She played her high school hockey on the boys team at Bangor’s John Bapst High School and spent one season playing at Boston College before transferring to the University of Maine. Hampden native Kim Meagher is one of three Black Bears winding up their careers… Read More
The Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, which is owned and operated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, enjoyed its best season ever in 2007, according to a DIF&W press release. More than 108,000 visits to the park were recorded, and the park… Read More
On Monday morning, a large crowd is expected in Augusta for a public hearing about a small fish that some love and others fear. Alewives are the order of the day, thanks to the debate that will rage on LD 1957, “An Act to Restore… Read More
Elizabeth R. (Leila) Bright loved skiing on the carriage roads in Acadia National Park. She skied until late in her life and after she died her family gave a generous gift to the Friends of Acadia in 2005, to greatly expand the trail grooming capacity in the park. Read More
There are many good things to be said for working for a larger company. One is the opportunity to find folks within the walls with whom to take on new adventures. Too often we get roped into our own little circle and routine and don’t… Read More
Each year the Eastern Maine high school basketball tournament creates its share of enduring memories. Here are a few from this year. Shot of the tournament: Kali Rush, Katahdin of Stacyville. Time was running out in overtime of the Cougars’ Class D quarterfinal, and the… Read More
Coming off a season-opening sweep at Delaware State, the University of Maine baseball team has embarked on its annual spring break trip. The 4-0 Black Bears are scheduled to play a stretch of 12 games in 16 days, spanning three time zones and three states,… Read More
Forty-one state champions from all three classes will represent Maine on Friday and Saturday at the 44th annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships. First-round matches are set to begin tonight on seven mats at Lowell (Mass.) High School, with championship rounds scheduled for Saturday night. Read More
Just a few days ago, a friend looked me square in the eye and shared a groundhog-esque prediction that real Mainers would never consider uttering in February. “The worst of it is over,” he said. “It’s time to start thinking about spring.” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
As the performance-enhancing drug issues continue to accumulate in sports, baseball in particular, we again learn that baseball imitates life or vice versa, and why not, it’s all just people. New York City and Jersey City are investigating their police departments after a raid on… Read More
I know basketball traditionalists enjoy watching a game without a shot clock. They will tell you it gives the underdog a chance to upset a superior team. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
Harold “Haggie” Pratt, longtime former Dexter varsity football coach who has spent the last two years as an assistant at Nokomis of Newport, has been named the Warriors’ new head coach. Pratt’s nomination was approved by the SAD 48 board of directors during its meeting… Read More
You probably didn’t see the news. If you did notice the obit, you likely didn’t pay much attention. And that’s too bad. Paul Robbins died Saturday. And if you’ve ever strapped on a pair of skis, or watched an Olympic race on TV, Robbins was… Read More
They successfully executed step one. But the University of Maine men’s hockey team has more hurdles to negotiate in its quest to qualify for the Hockey East Tournament. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
You could make a pretty good basketball team out of all the schoolgirl basketball players who have suffered season-ending knee injuries this year. One of the most recent to join the club is Stearns of Millinocket guard Adriana Eurich, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament… Read More
Vacation is over, and eight high school basketball teams are preparing for upcoming state finals. The Maine Principals’ Association should indeed be proud of itself, and the young people and their coaches who went about the business of representing their cities, towns, and their schools,… Read More
The beginning of the 2007-08 schoolboy basketball season brought out a few doubters about the ability of the Calais Blue Devils to maintain their championship status. Several of the key players who helped the Blue Devils win back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007 had… Read More
To look at the roster of the Ashland girls basketball team, one would imagine the Hornets would be in good shape for next season with the graduation of just two seniors. But Mindy Chasse and Whitney Flint aren’t just any seniors. The two represent the… Read More
Devin Gerrity wasn’t a prolific scorer during the regular season for the Maranacook of Readfield boys basketball team. Seniors Ryan Martin, Will Bardaglio and Mike Poulin were counted on to handle that part of the game, while Gerrity was content to play nearer the basket… Read More
BANGOR – Jerry Goss arrived at the Bangor Auditorium at around 12:15 p.m. Friday for his so-called squeak test on the Auditorium basketball court. It’s a fairly simple test in which Goss walks the floor to see, well, if it’s sufficiently squeaky – meaning there’s… Read More
I know winter is coming to an end. Snow and ice may still linger, and temperatures may still be well below freezing. But, for the past week or so now, I’ve heard a northern cardinal singing every morning with the rising of the sun. It… Read More
Maine outdoorsmen must contend each winter with early darkness, long evenings and often cold, dreary weather on weekends. In truth, there’s only so much ice fishing and varmint hunting that stormy weather and short days will allow, especially when we endure an “old fashioned” winter like this one. Read More
I hope you got out for a little fresh air Wednesday night and watched the lunar eclipse. I wondered how many others might be out in their backyards lying on the rock-hard snow trying to aim a camera at the fading orb. As I delicately… Read More
No doubt the subject of a shot clock for high school basketball in Maine has come up in conversations during the last 36 hours. That’s always the immediate reaction whenever a team uses delay tactics in a game, particularly a high-profile encounter such as Wednesday… Read More
Tickets are available for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup race June 29 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Tickets go on sale today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. To purchase tickets, call 603-783-4931 or go online at www.nhms.com. Tickets… Read More
BANGOR – Not everybody, it seems, has school vacation this week. One of the first people Woodland junior Chad James spoke to Thursday afternoon after his No. 3 Dragons upset No. 2 Deer Isle-Stonington – aside from teammates, coaches, media and fans – was his… Read More
Wednesday morning’s Class C girls quarterfinal session brought out a bevy of college head and assistant coaches, including some of the best former schoolgirl basketball players ever to appear at the Bangor Auditorium – and, arguably, the schoolgirl who is considered the best ever. The… Read More
The Alfond Arena faithful have waited and waited for the University of Maine men’s hockey team to snap out of this miserable season and string together some wins. They are still waiting. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
PORTLAND – Portland Sea Dogs mascot Slugger is getting in shape to help 2008 Olympic hopeful Emily LeVan in her quest to raise $52,400. The Sea Dogs and the Bay Club are helping LeVan’s run to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program in… Read More
BANGOR – Bob McShane has helped make Calais High School synonymous with schoolgirl basketball during more than two decades as the Blue Devils’ head coach. Five state championships and nine Eastern Maine Class C titles have been the most pronounced signs of that effort, along… Read More
The Lee Academy girls basketball team brought some extra motivation into the Eastern Maine Class C basketball tournament. The Pandas won two of the last three state Class D championships and made the move up to Class C this season. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Few things unite cities and towns in Maine like the high school basketball tournaments. There’s nothing like walking into the Bangor Auditorium and seeing a Calais and Dexter matchup, one side of the old hall decked out in Dexter red, while the other side is… Read More
Something had to give when Fort Fairfield and Ashland met in their Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal Monday afternoon. Neither had appeared at the Bangor Auditorium in at least a decade. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
BANGOR – Jonesport-Beals High School senior guard Brittany Alley has been a fortunate young lady. Not only did she get to pick the brain of her dad and high school coach Skipper Alley, her grandfather is the legendary Ordie Alley. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BANGOR – The regular crew of Eastern Maine tournament announcers ceded the microphone twice Saturday to a Bangor Auditorium rookie. Reid Durost, a 21-year-old Bangor resident and junior at the New England School of Communications in Bangor, made his Auditorium debut in the Saturday afternoon… Read More
BANGOR – Megan Helm had her mind on Erskine of South China’s Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal matchup against Camden Hills Saturday afternoon, but once the game ended in a 53-49 win for the Eagles, the Erskine sophomore had one other thought. Helm’s brother Sam,… Read More
There are lots of thoughts to be had from the congressional hearings this week where Roger Clemens was the spotlight witness. One such thought is about remembering how little we know about the athletes we are so ready to place on pedestals. We live in… Read More
Over the past couple of centuries, Maine’s previously free-flowing rivers and streams have been altered in hundreds of ingenious ways, by man and beast alike. Beavers, nature’s engineers, do what they do to survive. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Of all the abilities a Maine sportsman can possess, whether hunting, fishing, hiking, trapping, boating or snowmobiling, being able to quickly, efficiently start a fire may well be the most important. Although this skill may come into play several times a year for mundane tasks under ordinary circumstances,… Read More
Feel like you’ve been on Mother Nature’s roller coaster this week? I do. Who’d have thought you’d have been skidding on ice-packed roadways one day and swimming home the next? Wednesday was a day of contrasts. Before my morning coffee I was out moving blizzard-like… Read More
Jimmy Spencer knows that championship feeling. The Belfast wrestler twice has won individual state titles, at 119 pounds as a sophomore and at 130 pounds as a junior. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
The University of Maine’s softball team was picked to finish sixth in the preseason America East coaches poll. The league’s eight coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Gordon “Nels” Kramer has seen plenty during his 26 years as a fisheries biologist working out of West Enfield. But even 20 years before Kramer started managing the region’s fisheries, a group of citizens was busy organizing an event that would end up introducing thousands… Read More
LOWELL, Mass. – Joey DeWitt of Ellsworth was named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II All-Academic cross country team for the third straight year. The University of Massachusetts Lowell senior has a 3.426 grade point average as a… Read More
The University of Maine women’s ice hockey and basketball teams will participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Week on Saturday. The Hockey East Skating Strides program to benefit breast cancer awareness will be featured on Saturday evening in Orono when the University of Maine women’s hockey… Read More
These are matters to be learned from this year’s Super Bowl. If you make the dip too early in the day and take the taco chips out of the oven hours before the game, you are very fat and happy at kickoff. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Head Style: head36 – 36 Point, 2 deck, Minion-SemiboldBDN95, Plain; 75; 2 col Head Style: drop18 – 18 Point, 1 deck, Minion-RegularBDN95, Plain; 22; 2 col googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
She was on a bus headed for a game at Clemson University (S.C.). Former University of Maine women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie didn’t mind the bus trip with her Duke University Blue Devils because they are a far cry from her trips in the… Read More
Chris Hahn and Keenan Hopson returned to the University of Maine lineup over the weekend after prolonged injury absences and Black Bears men’s hockey coach Tim Whitehead liked what he saw. Junior winger Hahn had missed 12 games with a broken finger and broken jaw. Read More
Write a column about fish, and every once in awhile, a fellow fisherman will check in (if he’s not out fishing) and tell you what he thinks. Write a column about birds, and something entirely different happens. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Tournament basketball begins tonight with preliminary games across the region for high school basketball. Tournament basketball, you’re asking? That’s correct, dear readers, and it should be viewed as such. In fact, that was just what referee John Plourde told my captains of the last Narraguagus… Read More
Hermon cheerleading coach Lisa Pratt crouched off to the side of the competition mat just before her Hawks were to perform in the final round of Saturday’s Class B state championships – with a piece of white paper toweling stuck up her nose. Pratt got… Read More
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Two boxers from Wyman’s Boxing Club in Stockton Springs won events at the Vermont Golden Gloves on Saturday. Dover-Foxcroft’s Jeff Harrison defeated Chad Limoge of Burlington, Vt., in the 141-pound weight class in the novice division. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The University of Maine men’s hockey team has landed another forward from Todd Jenkins’ Compuware Midget Minor Elite Under-16 team in Michigan. Austin Watson, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound right winger, has verbally committed to attend Maine on a scholarship beginning in 2010. Watson’s linemate, center Stuart… Read More
One winter evening a few years back, I glanced into the sky while walking across the office parking lot and was amazed at what I saw … and what, apparently, I’d been missing. The sky was full of crows. Thousands of them flew in the… Read More
I traded the fresh air of the countryside last weekend for the fume-filled finishing stages of a woodworking project I’ve been working on for my daughter Elizabeth. Woodworking is something I truly love to do (almost as much as paddling), but the finishing part wears… Read More
At 7 a.m. on a bleak winter morning a few years back, the temperature coincidentally hovered at 7 degrees. Caribou’s National Weather Bureau office pegged the day’s high to be a brisk 11 degrees. While 7 and 11 may be rewarding numbers for Vegas dice rollers, for Aroostook… Read More
For the past several years, thousands of participants have taken part in a massive winter carnival and ice fishing derby on Sebago Lake. This year, there are some changes in the event, which promises to be bigger and better than ever. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Tony Hamlin’s coaching career has been marked by more than 300 victories, state championships at two different schools and a perennial presence in postseason play. But the 2007-2008 campaign has presented a different challenge for the Penquis of Milo boss – a challenge that only… Read More
Oliver Blum of Greely High School in Cumberland Center has been named the 2007-08 Gatorade Maine Soccer Player of the Year. Blum is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May. The senior… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine Athletic Department is sponsoring pregame men’s hockey rallies at the Sports Caf? on Mill Street Friday and Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m. The Black Bears will be taking on the New Hampshire Wildcats in Hockey East showdowns at 7 both nights. All… Read More
NEWARK, N.J. – Less than a week after winning the Super Bowl, the New York Giants got the 2008 season off to a good start by retaining defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Just hours after Spagnuolo, who coached at the University of Maine in 1993 and… Read More
Wildlife biologist Brad Allen spends plenty of time in the field studying many of the state’s birds. But as Allen can tell you, all bird habitat is not equal … and sometimes, birds end up hunkering down in places humans would rather they avoid. That’s… Read More
The lights are shining fairly brightly on Fort Kent’s schoolboy basketball season, with the Warriors poised to earn a home preliminary-round playoff game in Eastern Maine Class C. But the lights went out on the team before its regular-season finale at Van Buren on Tuesday… Read More
University of Maine senior captain Jenna Cowan was named a finalist for the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Competition, to be held April 11 at the Men’s Frozen Four in Denver. Cowan is among 66 men’s and women’s finalists who are hoping to be voted by… Read More
Jeremy Brock of Hampden bowled his first career 300 game during the Monday night men’s league at Family Fun Bowling Center in Bangor. The 34-year-old, who recently moved to Maine from Texas, bowled a 162-224-300, a 686 series. Read More
It should be a telling weekend in the North Atlantic Conference women’s basketball ranks. The top two teams in the both the East and West divisions will square off on back-to-back days, which should further clarify the picture for the upcoming conference tournament, which begins… Read More
Diehard New England Patriots fan are having trouble coming to grips with the New York Giants’ 17-14 Super Bowl win that ruined the chance for a perfect season. They still can’t believe New York’s Eli Manning escaped a sure sack and David Tyree hung on… Read More
The University of Maine men’s hockey team has landed the heir apparent to goalie Ben Bishop as well as another defenseman for next season. Scott Darling, a sixth-round draft choice of the Phoenix Coyotes who leads the prestigious United States (Junior) Hockey League in wins,… Read More
Jon Pelletier’s high school wrestling career featured the variety of spanning nine weight classes over four years but also a consistency of success throughout that physical growth. The Bucksport High School senior, who during his freshman year was one of the top 119-pounders in the… Read More
ORONO – Since bursting on the scene with nine rebounds in his team’s season opener and a game-high 10 rebounds in the third game of his collegiate men’s basketball career, Sean McNally had been a bit invisible over the next two months. The 19-year-old University… Read More
In the St. John Valley of extreme northern Maine, the weather plays an important role in the day-to-day activities of many. In towns such as Madawaska and St. Agatha, cold weather is expected, accepted and often embraced. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
With all the scrutiny going on in presidential political circles these days, I thought today might be as good a time as any to discuss ethics and the high school coaching profession. Probably no more scrutiny is offered in public education than in the realm… Read More
The Red Sox win again and never made a move. That seems a reasonable consensus regarding the trade between the Twins and the Mets sending Johan Santana to New York. Most of this offseason has been spent on speculation as to whether the Yankees or… Read More
The University of Maine has become the first school in Hockey East and one of the few schools in the country to add the Canadian national anthem to the pregame schedule. Before every game at Alfond Arena, both the Canadian and American national anthems are… Read More
Some ice anglers call them “tip-ups.” In some northern sections of Maine, you’re more likely to hear them called “flags.” Still others refer to their essential pieces of ice-fishing gear as “tilts,” while the generic term “traps” works just as well. No matter what you… Read More
The Down East Sled Dog Club will welcome teams from all over New England and Canada on Feb. 16-17. Dog sled and skijoring events are on tap all weekend long, with runs all day each day, beginning at 10 a.m. The races will be held… Read More
There’s so much more preparation to taking a winter hike than one in warmer weather, what with all the clothing decisions that have to be made. Just thinking about it tends to make me want to put it off for another day. But I’ll have… Read More
If there’s one thing that makes a small mountain look bigger, it’s snow. Take Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, for instance. At an elevation of a little more than 1,500 feet, it’s not a big mountain. It’s barely a hill really. But, add a layer of snow… Read More
Tuesday night’s scene at Folsom Gymnasium in Fairfield was a bit surreal by Lawrence High School boys basketball standards. The tiny gym was half full of spectators at best, and the home team had a more youthful appearance than normal – not surprising since it… Read More
Gorham High School junior midfielder Rachele Burns has been honored as the Gatorade Maine High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year, the second consecutive Gorham player to win the award. Burns registered 18 goals and nine assists this fall in leading the Rams to… Read More
It has taken a while, but Maine Maritime Academy has gradually worked its way back to the top of the North Atlantic Conference East Division women’s basketball standings. Coach Craig Dagan’s rebuilding Mariners made a statement about their continued progress Monday night while posting a… Read More
As most other anglers rested snugly in their beds early Saturday morning, Harold King had other plans. He went fishing. 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
It’s all in the attitude. Former University of Maine men’s hockey goalie Frank Doyle could certainly be frustrated. He is playing in the New Jersey Devils organization. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who has played in at least 70… Read More
ORONO – University of Maine basketball fans may have noticed a slight change this season in the behavior of game officials at Alfond Arena. Officials are often seen reaching to their waists to touch a small, black, plastic box attached to their belts. The box… Read More
HERMON – Hermon High School is hosting its last regular season wrestling meet, the second annual River City Rumble wrestling tournament, tonight at 6 p.m. in the high school gym. Teams competing include: Brewer, John Bapst, Old Town and Hermon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Former University of Maine right winger Teddy Purcell was chosen the Most Valuable Player in the American Hockey League All-Star game Monday night as he became just the fourth player in All-Star game history to notch a hat trick. In addition, he decided the game… Read More
Much has changed atop the Eastern Maine Class D Heal point rankings this winter, yet there’s also a sense of status quo. Change came during the offseason when Schenck of East Millinocket – a regional finalist last year – and Lee Academy – a semifinalist… Read More
The Mount Desert Island boys swimming team hasn’t lost a meet this season and has some of the top individuals in the state. But dual meets and individual performances aren’t of utmost concern as the Trojans head into the final week of the dual-meet season. Read More
I read with great interest recent news out of Portland that the possibility of professional basketball returning to Maine is a very real one in the form of an NBA Development League, or D-League, expansion franchise. According to this newspaper, a former pro scout, assistant… Read More
They have the blueprint. Now the question is, can the University of Maine men’s hockey team follow it and construct a late-season run to earn a respectable seeding for the Hockey East Tournament? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
We are now in the midst of the “where can I find a story” time, waiting for the Giants and Pats to actually take the field and play the damn thing (Super Bowl). So, here’s one of those stories. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Atlantic salmon anglers in the Penobscot River Valley are a passionate, concerned bunch. When their home river was closed to fishing in 1999, they continued to soldier on, holding fund-raising activities and meetings and breakfasts and participating in programs designed to teach area schoolchildren more about a magnificent… Read More
That first “major” outing after recovering from an ankle injury is intimidating, especially if you’re closer to your twilight years than your youth. Add a chunk of regained lard due to inactivity caused by said injury and throw in some friends 15 to 25 years… Read More
The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will begin accepting reservations at 12 state park campgrounds on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. Campers may make reservations online at www.CampWithMe.com, call 800-332-1501 (in-state) or 207-624-9950 (out-of-state) or mail reservations to Bureau of Parks and Lands, Attn:… Read More
After last week’s column about boreal irruptives, I received an e-mail from Mildred Bennett, who was curious about the winter finches she had seen in her yard over the years. Specifically, she commented on two of my favorite winter finches: pine grosbeaks and evening grosbeaks. Read More
When last we met on these pages I was enjoying the temperate climes of Costa Rica while attempting to accomplish a couple of fishing goals I’d set for the New Year. On day one, Alexandre Esmeraldo, the general manager of Los Suenos Ocean and Golf Resort, joined me… Read More
Throughout the second half of the NFL season, I’ve been hearing and reading about what it would take to defeat the New England Patriots and the many weaknesses just waiting to be exploited. . That the Pats’ didn’t have a championship-caliber running game because Sammy… Read More
BANGOR – Rod Haney of Brewer bowled his 10th career 300 game and second this year in the Pine Tree Men’s League at Family Fun Bowling Center Thursday night. The 40-year-old Haney compiled game scores of 300, 234 and 267 for an 801 series. Read More
Hampden Academy senior Mikki Libbey has found a hero of sorts in Bangor High senior Jennie Lucy. While Libbey is recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, she has been watching with interest as Lucy, who tore the ACL in… Read More