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Maine News

Friday, September 12, 2008

Maine News for Friday, September 12, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Housing market stirs as rates, prices fall
Southern Maine real estate agents welcome the increase in would-be buyers but wonder how long it will last.

Candidates take debate host to task
The League of Young voters excluded a Senate race from the debate to help its founder, they say.

'Flag ladies' of Freeport don't stand alone
In Augusta and Westbrook, observances remember those who died on Sept. 11 or in wars.

Palin seeks to defend qualifications
Palin appears in first televised interview since being named to GOP ticket.

BRIEFCASE: Two composite companies awarded seed grants

Fans expected to flock to Apple store's opening
Other stores selling Apple products anticipate a drop in sales initially, but say they'll benefit too in the long run.

Editorial
Oil speculation not the same as manipulation
There could be unintended consequences to limiting who can dabble in futures contracts.

It's time to talk about raising the legal driving age
An auto insurance industry study suggests that waiting to drive until 18 would save lives.

Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — As Maine children and their families settle into the

OWLSHEAD, Maine — The paving project for a taxiway parallel to the runway at

TOMHEGAN TOWNSHIP, Maine — The owners of a $15 million seasonal home on the

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine law enforcement officials hope a new Congress and a

AUGUSTA, Maine — Families of Maine soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan took turns hanging dog tags of

Employee union votes or the cost of war? These are issues that political operatives hope will help sway Maine voters

Editorial
Swing State Next Door The late Tim Russert, NBC Washington bureau chief and host of

Plum Creek process a ‘dangerous precedent’ The process for consideration of Plum Creek’s Moosehead Lake development plan

Kennebec Journal
MAINE PAYS TRIBUTE
AUGUSTA -- Keegan Parker never got to play a game of catch with his dad, never got to run into his arms or paint him a picture.

Lower hopes for deer season
The state’s leading deer biologist expects hunters to meet with frustration this fall.

United Way nears halfway point in meeting goal
AUGUSTA -- The United Way of Kennebec Valley announced it is just under halfway to a goal of $1.5 million for the annual campaign during the community-wide kick-off breakfast Thursday morning.

AUGUSTA Downtown eatery is extending its hours Java Joe's will offer Friday night dinners along the riverfront
AUGUSTA -- Downtown restaurant Java Joe's is expanding its food offerings and hours of operation to include Friday night dinners.

State sees good foliage season
AUGUSTA -- Maine's fall foliage season began this week with the first foliage report from the state Department of Conservation.

Editorials:

No easy answers for road costs
The price of liquid asphalt used in road paving has increased by, in some cases, more than 100 percent over the last year -- a result of the skyrocketing cost of petroleum, which is a primary ingredient of asphalt. Paving companies, with contracts based on the old, lower costs, now face ruin unless they can recoup their costs.

L. SANDY MAISEL : Palin has less experience than Baldacci or our mayors
Didn't Sarah Palin give a great speech at the Republican convention? Aren't those stories about her daughter's pregnancy unfair? Hasn't she energized the Republicans? Isn't she charismatic, articulate, fearless? Won't she be a great running mate for John McCain? Won't she be a great vice president?

Letters

Domestic violence not the way Maine should be
Front page news. Thank you for not hiding Megan Malloy's Aug. 31 article about domestic violence and instead placing it in the public's eye.

Snowe would have been better choice than Palin
I found George Smith's commentary (Sept. 10 -- Palin is candidate of real change) quite surprising. Smith says that "Sarah Palin reminds me of Olympia Snowe." That's a bit of a stretch.

Palin attackers: 'Have you no shame?'
I was amused how, after Gov. Sarah Palin was selected as Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate, the left-wing loony bloggers, Democratic leaders and operatives and media know-it-all experts went into overtime to trash her record.

Augusta's library falls short of others in Maine
It appears that the residents of the city of Augusta do not respect their community, example: Lithgow Public Library. Here we are the capital city of this great state of Maine, and our public library is a disgrace.

Offshore drilling won't bring down price of gas
Let's talk about oil prices and offshore drilling.

Domestic violence solution in the Bible: love
The Sept. 7 Sunday newspaper quoted Karen Heck as saying, "Domestic violence is still a huge issue facing one in three women in this state."

Palin's first, last, foremost concern is oil
We're told that John McCain is just another George Bush. We also should look at the traits that McCain's vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin shares with Dick Cheney: Secretive, evasive, pro-Iraq war, etc.

Sun Journal
'Honor and remember'
AUGUSTA - Dixie Flagg held her son's Army ID tag in one hand. With the other, she held her grandson, Keegan, who never got to meet his dad.

Palin: Russia won't be coddled Vice presidential candidate says she's 'ready' to lead U.S.
WASHINGTON - In her first interview since becoming the Republican nominee for vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said the U.S. might have to go to war with Russia under certain circumstances and she firmly rejected questions about her readiness for office.

Ambassadors thrown out
WASHINGTON ­- The Bush administration on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Bolivia's ambassador to the U.S. after Bolivia expelled the U.S. envoy there in an escalating tit-for-tat. Hours later, Venezuela's president, claiming the U.S. was trying to depose him, ordered the U.S. ambassador in Caracas to leave the country.

Maine Guard troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan
The eight Maine guardsmen who have died since the war began:

Palin helps McCain steer media coverage away from Obama campaign
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has helped open a pipeline of coverage for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, giving the GOP candidate almost 60 percent more media attention last week than Sen. Barack Obama, according to findings of a study released Thursday - a dramatic reversal from earlier in the campaign.

Palin interview tests Gibson's image
Thursday's ABC News interview with Sarah Palin not only was a test of her media skills, but also of the reputation of ABC News anchor Charles Gibson.

Opinion
McCain and Palin are tools of political extremism
Let's say that you enjoyed watching last week's Republican National Convention on television.

MPBN
9/11 Attacks Remembered At Statehouse
Observances in Maine on the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks began quietly with a morning memorial service atop Cadillac mountain where Gov. John Baldacci and Maine National Guard Adjutant General John Libby reflected on the meaning of loss and sacrifice. Later in the day, at the State House Hall of Flags, both unveiled a monument honoring the eight Mainers who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

With Military Service Over, Veteran Faces Bigger Battle
The conflicts sparked by the events of 7 years ago have spawned a new generation of younger war veterans scattered across the country. According to the VA, Maine currently has about 2,000 vets of Afghanistan and Iraq enrolled. Just over 200 of these sustained some kind of injury during their tour, and between 60 and 70 of them are currently being treated by the department of Veterans' Affairs. For many of these, life continues to be a struggle despite the infrastructure of professionals, volunteers, friends and family members who help them. In the first of two reports focusing on young Maine veterans, Tom Porter caught up with one former soldier who's biggest battle came when he was no longer in uniform.

Major Bank Stresses Need for Children's Health Insurance
It's back to school -- time to buy school supplies, new clothes, and some would say, time to sign up your kids for health insurance. Thousands of Maine children are eligible for public health insurance, but are still going without coverage. To raise awareness about the program, a major bank in Maine has teamed up with children's advocates and taken an unusual step. Josie Huang reports.

Demand For Wood Pellets Raises Supply Worries
With the rising cost of oil prices, many Mainers are purchasing wood pellet stoves to warm their homes. But the sharp increase in demand for pellets has brought supply to a trickle in retail stores statewide, making some consumers worry that their orders won't be filled by the time colder weather arrives. As Anne Ravana reports, at least one pellet manufacturer assures stove owners there will be enough pellets to go around.

PolitickerMe
Daily Kos poll has Senator Collins up 19 points.

A mysterious endorsement for Obama

Maine delegation low on Fannie, Freddie contribution lists

Maine is average among gubernatorial power rankings