NORTH HAVEN – Chellie Pingree’s political life has taken her from Augusta to the nation’s capital, but it is this island in Penobscot Bay that is the source of her convictions and inspiration. “People in a small town have a very good sense of how… Read More
WASHINGTON – Maine’s Democratic Reps. Mike Michaud and Tom Allen repeated their Monday votes on Friday as the House approved 263-71 the Senate version of the $700 billion financial rescue plan. Michaud, who voted against the House plan that failed on Monday, again cast a… Read More
BANGOR – When the U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term Monday, the first two appeals the nine justices will hear oral arguments about are cases from Maine. It’s rare for the nation’s high court to accept one case a term from the Pine Tree… Read More
ROCKLAND – Republican 1st Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers was in the city recently working behind the counter of a sandwich shop, chatting up the locals. “It’s about meeting people in their everyday environment and listening to their concerns,” Summers said. “Not only to learn… Read More
A review of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s weekend performance that ran in the Lifestyle section of Tuesday’s paper contained an error. The oboist in the concert was Laura Green Estey. Read More
The two candidates in Maine’s 1st District congressional race said they oppose the Wall Street bailout bill that was passed by the House and Senate and signed Friday by President Bush. Democrat Chellie Pingree and Republican Charles Summers say the $700 billion measure does not… Read More
Mr. Gratwick is dead-on when he says, “Change is best effected by many people speaking with one voice …”(BDN 9/22/08). I too am passionate about speaking out regarding injustices and the “larger issues” facing us. That is why three years ago I joined the ONE Campaign – The… Read More
The greatest conservative minds, William F. Buckley, Milton Friedman, Henry Hyde, figured out long ago that the government’s War on Drugs was lost. Their conclusion was that replacing one scourge – private drug-alcohol abuse – with another scourge – a vast and unconstitutional government pogrom that imprisoned millions,… Read More
It is clear why John McCain chose Sarah Palin: He hoped that Palin would give him the Clinton voters because she is a white woman. If voters are voting according to gender and race instead of according to issues, then, yes, Palin was a good choice. Gender and… Read More
Eight vice presidents have gone on to be president because of the death of the president, and one became president after the resignation of the president. John McCain is 72 years old and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma. If McCain wins this presidential contest, there is a… Read More
I am very concerned about the bailout of the banking industry that is being shoved down our throats. It seems that the people who just a short time ago were assuring us of the stability of the banking industry are the same ones that are insisting we have… Read More
It was George W. Bush, oddly, who sold the idea of “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” He was talking about education and assumptions about the abilities of the disadvantaged. But the phrase now offers the only possible explanation for the scores of pundits who declared that Alaska… Read More
Plum Creek has until Oct. 14 to decide whether to accept a generous offer from the Land Use Regulation Commission to endorse its application to rezone land around Moosehead Lake for development. The company must decide whether to accept modest changes to the plan recommended by LURC staff. Read More
Last weekend, when the government of China boasted how its astronauts had begun a long-awaited space mission that would feature the first space walk by Chinese astronauts, the report on the Web site of China’s official news agency, Xinhua, aired hours before their rocket ship had even left… Read More
A word of praise for the often maligned Land Use Regulation Commission: Thank you, commissioners, for a job thoughtfully, responsibly, courageously and well done, and within the law. And thanks, too, to the staff and consultant team who have helped us all through this long, hard slog. Read More
I figured back in May that this was going to be an interesting season of guiding. My fishing clients include physicians, investment bankers, owners of large and small companies, lawyers and other professionals. I was sure there would be plenty of economic anxiety, but the really hot topic… Read More
Maine’s congressional delegation, Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2008 House votes 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
There appears to be a conflict afoot in Greenville, where the town fathers are sick and tired of hungry, naked diners in search of a free meal dashing into the great Moosehead Lake in full view of tourists and locals alike. I can’t say I… Read More
BANGOR – Members of the First Church of the Nazarene this weekend will join 18,000 congregations around the world to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the denomination. Leading the 62-year-old Bangor congregation in worship at 10 a.m. Sunday at 1465 Union St. Read More
PITTSFIELD – Starting next fall, any school district that voluntarily holds a pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds must provide transportation to and from school for those children, even if their parents choose not to have them ride. The result could be millions of dollars in additional… Read More
ORONO -The Craigslist post seems like catnip for college students: $600 a month, great condition, three-bedroom home near UMaine. By the way, utilities are included. Too bad the Glenwood Street ranch house is already inhabited by several University of Maine football players who have no… Read More
Rep. Josh Tardy, R-Newport, McCain’s vice chairman for Maine, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Arizona senator or his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, visited the Pine Tree State before Nov. 4. “I’m certainly very hopeful,” Tardy said Friday, a day after the… Read More
ORRINGTON – The new rock ramp fishway dam that replaced the deteriorated Meadow Dam still maintains water levels in Sedgeunkedunk Meadow and Fields Pond but looks like natural rapids created by a pile of brook rocks. The fishway dam will allow fish – including alewives… Read More
Kaylee enjoys the same things many girls her age enjoy – playing with her Barbie dolls, eating ice cream and listening to music. She spends her free time reading, playing with dolls and dancing in her room. She likes to play dress-up and has quite a knack for… Read More
BANGOR – A local man and a woman motel owner from Bar Harbor were arrested early Thursday for allegedly trafficking in cocaine after traveling to Portland to pick up the narcotic from a woman in that community. Recent arrests of 18 local drug dealers by… Read More
MILLINOCKET – Town Manager Eugene Conlogue has a new three-year contract and a $1,431 raise, town officials said Friday. The Town Council voted 7-0 after an executive session last week to pay Conlogue $74,413 annually, backdated to July 1. The contract will lapse on June… Read More
BANGOR – An Eddington woman who collected more than $45,000 in Social Security benefits for seven years after her disabled daughter was removed from her care was sentenced Friday in federal court to one month in prison followed by five months of home confinement. Felicia… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Faculty Noon Seminar Series will return for the fall 2008 semester from noon to 1 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month in the Normal Hall Faculty Lounge. Presentations will be 20 to 30 minutes followed by a… Read More
BELFAST – Dr. Kent Clark, director of the Emergency Department at Waldo County General Hospital, will be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Hospital Aid at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15. The Aid meets in the Education Center next to the hospital at 118 Northport… Read More
Dedham-Eddington area Republican 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
ROCKLAND – Taxpayers in the six communities making up Maine SADs 5 and 50 can expect to save more than $2 million in the first three years of reorganization, officials said at a public hearing Thursday. “We needed a reorganization plan,” said Jamie Doubleday, co-chairman… Read More
Fort Kent District Court Cases March 1-Sept. 22 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
FORT KENT – Singer-songwriter David Harris will perform at the University of Maine at Fort Kent coffeehouse at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Bengal’s Lair. Admission is free and open to the public. Harris is on tour in support of his new recordings,… Read More
Dozens of solar-powered homes and businesses throughout Maine will be open to the public today as part of a nationwide tour aimed at increasing awareness about solar energy options. The Maine Solar Energy Association has been organizing the annual day of tours for roughly 15… Read More
MACHIAS – “Cancer isn’t fair,” former Gov. Angus King told cancer survivors, caregivers and health care providers during a conference on cancer care and treatment Friday. But in keeping with the conference’s theme of hope, King, who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 1974 when… Read More
HARTLAND – A Hartland family is homeless today after losing their two-story, lakeside home to fire Friday afternoon. Robert Merservey, his wife and young daughter were not home when the fire broke out at their year-round residence on Great Moose Drive, just across from the… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Stressing that there is no problem at this point, Town Manager Kathryn Ruth is recommending that the town plan ahead for moving certain financial accounts to protect the town’s standing. “This is precautionary only,” Ruth said Friday. “Because of the financial crisis taking… Read More
HARTLAND – Hartland officials were not successful this week in their bid to obtain $400,000 in loans, money they planned to use to pay off SAD 48, which is suing the community for lack of payment of school taxes. First Selectman Harry Gould said Friday… Read More
Early-bird registration has been extended to Wednesday, Oct. 8, for those interested in attending the Blaine House Conference on Volunteerism, reports Rochelle Runge. The conference, “Blueprint for the Future: Stronger Communities Through Service,” is 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the University… Read More
It took Todd and Treena Nadeau seven years to get to this point. Seven years of searching for the right property, felling and digging out the roots of countless evergreens, leveling the earth and planting the vines. Seven years of building their Stetson home and… Read More
For the first time in its complicated history in Maine, Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy has become the first brand of alcohol to sell more than 1 million bottles in the state in a year. According to 2007 sales figures released by the state Bureau of… Read More
Every year, once Labor Day hits, we all get serious about winter. Of course, everyone and anyone involved in heating or energy is right out straight this year. This is especially true with energy auditors. They are running from house to house with their imaging cameras and blower… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Savings Bank warned Mainers on Friday that they are being targeted by a phone scam. Twenty people have reported receiving automated messages on their cell phones that purport to be from Bangor Savings Bank, bank spokesman and senior vice president Yellow Light… Read More
The son of a Navy man, Richard Remsen lived lots of places as a boy, but the years he spent enjoying Maine’s coast in Camden, from age 10 to 15, were perhaps the most formative for a man who would become an artistic master of metal and blown… Read More
We can learn a lot about our society from watching “Lost.” This isn’t because “Lost” is some sort of deep, philosophical work. On the contrary, “Lost” is ridiculously shallow. It’s also ridiculously entertaining, and its shallowness is at least part of the reason. When “Lost”… Read More
There probably cannot be a more fitting topic for a column called “Notes from the Deep End” than this one. The column was conceived as a weekly piece offering advice for times when life throws us into the deep end, practically and emotionally. Well, both deep-end experiences occurred… Read More
He hadn’t been in a fight since we left Bangor. We thought he had finally turned his life – and his wayward habits – around. Then, out of the blue, he comes home one night, bloodied and battered. Looking way worse for the wear. Crying… Read More
Why is there always a breeze when one is trying to maneuver giant, lightweight pieces of cloth? So it was when the first big frost threatened in mid-September when I decided to haul out the row covers to protect the vegetables and flowers. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
I could have bought him a beer (two). I should have bought him a beer (two). But no. 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++)… Read More
“Dawn of the Dead (2004)” Blu-ray: Zack Snyder’s excellent, often darkly hilarious remake of George Romero’s 1978 horror classic is exactly the movie it should it have been. It respects the first film, it builds upon what was there, it takes elements of the story and makes them… Read More
A few weeks ago when we featured good old baked beans in this column as an economical alternative for supper, Peggy Drinkwater in Greenbush was inspired to send along a recipe she likes that uses baked beans. Chuck Wagon Beans will remind you a little bit of chili… Read More
As some of you know, this was a dismal year for raspberries. We picked a few handfuls of the earliest berries while working in the garden, but then, as the main crop matured, the rains came. Ripe raspberries, red and purple, turned to moldy mush overnight. Read More
SKOWHEGAN – Early in the season, the Skowhegan High football team switched from its tightly knit double-wing offense to a similarly compact power-I formation featuring senior tailback Billy Clark and senior fullback Cody Vigue. The results have been most impressive. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The battle for playing time begins tonight when the University of Maine men’s hockey team holds its Blue-White intra-squad game beginning at 7 at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears will play two, 25-minute halves rather than the usual three, 20-minute periods and then there will… Read More
ORONO – With Orono High’s football field slightly resembling a mud pit, Friday’s LTC battle between Stearns of Millinocket and the Red Riots was no doubt going to be won in the trenches. It turns out the difference in this one was a touchdown reception… Read More
COLLEGE Southern Maine Cup 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
ORONO – The University of Maine women charged out to a 3-1 lead after two periods and held on to defeat the University of North Dakota 3-2 in their ice hockey season opener Friday. Lexie Hoffmeyer and Jenna Ouellette scored first-period goals for the 1-0… Read More
LINCOLN – Brady Vose carried 12 times for 131 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown, to help the Mattanawcook Academy Lynx defeat the Dexter Tigers 34-0 in high school football action Friday night. Mattanawcook Academy, which piled up 232 rushing yards, scored twice in the third… Read More
HERMON – Sabrina Sharrow and Molly Cyr each scored a goal to help the Foxcroft Academy Ponies beat the Hermon Hawks 2-0 Friday in high school field hockey action. Mariah Arno recorded two assists for the 8-2 Ponies and Kelsey Boss also provided an assist. Read More
Husson University of Bangor and Maine Maritime Academy of Castine both will look to get over the .500 mark for the season when they hit the road for Saturday football contests in Massachusetts. Colby, Bates and Bowdoin are all in action, while the University of… Read More
HAMPDEN – A pair of 100-yard rushing efforts by Leavitt trumped Hampden Academy’s 200-yard passing performance and the Hornets of Turner remained unbeaten with a 37-21 victory. In all, the 5-0 Hornets rushed for 375 yards on 48 carries – an average of 7.8 yards… Read More
Alexandra McLain, a Bowdoin College sophomore from Stockton Springs, recently finished second in the U.S. Surfski Championships in San Francisco. Only an Olympian from South Africa topped McLain in the championships, held Sept. 20-21, which means McLain is the fastest American female Surfski paddler. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
When October rolls around, many Maine outdoors enthusiasts forget all about lakes, ponds and streams and start foraging for shotgun shells and orange caps. Make no mistake, ruffed grouse hunters are out and about – their season started Wednesday – but that doesn’t mean there’s… Read More
All told, many of the most interesting hunting stories make no mention of shooting. While some of the recounts are dramatic – such as the late Dr. Carl Ruhlin’s golden retriever, Penny, being attacked by a bald eagle while fetching a duck – others are amusing. Like the… Read More
Climbing Katahdin on a Monday morning a couple of weeks ago I was struck with this thought. I really love this mountain. I was on the Helon, (pronounced “heel on”), Taylor trail and it was a perfect autumn day. It was the autumnal equinox, in… Read More
WISCASSET – The Pro All-Stars Series’ Super Late Model Northern Division and Modified points championships will be decided today at Wiscasset Raceway in the Fall Brawl Weekend. There will also be racing Sunday, with hefty paydays, at Wiscasset for the weekly racers. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More