CHARLESTON – Some women at the Charleston Correctional Facility are devoting their talent and time while incarcerated to making a difference in the lives of some needy children. Several of the approximately 25 women inmates at the minimum security facility have created an assortment of… Read More
The Santa’s Helper Fund would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the staff and volunteers at The Salvation Army who work selflessly and diligently to provide relief to others during the holidays. Last year alone, The Salvation Army visited residents in all… Read More
With only a week to go, Maine is on track to see a record low number of homicides for 2000, barring an unusual surge over the next few days. So far, the state has recorded 11 homicides, which is less than half the average of… Read More
MACHIAS – There was a Down East note to Sunday’s Christmas Eve concert on Irish public radio. Brian Beal, an associate professor of marine biology at the University of Maine at Machias, lent his tenor voice to Cois Claddagh, a 25-member a cappella choir whose music… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – A Massachusetts boy was injured Saturday when the snowmobile he was driving rolled over onto him. Camden Gaspar, 10, of Rochester, Mass., was driving an older model Yamaha snowmobile at about 5 p.m. with his grandfather Donald Gaspar, 59, of Fort Fairfield… Read More
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HOULTON – A Houlton man was free on bail Sunday after being charged with multiple offenses in connection with the theft of a car early Saturday morning. John Phillips, 19, allegedly stole a 1995 Oldsmobile Sierra from a residence on High Street and then briefly… Read More
High school At Dover-Foxcroft 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
NEWRY – John Grigsby wanted to take a year off after high school to ski and earn money. But his parents feared he’d never go to college if he didn’t begin classes right away. So the 19-year-old Portland man compromised: He’d take college courses at… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Eaton Mountain 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… Read More
BELFAST – It’s not visions of dancing sugarplums that keep Mayor Michael Hurley awake this Christmas season. It’s the heady times ahead. 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
ORONO – Local youths will have the chance to “skate with the Bears” on Jan. 7from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Alfond Arena in Orono. In addition to the popular skate, selected kids, age 13 and younger, who bring helmets and sticks, will be… Read More
CORINTH – Crystal Parker hit a jump shot that sent Saturday’s Central-Penobscot Valley girls high school basketball game into the third overtime, then gave the Red Devils the lead for good as Central went on to win 65-59. The Devils’ win snapped their 27-game losing… Read More
PORTLAND – Train travel has emerged as an attractive option for drug dealers and other criminals seeking to move around the country, according to law enforcement officials. With rail passenger service between Portland and Boston scheduled to begin next spring, authorities in Maine are bracing… Read More
CHERRYFIELD – The animals at The Ark shelter are settling into their new home on Barber Lane and will receive visitors today from noon to 5 p.m. “We’ll have staff here most of Christmas Day, so people can come in and visit the animals or… Read More
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The fire that killed a firefighter and a teen-ager apparently was caused by an overloaded extension cord, the state fire marshal’s office said Sunday. The cord, loaded with appliances, was on the second floor of the building. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
RANGELEY – Investigators were trying to determine what caused a small twin-engine plane to crash into the side of Beaver Mountain while en route from Portland to Rangeley, killing the two people on board. The Federal Aviation Administration sent two investigators to Rangeley after the… Read More
BANGOR – To Connie Muth of Hampden, the chance to celebrate Christmas with family is something she does not take for granted. As she arrived for a Christmas Eve service Sunday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on outer Ohio Street, Muth said that one of… Read More
LEWISTON – William Welch, Lewiston’s embattled police chief, has received a vote of confidence from the city’s new administrator. Bob Vitas said he has been briefed on a number of pending issues related to the police force and sees no evidence of wrongdoing by the… Read More
PORTLAND – For two weeks last summer, Justine Tarrat, 10, got to leave her rat-infested apartment in a Bronx ghetto for a home surrounded by trees in Boothbay Harbor. After her bus, chartered by the New York-based Fresh Air Fund, crossed into Maine, Justine awoke… Read More
PORTLAND – Robert B. Ganley, longtime city manager, was remembered for his 14-year tenure that included the development of the arts and cultural district and the debut of professional baseball in Portland. “The city of Portland was blessed with his leadership,” a tearful Mayor Cheryl… Read More
WINSLOW – A Vassalboro woman lost her life in a two-car crash during the weekend that police said was apparently caused by excessive speed. Tonia Taylor, 24, was killed when the car she was driving went out of control Saturday morning on Route 32, crossed… Read More
Genealogical articles in some of the country’s most distinguished journals are, on occasion, written by researchers with the letters FASG at the end of their names. At any one time, only 50 people have the privilege of using that designation, as a Fellow of the… Read More
Every year thousands of Maine people discover that elderly parents or relatives have fallen prey to con games targeting seniors by mail or phone. The financial loss to Maine seniors is often catastrophic, wiping out lifetimes of savings, leaving the family inheritance in the hands of crooks. Read More
Since I was not afforded an opportunity to make my case in Jeff Tuttle’s article last Wednesday while celebrating my mother’s 80th birthday in Daytona (Winona says thanks to all her friends and well-wishers back in Bangor), please allow me that opportunity here. One question, in particular, was… Read More
Regarding our state university system, it’s common to speak of “The University of Maine” as referring to any of the campuses in general, when, in fact, it is the name of only the Orono campus. I bring this up in reference to last Tuesday’s article… Read More
I, too, decry the withdrawal of the Metropolitan Opera broadcast on Saturday afternoon. We in Maine are so accustomed to it that it has become a tradition. You just do not throw away tradition on a whim, plus it is the only weekly cultural activity of high standard… Read More
Our presidents appoint our Supreme Court judges. Our Supreme Court judges just appointed our president of the United States. Kind of cozy, right? I always thought that in any game, event, contest or race, the one with the most score, points or votes would be… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Betty Hyde, 80, still lives near the school she attended as a child and is upset at the thought that it may be closed. “It makes me madder than heck,” said Hyde, who insists that the Hawthorne School remains a vital part of… Read More
It is nearing the end of the second millennium of the Christian era. The Roman legions once garrisoned in Palestine long ago returned to dust. But the passing of scores of generations of common men and of hundreds of kings and tyrants and presidents has… Read More
We have men and women who do not have the courage to express their Judeo-Christian values. There is an addiction in this country to sexual movies, books, magazines and pornography on the Internet. Go into any mom-and-pop store or department store, and at the checkout you will see… Read More
In theaters CAST AWAY Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Written by William Broyles Jr. 143 minutes. 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
Thank you for the great article, “Programs help ease negative impact of divorce on children,” by Ruth Ellen-Cohen (BDN, Dec. 16-17). I, too, attended a program called “We still love our children,” offered by Washington Hancock Community Agency in December 1996. It helped me to understand the many… Read More
In the late 1980s, I began working as an Outward Bound instructor in Maine. I spent my first few summers with Outward Bound hiking in the Bigelows and canoeing on the Rangeley Lakes. While I was enamored of western Maine’s beauty, I couldn’t resist asking senior instructors about… Read More
BANGOR – The developer of a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter officially withdrew its application to develop the property on the corner of Stillwater Avenue and Gilman Road, according to a Thursday letter to city officials. The Widewaters Group, a New York-based developer, opted to officially withdraw… Read More
PORTLAND – A decision by the city’s only shelter for alcoholics to charge its clients up to $5 a night has drawn criticism from Portland social service providers. Few, if any, clients have paid so far. “These are street people who are at the lowest… Read More
The Santa’s Helper Fund invites you to take a moment to join us in recognizing its contributors. Recent donations are as follows: A donation of $320.80 from the proceeds of the Brewer High School Business-Computer students’ annual bake sale googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BANGOR – A Penobscot County jury deliberated for about three hours Thursday before acquitting an Old Town man of charges of raping his girlfriend last spring in her apartment. Barry Bard, 36, was convicted of lesser charges of criminal threatening and assault in connection with… Read More
BANGOR – A Carmel man seriously injured when he was struck by a car seven years ago was awarded $1.14 million by a jury in Bangor Wednesday, but he won’t receive that amount. The jury award – technically $1,140,825 – is the second highest ever… Read More
HOWLAND – It’s a good thing the Penobscot Valley girls basketball team had its best-ever free-throw shooting game so far this season against Schenck Thursday evening. Neither PVHS nor the Wolverines of East Millinocket shot well from the floor in the Eastern Maine Class C… Read More
ORONO – The final eclipse of the second millennium is a partial solar eclipse on Christmas Day, viewable over the entire continental United States. Maine is one of the best places to observe the eclipse because the state will see more eclipse shadow than will… Read More
BANGOR – Angus King may be an independent governor, but when a Democratic legislator from Machias asked for a favor, he delivered it in person. He had to. Rep. Mary Bagley, D- Machias, insisted the governor, rather than the chief justice of the Maine Supreme… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Board of Environmental Protection voted unanimously Thursday to repeal a provision of the state’s air quality program requiring Maine auto dealers to offer zero-emission vehicles to the public. Adopted in 1993, the Low Emission Vehicle Program included the zero-emission mandate as… Read More
CARIBOU – Wesley Davidson, executive director of Aroostook Mental Health Center, announced the promotion of several employees. Lorraine Chamberlain, L.C.S.W., has been promoted to the new position of director of emergency and outpatient services at AMHC. In her position, she manages crisis and office-based mental… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette was navigating by vision, not his plane’s navigational instruments, when he crashed in bad weather last January, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators also found no evidence that the former state senator filed a… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – Stacy Corson, 25, of West Athens will not face prosecution for her role in a collision with a logging truck in Cornville that claimed the lives of her three children and her adult cousin in May. Lt. Dale Lancaster, commander of state police… Read More
MADISON – Two separate accidents were investigated by police in central Maine Thursday afternoon, including one involving a police cruiser. Brandon Hagopian, 22, of Madison was traveling west on Park Street when he lost control of his vehicle in the slush. His 1994 Pontiac Sunbird… Read More
CHICAGO – Portland High School quarterback Quinton Porter, who passed for 1,089 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for another 247 and 11, was named Gatorade’s Maine Football Player of the Year. Porter, who also has a 93.36 grade average, will attend Boston College next fall and is… Read More
ORONO – University of Maine sophomore Joe Drapeau, who earned consensus Freshman All-American honors last season, picked up his first honor of the 2001 season when he was named to Collegiate Baseball’s Third Team Preseason All-American squad. Biddeford’s Drapeau, who started at third base for… Read More
ORONO – State Sen. Mary Cathcart and her husband James Dearman this week became the first residential customers of Bangor Gas. In a brief ceremony Thursday, representatives of the company posed for the media in front of the new natural gas meter, which was painted… Read More
Information from the state in Wednesday’s story about a $107,120 fine levied against Maine Wild Blueberry Co. gave the wrong name for the Whitneyville couple whose cropland is the disposal site for the company’s sludge. The couple are Herbert and Pam Dowling of Whitneyville. Read More
WASHINGTON – Traffic headed east on Route 17 had a tough road to travel Thursday, with the sun’s glare so strong that it caused three separate rear-end accidents but only minor injuries. All of the crashes occurred around 7:30 a.m., keeping Maine State Police and Knox County sheriff’s… Read More
STACYVILLE – Fire destroyed a Station Street garage Wednesday afternoon, but firefighters managed to save the nearby home. Heavy winds carried the fire and heat from the garage to the home about 20 feet away, melting the vinyl siding on that side of the home,… Read More
BELFAST – Driven by a new communications center and across-the-board pay increases, the Waldo County budget for the coming year will have a hefty increase over last year’s spending package. Despite the 17 percent increase, the county budget committee gave unanimous approval to the $3.4… Read More
ROCKLAND – Several towns are still undecided about accepting full dispatching services from Knox Regional Communications Center, citing concerns about unanswered questions. “I see some things that don’t seem to make much sense,” Warren Town Manager Grant Watmough said Thursday. “There’s so many unanswered questions… Read More
Calais District Court Chad E. McGouldrick, 29, Baring, operating all-terrain vehicle on public way, $50. 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
BANGOR – U.S. Rep. John Baldacci announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a grant of $1,172,689 to Penquis Community Action Program. The funding will be used to support Head Start projects being conducted by the organization, which has its headquarters in… Read More
MACHIAS – The Maine Blackfly Breeders Association is reminding area shoppers that there is still time to purchase an array of special gifts for what the association refers to as “the blackfly lover in your life.” MBBA’s unofficial headquarters is the Woodwind Gallery in Machias,… Read More
Penobscot County investigators are warning homeowners to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity in light of 26 home burglaries that have occurred since Nov. 1. Most of the burglaries occurred during the day when the residents weren’t home, reported Glenn Ross, chief deputy… Read More
Bangor District Court ABET, no address given, rule violation, operating commercial motor vehicle without medical certificate, $100; towing unregistered trailer without permission, $100. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
Newport District Court Kevin L. Stevens, 26, Alton, assault, jail 96 hours. 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
As we pause to celebrate the holiday season, we also ponder the upcoming new year and its prospects for Maine’s harness racing industry. Last month, the Maine Harness Racing Commission held hearings and issued race dates for 2001. At the daylong date hearings, the MHRC… Read More
ROCKLAND – A licensed practical nurse is suing the parent company of Fieldcrest Manor Nursing Home in Waldoboro claiming she was fired from the home because of her pregnancy. Kimberly Tremblay of Hope worked for Fieldcrest Manor, which is owned by Vencor Nursing Centers West,… Read More
Suffield (Conn.) Academy Fall term honor 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]… Read More
WASHBURN – Liz Howard scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead basket, with about two minutes remaining, as Washburn earned a 52-48 schoolgirl basketball win over Central Aroostook on Thursday. Howard, a senior forward who finished with a game-high 30 points, then… Read More
HAMPDEN – Justin DiFrederico popped in a game-high 23 points to lead Hampden to a 64-57 schoolboy basketball win over Hermon on Thursday. Ben Keller scored 16 for the winners. Adam Russell poured in 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The Memphis Belles invite you to ring in the new year with them at their 10th-anniversary party from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2000, and Jan. 1, 2001, at the Isaac Farrar Mansion on Union Street in Bangor. The event… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine has just received another 30,000 doses of the flu vaccine that are being distributed across the state following a nationwide shortage, the state announced Thursday. Maine Human Services Commissioner Kevin Concannon urged people who need shots to go ahead and get them. Read More
PORTLAND – A potential buyer traveled to Portland to meet with representatives of BroadcastAmerica.com, an Internet broadcasting company mired in bankruptcy. Meetings were to be held Thursday night and Friday, said Roger Clement, an attorney representing BroadcastAmerica. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
WASHINGTON – Representatives of each office of Maine’s congressional delegation attended a meeting Wednesday morning with officials from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the commission’s recent order increasing a component in the wholesale electricity rates to large consumers. FERC is allowing for an increase… Read More
Hundreds of people “from away” converged on tiny Lubec and other eastern Maine communities nearly a year ago to watch the dawn break over the nation for the first time as the calendar flipped to 2000. Although purists maintain that the “real millennium” is still… Read More
BATH – Divers battling frigid temperatures searched for the operator of a crane that toppled off a barge and into the Kennebec River on Thursday at Bath Iron Works. Bath police said the crane fell over around 2 p.m. with an oiler and the operator… Read More
Sequels are a tricky business. Make too blatant an attempt to cash in without the proper essence of the original, and there goes the franchise. This is especially true in children’s films, where the sequel is often the palest imitation of the original. Stick in… Read More
For those seeking a musical stocking stuffer, here’s a dozen of the staff reviewers’ favorites for 2000. “La Peste” (Sony) – A3 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
AUGUSTA – As part of the effort to provide top-quality service to America’s taxpayers, the IRS has awarded $6 million for legal assistance this year to low-income taxpayer clinics. Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc. in Portland received a $70,000 grant to operate a clinic this… Read More
YARMOUTH, Nova Scotia – Lobster fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia are enjoying another banner season with hefty landings that were unheard of 10 years ago. “The resource I don’t think in its history has been in better shape,” fisherman Henry Surette said this week. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – The number of young cod dying in waters off the coast of Nova Scotia has doubled in the last 10 years, mystifying scientists who can’t figure out what’s happening to the fragile stock. Marine biologists suspect cooler water temperatures, natural predators… Read More
GARDINER – Mary Jewett doesn’t write letters to Santa – she writes letters from Santa. And lots of them. The Gardiner grandmother is the founder of Professional Association of Santa’s Elves, a network of 357 people across the country who write personalized letters to children… Read More
If any lawmakers thought the switch from a regulated electricity market to what passes for a deregulated one was going to be easy, they kept the idea to themselves. But even the most dedicated realist must have been surprised by a recent federal ruling that intentionally brings electric… Read More
As of last Friday’s deadline, 2,340 bill titles were submitted for consideration by the 120th Maine Legislature when it convenes in January. That’s a lot of legislation, but it is considerably less than the record-breaking 3,000 the 119th started with and it is a welcome sign that incoming… Read More
There has been much written about the Florida election. I have been in Florida and there are people in some areas who do not read or speak English. It is understandable why they would be confused in the voting booth. In my opinion, if the… Read More
PORTLAND – Western Cemetery overlooks Portland Harbor in the city’s most exclusive neighborhood. But this lovely spot has plainly gone to the dogs. Poodles and pointers, terriers and retrievers, mastiffs and Great Danes romp over grave sites chasing sticks and balls and each other. Rolls… Read More
This letter is in response to the front page article, “Maine’s latest laptop plan” (BDN, Dec. 19). Someone should inform Gov. Angus King that the $50 million state surplus belongs to the taxpayers of Maine. The funds in the state coffers are not his personal… Read More
After witnessing the past presidential campaign, is there anyone out there who believes that George Bush or the Republican Party will compromise their agenda and work with the Democrats for the good of the American people? Think again. The Republican Party showed its stripes when… Read More
I have been a member and listener of the “family of MPBS” when I could afford it. Now, however, I doubt that I will be again. Feeling as deeply as I do about the changes inaugurated on Dec. 4, I have no other choice but… Read More
Amazing! Astounding! The king of “trash-talking” has muttered his reasons for spending $153,000 so as to earn a paltry nine grand in the Maine Legislature. That’s Tom Sawyer. He says “… ‘she’ has eight years to get the message out; I have eight weeks.” My… Read More
My wish is to see the end of the letters vilifying our (thank God almighty) president-elect, George W. Bush, a fine and decent man with strong family values and high hopes for our country. The fact is, all the votes were counted several times, and… Read More
Much has been stated through the media and through conferences and public forums about the need for improved transportation links between Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont on the one hand, and the Atlantic provinces in Canada on the other. This focus is now moving forward to the extent… Read More
I am responding to the allegations made by Jonathan Carter and the Natural Resources Council of Maine during his most recent failed referendum campaign. The truth is that the Legislature has taken many efforts to encourage and improve forestry in Maine, through regulations, changes in statutes, as well… Read More
ORONO – State police on Wednesday ruled out foul play in the shooting death of a 21-year-old University of Maine student, but stopped short of calling the woman’s death a suicide. Hannah M. Corbeil, a senior majoring in forestry, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head… Read More
They took a decade to create and stirred up a firestorm of controversy, but the first national standards for growing and processing organic food were released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The directors of Maine’s certifying agency, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association,… Read More
NORTH SEARSPORT – Vandals have made a target of the Prevailing Winds Pentecostal Church and though pastor Clarence Merchant won’t go so far as to say it’s the work of the devil, he wonders what would prompt someone to rob and wreck a house of worship so close… Read More
BANGOR – With Eastern Maine Healthcare’s option to buy the Waterworks buildings set to expire at the end of the month, city officials here are pondering the future of the historic riverside complex. “We’ve tried just about everything over there,” Rod McKay, the city’s director… Read More
The Santa’s Helper Fund collection now totals $37,500. Many contributors are heeding the call to support the Salvation Army through this charity. Our most recent donors include the following: Robert and Shirley Stairs of Hampden, $50; Anonymous in Millinocket, $25; a gift of $50 in… Read More
A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain made roads slippery and closed schools across Maine on Wednesday. It also made life difficult for some line crews working to restore electricity to customers left in the dark by a weekend wind storm. Roads were… Read More
BANGOR – A former Massachusetts man, who once was proclaimed on a television infomercial as a real estate success story, was sentenced Wednesday to 11 months in prison for masterminding a real-estate “flipping” scheme in Washington County. Jeffrey Leggee, 32, was ordered to complete three… Read More
Editor’s Note: “Letter From …” is a monthly column written by a Mainer, or person with ties to this state, who is living or traveling far from home. Caitlin Shetterly grew up in Surry. She now lives in New York where she is an actor, writer and waitress. Read More
ORLAND – The winds of change will be blowing through town soon. One of the first commercial windmills in the area has been erected at the G.M. Allen & Sons blueberry factory. Once all the connections are completed and the system has been tested, the… Read More
I suppose I must have been about 10 years old. There I was, sitting in an English class, when the teacher – I believe it may have been Mrs. Brown – told our class the news. Standing in front of the milky blackboard, she uttered a statement that… Read More
It’s “The Old Man and the Sea” meets “The Player.” That unusual pitch sums up the exceptional situation of Joel Strunk. 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