Five postponements, nine canceled race dates, 24 days and innumerable man hours after it was supposed to open its 125th season of harness racing, Bangor Raceway appears ready to race. Officials think they’ve finally solved the frost and drainage problems that have created dangerously soft… Read More
As Atlantic salmon smolts go, Nicky was not a very popular little guy. His tankmates hated the undersized guy and made life difficult. They beat him and bullied him, and eventually, his keepers say, Nicky just learned to hide in a corner and avoid his tormentors. Read More
It may be early for you to be thinking about summer vacation (I know it is for me), but I received an e-mail this week from John Flood of Friendship that jumpstarted my thoughts of summer. Flood said he and his sister own a mile-long… Read More
The Maine Warden Service is urging recreational boaters, especially canoeists and kayakers, to use caution during the current period of high water and avoid putting themselves in situations in which they may have to be rescued. According to a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries &… Read More
Many high school student-athletes dream of competing at the next level. Quinn Dillon had planned to follow the same game plan and, in fact, landed a prominent role in a Division III college program. But now, less than a year removed from graduation day at… Read More
The Pro All-Stars Series will visit Hermon’s Speedway 95 Saturday for the only time this season and all four northern classes will be involved. Heat races will begin at 3 p.m. as the PASS North Super Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsmen and Outlaw divisions will race… Read More
Both the University of Maine and Husson College varsity softball teams will be involved in their most crucial weekend series of the season. The Husson Eagles are hosting the semifinal and final rounds of the North Atlantic Conference tournament and the Black Bears are fighting… Read More
Even though the wind was howling and temperatures were somewhat cool at last Friday’s Penobscot Valley Conference track and field meet in Brewer, Caribou coach Roy Alden couldn’t help but be thrilled as his Vikings, along with Aroostook County counterparts Fort Kent and Fort Fairfield, took to the… Read More
A few years back, while sitting in the barbershop waiting for a shearing, a local farmer interrupted a conversation about turkey hunting with an interesting observation. “You turkey hunters,” he began, apparently including me in a club for which, at that point, I had not… Read More
Stefanie Pemper helped transform Bowdoin College into one of the premier Division III women’s basketball programs in the country during the last 10 seasons. Now, she is taking her coaching talents from Brunswick to the Division I level. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Jason Mills has stepped down after seven years as the boys varsity basketball coach at John Bapst of Bangor. Mills, who lives in LaGrange and teaches physical education at his alma mater, Penquis Valley High School in Milo, cited the strains related to his daily… Read More
Every April, the American College Hockey Coaches Association holds its annual convention in Florida to allow the coaches to discuss concerns and ways to improve their sport. The coaches also hold their respective league meetings. Maine coach Tim Whitehead said last week’s meetings covered a… Read More
BANGOR – Area golfers who were used to seeing a golf store at the Airport Mall on Union Street can still do so. And, in fact, they’ll see familiar faces. Gary Rees and his wife Toni have opened Maine Indoor Golf Center in the area… Read More
It can be a tough transition going from high school football star to college redshirt. Often players need the year to prepare themselves for the rigors of the Division I game. Saturday’s Jeff Cole Memorial Spring Scrimmage gave several University of Maine freshmen the opportunity… Read More
ORONO – Today’s 4 p.m. baseball game between Siena and UMaine has been canceled due to wet field conditions. Read More
Former University of Maine football standout Matt King has signed a free agent contract with the Hamilton (Ontario) Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. The Tiger Cats will begin their preseason camp next month, and will open on June 12. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
The 2008 baseball season had already been hectic and confusing enough for Mike MacDonald just two weeks into it. The Camden native and former University of Maine star pitcher had gone from longtime starter to reliever, and also been told he was going from Triple-A… Read More
While the Boston Celtics go about the business of trying to defeat a tougher-than-advertised Atlanta Hawks team in NBA first-round playoff action, I couldn’t help thinking about Celtics teams of the past and the uncanny resemblance between this year’s Celtics center extraordinaire, Kevin Garnett, and another great one… Read More
They’re just as good as advertised, if not better so far. The Bangor High School softball team’s pitching staff has been mowing down its opponents early this season, thanks in large part to Sam Bedore’s 24 strikeouts in victories over Skowhegan and Nokomis of Newport… Read More
The Veazie Salmon Club’s parking lot was empty on Monday afternoon, not an angler in sight. Nor a cribbage player. 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
The University of Maine baseball team finds itself in an unusual and uncomfortable position halfway through the America East Conference season. Stony Brook departed Sunday having taken three of four games from the Black Bears in Orono, leaving coach Steve Trimper’s ballclub in last place… Read More
A strange thing happened on the way to an argument on the strike zone. The discussion turned from: “Was that a strike?” to “We have to pick up the pace on the game.” On Wednesday in Seattle the Orioles were playing the Mariners. Brian Runge… Read More
OFFENBURG, Germany – Exeter native Adam Craig continued his strong early season push for a berth on the U.S. Olympic Mountain Biking Team with a top-10 finish Sunday at the International Cycling Union World Cup’s second stop of the season. Craig was the top American… Read More
Piscataquis Country Club in Guilford will be opening for the season on Tuesday at 8 a.m. with carts available. Read More
Brad Allen studies birds for a living, and hunts some of them for enjoyment. And on Monday morning, the biologist who serves as the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s bird group leader knows exactly where he’ll be, and what he’ll be doing. In… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine men’s hockey team has landed another recruit from the Rothesay Netherwood School in New Brunswick. Darcy Ashley, who can play center or wing and had 160 points in 46 games for the Riverhawks, will join teammate Kevin Gagne in… Read More
Suffice it to say that anglers hereabouts and beyond are honing their hooks in anticipation of the May 1 opening of the Penobscot River’s one-month, catch-and-release Atlantic salmon season. In spite of the river running high and roily, it’s likely that rods will bow deeply to the king… Read More
Mouth calls, a box call, a slate call, an owl call, a folding knife and folding saw, brush clippers, binoculars and camouflage face mask and gloves. Other vest pockets and pouches hold a flashlight, a GPS, two crushable decoys, a foam seat cushion, insect repellent, shells, an extra… Read More
It’s official, spring has sprung. I can so declare because I got out on the lake Thursday evening and was serenaded by red-winged black birds, a quartet of Canada geese, a couple of hooded mergansers and dozens of peepers. But the most official proclamation of… Read More
Recently a friend and I went out for an early-morning bird walk. The trees still looked relatively bare, despite the warm spell, but the green of new grass brought life to the landscape, and the songs and calls of birds promised the full advent of spring right around… Read More
High school students interested in a great day of outdoor fun might want to consider taking part in the East Grand Adventure Race for Teens on May 17. The race will take place in Danforth, and consists of four parts. The first leg is a… Read More
For a day or two earlier this week, the Boston Bruins’ rise from perennial also-ran to inspired underdog proved riveting even to the most casual or indifferent sports fan in these parts. For once coach Claude Julien thought to put Phil Kessel on the ice… Read More
After reaching the 2007 Eastern Maine Class A championship match, the Bangor boys tennis team returns a blend of veterans and newcomers to the varsity scene this spring – its first in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. “It’s a little different this year,” said Rams’… Read More
The University of Maine will play before the largest-ever crowd to witness a Black Bears football game on Sept. 5, 2009. The Bears will be traveling to play Atlantic Coast Conference power Florida State University at 82,300-seat Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Bangor Raceway has had to postpone its opening weekend of racing for a third straight week due to soft and potentially unsafe track surface conditions due to a late thaw. “The track still hasn’t come along like we thought it was going to,” said track… Read More
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -The Maine Maritime Academy varsity sailing team captured the title at the Intrepid Regatta after winning a four-way tiebreaker with SUNY (State University of New York) New York Maritime, U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Naval Academy. The tie was broken first by… Read More
BOSTON – The atmosphere was unlike anything Kristin Barry had ever experienced in a marathon, or any race for that matter. As the Scarborough runner, the 73rd to finish Sunday’s Olympic Marathon Trials, approached the finish line, the crowd on Boylston Street was just as… Read More
All day Saturday, the river vultures fed on the banks of Kenduskeag Stream as paddlers battled their way toward the finish line of the 42nd annual Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race. A beautiful, sunny day was a treat for spectators – the vultures – and the… Read More
The University of Maine-Fort Kent and the University of Maine-Machias, along with their Sunrise Conference partners, will be allowed to offer a limited number of athletic scholarships next season. They previously hadn’t been allowed to offer athletic aid. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Waldoboro native Jim Graffam, who has spent the last three years coaching men’s basketball and baseball at the College of St. Joseph in Rutland, Vt., is returning to his home state to coach the postgraduate basketball team at Lee Academy. Graffam, who is staying in… Read More
Another milestone in the evolution of women in sports occurred over the weekend when Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an open-wheel (Indy Racing League, CART or Formula 1) race: the Indy Japan 300. She had a second-place finish last year and, in… Read More
Thoughts today turn to the preservation of coaches. Following a brief but poignant conversation with a local coach, I decided today might be as good a time as any to approach the subject of coaching preservation. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Katahdin Country Club in Milo, the Lucerne-in-Maine Golf Course in Lucerne and Dexter Municipal Golf Course all will open for the 2008 season this week. Katahdin CC and Dexter Muni will open at 8 a.m. today while Lucerne-in-Maine will have golfers tee off on Thursday… Read More
A week and a half ago, David Ortiz sat out a game for the Red Sox. He was not happy about the event but understood. Ortiz said then, “I always do what the manager tells me.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
You wouldn’t think being a Yankee northerner would cut native Mainer Greg Creek any slack in the heart of Dixie. Actually, it does a lot more than that. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
There appears to be more parity than usual in the Class C girls track and field ranks this spring. Especially on the girls side, where six-time defending champion John Bapst of Bangor, Orono, Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and Fort Kent are all expected to field… Read More
UMaine shows lack of compassion to athlete From what I have read in the newspaper regarding the University of Maine women’s basketball player requesting to be released from her athletic scholarship, I have not read or heard that anyone from the university has expressed understanding… Read More
For the John Bapst of Bangor baseball team, late-season snow hasn’t been the direct challenge. Instead, it’s the lack of a field to call its own, which resulted in the Crusaders holding their first outdoor practice late Wednesday afternoon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The University of Maine athletic department has announced that its soccer programs have added five student-athletes for the 2008 season. The Black Bear men have received commitments from four players, while the women’s team has landed one player. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
After a couple of days of bright sunshine, it’s hard to fight that traditional spring urge to hop in the truck, point it in the direction of your favorite fishing hole, and check things out. For the record, “checking things out” doesn’t mean you’re actually… Read More
First off, here’s a big thanks to all of you who turned out for last Saturday’s Paddle Smart Safety Symposium at the Y on Second Street in Bangor. By all measures the evening was the best yet. Comments from some of the more than 225 attendees back that… Read More
April is an aggravating month for anglers. Patience wears thin as we wait for local brooks and streams to shed their icy coat and clear up enough to dunk a worm or flail a fly. One corps of casters is even more vigilant each spring since their favorite… Read More
When I first moved here I lived near the coast and quickly became familiar with our sea ducks. Common eiders became my favorite. They were abundant and easily observed, but they also seemed to exude a certain mystery. They seemed to embody the wildness of… Read More
Officials of the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray have announced that the park will open for the season on April 24. The park is a 200-acre facility with more than 25 species of native Maine wildlife on exhibit. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Aspirations becoming a reality for Gardiner’s Hall 18-year-old victorious in commercial racing debut
It was the 10th victory of his young harness racing career, and unlike the other nine, it didn’t come with any prize money. So why does 18-year-old Ryan Hall consider it his biggest win? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
A year ago, Tracy Willette’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing as the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race loomed. Call after call came in. And every caller wanted to know the same thing. This year, Willette’s phone isn’t ringing. And the race director can live with that. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Last season, Ben Rowe edged his father Mike by seven points to win his fifth Pro All Stars Series championship in the tour’s seven-year existence. The Rowes will be in the title chase again when the 2008 season begins Saturday at Scarborough’s Beech Ridge Motor… Read More
Time for some prognostications for the high school baseball season that gets under way in earnest next week. In at least one respect, baseball is much harder to forecast than basketball or football. The weather always wreaks particular havoc on spring sports, but in this… Read More
Pine Hill Golf Club in Brewer is open, and the Dexter Municipal Golf Course driving range opens today at 9 a.m. At Pine Hill, all tees and greens in play. The driving range is not open yet. Riding carts won’t be available until Monday. Membership… Read More
Joe Reilly, who for the last 11 seasons has been the head men’s basketball coach at Bates College in Lewiston, has accepted the same position at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Reilly replaces Jay Johnson, who held the post last season on an interim basis. Read More
While one Bowdoin College alumnus is making her first Olympic Marathon Trials appearance, another will be going out in grand fashion in the city where she jumpstarted her legendary running career. Emily LeVan of Wiscasset and Joan Benoit Samuelson of Freeport, both of whom graduated… Read More
Hey, is that sunshine and spring-like temperatures we’re experiencing? Or did I fall asleep listening to the Doors’ “Riders on the Storm?” Let’s touch base on a variety of topics, shall we. OWNING an auto racetrack is a difficult challenge, especially nowadays with the skyrocketing… Read More
BUCKSPORT – It will be a new-look Bucksport High School team that seeks to remain among the upper echelon of the Eastern Maine Class B baseball world this spring. Eight seniors graduated from the 2007 squad that finished 16-3 and reached the regional final after… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine’s 2008 baseball recruiting class has been ranked No. 2 in the Northeast and 70th nationally by the Perfect Game USA scouting service. Boston College ranked ahead of UMaine at 69th overall and first in the northeast. Coach Steve Trimper’s… Read More
PORTLAND – Former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan will be appearing at Hadlock Field on Patriots Day, Monday, when the Portland Sea Dogs take on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 6 p.m. The appearance is part of “Football Appreciation Day”, sponsored by Out… Read More
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Dave Nonis on Monday after missing the playoffs for the second time in his three seasons in charge. Nonis is a former UMaine hockey standout who graduated in 1988 after playing four years for the… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Raceway has postponed its opening day of racing once again, this time due to a low number of racing entries. Instead of Friday night at 7 p.m., Bangor Historic Track will open Sunday at 1:30 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Longtime broadcaster, Joe Gould, a former Bangor High School sports star, will probably be best remembered for his years of doing play-by-play high school basketball for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. A recent meeting with the likeable Gould turned up an interesting piece of trivia… Read More
Camden’s Mike MacDonald has been thrown a couple of curveballs this year as he tries to catch on with the Toronto Blue Jays. First, the longtime starting pitcher was told he’d be starting the season back in Double-A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats after… Read More
The good news for Van Buren softball coach Jay Edgecomb is that his Crusaders return seven starters and 11 players from a team that reached the Eastern Maine Class D final last spring. The bad news is that one of the starters that graduated is… Read More
They may not have won the national championship Saturday night in Denver, but they have put a college hockey program on the map and one the Maine Black Bears may just come up against in the postseason in years to come. Notre Dame is about… Read More
It was a disappointing weekend for the University of Maine baseball team. The Black Bears opened their America East schedule by dropping three of four games to Albany. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
WATERVILLE – Jeffrey Ramsdell hit a two-run home run while David deKay had a two-run double in the second game Sunday as the University of Maine-Presque Isle beat Colby College 8-5 to earn a doubleheader split. The Mules won the first game 13-1. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
University of Southern Maine men’s track and field coach Scott Hutchinson and senior pole vaulter Adam Haggerty of Hermon have garnered prestigious postseason recognition for the indoor season. Hutchinson, in his third year at the school, was named the Little East Conference’s Coach of the… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer High School baseball team relied on pitching and defense to reach last year’s Eastern Maine Class A championship game. This spring the Witches hope the addition of a more consistent hitting attack will lead to even greater success. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Starting in 1995, officials at Bangor television station WVII have contacted the New England Patriots with the same apprehension Charlie Brown has while running up to kick the football Lucy Van Pelt is holding for him. And almost every year, after asking about the possibility… Read More
For years, you’ve been telling yourself that one of these days, when you work up the gumption and find an eager partner to join in on the fun, you’ll take part in the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race. Or maybe you’re like me and keep finding… Read More
If you’re up bright and early this Saturday morning and in the Bangor area, you may want to drive to downtown Old Town and check out the annual Old Town Canoe factory sale. If you don’t, you’ll kick yourself later. There are bargains to be had for sure… Read More
For wading and casting along summer brooks, I have a favorite fly rod; there’s a bass-casting pole I’m very biased toward, too, and of course I have a special deer rifle and preferred goose gun. Truth be told, for each and every season I seem to have a… Read More
As I was driving home from work one day last week, I caught a glimpse of movement above a group of white pine trees growing near the road. A small raptor – I’m guessing it was a sharp-shinned hawk – shot straight up from within… Read More
If you’re interested in learning more about the forest around you, you may want to take part in a tree lore and identification walk being planned on Mount Desert Island on April 26. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and last about an hour. Read More
Two of the bigger sporting events this week didn’t involve actual sporting events but ceremonies. No wonder both of them confused me. 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
The University of Maine has altered the schedule for its weekend series against Albany at Mahaney Diamond in Orono because of a rainy forecast. The teams will play a doubleheader today starting at 4 p.m., with single games slated for Saturday and Sunday at 1… Read More
For many of us in Greater Bangor, spring has sprung as the first tufts of green grass have begun sprouting in parks and on lawns. For others – most notably those in Aroostook County – it will be awhile before it looks like anything but… Read More
They fly under the radar just like the sport they play. With the exception of the Bobby Orr-Phil Esposito-Big Bad Bruins days, the Boston Bruins have always taken a back seat to the Red Sox and the Celtics. Now you can add the New England… Read More
Carlin Dubay had a season unmatched in Maine high school wrestling history this winter. The Caribou High School senior went 54-0, winning not only his third straight Class B state championship at 103 pounds but also a New England championship and All-American status. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
In softball, teams can never have enough pitching. That fact is evident when looking at the depth of arms Bangor, Brewer and Hampden Academy will feature this spring in the KVAC North ranks. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
News last week that the New York Yankees are gearing up for a new stadium in 2009 was followed by yet another piece of construction news in Boston about Fenway Park. The two franchises have been going at it all these years, and New Yorkers… Read More
The 2008 professional baseball season is under way from the majors through the minors, but team rosters aren’t dotted with as many Maine names as in previous seasons. The most notable names in the pros, in general, are former University of Maine slugger Mark Sweeney,… Read More
For the past several weeks, I’ve been hearing the same reports many of you have: The deer on Interstate 95 are running amok as they feed on the remnants of an ongoing logging operation. From Argyle to Benedicta, trees on a 58-mile stretch of the… Read More
UM athletes achieve academic excellence Recently, 231 student-athletes at the University of Maine were honored for their academic achievements. 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
Maine’s harness racing community has lost a near-institution with the recent death of longtime state steward and Corinna native Robert Smith Sr. Smith, who died at the age of 94 on March 22 at his home in Brewer, was appointed state steward in 1972 and… Read More
It’s time to uncover the invisible ink for yet another season of incorrigible major league baseball predictions. The Sox and Yanks, the Yanks and Sox, and here we go again. This should be a down-to-the-wire year, and injuries will make the difference. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
The quest for the perfect, secret pool – one that is full of fish and far enough off the beaten path to dissuade all but the most determined folks – is one that anglers take seriously. It would be peaceful there, of course. And quiet. Read More
I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t allow this winter to pass without one more trip into the outdoors. It’s not that I haven’t been on hikes this winter, because I definitely went out and had fun on snowshoes in epic-depth snow, or sometimes while wearing crampons… Read More
Last call! At least it’ll be the last one from me for this year. I expect I’ll see you next Saturday at the Y on Second Street in Bangor for this year’s edition of Paddle Smart. The doors open at 5 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
AUGUSTA – Ten hunters this week won the privilege to hunt moose in Maine during the upcoming season by bidding a total of $109,111 in the 2008 Maine Moose Permit Auction, which benefits youth conservation education scholarships. More than 30 people took part in the… Read More
Rockland Golf Club will open for the season April 11 at noon. The front nine will be open for walking and golf carts will be available if course conditions allow. The back nine will open by April 18 or 19 as long as weather conditions continue to improve. Read More
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – It’s a good thing the Portland Sea Dogs’ season opener was on the road. Workers are still trying to get Portland’s Hadlock Field in shape after a winter that brought more than 100 inches of snow to Maine’s biggest city. The… Read More
Sam Leclerc concluded his senior season of high school basketball battling Traip Academy of Kittery, Boothbay and Calais while leading Winthrop to the Class C state championship. But that’s nothing compared to the opposition the 6-foot-1 senior point guard will face when he begins his… Read More