BANGOR – During the hour-long evening meal in the soup kitchen at Manna Ministries Inc., Executive Director Bill Rae notices “doggy bags” being stuffed inside purses and pockets. “Many of these people are eating some of their meal, but leaving a little extra and tucking… Read More
BANGOR – It seems her husband was simply the warm-up act. Five days after Todd Palin spent the weekend campaigning in Maine, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will hold a rally Thursday at Bangor International Airport. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
AUGUSTA – In the second-whitest state in the nation, race will play a role in how Mainers vote in the presidential race, but political observers do not believe it will be a big role. “There are pockets of racism, for sure,” said University of Southern… Read More
PORTLAND – Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank is coming to Maine two weeks after canceling an earlier visit so he could stay in Washington and deal with the financial industry bailout. Frank is scheduled to be among the guests on an autumn cruise on Casco Bay… Read More
SACO – General Dynamics says it has been awarded a $9 million Army contract for production of .50-caliber M2 machine guns at the company’s plant in Saco. Delivery of the heavy-barrel weapons is expected to begin late next year. The factory in Saco has produced… Read More
PORTLAND – The start of a new week is bringing lower gas prices to motorists in Maine and across the country. According to AAA, which tracks prices nationwide, a gallon of regular self-serve gas was averaging $3.16 on Monday. That’s down 4 cents from Sunday… Read More
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration has unveiled a new Web site geared to the 50-plus entrepreneur that provides information, links and resources vital to starting, growing and expanding a small business. The new Web site at www.sba.gov/50plusentrepreneur features interactive information and links to… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Verso Paper’s four mills have been independently audited and certified to the International Organization for Standardization ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management systems, Verso said Monday. The internationally recognized standard identifies requirements for organizations that want to implement a comprehensive environmental management system aimed… Read More
Jeffrey C. Lewis has joined the Allen Agency of Camden as a commercial lines agent, specializing in ocean marine insurance and sustainable energy development insurance. Lewis has more than 20 years’ experience in the marine industry. He is a licensed ship’s captain, having crewed for a variety of… Read More
Northern and eastern Maine has Palin fever. Or not. At any rate, Alaska’s “first dude,” Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, visited the region during the weekend, and Gov. Palin herself will visit Bangor on Thursday. What do editorial page readers make of this attention from America’s newest political… Read More
As difficult as it was to shrink the state budget earlier this year, lawmakers will face an even more difficult task next year. Already facing a $500 million gap between state revenues and expenditures over the next two years, the current economic downturn is likely only to widen… Read More
On June 6, 2007, the U.S. Senate considered a bill that would have made English our national language and the following senators voted against it: Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama. Are these the kind of leaders we want in charge of keeping this country… Read More
As a 92-year-old mother and grandmother, I felt that Sarah Palin’s indiscretion at the Republican National Convention was appalling. Exposing to the world her daughter’s private life was degrading. A mother’s natural instinct is to protect and shield her children from airing intimate details of… Read More
Regarding the Oct. 6 BDN story, “Alaska governor defends linking Obama to terrorists”: It has been 58 years since McCarthyite tactics were first used in a national election campaign (the 1950 midterm elections). At that time Maine’s Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, appalled at the direction the campaign… Read More
I write in response to the editorial, “Washington County Health,” (BDN, Oct. 6) and in keeping with Mental Illness Awareness Week. My career in community mental health spans two decades and five Maine counties. Washington County lags behind in delivery of mental health care for… Read More
The full-page political ad (BDN, Sept. 30) featuring an angry “Rosa, Laundry Worker,” proclaiming, “The Union Intimidated Me” along with the scariest photo of Tom Allen ever dredged up is shameful. I have been self-employed most of my working life and have never been a… Read More
On Nov. 4, Brewer residents will have the opportunity to elect Ruth-Marie Spellman as their House District 21 representative in Augusta. I initially met Ruth in the late 1970s when she and I served together on the Brewer School Committee. Since that time I have come to admire… Read More
Incumbency is a powerful advantage and nowhere more so than in Maine. In 2002, 1st District voters gave Democrat Tom Allen a large majority even as they re-elected Republican Susan Collins with a huge plurality over her accomplished Democratic opponent, Chellie Pingree. Incumbency, perhaps the sense that the… Read More
It has been my privilege to serve the communities of Eddington, Bradley, Clifton, Dedham, Holden and North Brewer as a representative in Augusta. Serving this community as a legislator, EMT-firefighter, registered Maine Guide, high school coach and substitute teacher has put me in touch with many residents. You… Read More
PORTLAND – A political action committee backing a proposed resort casino in Oxford has outspent an anti-casino PAC by nearly 18-to-1, with all of its money coming from the Las Vegas company that wants to build the gambling facility, according to campaign finance reports. The… Read More
ORONO – Ilze Petersons of the Bangor-based Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine has been named one of three winners of the Maryann Hartman Award, given by the Women in the Curriculum and Women’s Studies Program at the University of Maine. The other honorees… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s 1st Congressional District candidates differ on whether they could support a single-payer health care system and on the merits of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Democrat Chellie Pingree and Republican Charlie Summers discussed those issues and others, including earmarks and the… Read More
SPRINGFIELD – A local man who firefighters thought might have perished in a weekend fire arrived Monday at his home as fire officials were sifting through the debris. Firefighters feared that Grafton Burke, reportedly in his 50s, had died along with his dogs in the… Read More
DEXTER – An army of teenagers, including three who traveled from the Howland area, spent Saturday morning helping the Dexter Energy Committee weatherize the homes of needy residents. About 45 homes were tightened up during the effort, which focused on drafty windows, according to Ruth… Read More
CALAIS – In May, the price of gasoline was tipping the $4 mark in Washington County’s largest city, but by Columbus Day the price had dropped to $3.09 a gallon. With the global economic crisis putting a dent in the price of a gallon of… Read More
Ellsworth District Court Cases June 20-Sept. 30 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
DEER ISLE – The decline in the price fishermen get for lobster will be the topic of a community meeting at 6 tonight at the Reach Performing Arts Center. Sponsored by the Penobscot East Resource Center, the “Community Lobster Crisis” meeting will provide an opportunity… Read More
HARMONY – Captain Freedom, Bull Moose Calhoun (World’s Largest Athlete, 7 feet 3 inches tall, 547 pounds), Island Warrior Makua, the Showman, the Skunk, and other pro wrestlers will be in Harmony on Saturday, Oct. 25 to help raise money for the completion of the new restroom facility… Read More
PITTSFIELD – For the 14th year in a row Sebasticook Valley Hospital will hold the area’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday, Oct. 18. Walkers from throughout central Maine participate every year, raising tens of thousands of dollars in support of breast cancer services at the hospital. Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Women’s Fund will hold an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Maine Discovery Museum. The open house will include opportunities to celebrate and honor women and girls who are making positive changes in their communities… Read More
EDDINGTON – The North Brewer-Eddington United Methodist Church will serve a public supper 5-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. The supper will include beans, casseroles, salads, pickles, rolls and pies. Child care will be available. The cost for the supper is $7 for adults, $3 for children. For more… Read More
OLD TOWN – Teenagers, their parents and other interested adults are invited to attend an educational forum on opiate abuse at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the Old Town High School cafeteria. Opiates, including prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, as well… Read More
An Old Town man was arrested Sunday night after he was caught red-handed trying to steal a catalytic converter from a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer. After his arrest on criminal mischief and criminal attempt charges, Everett Jenkins, 45, was taken to Penobscot County Jail in Bangor,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Public Library will hold a “Karate for Kids” story time at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in the Riverview Room. Children will learn about karate, watch demonstrations and perform karate moves. For information call Mary Beth or Keli at 667-6363. Read More
THOMASTON – Lawrence “Skip” Greenlaw will discuss the movement to repeal the school consolidation law at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Watts Hall, 246 Main St. Residents in SAD 5 and SAD 50 will vote on the proposed merger of the two districts in… Read More
BELFAST – Waldo County General Hospital’s annual Oncology Walk is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. Registration, which begins at noon at the hospital’s Education Center, is $10 with a T-shirt, cinch bag or cap or $20 with a hooded sweat shirt. All are welcome. Read More
UNITY – Two people were hospitalized Sunday after the dirt bike they were riding drove into the cellar hole of a home under construction. David Kinch, 22, of Troy and his passenger, Adrienne Patenaude, 21, of Sidney, were taken by Unity Ambulance to Inland Hospital… Read More
CALAIS – The City Council voted unanimously last week to remove a parking space from in front of the post office because of safety concerns. The problem is visibility on the corner of Washington and North streets. Right now a motorist who turns left onto… Read More
BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP – A regular membership meeting of the Blanchard Preservation Society will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Meeting House. For more information about the meeting, or to find out more about the society, call 997-3706. Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Nick Willette, who has appeared in productions at the Center Theatre, has written a play that will be presented by the Slightly Off-Center Players. The staged-reading of his newest work, “Elementary,” set in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson but starting… Read More
ABBOT – A “few hundred dollars” was taken early Sunday morning during a break-in at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, police said. The thieves forced their way into a back door around 2:30 a.m. Sunday and took money that had been kept in the restaurant, investigator… Read More
DEDHAM – The final baked bean supper for the 2008 season will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Dedham Congregational Church, Route 46 in Dedham Village. Adults, $8; children, $4. Read More
BANGOR – Altrusa will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Geaghan’s Restaurant on Main Street. All members should attend and visitors are welcome. Don Colson, former news director at WABI Channel 5, will be the guest speaker. He will talk… Read More
DEXTER – The Key Club in conjunction with the Dexter High School Student Council and the Dexter High School football team will sponsor the Welcome to My Home 2 fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in Wayside Park on lower Main Street. The focus of the fundraiser… Read More
BANGOR – Congregation Beth Israel will conduct full traditional Sukkot services on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 14 and 15, with services each day at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the synagogue. The communal Sukkah will be available to all. Everyone is welcome to come and participate. Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Selectmen voted Monday to obtain a third legal opinion when they found themselves faced with two conflicting opinions on a proposal to amend the town’s charter to elect a town manager and town clerk. Town Attorney Erik Stumpfel believes the proposal to amend… Read More
BANGOR – Six candidates will vie for three open seats on the Bangor City Council on Election Day, Nov. 4. Each is expected to participate in a candidates forum from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Bangor Public Library. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BANGOR – Though some motorists did a double-take when they saw it in front of Hollywood Slots, a sign announcing a weeklong closure beginning Monday applies only to Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway’s valet parking service. The valet parking service will be closed through next… Read More
LEWISTON – The city of Lewiston is postponing a $30 million municipal bond sale, citing continuing instability in the financial market. Finance Director Richard Metivier said the bond sale scheduled for this month likely would be pushed back to December, when there’s more stability in… Read More
KITTERY – Kittery this week will become the latest Maine town to unveil a municipal wind turbine. The town will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for the 50-kilowatt turbine at the town’s solid waste facility. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
GREENVILLE – Rainy and cloudy weather started off the day in northern Maine as the second week of moose hunting got under way. Hunting ends Saturday for the 1,747 hunters eligible to take part in this segment of the season. The first session ran Sept. Read More
BREWER – City councilors are expected to table a proposal to change open-burning rules and consider spending more than $407,000 on trucks, equipment and property at their meeting tonight. The open-burning amendment may be tabled in response to concerns residents raised last week during an… Read More
BREWER – The city is applying for state funds to start phase one of an interactive riverside walking trail that eventually will stretch from South Brewer to Indian Head Trail Park, located north of the Penobscot Bridge. A public hearing is scheduled for 6:30 tonight,… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – Maple syrup producers in New Hampshire are urging people to be on the lookout for an invasive beetle already found in one Massachusetts city that could devastate the lucrative foliage and maple sugaring seasons. The New Hampshire Maple Producers Association says an… Read More
PORTLAND – The Maine Hospice Council will hold a conference to address grief and trauma in the lives of people with mental illnesses, physical illnesses, intellectual disabilities and criminal behavior as well as veterans and immigrants from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the Eastland… Read More
ORONO – Residents can learn to keep cool – or at least how to help cool down the planet – at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, during a discussion at the Town Council chamber. “Cool Starts with You,” an instructional program for homeowners and others… Read More
OLD TOWN – Even when the ball didn’t go exactly where Andrew Casey planned Monday, it still ended up in the net. The senior forward had his fourth three-goal match of the season, leading John Bapst of Bangor to a 5-0 Class B schoolboy soccer… Read More
When the potato harvest break occurs in Aroostook County, this is a typical day of a Presque Isle soccer player: Work in the potato fields from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., go to practice for an hour and a half, head home, sleep. It’s very… Read More
Coming off what could be considered its most significant victory in two years, the University of Maine football team has no time to sit back and savor the result. The Black Bears must again reconfigure their offense behind junior quarterback Mike Brusko, who engineered three… Read More
For many Maine anglers, a trip to northern Aroostook County is an annual event, and a variety of lakes offer plenty of fishing options. The Fish River chain of lakes tempts anglers of all stripes, and those seeking togue, salmon, trout or smelts can do… Read More
COLLEGE CAA Football 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 J.J. Harris 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
BREWER Tonya Carlson broke a 2-2 tie with a goal 10:19 into the second half off a Sarah Babin assist to lead the Brewer Witches to a 3-2 high school field hockey victory over the Oxford Hills Vikings Monday. Carlson and Emily Fraser scored first-half… Read More
DEER ISLE – Andi Flannery scored two goals, one in each half, as the Washington Academy Raiders recorded a 2-0 schoolgirl soccer victory over the Deer Isle-Stonington Mariners Monday. Irene Lewey assisted Flannery’s second-half goal. Jessie Hardy saved three of four shots for 9-1-1 Washington… Read More
BANGOR – Kayla Nowell scored an unassisted goal at 33:49 in the first half to lead Saint Joseph’s College of Standish past Husson University 2-0 in field hockey action Monday. Kelly Emerson added an insurance goal in the second half off a corner kick. Meaghan… Read More
FORT KENT – Thomas Levesque scored two first-half goals 19 seconds apart to lead the Fort Kent Warriors to a 3-0 schoolboy soccer win over the Caribou Vikings Monday. Judson Tagget scored just 27 seconds into the second half for 8-4-1 Fort Kent. Matthew Harvey… Read More
I used to be an owner of one of those amplifying devices that gives the user – yours truly – an added edge in listening to a sports broadcast at the volume of his or her convenience. Obviously designed for those around you, these smaller-than-a-credit-card… Read More
On a given evening, Carmen Pease sits, clothed in a lab coat, bent over a countertop in her laboratory, concocting elixirs and serums until the wee hours of the morning. Adding a little pineapple extract here; some seaweed there. Changing combinations of ingredients until that “Eureka!” moment. Cue… Read More
Happy haunting.” “Let the ghoul times roll.” 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