It’s difficult for me to explain my obsession with the Boston Celtics. Even as an Australian, I have an affinity for New England sports; I trace this affinity to a promise I made to Helen, my American grandmother, in 1984. I was 9 years old… Read More
Last fall, I gave a short speech at an event in Bangor sponsored by this newspaper and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, among others. The event was focused on how residents and businesses in rural Maine in particular could benefit from greater access to broadband services,… Read More
Forget Interstate 95, Searsport or Bangor International Airport for the moment. The Bangor region’s future economy will depend on far less “concrete” infrastructure. The region’s ability to generate and receive digital information is critical to the competitiveness of many businesses already located here and for others who may… Read More
In about three weeks, millions of U.S. voters will go to the polls to elect congressmen, governors and state legislators. Listening to the national electronic media, one would think that the most important issue facing Americans is former Florida Rep. Mark Foley’s e-mails to congressional… Read More
The traveling part of America’s pop-cultural phenomenon comes to Maine next week, when the “American Idols Live” tour arrives in Portland for a 7 p.m. show Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Taylor Hicks, the 2006 “American Idol” winner, and runner-up Katharine… Read More
Saturday’s Bangor Daily News incorrectly reported the number of terms former U.S. Rep. David Emery served in Congress. He served four terms. Read More
Let’s start a boycott of Sports Illustrated magazine here in Maine. And – surprise – this boycott would have nothing to do with the much-celebrated swimsuit issue, the magazine’s annual rite of parading portraits of nearly naked and outright naked models, and wryly labeling this… Read More
My daughter is in first grade and is a cheerleader for the elementary school basketball team in Brooks. “Chris,” you ask. “People can be cheerleaders in the first grade? And does Brooks have indoor plumbing?” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
The latest base realignment and closure plan has prompted the usual round of complaints and disputes over which military bases should be closed, as well as sighs of relief from supporters of the bases that were spared. But a bigger question has been overlooked in arguments over the… Read More
Traditionally, blackwork embroidery is done with black silk thread on cream-colored linen using a backstitch or double-running stitch. Sometimes it is embellished with gold metallic thread. Erica Wilson’s “The Craft of Black Work and White Work,” published in 1973, which I found lurking on one… Read More
In the Caribou District Court news published April 7 in the State edition that listed cases handled in February, Curt Anderson, 43, Caribou, was listed as “passing stopped school bus, $250.” The case was filed. The $250 was for court costs. — googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
George Worcester of Cumberland writes, “Is there anything you can do about advertisers that claim their product is the ‘best this’ or the ‘fastest that’ with no proof that their claims are true? These hokey ads drive me nuts.” Well, George, we feel your pain. Read More
(Editor’s note: In this second of three columns on disrespect to Native Americans in the world of sports and, particularly, disrespect to a Maine Indian legend, Louis Sockalexis, author Ed Rice discusses how Louis Sockalexis inspired the nickname “Indians” the major league team in Cleveland uses to this… Read More
In these days of can-you-top-this recruiting tales, the story of how coach Tom Brennan landed the kid that Vermont’s largest newspaper calls “the state’s basketball god” might be the most improbable of them all. “He went to class in the morning, had lunch with the… Read More
A story on Tuesday’s State page mischaracterized the conclusion of Mary Ellen Bryner’s unemployment benefits dispute with the Brewer School Department. Bryner and the school department, through compromise, dropped their cases against each other. As a result, Bryner was awarded unemployment benefits. — googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
A Business page story Thursday about Internet access provider Maineline.net erred in saying it is a reseller of Verizon’s DSL technology. While it uses Verizon lines, the company says it provides its own DSL service, using its own equipment. Read More
As the new challenge of attending college approaches, the past several weeks have been filled with memories of a bond of friendship nurtured through participation in high school sports. When I was at Fenway Park in Boston earlier this month, I realized that a good… Read More
ORONO – Enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances while taking advantage of Maine’s scenic outdoors and the recreational opportunities it provides. That was the framework of the writing done by famed former Bangor Daily News outdoor columnist and executive sports editor Bud Leavitt. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Good Lord, what happened to Stephen King? The king of horror novelists is on the cover of the July-August issue of Book magazine, standing in front of a funky trailer, unshaven, unsmiling, squinting malevolently, looking like some demented rural psychopath right out of the pages… Read More
Last Saturday I volunteered at the Maine State Special Olympics with a team from Brewer to see my 15-year-old cousin, Daniel Butler, who has autism. Not only did I enjoy watching him have fun doing something he loves, but I left with a new understanding and appreciation of… Read More
Around the horn … Does this happen only in Maine? A few nights ago, I was walking our family dog, Rosie, a weight-challenged chocolate Lab who actually does get regular exercise, when the unmistakable scent of a wood-burning stove wafted out of a neighbor’s chimney. Read More
You hear that art imitates life, and it’s easy to believe when you see a play or read a book or look at a portrait. But when the art form is opera, which has notably stupid plotlines, it can be hard to find the art-life connection. Read More
Most references refer to the full moon of February as the Snow Moon, Hunger Moon or Wolf Moon. It was known as the Hunger Moon by the Passamaquoddy Tribe as it was a time when supplies were running low and it was hard to hunt or fish during… Read More
Watching a NASCAR Winston Cup race on television is nothing compared to seeing it in person. I got the opportunity to go the Chevy Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia, and I had the time of my life. If you ever go… Read More
When my boyfriend, David, and I decided late in July that we would accept offers from theater director Larraine Brown to act in the 15 Minute Festival in Belfast, we knew we’d be getting out of New York and its insufferable August heat. We also knew we’d be… Read More
National FOLK Festival. As a twentysomething connoisseur of contemporary music, I hear the word “folk” and I cringe. 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;… Read More
STONINGTON – A teacher, a writer, an elected official, local business owners, recent college graduates, year-round inhabitants and seasonal residents ranging in age from 18 to 80 made up the 17-member cast of “The Laramie Project.” The fact that the performers were locals, coupled with… Read More
THE RISING (Columbia) – Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. There was a time, in the not so distant past, when musicians refused to attach their songs to commercials. It would spoil the artistry, the message connected to melody, if they were used to pitch… Read More
BANGOR – The next time you visit downtown, stop a minute and touch the buildings. That’s the suggestion of Jeff Galvin, a three-year intern at WBRC Architects and Engineers, which sponsors the architecture and sculpture tour of Bangor’s historic downtown. To demonstrate, Galvin laid his… Read More
Lots of questions filled my mind as I ventured to Ellsworth last Thursday to watch my sixth-grade son, Matthew, compete for the Brewer Middle School track and field team in a multi-team meet. How would he do? How would he like competing? Would he want… Read More
HAMPDEN – Fourth-graders in Martha Stepp’s class at Weatherbee School sat on the floor at the front of the classroom last week. Some had small quilts wrapped around their shoulders, or blankets, or even an afghan. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR – The electricity, the cheering fans, the overwhelming chants and the sounds of bodies being slammed in the ring filled the Bangor Auditorium as the World Wrestling Federation came to town Saturday night. Among the more than 5,000 fans in attendance, the consensus was… Read More
Annual elections for public office will be held Friday, March 2, at Hartland. Ballot clerks will appear as required by law at 10 a.m and remain until 8 p.m. But whether large numbers of voters respond to exercise their right to vote remains to be seen. Read More