One military analyst expert says the Navy’s decision this week to pursue building a third Zumwalt destroyer is because of events in Georgia. Others attribute the change in direction to concerns about maintaining the country’s shipbuilding capacity. Whatever the reason, it is not certain that… Read More
    The Employee Free Choice Act, a proposed federal law that would change the way unions can be formed in the private sector, is casting an odd and confusing shadow over the Tom Allen-Susan Collins Senate race. Rep. Allen, the Democratic challenger, is an original co-sponsor of the measure. Read More
    From time to time there are hints that civilization may have begun its endgame, the final stages of an orgy of conspicuous consumption that on occasion has made the excesses of ancient Rome seem trifling by comparison. One such clue was an Associated Press news… Read More
    Like so many young people, I’ve been inspired by Barack Obama’s historic campaign for president. Over the last 16 months, I’ve traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire to volunteer with students from across the country. I helped organize my hometown of Kennebunk in advance of the caucus, and… Read More
    TOWNSHIP 1 RANGE 8 – The most modest of many steps toward the construction of Millinocket businessman Matthew Polstein’s proposed $65 million ecotourist resort began this week with an almost $2 million remodeling of his Twin Pine Camps, officials said Friday. The Land Use Regulation… Read More
    Husbands and wives who have been married very long know a thing or two about compromise and negotiation. Sometimes sheer avoidance of an issue or a matter at hand is called for. Such is the case when my husband and I go on car trips… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – After nearly six hours of deliberation, a Hancock County jury found a Lamoine man guilty Friday of stealing a safe containing an estimated $40,000 in cash from his grandmother in January 2005. Steven Robbins, 39, was convicted of robbery, burglary, assault, theft and… Read More
    Hundreds of alternative energy developers, researchers and policymakers from around the globe will converge on Rockport next year to discuss how to tap into the world’s oceans to meet the growing demand for clean energy. Gov. John Baldacci’s office announced Friday that the sixth annual… Read More
    UNION – The Union Historical Society will hold a talk on eminent Mainers at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, in the Old Town House, Town House Road. Following a brief business meeting, A. Douglas Stover of Alna will discuss his recent book “Eminent Mainers: Succinct… Read More
    Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents on Monday stopped a Southwest Harbor woman, who they believed was dealing drugs, in Bangor and found heroin. Michelle Harper, 25, was arrested and is charged with trafficking heroin, a class B felony, said Garry Higgins, MDEA supervisory special agent… Read More
    Waiting child, Eric truly enjoys fishing, camping and all things outdoors! Eric, born in 1995, is kind, enjoyable to spend time with, and can be helpful around the house when given cues. Eric likes to keep his room neat and particularly enjoys sharing outdoor chores… Read More
    BANGOR – With the 2008 Summer Olympics under way, the world’s eyes are on China. Dozens of children from the Bangor area, however, had the opportunity to experience the Chinese language and culture first-hand, thanks to this year’s edition of Chinese Dragon Camp sponsored by… Read More
    GREENVILLE – A room mostly full of all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts encouraged selectmen Wednesday to allow ATVs the use of the paved shoulder on Pritham Avenue for access to downtown businesses. After listening to comments about the proposal for more than an hour, selectmen voted to… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – An 11-year-old dog took a ride into the Union River Friday afternoon and came out dry and none the worse for wear. Shadow, called a “miracle dog” by his owner Tish Noyes of Sorrento, was in the back seat of Noyes’ Honda Civic… Read More
    BANGOR – Hospice of Eastern Maine is seeking caring men and women of all ages and walks of life to join its family of patient care volunteers. HOEM’s volunteers share their time and friendship with terminally ill patients and their caregivers. Hospice care focuses on… Read More
    FORT KENT – The University of Maine at Fort Kent invites businesses and service organizations throughout the St. John Valley to participate in a daylong community fair 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Cyr Hall. The fair is designed to introduce university students to… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The Canine Carnival will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Woodlawn Museum, 19 Black House Drive on Route 172. The Coastal Crescent Kennel Club and the Downeast Dog Scouts Troop 159 are sponsoring the carnival to… Read More
    MILBRIDGE – The Bureau of Motor Vehicles Mobile License Unit will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at the Town Office Building, 22 School St. Anyone needing immediate assistance (excluding holidays) may visit the Ellsworth… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The first annual Perennial Swap and Fall Planting Day will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at the Maine Highlands Community Organic Forest-Garden, located two miles east of Dover-Foxcroft on the East Dover Road on the river side of the Dover-Foxcroft water… Read More
    BANGOR – A lasagna dinner will be held 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at Columbia Street Baptist Church. Suggested donation is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 5-12. All proceeds will benefit the Salvation Army heating oil assistance program. For information, call 945-6616. Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Councilor David Cyr can stay at a dwelling he is building outside town and declare residence at his mother-in-law’s property in town until “he actually does relocate to his new home with the intent to remain there,” a Maine Municipal Association attorney has advised town officials. Read More
    After reading our front-page story Wednesday about Maine having “the highest rate of adult obesity among the six New England states,” and the fact that “Maine’s top public health officials” said “federal funding for anti-obesity initiatives is eroding” and that “individuals and communities must take the lead in… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine has new business regulation and public utilities commissioners. Anne Head of Yarmouth was sworn in Friday as commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    SKOWHEGAN – A free Health Care and MaineCare Workshop will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Kennebec Valley Community Action Plan, 26 Mary St. The session will provide the tools to offer information and application assistance to individuals and families applying for… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The Maine Wood Carvers Association Annual Wood Carvers and Wildlife Artists Show and Competition will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Augusta Armory, 179 Western Ave. Carving and art competitions… Read More
    The Foundation for Intercultural Travel, a U.S. State Department designated exchange visitor program, is seeking families to open their homes to a young ambassador for five or 10 months. All the students speak English. Host families can select a student who they feel will best… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A state official says about half of Maine’s students attend schools in newly consolidated districts. A school consolidation law, passed in 2007, requires districts to form regional school units to reduce administrative costs and save taxpayers millions of dollars. The law envisions reducing… Read More
    ALFRED – Police say a New Hampshire man and his mother were killed in a car crash Thursday. The York County Sheriff’s Department said 57-year-old George Laliberte of Bedford, N.H., was driving on Route 111 when his car drifted into the lane of an oncoming… Read More
    YARMOUTH, Nova Scotia – The company that runs a high-speed ferry between Maine and Nova Scotia is cutting back service due to higher fuel costs and fewer travelers. Bay Ferries announced Friday that after Labor Day it will reduce the number of weekly round trips… Read More
    BIDDEFORD – The University of New England is offering free bicycles to resident freshmen who agree not to bring cars to campus this fall, in one of the first giveaway programs of its kind in the country. The offer is aimed at easing competition for… Read More
    DEER ISLE – The People of the Yellow Leaf are a shy, elusive people living in northern Thailand. They speak in a lilting tongue, their high-pitched voices falling off at the end of their sentences. Once nomadic, they now live in confined sites surrounded by… Read More
    PORTLAND – A Portland rabbi can continue to hold prayer services at his home now that the city has reversed its order that barred the weekly meetings on grounds that they ran afoul of zoning regulations. The Zoning Board of Appeals late Thursday agreed with… Read More
    SANGERVILLE – The body of an elderly Dexter man who was reported missing on Monday was found beyond the traveled way of the Townhouse Road. People who were four-wheeling along the path at about 7:40 p.m. Thursday discovered the body of George Fitzgerald, 87, lying… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins toured a local business Friday, one of many that has benefited from the Downeast Business Alliance’s Incubator Without Walls program, a service she strongly endorsed. “Small businesses, such as these, are the backbone of Maine’s economy,” Maine’s junior senator,… Read More
    PORTLAND – The Maine Republican Party says its “Victory ’08” campaign has organized “Super Saturday,” a day of door-to-door campaigning and volunteer phone banks across Maine today, including in Bangor. “We have hundreds of volunteers dedicated to helping Republican candidates on the ticket this November,… Read More
    PARIS – The director of Oxford County’s communications center has been arrested on a domestic assault charge. Forty-nine-year-old James Patrick Miclon of Woodstock, a former Oxford County deputy sheriff, was arrested early Thursday and released on $500 bail. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    OXFORD – Maine drug agents have seized more than 50 marijuana plants in a raid at a local home. The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency says agents executed a search warrant Wednesday at the home of 31-year-old Joseph Bennett after residents complained of possible marijuana dealing… Read More
    BROCKTON, Mass. – An 18-year-old carnival worker accused of sexually assaulting two girls he met at the Marshfield Fair has been released from jail after prosecutors dropped some of the charges. A Superior Court judge released Jeffrey Witham on personal recognizance Friday, with the condition… Read More
    GREENVILLE – Greenville Steam Co., one of the community’s larger employers, is up for sale. General manager Scott Hersey confirmed to selectmen Wednesday that employees were told the owners are entertaining the sale of the company’s assets. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    I love cars. They are fun to drive and play with and I have had a lot of them. I suppose it is some sort of middle-aged adolescent thing, but there are so many different ones to try. I also am cheap. I usually buy salvage vehicles and… Read More
    Verizon Wireless has purchased the parent company of Unicel, officials of both cellular telephone companies said Friday. “The sale closed Aug. 6,” Barb Ostrander of Unicel’s marketing department in Alexandria, Minn., said Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
    An oil refinery can split a barrel of crude into everything from paint thinner to road tar. The “middle distillates” include diesel fuel, jet fuel and home heating oil. Home heating oil is less than 10 percent of the total and must compete in the market place with… Read More
    LEWISTON – When the Lewiston McDonald’s opened in 1966, there was no such thing as flat-screen TV, and Wi-Fi setups for personal computers were an unknown concept. But a redo of Maine’s third McDonald’s to be built will feature those as well as a bistro… Read More
    As myth would have it, the dualism of the world became apparent with Eve’s decision to eat the fruit and “know” good and evil. Before then, Adam and Eve were covered by God’s grace so completely, they knew only good. They were whole and unconflicted. Read More
    And you wanted to be my latex salesman,” Seinfeld says to George, who is lying on the apartment floor with his pants at half-mast. Most-memorable television comedy. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
    What child hasn’t threatened to run away when the rules of the house seemed just too demanding? Who hasn’t wished, even as an adult, to run away from a worry when it appears too overwhelming? Recently, wishing to get distance from a personal problem, I… Read More
    A towering Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus, grows in Marjorie’s garden only 10 feet from the porch steps, a tree 60 feet tall with a trunk diameter at breast height of 25 inches. During the reign of King George III, a tree of this size would barely make… Read More
    “End of Days” Blu-ray: Protect your daughters! Break out the chastity belts! Get thee to a nunnery! Set on the eve of the millennium, this 1999 throwback finds Satan popping the Viagra and going on the prowl to mate with a woman who not only will give birth… Read More
    A couple weeks ago, we asked for an open-faced blueberry pie recipe. The goal of this pie is to lighten it up a little by leaving off the top crust and to have a more intense blueberry-flavored filling. Lots of you sent recipes, and it seems to me… Read More
    Almost five years ago, the announcement was greeted with gasps, smiles, cheers … and truth be known, a small dose of apprehension. In public, everyone said the right things: The ambitious plan to restore the Penobscot River by removing two dams and adding fish passage… Read More
    The 28th annual Maine Sport Triathlon will take place Aug. 31 at Barrett’s Cove on Megunticook Lake in Camden. The race, sponsored by Maine Sport Outfitters, goes off at 9 a.m. with registration race morning at 8. Fees are $40 for individuals and $70 for teams. Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At VaJoWa GC, Island Falls, 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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    BANGOR – Friday’s alumnae soccer game at Bangor High School probably meant more to Kristen Thompson than anyone else on the field. That’s because she’s the younger sister of Danielle Thompson, after whom the second annual preseason match is named. The game was won 4-3… Read More
    Paul Santavy has been appointed the manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Maine Fisheries Program Complex in East Orland, which oversees the Craig Brook and Green Lake National Fish Hatcheries and the Maine Fishery Resources Office. In his three years with the USFWS,… Read More
    YARMOUTH – A boys soccer coach at a Yarmouth prep school has resigned following a newspaper report that disproved his claim that he played on the U.S. Olympic team in 1984. The headmaster of North Yarmouth Academy, Peter Mertz, announced Thursday that coach Josh Muscadin… Read More
    ORONO – University of Maine men’s ice hockey head coach Tim Whitehead announced Friday that Bob Corkum has been named Associate Head Coach. Corkum replaces Guy Perron, who left earlier this summer to accept a position with the Colorado Avalanche. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    EASTON – Brad Trask scored the winning goal off of a Jonah Bacon assist with 1:17 left in the second overtime to lead the Easton boys past Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook 2-1 in Friday soccer action. Trask scored the game’s first goal with an… Read More
    This is a story on the back burner. Foods on the back burner tend to simmer and get heavy. In the 2004 NHL season, Todd Bertuzzi, a player with Vancouver at the time, hit opponent Steve Moore in the back of the head during a game, crushing his… Read More