New research paints a bleak picture for coral reefs and the communities that depend on them if emissions of greenhouse gases are not dramatically curbed. But if you think what happens in the warm, clear waters of the tropics has little to do with Maine’s… Read More
    The outbreak of mumps in Maine continues to worsen with confirmed and suspected cases now reported in 12 of the state’s 16 counties. Some cases have been reported in public schools and unvaccinated students from those schools have been barred from classes, according to Dr. Dora Anne Mills,… Read More
    HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Nova Scotia’s newly enacted ban on smoking in vehicles carrying children not only will protect them from harmful secondhand smoke, it also will create a “wave of change” across the country, the Canadian Cancer Society said. The province became the first… Read More
    AUGUSTA – With temperatures starting out colder and fuel prices higher this year, many more Mainers have been seeking help to heat their homes. And because Congress has yet to act on a budget for heating aid, state lawmakers in both parties say Maine may… Read More
    A second report from the state controller highlights further financial mismanagement by the state’s cultural agencies. Although the amounts of money are small, the larger problem is the permissive, and sometimes deceptive, attitude set by the agencies’ management. Better accounting practices and more oversight won’t solve this underlying… Read More
    The Mitchell Report on Major League Baseball’s problems with performance enhancing drugs may not be the bloodletting fans of the game hoped for. And it may not mark the end of the “asterisk era,” when records are tainted by accusations that the players who set them had a… Read More
    Yes, I am still here! This letter is for my good friends and relatives who read the obituary in the Dec. 14 BDN which said I had passed through the pearly gates. Apologies have come from those involved with printing that I had passed away… Read More
    Attention all vehicle owners! We have a problem. Calcium chloride could be destroying your brake lines, transmission cooling lines, muffler and everything else exposed under your vehicle. Ask anyone at your service garage if they agree. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    Your Nov. 26 editorial “Keep the Train Running” is right on track. Maine is seeing something of a rail renaissance thanks to Gov. Baldacci, the congressional delegation, private industry and rail enthusiasts. The train from Portland to Boston, the Downeaster, has been hugely successful and has exceeded all… Read More
    Facts: 7,000 families served by the community action agency Penquis need help to heat their homes, and only a small fraction may get some relief; statewide, as many as 47,000 folks will not be able to feed and clothe their families and heat their homes and they will… Read More
    The editorial “Plan To Resolve Creep” (BDN, Dec. 7) correctly notes the “propensity of nonprofit organizations to gradually grow into a community.” While the current conflict in Castine with Maine Maritime Academy is not about acquiring structures for offices, but rather about the school expanding into the residential… Read More
    Here is an idea that would save more money than destroying the state’s school and jail systems with consolidation. How about having one senator and representative from each county. This would save money on pay and on benefits. This would also even the field between… Read More
    I was amazed by the letter “Racist comic strip” (BDN, Dec. 7). If anything, Wiley would be the very first to condemn racism. The letter writer must never have followed the strip because Nonsequitor takes delightful shots at conservative politicians more often than at any other. Read More
    This month, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission is holding public and technical hearings on Plum Creek Timber Co.’s concept plan for the Moosehead Lake region. As a former state senator, I believe that the biggest challenge for all involved will be to keep their focus on the issue… Read More
    After 20 months of speculation, former Maine Sen. George Mitchell’s report detailing the use of performance-enhancing substances in Major League Baseball raises more questions than it answers. Why didn’t baseball Commissioner Bud Selig take action back in March 2005 when members of Congress made the… Read More
    In his speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, former Vice President Al Gore warned the United States and China that they will be held accountable “before history” if they fail to be leaders in fighting global warming. Well said, Al, but future historians will be… Read More
    Each morning that I bound out of bed to discover that the mercury in my outmoded thermometer has dipped about three clapboards below zero overnight and the winds are blowing the newest layer of snow to hell and back with such gusto I can’t see my neighbor’s place… Read More
    BANGOR – Tyler, 4, of Glenburn and Jack, 5, of Bangor don’t know they live in low-income households. They’re young boys with huge eyes that seem to hold the innocence of the world, and just like other young children their ages, they are anxiously awaiting… Read More
    Ah, the ease of the gift card. Who doesn’t love ’em? My family certainly does. In fact, we collect them. 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
    ORONO – Two simultaneous events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. scheduled at the University of Maine next month are causing confusion and controversy in the community. “I don’t want to see this get into some sort of ugly conflict,” James Varner, organizer of one… Read More
    BOSTON – Parts of a parade permit ordinance in Augusta, Maine, are unconstitutional, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The appeals court ruled that the 30-day advance notice and meeting requirements were unconstitutional. It also ruled that the city may charge a… Read More
    BANGOR – Local lawyer Paul W. Chaiken doesn’t like talking about himself. That may come as a surprise to people who don’t have a high opinion of lawyers, but members of the judiciary think so much of the 58-year-old Massachusetts native that they presented him… Read More
    DEXTER – A local man who owns two hunting beagles took exception Thursday to a proposed ordinance that would level fines for dogs running at large. Resident William Gelzinis suggested to the Dexter Town Council on Thursday that an exception should be made for dogs… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Unexpected savings in the town’s proposed $2.4 million infrastructure improvement project for the Pines will cause an 11 percent drop in town wastewater rates effective with the early January billing. The Town Council voted 6-1 during a meeting Thursday night to lower the… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The TRIO Upward Bound program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold an open house 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, in Suite 16, Preble Hall. The public is invited to celebrate the new suite of offices and expansion of the program. For… Read More
    BREWER – A total of 15 residents signed up for the city’s first Home Holiday Decorating & Lighting Contest and five people were honored for their decorating skills. Cheryl Morrow of 58 Longmeadow Drive was awarded best picture window display and Amanda George of 74… Read More
    Belfast District Court Cases Dec. 3-7, 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
    MONTICELLO – A 37-year-old Houlton man who was found dead inside a residence after a lengthy standoff with police in Monticello in July died of combined drug toxicity, according to an autopsy conducted by the State Medical Examiner’s Office. The death of Neal W. McEachern… Read More
    CHERRYFIELD – Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. is planning an interruption of service in Washington County at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18. It will affect more than 11,000 customers who are located east of and including the Cherryfield substation. The outage is expected to last about five… Read More
    The following are divorces granted in 5th District Court in Belfast during November on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences. Jonathan M. Carman and Marilyn Carman, both of Unity; married at an unknown Maine location on June 1, 1996. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    Penobscot County Superior Court Cases Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 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]… Read More
    . City Council’s finance committee, 5 p.m. Monday, City Hall, energy audit. . Ribbon cutting and open house, 11 a.m. Northside Family Housing, 250 Griffin Road. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
    These four brothers want to be adopted together. Andy, born in 2000, Caleb in 1999, Ben in 1998 and Paul in 1995 have a strong bond and are hoping for an adoptive family that can keep them together. Andy is the youngest of the four… Read More
    DEXTER – Dexter may join a handful of other Maine communities in offering qualified homeowners extra property tax relief. The Town Council on Thursday discussed a proposed ordinance that would allow residents 70 years of age and older who benefit from the state’s property tax… Read More
    AUGUSTA – More Mainers are taking the bus. The state last month launched a program called “Free Fare Fridays” that lets commuters take local transit buses for free across the state from York to Aroostook counties. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    President Lori Wingo of our historic Bangor Band, one of the oldest community bands in the country, has announced that the band will hold its annual Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Bangor Civic Center. The free concert will feature “something… Read More
    WESTFIELD – A Maine State Police trooper walked away unscathed from an accident scene late Wednesday evening after his cruiser collided with a moose on U.S. Route 1 in Westfield. According to information provided by the public information office of the state Department of Public… Read More
    Two new chime choirs, Chimicles and Generations, will give their debut performances at the worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday at Cutler United Methodist Church, 2718 Cutler Road. The church bought the chimes a few months ago instead of the traditional English hand bells because… Read More
    WESTBROOK – Fire officials blamed smoking for an early morning fire that led to the evacuation of 59 elderly residents from a housing complex in Westbrook. The Westbrook Fire Department says the fire at 2 a.m. Friday was caused by a resident who was smoking… Read More
    PORTLAND – As Amtrak’s Downeaster marks its sixth anniversary, the rail authority that runs the Portland-to-Boston service is preparing to roll into the Legislature to lobby for funding to keep the trains running in July 2009. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority is seeking… Read More
    It’s nearly Christmas, and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is once again on television in all of its movie manifestations – from Alistair Sim to the Muppets’ version, and everything in between. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching covetous old sinner,”… Read More
    I’ve always thought shopping is a lot like real estate: It’s all about location, location, location. It appears that you, dear readers, would agree. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
    I demand a recount on Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize. Does this look like global warming to you? Traditionally on the Maine coast, December snowstorms are an ethereal thing, coming silently during the night, ruining the morning commute and then melting away, gone in 48… Read More
    This vegetable side dish caught my eye someplace because we actually grow three of the major ingredients: leeks, bacon and hazelnuts. I’ve been trying to think of interesting things to do with leeks besides put them in stew or soup. So this appealed to me. Read More
    In November 2006, I wrote about the coming winter, wondering if there would be sufficient snow cover to protect the fringe tree’s roots from freeze damage. Now I look out the window at that tree, a bit taller than last winter, its main trunks and branches trimmed with… Read More
    “Balls of Fury” DVD, HD DVD: Curiously, this isn’t a sex comedy. Instead, it’s a movie about underground table tennis tournaments, which apparently are revered in the Asian community (somebody might want to clue them in on this), who take to the sport in ways that often are… Read More
    BANGOR – The Lawrence Bulldogs arrived at Red Barry Gymnasium on Friday night armed with a blueprint for victory that featured aggressive defense and patient perimeter offense. Bangor was able to overcome that game plan, forcing 23 turnovers and holding Lawrence of Fairfield scoreless during… Read More
    The holiday season is officially upon us, and many of us are busy making last-minute plans. None of us, I’ll bet, are planning to die this weekend. But we might do just that … if we’re not careful. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    HERMON – Don Clayton of Hampden rolled his first perfect game of the year in Romeo’s Bells and Beaus League Friday at the Sports Arena. It was Clayton’s sixth career 300 game. He bowled a 300-258-279 for a 837 series. Read More
    NEW GLOUCESTER – Two Maine Winter Sports Center biathlon athletes were named to the European Cup team for January. Laura Spector of Lenox, Mass., and Haley Johnson, a native of Lake Placid, N.Y., who is a University of Maine-Fort Kent student, will go to competitions… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Husson 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
    Men’s hockey MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE 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
    Maine has produced a lot of quality people over the years who became national leaders on numerous fronts. George Mitchell is one of those people. As a Senator, a federal judge, a mediator in Northern Ireland and in numerous other vital tasks, he has been a true leader. Read More
    MACHIAS – Danielle Wormell scored 16 points, including a 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Machias girls basketball team to its first victory of the season, a 61-60 decision over Lubec Friday night. Tiara Lipton scored 13 points for the Bulldogs. Sam Moody had… Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – Mike Lowell scored 20 points as the Schenck Wolverines picked up their third win, a 71-45 triumph over Katahdin of Stacyville in boys basketball action Friday night. Nate Lewis added 13 points and Aaron Hutchins 11 for Schenck, which built a 17-point… Read More
    FARMINGTON – Greg Whitaker scored 18 points and the University of Southern Maine Huskies outscored the UMaine-Farmington Beavers 37-17 in the second half after trailing by 10 to record a 58-48 men’s basketball victory Friday night. UMF cut USM’s lead to 49-46 with 3:12 left,… Read More
    CARIBOU REPORT ITS 92: Allagash has begun the run to St. Francis, St Francis has not been out yet but Fort Kent has been out and groomed west. Logging heading to Escourt still has that section down for now. ITS 85-Clear run from Fort Kent… Read More
    As I’ve done every year for the past several years, I spent Thanksgiving holiday in New Jersey, my home state. In between dinner preparations and visiting, I was able to get out to do some bird watching. My sister, Diane, and I went down to… Read More
    The Natural Resource Education Center in Greenville is sponsoring an evening program to present the results from a recent Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife study of wild brook trout populations in the large lake systems of the Moosehead region. The program will be held… Read More