John M. Rohman, principal & CEO of WBRC Architects Engineers of Bangor, Portland and Sarasota, Fla., was recognized with a presidential citation at the 2008 American Society of Interior Designers’ New England gala for his leadership in growing the creative economy. Rohman has been involved for many years… Read More
    Conventional wisdom holds that political success lies in finding the center of popular opinion, which remains moderate to conservative. Coming from a media that have consistently failed to anticipate or even fully acknowledge the current economic crisis, such wisdom is suspect. Success in stable times may lie in… Read More
    Two Hermon men have been charged with three separate burglaries in Bangor after officers found them with a bag filled with stolen items, Sgt. Ed Potter said Monday. Kenneth Cote II, 25, and Timothy McCann, 28, were acting suspiciously when they went into Shaw’s Supermarket… Read More
    Caps are a wardrobe necessity, especially in winter, but here in Maine knitted or crocheted caps can be worn at least three seasons of the year. They keep heads warm and make a fashion statement, too. Most handmade caps fit snugly and usually stretch enough… Read More
    On the radio recently I heard an economist refer to Sept. 23 as the day speculative investment capitalism died. Hooray! 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
    For supporters of school choice, there was good news and bad news on Election Day. There was good news in the town of Orland, for instance, where a group of concerned residents, organizing at the last minute and working against a public school establishment that… Read More
    After a two-week detour into the prickly world of politics, we now return to regularly scheduled columns about husbands who leave coffee cups on top of the car and drive away and children who embarrass me at the grocery store. But before we do, did… Read More
    DIED AT THOMASTON – Career of W.H. Albert Ends at State Prison This headline in the Bangor Daily Commercial on Nov. 28, 1908, a century ago this week, marked the conclusion of one of the most heinous crimes in Bangor history. William H. Albert had murdered Patrolman Patrick… Read More
    I don’t have William Brewster or John Alden and Priscilla Mullins in my family tree, or at least I haven’t found them. My Pilgrims, passengers on the Mayflower in 1620, include Francis Cooke, and Isaac and Mary Allerton, and the Allertons’ 4-year-old daughter, Mary, who… Read More
    In theaters TWILIGHT, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Melissa Rosenberg, 122 minutes, rated PG-13. 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
    Strange dark shapes were scuttling around on the sandy bottom. I watched them from the wharf at Chebeague Island with my little 8-year-old hands gripping the splintery planking and my face stuck out over the edge, looking down into the water. They glided around in gangs. Read More
    The confused bank customer writes a note to his bank. “Dear Sir: In view of current developments in the banking business, if one of my checks is returned marked ‘insufficient funds,’ does that refer to me, or to you? Sincerely yours …” Good question. The… Read More
    Over the past four years, Plum Creek has doggedly pursued a massive development around Moosehead Lake. In late September, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission cast a preliminary vote in support of a revised plan, and Plum Creek has accepted the proposed changes. Although a final vote is still… Read More
    About a week after the world watched loaded passenger jets plow into the sides of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, my husband and I held the hands of our 5- and 8-year-old children and took our appointed seats on a plane at Bangor International Airport. Read More
    Josh is waiting for a safe and loving adoptive family. Josh, born in 1993, is a handsome young man with big brown eyes and brown hair. He will enter the 10th grade this fall. Josh is in a special classroom where he gets help for… Read More
    BANGOR – Alfreda Mouland, Acadia Hospital geriatric nurse practitioner, has received the Maine Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award from the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association. In her tenure at Acadia, Mouland has promoted the role of nurse practitioners in attending to the unmet health needs… Read More
    Here’s a doubly delicious holiday event you might like not only to enter, but attend as well: Joan Anderson e-mailed to inform readers that Winterport Winery and Pairings Food and Wine Education Center are sponsoring a benefit for Manna Ministries. The sponsors are asking local… Read More
    A traditional large residential window, with a traditional storm window, will demand about 16 gallons of oil per heating season to overcome its energy loss. A temporary plastic window added to the inside will save about 6 gallons of oil and increase the comfort of someone sitting near… Read More
    The Bible tells us we should “abound in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7), so here are 56 things for which I’m thankful; one for each year of my life, in no particular order (except for the first). 1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom I… Read More
    The year was 1869. It was only four years since Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. U.S. Grant was in Obama’s house, The Suez Canal was opened and the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in Utah. Rutgers and Princeton held the first collegiate football game. Rutgers won 6-4, although Princeton was favored. Read More
    You’ve heard of the “call of the wild.” Consider this the call of the styled. You know you’ve got it – great fashion sense, that is – so flaunt it by nominating yourself or a friend for the first ever ShopGirl Style Awards. These will… Read More
    By this time next week, you will have had your Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and pumpkin pie and all. With luck you will have a turkey carcass to toss into a pot for soup to which you can add celery, onions, carrots, rice or pasta, and bits and pieces… Read More
    “Beverly Hills 90210: Sixth Season”: Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh was sent out to pasture at the end of the fourth season, so it was up to the producers to find a new bad girl. They did so in Tiffani-Amber Thiessen’s Valerie Malone, who didn’t take humanity to the… Read More
    According to All-America Selections, an organization devoted to promoting new flower and vegetable varieties with superior garden performance, there is a trend in gardening toward edibles. People are interested in growing their own food. So it has been since the first mail-order seed house opened… Read More
    Scaling up your holiday preparations All we hear in these tough economic times are gloomy predictions about how the American consumer will have to scale back on holiday purchases and preparations this year. For many – perhaps even most of us – there is no… Read More
    In his Nov. 13 commentary “1800s Civic Virtue Comeback Dubious,” Lynn Hudson Parson notes that “once the election cycle is complete, politics as a source of interest disappears, to be replaced by American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, the World Series or the Super Bowl.”… Read More
    A proposal from a Bangor dentist to forbid the purchase of soda with food stamps elicited dozens of reader comments in this week’s ClickBack. Here is a sampling: Government and taxpayers absolutely have the right to limit the choices of people receiving assistance when some… Read More
    The South Pole briefing occurred in the McMurdo Station galley, where all of us anxiously awaiting news of flights gathered over still more mugs of coffee. The small, cold-weather planes that will open South Pole Station have left Chile and are on their way. I’m… Read More
    The dedicated student musicians who make up the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra invite you to their Fall Concert at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at Hauck Auditorium at the University of Maine in Orono. While admission is free, reports BSYO president Nick Pappas, donations are… Read More
    The house always wins. At least that’s what they say about Vegas and SciFi’s newest reality show “Estate of Panic.” I’m surprised this one wasn’t out for a Halloween premiere, but then again what do I know about television? I’m a writer and don’t play… Read More
    In limited release DEAR ZACHARY: A Letter to a Son About His Father, written and directed by Kurt Kuenne, 95 minutes, not rated. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
    We really appreciate it here when bands make a point of working a stop in Maine into their tour schedules. So that’s why Strangefolk, even though they’re on semihiatus from touring and recording, still have a huge fan base here in Maine. If you come play for us,… Read More
    The Department of Education has released numerous news articles recently on the progress of school reorganization throughout the state indicating that a majority of school systems are complying with the School Reorganization Law. What they fail to report is the varying levels of significant reorganization… Read More
    The Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary “providing an emergency food service to those who are hungry,” wrote board president Lynne Josselyn, is preparing for a winter “of people needing food, fuel and friendship.” The pantry “must be ready to supply… Read More
    One day, Hope Brogunier was sitting on a bench in her Bangor yard watching a group of blue jays bathing in a birdbath. The blue jays would get in the birdbath and vibrate their wings in the water, causing droplets to fly all around the bird. Read More
    (As reported in the Bangor Daily News) 10 years ago – Nov. 20, 1998 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
    Have you thought about who will help you and carry out your wishes should you be unable to do so? Even temporarily? A power of attorney can ease your mind. And while many people assume that a power of attorney only goes into effect when someone becomes incapacitated,… Read More
    There seems to have been misuse and waste of initial $300-plus billion from the $700 billion Troubled Assets Rescue Package, or TARP. There has been a lack of accountability, transparency and oversight. Some of the stories we know about include: the $400,000 AIG parties, huge salaries and bonuses… Read More
    I’m staying just a few blocks from Jefferson Davis Parkway. His statue has withstood everything the elements could throw at it since it was set in place back in 1902. Back then Jefferson Davis was still classified as a traitor. He led a great civil… Read More
    Army Capt. April A. Chase is deployed in Iraq to support the mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chase, a medical-surgical emergency nurse, is normally assigned to the 86th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Campbell, Ky. She has served in the military for more than four… Read More
    A Hampden woman faces multiple charges after a tussle over the weekend with her arresting officers. Melissa Anna Luna, 28, was driving on State Street in Brewer early Saturday morning when she was pulled over for speeding. When Brewer police Sgt. Richard Miller and Officer… Read More
    Air National Guard Airman Kyle J. Guerrette has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. He is the son of AnnMarie Guerrette and Maurice Guerrette Jr. of Frenchville and a 2005 graduate of Fort Kent Community High School. Read More
    The Eastern Maine Model Railroad Club will hold its 32nd annual Train Show and Sale, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, wrote Bill Soule of Orono, in reminding readers that “it’s train time again!” Admission is $4, free for children… Read More
    When Maine’s Legislature convenes in January, its members will face lots of bills about health care, but they should focus like lasers on those initiatives that will reduce health care costs in the short term. That’s because, to paraphrase former President Bill Clinton, “It’s the costs, stupid.”… Read More
    Every college application season, I have the privilege of playing two roles: as an alum of a highly selective liberal arts college, my alma mater dispatches me to conduct off-campus interviews of high school seniors. And, as a tutor and private college guidance counselor, I comment on many… Read More
    A 22-year-old Bangor man was arrested twice in two days for visiting the same Essex Street apartment. Bangor police initially arrested Eric Leo Ducas, 22, early Sunday morning after he forced his way into an apartment occupied by two women and assaulted one of them,… Read More
    Prepaid orders for Thanksgiving pies are being taken now through Saturday, Nov. 22, by Simpson Memorial Library in Carmel, reports library board of trustees secretary Sue Kircheis. For $12 you can order pumpkin, apple, raspberry, Toll House and blueberry pies, or pumpkin cheesecake, “until our… Read More
    Now, a couple of words about over-the-counter and prescription drugs: advertising and disposal. One has a multibillion-dollar impact on our economy, plus far-reaching effects on our physical and emotional well-being. The other has the potential to unlock what we may believe to be our best-guarded… Read More
    Many honorable, sincere, and humble clergypersons have contributed to their congregations’ vital spiritual growth. These clergy, in whatever denomination, have observed a common core of spiritual, moral, and ethical values shared by the major world religions. If followed by clergy and congregants alike, these values would ensure much… Read More
    Last week’s column, “Elections distressing for military families,” was my attempt to explain the visceral connection military families have to Sen. John McCain. It generated a surprising number of reader comments, including a letter to the editor (“Distressing column”) in Wednesday’s paper. Being a McCain… Read More
    On Saturday, we kicked off our annual Santa’s Helper Fund, a fundraising effort in support of The Salvation Army. Located here in Bangor, The Salvation Army provides much needed assistance in the form of food, clothing and toys for children to a wide region of Maine. All funds… Read More
    A former Bangor resident who is living in Rhode Island was arrested in Brewer on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a vehicle and selling marijuana, according to Brewer police Detective Nelson Feero. Feero said he was driving past a Broadlawn Drive home he had been to… Read More
    Members of Mount Desert Island Hospital Auxiliary will hold their Christmas fair, luncheon and boutique Thursday, Nov. 20, through Saturday, Nov. 22, at two sites, reports Kate Joseph of MDIH in Bar Harbor. The Boutique, which features new and nearly new clothing and accessories, is… Read More
    Bangor was swarming with hobos a century ago this fall. Some had made money digging potatoes in Aroostook County. They came south on the train to the Queen City, reported the Bangor Daily Commercial on Oct. 8, 1908. After landing in Northern Maine Junction in Hermon, where the… Read More
    There are a few genealogical resources I consider so important that I have a copy both at home and at work. They include the book that many of us refer to in shorthand as Noyes-Libby-Davis, the “Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire” by Sybil… Read More
    Given the recent headlines regarding the U.S. auto industry, I felt a sense of urgency to write with the hope of raising the awareness of the facts of the imminent crisis facing Detroit’s three automakers. Even as an employee of a dealership in Bangor, it… Read More
    In my daily wandering over hill and dale under the foreboding sky of an Aroostook November, my alleged mind wanders along with me, pondering a variety of subjects in a manner that can never stand accused of being profound. On Thursday, it wandered into presidential politics, homeland security… Read More
    Earlier this year, the Maine Council of Churches voted to support the principles and the work of Maine Citizens for Clean Elections. The council was one of the original organizations to advocate for public funding of elections when Maine voters passed the Maine Clean Elections Act 10 years… Read More
    Today, the Bangor Daily News officially kicks off its annual Santa’s Helper fundraising effort. The goal this year is to raise $50,000 by the end of December, all of which will go to The Salvation Army. Under the leadership of Capt. Josh Lyle, staff and volunteers are already… Read More
    Admit it. We’re all tempted occasionally to peek into someone else’s grocery basket. And most of us, at one time or another, have stood in line, stared straight ahead and prayed that no one looked into our own. It is at the grocery store that… Read More
    Brian, born in 1993, is a loving, caring and nurturing child who thrives on one-to-one attention. He enjoys activities such as Legos, loves animals and likes to spend time outdoors walking and exploring. He is very inquisitive and curious and will ask people lots of questions. Read More
    The Oratorio Society “is a choral group at the University [of Maine] that performs large works,” wrote member David Kroehler of the organization conducted by Ludlow Hallman and accompanied by Clayton Smith that is “open to members of the community as well as students.” “We… Read More
    In this life, there are days it is better to lie low, days when everything you touch turns to compost. Most days I am building something. It is what I do. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    Total energy use in the United States is as follows: Petroleum, 40 percent; natural gas, 24 percent; coal, 23 percent; nuclear, 8 percent; renewables, 7 percent. The renewable component (7 percent of the total) breaks down as follows: hydro, 36 percent; biomass, 53 percent; geothermal, 5 percent; wind,… Read More
    I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual.” It’s a phrase I hear more and more these days. What does it mean? Generally, it means the speaker does not attend church, but believes there is a loving God, and that there is life after death. Beyond that, there is often… Read More
    Homemade granola is a great alternative to packaged cereal as far as both price and healthful ingredients are concerned. When I read the ingredients list on the average box of flakes, puffs or crunches and find ingredients I can’t pronounce and then see how few… Read More
    “Perhaps the most radical thing you can do in our time is to start turning over the soil, loosening it up for the crops to settle in, and then stay home and tend them.” – Rebecca Solnit googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    “Blue Streak” Blu-ray: In this bleak comedy, Martin Lawrence is Miles Logan, a burglar who bungles a diamond heist, spends two years in prison, then, when released, goes back to reclaim the $17 million diamond he hid in a building’s air duct. Beyond his stupidity, the problem is… Read More
    The improper use of tax dollars irks me as much as the next Mainer. Any misuse now in these very challenging economic times is even more profoundly disconcerting. To the surprise of many people here in Maine, the food stamp program is the epicenter of… Read More
    Tuesday was windy, cloudy and cold. This was to be the first Veterans Day parade that I would take part in. My father-in-law, a retired major and Vietnam veteran, had asked me to accompany him on this walk. I saw active duty from 1980 through… Read More
    It’s difficult enough to get to Antarctica. One team of scientists has an even more challenging goal: to drill through the frozen Antarctic sea ice – and explore the ocean beneath it. Dr. Stacy Kim is one of the few scuba divers who have explored… Read More
    Thanks to a generous, 10-year lease agreement (including payment of utilities) offered by Tony Burgess and Glenn Capp, the Wintergreen Arts Center is moving into new quarters in a building owned by Burgess and Capp at 149 State St., Presque Isle, reports Virginia Joles. The… Read More
    As the weather gets colder and I prepare to put on my winter insulation (aka a few extra pounds to keep me warm), the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” are beginning to shape up. At least physically. Their emotional states don’t appear to be as… Read More
    In theaters ROLE MODELS, directed by David Wain, written by Paul Rudd, Wain, Ken Marino and Timothy Dowling, 99 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;… Read More
    One of my favorite parts of contemporary music is the proliferation of bands that take elements from folk traditions and put their own spin on it. Gogol Bordello. The Dropkick Murphys. Flogging Molly. Devotchka. Using the energy, history and emotional heft of styles that have been around for… Read More
    The significance of the election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States can hardly be overstated. His campaign energized tens of thousands of people in ways not seen since the election of 1960. It set a new record for voter turnout, with more… Read More
    Former Bangor City Council Chairman Richard Greene, 52, was arrested early Monday morning on a warrant issued for failing to appear at a Nov. 6 court hearing, according to Veazie Police Chief Mark Leonard. The chief said the Nov. 6 hearing had been scheduled because Greene failed to… Read More
    The popular Arthur L. Hitchcock sixth annual Wild Game Dinner, sponsored by the Piscataquis Regional YMCA, is from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at SeDoMoCha School on Harrison Avenue in Dover-Foxcroft. The suggested donation for the meal, which features wild game donated… Read More
    Basic training AURORA – Air Force Airman Joshua Whitney graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Whitney, a 2007 graduate of Brewer High School, is the son of Julie Whitney of Aurora and grandson of Louise Larson of Amherst. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    In November, not everybody wants to go out on the ocean, but birders do! There are birds out there in the icy, windy surf. An Audubon trip went to Washington County to survey birds that live among the islands of the Roque Island archipelago. It… Read More
    10 years ago – Nov. 13, 1998 (As reported in the Bangor Daily News) 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
    It is getting downright frigid at night. The calendar still says fall, but the blanket of frost on the lawn and cars tells a different tale. Regardless, there’s not much to do about it but try and stay warm as best we can. If you… Read More
    “D’oh” – Homer Simpson who now could be hired as a spokesperson by the Republican national leadership. The only problem is that once you’ve led a country to unjustified war and co-mingled that evil blunder with economic catastrophe you don’t just get an automatic do-over. Read More
    Recently, after much consideration, Eastern Maine Medical Center and many other Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems member organizations joined the majority of hospitals nationwide in sending information to previous patients about opportunities to advance their mission. Positive patient care experiences often translate into supportive community members later on; in… Read More
    Franklin resident Randy Frost, a 47-year-old father of two children, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and is traveling to Boston for treatment. To help the family through this very difficult time, friends, family and community members are joining forces by holding a benefit potluck… Read More
    Barack Obama will almost surely assume the presidency in the midst the most severe recession in a quarter-century. Nonetheless, the depth and intensity of this recession still depends in part on the actions or lack thereof taken by a lame duck Congress and president. If Congress and the… Read More
    Now that the presidential election is over, Maine voters are turning their attention to the school district referendums in their towns. We are asked to digest a lot of information in the reorganization plans. This is not an easy task. The plans explain how decisions… Read More
    A Bangor driver heading with several other vehicles to Belfast for a funeral Saturday morning caused a collision on Route 202 in Hampden when he slammed on his brakes, causing the vehicle behind him to hit his vehicle, police say. Brian Erving, 38, “was part… Read More
    Army Reserve Pfc. Justin Downs has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. He is the son of Leslie Downs of Bangor and Lance Downs of Brooks. Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Jaris D. Bragdon has graduated from basic military training… Read More
    The Maine Troop Greeters, who count many veterans among their number, are continuing to meet our troops, whether they are leaving home or returning to the U.S. The greeters’ regular presence at all hours of the day and night at Bangor International Airport is an… Read More
    Think red. That’s what Betsy Doherty of Brooklin wants knitters and crocheters to do as they fashion scarves for the Heartscarves project, designed to bolster the spirits of women with heart disease. Doherty is the network support coordinator for WomenHeart of Coastal Maine. She introduced… Read More
    Regular readers of this column know that we at Northeast CONTACT are big fans of recycling. It just seems logical to make as responsible choices in the proper disposal of the stuff of our lives as we did in buying that stuff in the first place. Read More