Whitecap Mountain west of Millinocket stood out on the northern horizon just like its name last Sunday as I paddled into a mild breeze on Pushaw Lake. It was my first on-water outing of the season, and it felt good to be out in the sunshine, catching a… Read More
Mouse shows climbing skills ORRINGTON – While nobody likes to see a mouse in their house, out in the wild at the Fields Pond Audubon Center they can be quite intriguing and cute. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Fly-fishing enthusiasts will get the chance to visit with like-minded anglers and raise money for a good cause in June at the seventh annual Fly Fishing Conclave, which is organized by www.flyfishinginmaine. The conclave will be held at the Nantantis Point Campground in the Chain… Read More
Unusually low water conditions for Saturday’s Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race may have knocked Bangor television station WABI’s broadcast coverage overboard, but Bangor all-sports radio station WZON’s plans are still afloat. “We were out Tuesday to test our equipment and it was amazing how shallow it… Read More
The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office continues to review an assault complaint lodged against Bangor High School athletic director Steve Vanidestine related to a crowd-control incident after a boys basketball game Feb. 15 at Red Barry Gymnasium. It’s a case that brings home a larger… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine football team is closing in on the end of its first week of spring workouts. Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears, coming off a 5-6 season in 2005, are working to fill holes left by the likes of departing seniors… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Kebo Valley Golf Club will open for the season today with its inner nine holes – 1 through 5 and 15 through 18 – in play. The course hopes to have its full 18 in play by the middle of next week… Read More
DEXTER – Dexter Municipal Golf Club opens for the season on Saturday at 8 a.m. All holes will be open and carts will be in use. Read More
Johnny Damon stood behind the batting cage at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. He wore pinstripes, was clean-shaven and his hair was cut. He still wanted to talk about the days when his socks were red, his hair long and his face beard-covered. “I still don’t… Read More
Track and field at Brewer High School is a program with a rich tradition. In the late 1970s, Glendon Rand, who now coaches Brewer’s distance runners, was a part of that tradition as one of the best distance runners not only of his era, but… Read More
Live TV coverage has been canceled. The water is low. But (forgive me if you’ve already heard this in this space over the past five days) the 40th Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race will still be run Saturday. Honest. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
In Eastern Maine, it ushers in spring. The annual Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, which will have its 40th running on Saturday, may just be our most noteworthy event other than the Folk Festival. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Ryan Garland of Hermon and Robert Herzing of Bangor were enjoying another early-season round of golf at Bangor Municipal Golf Course on Monday afternoon. “Any day [this early in the year] is a plus,” said Garland. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Carl Parker is retiring from his full-time career in education in June, but don’t expect the veteran coach and administrator to fade away from the Eastern Maine sports scene. Parker is leaving his post as athletic administrator and dean of students at Nokomis Regional High… Read More
The long perennial wait finally ends this week for the University of Maine baseball team. After playing on the road for the first seven weeks and 27 games of the season, the Black Bears are gearing up for their first homestand at Mahaney Diamond in… Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 2006 dinner and induction ceremonies Sunday, June 4, at the Bangor Banquet and Convention Center on the Hogan Road. Inductees include Dick Barstow, Mike Bordick, James “Chico” Hernandez, Brian Higgins, Irving Kagan, Roger Reed… Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs are set to debut their new playing surface and a new seating section which adds 390 seats to Hadlock Field as they play Binghamton in their 2006 season home opener at 6 p.m. Thursday. Former Sea Dog pitcher Don… Read More
BANGOR – Low water levels and logistical problems have forced WABI-TV to cancel its coverage of the 40th Kenduskeag Canoe Race, which will take place Saturday. WABI production manager Paul Saliwanchik said the station gets its strongest signal at Six Mile Falls, a popular site… Read More
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – Farmington native Kevin Eastler set a course record by 3 minutes and 17 seconds while winning the USA Team trials for the World Cup of Racewalking Sunday. Eastler, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, finished the 20K race in a time of 1:25.15, breaking… Read More
BELFAST – The Northport Golf Club will be opening for the season today. Read More
Miami University’s Enrico Blasi has been named the winner of the 2006 Spencer Penrose Award as the top NCAA Division I men’s hockey coach in the country. University of Maine coach Tim Whitehead was a finalist for the award, which he won in 2002. Read More
BANGOR – Roger Blackmer of Hampden bowled his second career 300 game during the Monday Night League at Family Fun Bowling Center. It’s the 20th perfect game of the season for Family Fun. Blackmer, 38, had a series of 237-300-192 for a 729. Read More
Today, weather permitting, the Boston Red Sox celebrate their 2006 home opener at historic Fenway Park. Like most of you, I’m tired of all the steroid talk. Performance-enhancing drugs and the subsequent fines and investigations will do nothing to deter thousands of fans from enjoying… Read More
When many Mainers ponder the plight of Atlantic salmon, their thoughts immediately turn to the Penobscot River. Others remember the glory days Down East, when they spent wonderful days on the Machias or Narraguagus rivers, tempting the king of game fish. Far fewer, I would… Read More
The Bangor and Presque Isle softball teams had a scrimmage scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but when it became clear the weather wouldn’t exactly cooperate, the Rams and Wildcats turned to a new resource. The teams played their scrimmage in the University of Maine’s Mahaney Dome,… Read More
The University of Maine softball team is hoping a three-game sweep of Vermont last weekend will carry the Black Bears as they approach the toughest part of the their America East schedule. Maine will travel to league rival Boston University Wednesday for a doubleheader, then… Read More
BANGOR – Ed Cotter of Levant bowled his first career 300 game during the Mixed Couples League at the Family Fun Lanes in Bangor on Friday. Cotter, 42, compiled a 778 series with strings of 251, 300, and 227. According to Andy Meucci, manager of Family Fun Lanes,… Read More
CHARLESTON – White Tail Golf Course is open for play. Riding carts are available. Read More
OK, the time has come for the ever fearful and always written in invisible ink major league baseball predictions. Let’s begin with the home team. The Yankees are better than the Red Sox. The problem for the Sox is the wild card is not going… Read More
For the past week or so, Tracy Willette has been hearing the rumors flying around the Queen City. With two canoe races canceled due to low water, the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race must be in trouble. Right? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
First off, I apologize for the return to winter. It’s my fault. I took one of my kayaks out of the garage a week ago Friday (remember how balmy and sunny it was?) to give it a good cleaning and waxing and the lousy weather landed the next… Read More
Spring fly fishing is a lot like dating: The right lines make all the difference on how well things go. During April and May, most Maine rivers and streams are running high, fast, and cold, and when lakes open to trolling, they too are cold, off color, and… Read More
An unusual sighting ORRINGTON – Star-nosed moles are common, but we don’t see them very often from inside the Fields Pond Audubon Center building. Instead, we see their burrows near the marsh and the stream, and their resulting piles of dark wetland soil which sometimes… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has announced a deadline of July 21 for grant applications for funding outdoor recreation facilities through the federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund program. This program, administered through the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of… Read More
The courtship displays of American woodcocks are my favorite rite of spring. Their comical looks and outrageous behaviors provide plenty of fodder to write about, as well. I needed that fodder recently as I was feeling particularly uninspired to write about anything. I went for… Read More
For lifelong New England sports fan Jon Carson, getting a chance to shake the hand of NBA Hall of Fame player Tommy Heinsohn was a unique opportunity. But as memorable as that experience was, it was what the former Boston Celtics great had in his… Read More
MILWAUKEE – Like most freshmen, University of Maine men’s hockey defenseman Matt Duffy had his share of ups and downs. After an impressive start, the youngster from Windham struggled and lost his confidence. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
For this year’s high school seniors, the clock is ticking. There are big decisions to be made about life after graduation, and for many they concern futures both academic and athletic. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
SEARSPORT – A strong card of amateur bouts is on tap for the Wyman’s Boxing Club show set for 7 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at Searsport District High School. Boxers from clubs in Canada, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine will square off in varying… Read More
OXFORD – J.J. Yeley, NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year contender, has entered the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway set for Sunday, July 30. Yeley, who drives the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, joins Newburgh’s Ricky Craven as… Read More
PORTLAND – Portland Pirates rookie forward Ryan Shannon was one of six American Hockey League players named to the league’s All-Rookie team. Shannon ranks second in scoring among AHL rookies and ninth in the league with 80 points (24 goals, 56 assists). Shannon’s 56 assists… Read More
On Tuesday night, a few dozen folks with varied ties to the Allagash River met in a Bangor conference room to share opinions on proposed revisions to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway management plan. The result of this latest public hearing, unfortunately, was predictable. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
As the University of Maine softball team heads into its second straight America East weekend and conference home opener, it’s clear what has powered the Black Bears this year. Maine pitchers, especially senior Sarah Bennis and redshirt freshman Jenna Balent, are leading the league with… Read More
MILWAUKEE – If there is one University of Wisconsin player who has a lot of knowledge about the University of Maine’s impressive hockey tradition it is junior center Andrew Joudrey. Joudrey is from Bedford, Nova Scotia and was a Black Bear fan growing up. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
The Frozen Four in Milwaukee will be a homecoming of sorts for University of Maine assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook. Standbrook, who spent 12 years as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin, had a terrific first visit to Milwaukee in 1992-93… Read More
A new era of John Bapst wrestling will begin next winter when the Crusaders will stage home meets for the first time. That’s because a group of wrestling boosters spearheaded by Maria Franklin, whose son was a freshman wrestler at the Bangor school this winter,… Read More
PORTLAND – The Maine Games has announced that this year’s lineup of events will include an open division 7 vs. 7 field hockey tournament that will be played at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Sunday, June 25 at 3 p.m. The tournament is limited to the first… Read More
There will be a recognition dinner in honor of former Bangor High School football coach Gerry Hodge on Saturday, June 3 at the Spectacular Events Center in Bangor. Cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m. with a buffet dinner and speakers to follow. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
I’m not much for the television reality show genre. I lose the battle over the television channel changer – known in my house as the flicker – to my wife Shelly and survive, literally, the “Survivor” episodes. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
In a typical year, dozens of anglers herald the arrival of April by getting out of bed in the middle of the night, following their headlights to a small village in eastern Maine, and fishing the opening hours of opening day in one of the only places where… Read More
Hockey puts UMaine excellence in spotlight I read with great interest the Saturday Bangor Daily News story about the benefits of a successful sports program, like our terrific Black Bear hockey team, to a university. We all take great pride in these young men and… Read More
CORINTH – It’s practice as usual for the Central High softball team Monday afternoon. There’s someone in the gymnasium batting cage, another girl hitting off a tee and a third group working on fielding drills with coach Durice Washburn. But this isn’t an ordinary year… Read More
Most years, open-water fishing season arrives in Maine as the punch line to a cruel joke. The lakes and ponds are still iced in. There’s snow on the ground. And sometimes, even our favorite streams and rivers are clogged with enough ice to make fishing impossible (or, at… Read More
We’re all about paddling this week. The on-water season already is under way for some, and for others it’s right around the corner. Before you drag out your boat or canoe and head for the nearest ice-free water, though, take a few minutes and study… Read More
Now that April and openwater fishing season are at hand, it’s likely that in visiting your town’s institutes of higher learning – gas station, general store, barber shop – you’ll hear about an effort under way to have a public boat landing built at Branch Lake in Ellsworth. Read More
Many of you may have heard about the Maine Owl Monitoring Program going on right now. Coordinated by Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the program is now in its fifth year and relies entirely on volunteer participation. I’d done… Read More
Joel Wilkinson of Greenville, a game warden with 11 years’ experience, has been selected to become the first captain in the Maine Warden Service. Wilkinson’s move to captain marks his second promotion in three months – he was promoted to sergeant in December. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
When Gary Thorne last sat behind the microphone while calling a University of Maine hockey game, Ron Hellen and Neil Johnson were the team captains and the late Shawn Walsh was in his second season as head coach. The year was 1986 and the Black… Read More
This has been a relaxed week for the University of Maine men’s hockey team – a couple of days off followed by some low-key practices, all in the name of letting the nicks and bruises of a long season heal before center stage comes calling. Read More
ORONO – When the University of Maine men’s hockey team played in its last NCAA Frozen Four at the FleetCenter (now TD Banknorth Garden) in Boston two years ago, nine current players hadn’t arrived at Maine yet. So what will the veterans who were on… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Municipal Golf Course is opening for the season on Sunday. All 27 holes will be in play but riding carts will not be allowed. Those seeking a tee time for Sunday may call Bangor Muni on Friday at 941-0232. Read More
Pine Hill Golf Club in Brewer and Country View Golf Course are both opening for the season today. All nine holes are open to play in Brewer but no riding carts will be allowed. At Brooks, all greens and tees are in play and riding… Read More
A season of transition for sports fans is about to enter a really fun time. The Red Sox will open in Texas, and that could ruin a whole pitching staff in one series. Roger Clemens will be there as the Rangers will honor the NCAA… Read More
Coach Kissy Walker helped mold a young ballclub into a North Atlantic Conference women’s basketball contender last winter. With her Husson College team scheduled to lose only one senior to graduation, Walker hopes her new recruiting class can help the Eagles build on their solid… Read More
Bill Pinkham was the kind of runner who participated in local road races for the camaraderie of the events and to make new friends, not for prestige or prize money. “He was just a really nice guy. We knew that we had to have a… Read More
Daniel “Tiger” Stewart is the new varsity baseball coach at Bucksport High School. Stewart, the Golden Bucks’ junior varsity coach for the last three years, replaces Mike Cowing, who recently resigned after three seasons due to “philosophical differences with a very few parents.” googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Resilient means the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. The University of Maine men’s hockey program’s players and coaches continually exhibit resiliency. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
80 children to get free Globetrotters tickets The Harlem Globetrotters and Ticketmaster are combining to give free tickets to 80 Bangor area youngsters for today’s 7 p.m. performance at the Bangor Auditorium. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
ORONO – Penobscot Valley Country Club will open for the season Friday at 9 a.m. All 18 holes will be in play, but carts will not be allowed. This is the earliest opening on record for PVCC since it opened in 1924. Read More
News last week that college basketball coaching legend Ray Meyer died brought back memories of the time in 1977 when the celebrated coach spent a week here with a bunch of younger coaches who hung on his every word. It was early October 1977, and… Read More
The awards continue to roll in for University of Southern Maine basketball star Ashley Marble. The junior from Topsfield on Monday was named the 2006 ECAC Division III Women’s New England Basketball Player of the Year. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Tickets for the NCAA Frozen Four are available starting today at 8:30 a.m. Priority will be given first to Black Bear Club members, then to season ticket holders and alumni. Enrolled students can also order tickets. Those interested in tickets can call 581-2327 or 1-800-756-8326… Read More
If this man is right, and he has seen a lot of baseball, Red Sox fans could forever love the deal that brought Wily Mo Pena to Boston this week. My scouting report on Pena comes from a MLB executive who has held every position… Read More
ALBANY, N.Y. – When Boston College upset Boston University 5-0 Saturday night in the Northeast Regional final at the Worcester (Mass.) Centrum, it was the sixth time the two archrivals had met this season. Marty Scarano, the chairman of the NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament’s selection… Read More
Winter typically arrives early and stays late in Maine’s western mountains, much to the delight of skiers and snowboarders. And while the ground around your house may be brown, Sugarloaf/USA in Carrabassett Valley is gearing up for one of its biggest events of the year. Read More
Owls at Fields Pond ORRINGTON – We have a pair of barred owls that live on the hill behind Fields Pond Audubon Center. They often hoot from their home up on Copeland Hill. Sometimes their hoot, to the rhythm of, “who cooks for you, who… Read More
In case you were so enthralled with the tractors and ATVs at the Sportsmen’s Show at the University of Maine last Saturday that you missed our trained seal act, I’ll review it for you. As part of an ongoing effort to get people to think… Read More
Well-known local mycologist Greg Marley will explain some lesser-known uses of mushrooms during a Camden presentation on April 6. Marley will focus on the use of mushrooms as medicine during the talk, which will take place at the Merryspring Nature Center at 7 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
The road to a well-stocked fly box is paved with good intentions; which is a poetic way of saying that open-water fishing season is just around the corner and the foam rows in my boxes look like old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. I’m not quite sure where the last… Read More
My fellow bird enthusiast Ed Grew never fails to notify me of interesting bird sightings. Earlier in the week he had left two messages for me at work, so I called him back as soon as I could. His observation of what he thought were two American pipits,… Read More
ALBANY, N.Y. – One of the reasons University of Maine senior right wing John Hopson transferred to Maine from the University of Alaska-Anchorage was to play with his younger brother, Keenan. One of the other reasons has also come to fruition: An opportunity to play… Read More
Judy Blake, a Mount Desert Island ultra-marathoner, will be one of more than 3,000 women who will come together in New York City’s Central Park for the third annual More Magazine Marathon Sunday. More Magazine, which is the race’s main sponsor along with the New… Read More
The Kool-Aid is losing its punch. Three Super Bowl championships in five years bought head coach Bill Belichick and vice president Scott Pioli not only a ton of good will, but ample latitude in making personnel decisions from a New England Patriots fan base that had experienced only… Read More
The 13th season of operation for the Portland Sea Dogs will bring with it some changes in the broadcast booth. The Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate will have a slightly new sound during its radio broadcasts. Veteran broadcaster Mike Antonellis will take over as primary… Read More
The University of Maine softball team will play its home opener this weekend in Orono, but the Black Bears may not actually play on Kessock Field. Instead, Maine is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Merrimack – inside the new Mahaney Dome. “Having the Dome… Read More
FALMOUTH – The top hockey players in the state will compete on Saturday in the Classes A and B Senior All-Star games at the Family Ice Arena. The West Class A stars will battle the East at 4 p.m., followed by the Class B senior… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Jon Landry got an unexpected jump on his professional hockey career last week. The Bowdoin College graduating senior traded palm trees and bathing suits for an ice rink and a hockey uniform during the first part of spring break as he suited up… Read More
Dave Gudroe remembers his family’s introduction to wrestling in the late 1960s, when older brother Steve came home from school and told his parents he was going to wrestle for Dexter High School. They weren’t amused. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
WABI-TV Channel 5 in Bangor will televise the University of Maine’s NCAA East Regional Tournament hockey game against Harvard University on Saturday at 3 p.m. and, if Maine wins, it will air Sunday’s 2 p.m. quarterfinal game between Maine and the winner of the Michigan State-New Hampshire game… Read More
I never liked single elimination. When the state Little League tournament was single elimination, I used to write column after column about changing it to double elimination. Anything can happen in one game. I hated the thought of some 12-year-old shortstop having to live with… Read More
Here’s a change – both the Bangor and Brewer softball teams can actually see their respective fields for the first time in years on the first day pitchers and catchers can report thanks to the snow shortage this winter. And once the teams start regular-season… Read More
Spring arrived Monday afternoon. At least, that’s what my calendar says. But since my day-planner wasn’t made in Maine (where “Mud” is an actual season that runs at least until April 1, and where “Spring” sometimes seems to last from mid-April until early August) I figure it’s OK… Read More
One of the great joys in my sporting life is the time I spent scouting for the Marty Blake Agency in Atlanta for the NBA. Each year about this time, I flash back to the players I looked at and submitted reports on their potential… Read More
Community supports DiPrete Memorial Fund This letter is to update you on the status of the Joseph DiPrete Memorial Fund to which your community contributed after my boy’s tragic death in 2003. Because of your generosity and that of many friends, neighbors, town residents, and… Read More
What is your wingspan? ORRINGTON – Mrs. Sawyer’s second grade class from Brewer is studying birds. They recently came to the Fields Pond Audubon Center for a field trip to learn more about birds. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
My wife informed me last fall that she would be attending a conference in San Antonio the last week of February. Her hotel was to be the luxurious Crowne Plaza right on the renowned River Walk that winds through the city. Several considerations came immediately to mind. The… Read More
If you’re a hunter, a fan of the shooting sports or a gun collector, you may want to join some folks who share your passion for firearms at an upcoming event. The Friends of NRA banquet and auction will be held April 22 at the… Read More
As is always the case regarding the arrival of spring in Maine, the first signs are not crocuses, tree buds, or even ice-melt. It is the beginning of territorial and courtship displays of our resident birds, and the arrival of our first early migrants. Let’s… Read More
If you’re hoping that this year the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s magic moose computer will finally spit out your name and grant you the permit you’ve always wanted, you won’t have a chance if you don’t heed this warning. The deadline is approaching. Read More
PORTLAND – Online registration is now available for the 9th annual TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K road race on Saturday, August 5 in Cape Elizabeth. The field size has increased to 5,500 runners, but the race is expected to fill up by Memorial Day,… Read More