November 12, 2024
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Plowing, snow-removal forces UM to tow 33 cars

Officials approved the removal of 33 vehicles at the University of Maine in Orono on Monday morning.

The vehicles had been parked in commuter student and university staff parking lots as crews attempted to remove snow from those lots, said Paul Paradis, University of Maine manager of parking services. The school, which issued more than 8,600 parking permits for the fall semester, has parking designated for residential students, commuter students, the handicapped and staff. Between Nov. 1 and May 1, parking is not allowed in commuter and staff parking between midnight and 6 a.m. as part of the school’s winter parking ordinances.

Cars in violation of parking ordinances are fined at least $25 and must also pay the cost of being towed, school officials said. Violations of parking ordinances led to the school contracting out the rights to tow from the school property to Sullivan’s Automotive Service in Old Town. Each year the school tows 500 to 600 vehicles for violating winter and other parking ordinances.

Town, school and police officials encourage residents to check parking ordinances with their schools and hometowns to become aware of winter parking ordinances.

In Bangor, cars also cannot be parked on the street between midnight and 6 a.m. Parking is only allowed on one side of most streets during the day. On even-numbered days in the Queen City, parking is allowed only on the side of the street with even-numbered addresses. The opposite is true on odd-numbered days, but at no time is a vehicle allowed to be parked on a street or public parking area so as to interfere or hinder plowing or snow removal.

Bangor police were continuing to investigate two acts of vandalism Monday night after two windows were broken.

A 58-year-old woman told police that someone broke one of her windows when vandals sprayed her house with eggs Saturday night, Bangor police Officer James Buckley said. Damage to the 176 Falvey St. home was estimated at $20. The woman told police that similar acts of vandalism have occurred frequently lately with problems increasing in the area at night.

Police weren’t sure what object was used to break a hole into an outer pane of glass in a double-paned window of a home at 12 Dirigo Drive just after 6 p.m. Sunday, Bangor police Officer Dan Herrick said. Officials found a hole in the glass the size of a half-dollar, but no object was found. Damage was estimated at $150.

Slippery roads caused by Sunday’s storm were blamed for a car accident involving a Bangor police cruiser Monday morning.

Bangor police Officer Brad Hanson had been driving the black 2003 Ford sedan out of the Pickering Square parking garage when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a curb at 4 a.m., Bangor police Sgt. Thomas Reagan said. Hanson was not injured and damage to the vehicle’s passenger side was estimated at less than $1,000.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Derek Breton


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