Dear Jim: I want to use fewer outdoor lights to save electricity, but I have trouble finding the keyhole quickly at night. What types of keyless or other secure locks are there so I can get in quickly in the dark? – Beth L. Dear… Read More
    ‘Tis the season to be jolly. Or at least that’s the way the old Christmas carol goes. Caught up in the excitement of the season, television viewers are barraged mercilessly with infomercials and commercials hocking products in high rotation across the satellite or cable channels. Read More
    Mitt Romney’s speech on Dec. 6, addressing his Mormon religion and its relationship to faith and “freedom” in America was in dramatic contrast to the framework espoused by JFK in 1960 with respect to “the separation of church and state.” Mr. Romney’s commentary would have greatly shocked our… Read More
    Anyone who attended the “Spirit of Bangor” concert can appreciate a letter writer’s praise of their “schmaltz.” One need not be Christian to have enjoyed the orchestra and choral groups that worked so hard to make these concerts so uplifting. It is nevertheless dismaying that the letter… Read More
    The U.S. government’s food stamp program distributes 100 percent of the cost of these stamps to each state. The feds leave distribution up to the states. When we receive a slight raise in our Social Security, the state of Maine gives us fewer food stamps. This raise is… Read More
    We read with interest the OpEd, “Targeting bias, if not the bottom line” (BDN, Dec. 6). It is hard to believe that “in the land of the free and the home of the brave” this sort of discrimination occurs. But it does, every day in many ways for… Read More
    The message behind a new scholarship program funded by the late Harold Alfond may be as important as the money itself. In a state where too few students go on to college, getting parents to think about – and better yet to plan for – their children’s higher… Read More
    Sponsors of a new bill to fix the system for public financing of presidential campaigns are right that the present system has collapsed. Their plan for fixing it deserves careful consideration but has some problems. The old system was created in 1974 to correct the… Read More
    There are two types of decisions leaders can make: informed decisions and uninformed decisions. The Orono Reorganization Planning Committee (ORPC) and the Orono School Committee made uninformed decisions during the last week of November when they voted to commit Orono to consolidating into Regional School Unit 16. Read More
    In recent days, two OpEd pieces have discussed LD 4, a bill intended to reduce health care costs by curbing the pharmaceutical industry’s aggressive marketing of expensive drugs. Dr. Lisa Marrache and Sharon Treat support the law “LD 4 a step in the right direction” (BDN, Dec 4). Read More
    BAILEYVILLE – The attention of many Mainers this weekend may have been drawn to Arlington National Cemetery, where volunteers helped lay a convoy load of wreaths on veterans’ graves, but some commemorated the event with similar ceremonies here at home. One such ceremony took place… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Section 33 of Arlington National Cemetery was decorated with about 10,000 of Morrill Worcester’s wreaths from Harrington, Maine, on Saturday morning. For 16 years now, Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Co., has donated about 5,000 wreaths to the cemetery to help honor the… Read More
    Picture the first day of school. Your child goes off to school wearing a pair of sandals, zip-off pants, a T-shirt and a sweat shirt. In the backpack is a lunchbox with a water bottle, a pair of socks and sneakers for physical education class, a plastic container… Read More
    DEXTER – A group of Dexter Regional High School students and their teacher-adviser Regan McPhetres plan to investigate and prove the existence of mountain lions in Maine. McPhetres, who along with another teacher ran a similar program from 1992 through 2001 in the Winslow-Waterville area,… Read More
    BANGOR – For a small group of Mainers and other people with a rare genetic disorder, life just got a little more appetizing. The Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of the new drug Kuvan promises to open new dietary horizons for children and adults afflicted with phenylketonuria,… Read More
    BREWER – The nor’easter that hit the area on Sunday caused a local Kwanzaa celebration to be postponed by a week, organizer Assata Sherrill announced Sunday. “We’re back on next Sunday,” she said. “Same time, same place.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    HOPE – Local resident Sharon Mann celebrated the spirit of the holiday season by donating to Coastal Mountains Land Trust a 19.3-acre conservation easement on her property on the shores of Alford Lake. Mann’s involvement with Coastal Mountains Land Trust began with her assistance on… Read More
    BELFAST – The city’s 11th annual New Year’s By The Bay celebration is looking for some volunteers. From 3 p.m. to midnight Dec. 31, more than 100 volunteers from teens to seniors will be needed for 21/2 hours each to volunteer at downtown Belfast entertainment… Read More
    BELFAST – Indigo Gallery will host a holiday opening reception as part of the Belfast Art Galleries’ Friday Art Walks from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21. New works by artistic photographer Charles Laurier Dufour will be featured as part of Indigo Gallery’s holiday… Read More
    LINCOLNVILLE – Residents will present the Board of Selectmen with a petition asking for a townwide vote on eliminating the Police Department. Former Selectmen Greg Boetsch and Tracy Colby, along with other residents, spent the past month gathering the 150 signatures needed to place the… Read More
    ORONO – A 19-year-old University of Maine sophomore apparently committed suicide Friday evening in his bedroom while a party was going on next door, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said Sunday. Ten to 15 students were holding a party Friday night at… Read More
    BANGOR – George and Selda Maxsimic ventured into the cold December night, but not in search of more presents for their children and grandchildren. The Orrington couple was seeking out the Christmas spirit at a manger near the Bangor International Airport. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – New Brunswick’s health minister says he’s considering following Nova Scotia’s lead in banning smoking in vehicles carrying children. Accusing the tobacco industry of targeting children, Mike Murphy told CTV News that as health minister, he would address tobacco control. Murphy said… Read More
    BANGOR – A group of hospital, city and community representatives tapped to consider the fate of two State Street buildings previously pegged for demolition held its first meeting Wednesday at Eastern Maine Medical Center. EMMC created the State Street Neighborhood Work Group after community members… Read More
    AUGUSTA – More than 3,000 Maine workers have voted within the last 14 months to join the Maine State Employees Association, making the union’s current membership drive the most productive since it formed in 1943. The MSEA is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union,… Read More
    MILBRIDGE – Contractors have begun preliminary work to replace two aging bridges on Route 1A over the Narraguagus River. The $5.7 million project, part of the Maine Department of Transportation’s two-year plan to rebuild and repair the state’s roads and bridges, recently was awarded to… Read More
    TURNER – A 7-year-old boy died after he was badly burned Sunday morning when diesel fuel that was being used to start a fire in a wood stove exploded, the State Fire Marshal’s Office said in a press release. Riley Davis died at Maine Medical… Read More
    Of Maine’s newest police officers, who graduated Friday from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, nine of the 49 graduates will serve with Bangor area law enforcement agencies. The new officers include: Taylor Bagley and Richard Polk of Bangor Police Department; Joshua Gunn from… Read More
    BANGOR – A Milo man who took the unusual step of withdrawing his guilty plea and proceeding to trial was convicted Thursday on drug charges in U.S. District Court. Winslow Newbert, 58, was found guilty of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute after a… Read More
    BELFAST – The December meeting of the Building Communities for Children Coalition highlighted the Game Loft as the recipient of a No. 1 Exemplary Community Afterschool Program award. Board members, staff and a youth member shared the presentation about the programming at the Game Loft… 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]… Read More
    Something new and special is being offered this holiday season; the “brainchild of Jeff Priest, director of the Old Town High School Jazz Ensemble, and Morita Tapley, dance instructor for the Morgan Hill Dancers,” reports Anna Caballero. She called, then e-mailed, with details about the… Read More
    PORTLAND – Police are looking for a gunman who shot a man in front of the Somali Community Center and then fled on foot. The Portland Press Herald says the suspect was a black man in his early to mid-20s who was wearing a black… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Championships aren’t won in December, but the Caribou boys basketball team took an important step toward securing a better long-term future this weekend. The Vikings surged past Ellsworth 49-43 on Saturday afternoon to complete the sweep of a two-game weekend trek to Hancock… Read More
    Husson College baseball coach John Winkin’s condition was upgraded from “serious” to “fair” Saturday and remained fair on Sunday. The 87-year-old Winkin, who was taken by ambulance to Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center after collapsing during a daily walk last Monday, was moved out EMMC’s… Read More
    DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire’s Robby Butler scored with his team’s first shot on goal and senior goalie Kevin Regan made 33 saves in the Wildcats’ 2-0 win over Maine at the Whittemore Center Sunday night. But it was UNH senior defenseman… Read More
    BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – The University of Maine women put it all together Sunday afternoon to defeat St. Francis College 58-47 and snap a seven-game losing streak. The hot-shooting Black Bears shot a scalding 63.6 percent from 3-point range and 50 percent overall from the… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Old Town, Friday 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
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    SALEM, Mass. – Danielle Jenkins had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Salem State to a 74-58 women’s basketball victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday. USM, 7-1, suffered its first loss of the season. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    Those of us who soak up our ancestors like a sponge can sometimes overload our family with genealogical information – I’ve certainly done it. So I tried to find a simple answer when my dad used to ask, “Just how are we related to Harold… Read More
    In theaters THE SAVAGES, written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, 105 minutes, rated R. 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()) {… Read More
    The pond is solid memory now. Even the sun appears less necessary. 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
    NEW YORK – Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne” helped define the soft-rock era, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56. His death was announced Sunday in… Read More