portland was sentenced Thursday in Cumberland County Superior Court to seven… Read More
    PORTLAND – The city of Portland must pay the former owner of the Scotia Prince ferry $1.2 million in a legal dispute involving a city-owned waterfront terminal, an arbitration panel ruled Friday. Scotia Prince Cruises Ltd. had sought $164.5 million, claiming that mold growth, water… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The state ethics panel voted unanimously Friday to refer an allegation of misusing public funds by an ex-legislator to the Maine attorney general. An attorney for former state Rep. William Walcott of Lewiston said Walcott would “welcome” such a step and would continue… Read More
    TOLEDO, Ohio – A privately owned company that supplies paper to magazine and catalog publishers is buying the North American operations of one of the world’s largest makers of paper products for about $2.1 billion. NewPage Holding Corp., owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital,… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – An innovative program at the Verso Paper mill during the past few years has provided significant environmental benefits to the region and, at the same time, given the company a substantial financial boost. The Bucksport Environmental Innovative Partnership, or BEIP, program has included… Read More
    It’s just not fair. Just this week, Al jetted off to Montana to murder small animals. 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… Read More
    I’m stressed out. Classes started up a few weeks ago. I bought about $400 worth of books and now I have to read them all. I have papers to write. The first round of tests is around the corner. I work. I’m trying to train my dog to… Read More
    From time to time, I get enlisted to help people purge their closets. In my day-to-day life, I’m a bit of a Pollyanna, but when it comes to wardrobe editing, I’m ruthless – don’t believe me? Ask my best friend. Things got a little tense there, but I… Read More
    “Boston Legal: Season Three”: A marvelous show – a spinoff of “The Practice” – with one of the best casts working on television. Dialogue, characters and story come together seamlessly in this jaunty legal dramedy, with James Spader and William Shatner mining a chemistry no one could have… Read More
    We were talking fish last weekend at a foodie event in Camden. The second Maine Fare was held in places around town, and before I was done I had taken a survey about potatoes from the University of Maine, sampled chocolate, sausage, pizza, Maine-made gin… Read More
    In the last week, three people asked whether it is too late to plant a tree, while a fourth reader asked whether she could transplant a crab apple this time of year. In every case, I encouraged them to plant, provided they followed a few simple guidelines to… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Orono Red Riots entered Week 4 of the high school football season as the LTC Class C’s statistical leader in total offense, while the Foxcroft Academy Ponies were ranked No. 1 in total defense. But when the conference’s two remaining undefeated teams… Read More
    Before sunrise on Monday morning, men and women will rise, shake the sleep from their eyes and prepare for a day they’ll never forget. For some, it will be a repeat performance. For others, it will be the culmination of years of waiting and wishing. Read More
    HAMPDEN – After two straight losses, the Hampden Academy football team was looking for a confidence boost. It took nearly three quarters, but the Broncos found it thanks to Shawn Smith and Nolan Turner. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    ORONO – Goals had been hard to come by for the University of Maine women’s soccer team. But the Black Bears, who had scored four goals in their first six games, erupted for five goals on Friday afternoon to post a convincing 5-0 triumph over… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Leavitt 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
    HOLE-IN-ONE CHRIS BOUCHER 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 Northport GC 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… Read More
    LEE – Josh Branscombe scored two goals and provided an assist Friday to lead Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook to a 4-1 boys soccer victory over Lee Academy. Dakota Sleeper had a goal and an assist for the 5-3-2 Warriors and Jake Lassonde added a… Read More
    LEICESTER, Mass. – Brittany Oxley scored the winning goal on a penalty stroke during a shootout after two overtimes to lead Thomas College to a 1-0 field hockey victory over Becker College Friday. Drielle Mitchell stopped 20 of 25 shots for 1-2 Thomas. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Katie Mills knocked in three goals and assisted on another by Adriana Eurich as the Stearns Minutemen cruised to a 5-1 high school field hockey win over the Orono Red Riots Friday. Angela Levesque assisted on two of Mills’ goals while Becca Leavitt… Read More