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Maine News

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Maine News for Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Bitten by the economy
Soaring supply costs and shaky finances have the dining-out industry worried.

TROOPS WITH MAINE TIES WHO HAVE DIED IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN WARS

Home price erosion surges in Maine
Cumberland and York counties see less of a drop in April than the 11 percent state average.

BILL NEMITZElectric car? It's not unthinkable any longer

Former legislator, daughter attacked in Pittston home
William G. Guerrette and Nicole Guerrette, 10, are flown to the hospital and undergo surgery for stab wounds. Three other family members are uninjured.

Rivals bring experience to state Senate race
Election 2008: Experienced Democrats Lawrence Bliss and Edward Kelleher face off in District 7.

Plum Creek plan gets positive review
Losses in scenic value would be offset by economic gains, LURC staffers say.

Seeing green in Bayside grit
A proposed trail and 'pocket parks' would connect Deering Oaks to the Eastern Prom and Back Cove.

Diesel prices prompt senators to try to help truckers
Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe propose an increase in weight limits to help truckers cope with rising fuel prices.

Editorial
State standards for lead in toys won't address the problem
Real assurance about toy safety can come only from federal rules and enforcement.

Do Mainers need to be sold on 'staycations'?
If you wanted to save on gas this summer, being told to stay home seems redundant.

Domestic surveillance compromise worth exploring
A secret court review could address the concerns of those on both sides of the issue.

GREG KESICHJoe Frazier's bout in Maine politics could start a trend
Why should Charlie Summers be the only candidate to hook up with a boxing celebrity?

RICHARD M. CEBRAGOP's own 'Cross Road Blues'
Party voters have a choice in the 1st District primary between making deals or making history.

Letters
Hillary Clinton steps over the line, should withdraw

Bangor Daily News
Nomination struggles test candidates

AUGUSTA, Maine - Majority Democrats will be looking to solidify their hold on the Legislature in the November general elections while Republicans again hope to rebound from their minority status. But first the two parties must sort out their rosters of candidates.

State, county Down East jail eyed

MACHIAS, Maine - The state wants to build a new facility that would combine the Bucks Harbor prison and Washington County Jail into one unit, Gov. John Baldacci announced Tuesday.

Senators urge easing truck weight limits

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine's two U.S. senators are proposing a two-year pilot program that would allow trucks carrying up to 100,000 pounds to travel on federal highways whenever diesel prices are $3.50 a gallon or more. It is the latest in a series of efforts, so far unsuccessful, aimed at allowing greater truck weights on the interstate system in Maine.

New aquaculture facility in Franklin celebrates mission to raise quality salmon

FRANKLIN, Maine - If you eat a fillet of Atlantic salmon in the next several years, there's a good chance its lineage will trace back to the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Franklin.

Log trucker charged in DOT driver's death

MACHIAS, Maine - A 51-year-old Island Falls man appeared in Washington County Superior Court on Tuesday charged with manslaughter in connection with the death last year of a Maine Department of Transportation worker.

Volunteers put finishing touches on new house

OLD TOWN, Maine - Some volunteers scurried around outside the house Tuesday afternoon, picking up construction materials and sweeping the walkway. Others were inside the home lighting candles and asking visitors to please, take off their shoes before entering.

Plum Creek fate in state's hands

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Moosehead Lake area could absorb the 2,000-plus houses and resort accommodations proposed by Plum Creek through a combination of careful planning, strong oversight and large-scale land conservation, state regulators were told Tuesday.

Editorial
College value and cost

Having nearly completed his freshman year as chancellor of the University of Maine system, Richard Pattenaude is ready to start over again. Dr. Pattenaude's engaging and likable manner suits his mission as chief ambassador for the state's colleges and universities.

Editorial: Shades of Short Creek

A Texas court last week rebuked authorities for seizing more than 450 children from a polygamist compound.

Chirs Crittenden: Don't let the sun go down on Lubec schools
Fastidious and faithful readers of the BDN may have noticed a rare occurrence recently: two articles on different topics about a tiny school that sits as far Down East as you can go.

John Buell: Amber waves of ethanol
The world food crisis is highlighting tragic stories of multitudes on the brink of starvation. Nonetheless, this crisis is likely to encourage a surplus of another kind: market fundamentalism.

May 28 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Residence had been robbed before, but police reveal no motive behind assault
PITTSTON -- A man and a child were critically injured early Tuesday morning after an attack during a home invasion, police said.

Violent crimes rare in Maine
Reports of Tuesday's home invasion in Pittston can shatter the public's sense of safety, but police say Maine is one of the last places in the country you would expect such a crime to occur.

Senators eye relief for troubled truckers
AUGUSTA -- Maine's two U.S. senators believe they hold the key to immediately relieving expenses for the state's trucking industry in the form of a newly-introduced piece of federal legislation.

Plum Creek gains at LURC meeting
AUGUSTA -- The Moosehead Lake region can absorb the impact of the 2,000 new housing units a Plum Creek development proposal for homes and major resorts could bring, Land Use Regulation Commission staff said Tuesday.

Cony 'warning' aired at forum tonight
AUGUSTA -- The Board of Education meets tonight to discuss Cony High School's accreditation, which is on "warning" status, as well as alternative ideas for improving student grades and attendance rates at the high school.

College system helping out with child care
Rural community-college students needing help to cover child care expenses soon will be eligible for $150,000 in scholarships, the Maine Community College System announced Tuesday.

Editorial

Partnerships that protect land and jobs
Sporting camp owners, Maine guides, forest managers and residents of the Grand Lake Stream region Down East joined Gov. John Baldacci and conservation group officials last week to celebrate the completion of one of the most ambitious land preservation efforts in the last decade.

GEORGE SMITH : THE NATIVE CONSERVATIVE: Where are the Legislature's problem-solvers these days?
The pleasant aroma of roasted coffee wafts from my decorative Fryeburg Fair cup as I write this column. The cup was a gift from State Representative Harry "Pinky" True during the legislative session when he served on the Fish and Wildlife Committee.

BY PETER MILLS, STATE SENATOR : SENATOR PETER MILLS: Public pensions shouldn't chain workers to their jobs
We should grant Maine's newly hired teachers and public employees access to Social Security -- and the freedom to move in and out of public service that comes with it.

Letters

Too worried about our lives to worry about planet
Bill McKibben's request (commentary, May 18) for us to rally together, aiming for "350 ppm" (atmospheric concentration of CO2) to prevent global disaster seems mildly amusing.

Cote best candidate in 1st District race
I am writing to urge all veterans, active duty, guard and reserve service members and those who love and care for them and our military community to vote for Cote, a fellow veteran, in Maine's 1st District seat in Congress.

Same-sex marriage issue of equal rights under the law
Why? Because it's past time for another step toward securing equal rights for all Americans. Gay and lesbian couples are no different from heterosexual couples who want to make a legal, spiritual and social commitment to each other.

Sun Journal

Some legislative candidates face long odds
AUGUSTA (AP) - Majority Democrats will be looking to solidify their hold on the Legislature in the November general elections while Republicans again hope to rebound from their minority status. But first the two parties must sort out their rosters of candidates.

Maine police hunt for suspects
PITTSTON (AP) - A former state legislator and his 10-year-old daughter were critically injured early Tuesday morning when they were attacked during an invasion of their home, police said.

Maine jail on sale: asking price $200,000
SKOWHEGAN (AP) - If you're in the market for a roomy brick-and-stone Victorian, complete with a security system and razor-wire fencing, then Somerset County officials may have a deal for you.

Panel weighs Plum Creek plan
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine's wilderness zoning board Tuesday began a public review of its staff's proposed changes to the largest subdivision ever proposed for the state's North Woods.

Maine soldier killed
SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) - A 22-year-old soldier from Maine who completed two tours in Iraq has been killed by "non-combat" fire while serving in Afghanistan, his grandfather said Tuesday.

Editorial

Oil program: A good idea, needed time
The sulfur-smelling devil in the details of Auburn's proposal to add residents to its oil purchasing contract was the brief timeframe. There wasn't enough time to sell skeptical oil dealers on the program and quell their fears.

West Virginia primary vote shows race still a factor
I keep thinking I should be mad at West Virginia.

No relief for pain at the pumps?
I was standing in the parking lot when a man near me began to swear.

MPBN

LURC Opens Plum Creek Deliberation
The seven people who will decide the fate of the single largest development and conservation plan ever proposed in Maine began two days of open deliberations in Augusta today. The Land Use Regulation Commission is not expected to make a final decision on Plum Creek's rezoning plan until late summer at the earliest. But as Susan Sharon reports, the next two days are designed for LURC commissioners to raise questions and issues for their staff as the long process continues.

Activists Oppose Plan To Cut Polling Sites In Portland
The city of Portland is planning to significantly reduce the number of polling places it will operating in the November election, citing a budget shortfall. As Barbara Cariddi, reports, critics say the move could discourage participation in a critical election.

Truckers Call For Increased Weight Limits
In Augusta today, truck drivers, their supporters and Senator Susan Collins announced federal legislation that attempts to make long hauls more efficient in light of soaring diesel fuel costs. Anne Ravana reports.

New Michael Klahr Center Opens In Augusta
The addition of the Holocaust Human Rights Center will serve as an education resource, including interactive audio displays to tell the stories of survivors. Tom Porter has more.

Sears Island's Future Still Focus of Contention
Environmental activists plan to gather tomorrow at Sears Island for a funeral and wake: not for a person, but for the island itself. Members of the groups "Fair Play for Sears Island" and "Penobscot Bay Watch" say plans for an industrial port on the uninhabited midcoast island will kill any hope of keeping the island wild, and the bay in which it sits healthy. Barbara Carridi reports.

PolitickerME
People's Veto Team - meet your opponents

Shipyard commander endorses Scontras

Gov. Romney endorses Summers for Congress