Maine News for Friday, November 21, 2008

Portland Press Herald
By 2010, unemployment in Maine and three other New England states could top 8%

Benefits extended as joblessness grows
About 1.2 million Americans whose assistance is running out will get a reprieve under the $5.7 billion legislation.

Big Three to provide a plan for survival
Democrats won't weigh a bailout until automakers show how they'll use the aid to rebuild the industry.

Services escape brunt of cutbacks ordered at DHHS
Day One, which combats youth substance abuse, is one of the agencies dealing with a rollback.

Standish councilors condemn sign
Councilors take a stand against the anti-Obama sign posted recently at the Oak Hill General Store.

Lewiston signs on for federal aid

Gas prices drop below $2 a gallon in 23 states
Oil prices, too, are at a three-year low, but the prices come at the cost of a battered economy.

Editorial

City should explore all its options for the pier
Still, given a dispute with the state and the slow economy, redevelopmet may have to wait.

Experience trumps novelty on emerging Obama team
Obama’s choices reflect a move to the center, but don’t mean things won’t get done.

M.D. HARMONWhat's so offensive about Mormons and marriage?
They're now under fire for adopting the view of it our culture has always held – and they haven't.

CYNTHIA TUCKERGetting married shouldn't be only 'for white people'
Perhaps our new president and his family can overcome a stereotype or two.

Bangor Daily News

Sen. Collins honored by Boy Scouts

BANGOR, Maine — Though perhaps best known for the work she does in the nation’s capital, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins was honored Thursday for contributions closer to home.

Action on Sears Island sought

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci remains committed to a “positive and productive future for Sears Island,” his office said Thursday.

UMaine educator named Professor of the Year

ORONO, Maine — A University of Maine professor in the areas of soil science and forest resources has been named the 2008 Maine Professor of the Year.

Ex-tribal officials guilty

BANGOR, Maine — A federal jury Thursday found a former Indian Township Passamaquoddy tribal governor guilty on all but one of 30 charges, including misapplication of tribal and federal funds and making false statements to government agencies.

Councilor resigning his seat in Brewer

BREWER, Maine — When City Councilor Michael Celli was elected to the state House of Representatives earlier this month, he faced a challenging question: Should he keep both seats? more

Cupboard is bare at Indian Island

INDIAN ISLAND, Maine — Despite some recent renovations and the promise of a new roof during the weekend, the shelves are bare in the food pantry that serves this close-knit community.

UMaine takes 10th in national Chem-E-Car event

ORONO, Maine — A group of eight University of Maine students took 10th place out of 29 teams at last weekend’s national Chem-E-Car competition in Philadelphia.

Editorial

Legislating by Referendum

Next November, Maine voters will have another chance to rewrite their tax bills, just as they did on Nov. 4 by repealing the DirigoChoice beverage tax.

Only $600,000 a Year

It sounded voluntary and generous when the top executives of Goldman Sachs announced that they would give up their usual bonuses this year.

Time to keep on keeping on — politically

In his Nov. 13 commentary “1800s Civic Virtue Comeback Dubious,” Lynn Hudson Parson notes that “once the election cycle is complete, politics as a source of interest disappears, to be replaced by American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, the World Series or the Super Bowl.”


Kennebec Journal

STATE FUND LOSES $3B
AUGUSTA -- Wall Street's wild ride, with recent deep dips, has meant a nearly $3 billion drop in assets since July for the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.

University acknowledges a founding spirit
AUGUSTA -- Friends remember Richard J. Randall as a family man, golfer and dedicated servant to the University of Maine at Augusta.

Group links puppy mills, chain store
The Humane Society of the United States said Thursday that its eight-month investigation revealed extensive brokering between puppy mills and Petland, an international chain pet store.

Editorials:

Give thanks for what you have; hunger on rise
The family cooks are pulling together menus and shopping lists. Mom and Dad are plotting the car trip to Gram and Gramps' house or vice-versa. How big a turkey do we need this year? Are any vegetarians coming? Who's going to peel all the potatoes? Can we stop Aunt Mary from making that awful stuffing with prunes in it again?

L. SANDY MAISEL : With latest picks, Obama chooses staff with clear qualifications
I wish the critics would just chill. Remember the euphoria on election night when not only Barack Obama supporters but also many John McCain supporters felt good about the new direction the president-elect might take the nation, about one more barrier caused by racism that had been broken, about a leader who spoke to all of the people -- those who voted for him and those whom he had failed to sway?

Sun Journal
Lewiston seeking $35.7M from feds
LEWISTON - If Congress sets aside money to stimulate the national economy, Lewiston wants to get its share.

More red ink flows in Maine
AUGUSTA (AP) - Red ink continued to spill Thursday in the State House as state budget reviewers got a new report on plunging revenues and officials confirmed their belief that the shortfall for the current fiscal year will be just shy of $150 million.

Noted bridge deteriorating
NAPLES (AP) - One of Maine's most familiar bridges is in for an overhaul.

Mom accused of being drug mule
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire state police say a Maine mother of a 1-year-old girl served as a drug mule for a pair of drug traffickers.

USDA: Mainers struggling to eat AUGUSTA (AP) - Figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate 13.3 percent of Maine households were having difficulty getting adequate food even before the economic slowdown.
The department's food security report covering the period between 2005 and 2007 indicates there were statistically significant increases in Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada and West Virginia. The largest increases were observed in Maine and Minnesota.

Bar Harbor guards darkness
BAR HARBOR (AP) - They take their darkness seriously in Bar Harbor.

Builders go green by going modular
BOSTON (AP) - It took six days for builders to put together a modular classroom with wood panels and walls of windows on a concrete plaza in Boston this week.

Editorial
Will we be cheap, or good?
Good government isn't cheap.

Universal health care a top priority for Obama
If you're having trouble remembering what the recent election was all about, rest easy: you're probably not going senile - you're likely experiencing the momentary effects of brainwashing. For weeks, your television, newspaper and radio have been telling you America is a "center-right nation" that elected Barack Obama to crush his fellow "socialist" hippies, discard the agenda he campaigned on, and meet the policy demands of electorally humiliated Republicans.

MPBN
Town Council Condemns Infamous "Lottery"

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Members of the Standish Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to condemn what has been called "the Osama Obama Shotgun lottery" sign at the Oak Hill General Store. The now infamous sign reportedly asked customers to bet a dollar to predict the days Osama bin Laden and President-Elect Barack Obama would be assassinated and suggested methods for carrying out the task. Stories about the sign have now circulated around the world. And as Susan Sharon reports, they have thrust Standish into the spotlight in a raging debate about race and free speech.

Holiday Shoppers Expected To Spend Far Less This Year

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

The unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season - post-Thanksgiving's "Black Friday" - is just around the corner. A national study indicates than most consumers are looking for less expensive and more practical gifts than they sought out last year. And a University of Maine economist says that the state's retailers can expect weaker sales than they've seen in many years.

Film Portrays Positive View Of Struggling Maine Industry

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Keith Shortall

Few businesses in Maine have escaped the effects of the downturn, even high-end boat builders, who have seen orders decline, and in some cases cut their workforces. But a new film that premieres in Rockland tonight takes an unapologetically positive view of the state's boat building industry. "Maine Built Boats: Art and Soul" was produced by author, lecturer and ESPN sailing analyst Gary Jobson. Keith Shortall spoke with Jobson earlier today at the Samoset Resort in Rockland.

Jetport Provides Special Lanes For Families

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Times Record

Town officials fear 'drastic' revenue drop...(full story)

Baldacci slices $80M; more state cuts loom...(full story)

BNAS redevelopers aim to tap stimulus package...(full story)

Editorial
Reject all hate speech ...(full story)

Maine News for Thursday, October 20, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Baldacci orders deep spending cuts
His executive order calls for almost $80 million in belt-tightening, with more to come next month.

State education spending cuts could force school layoffs
A $27 million cutback in aid could also lead districts to combine bus routes and plan fewer field trips.

Gun sales shoot way up
Buyers say they fear new restrictions under an Obama administration

Race incidents blamed on 'tiny lunatic fringe'
Some Mainers fear the state might be seen as racist, but others believe outsiders know better.

New PAC focuses on GOP basics
Dean Scontras and other activists will take a lesson from Democrats.

USM wants frats, sororities to meet their neighbors
Continued complaints about the houses lead USM to invite 290 people to a community meeting.

State sex-offender registry challenge likely to go to trial
Thirty offenders have filed suit saying they would be unfairly harmed if their records are posted online.

Lobster feasts would be cause for thanks
To help Maine's fishermen, a Bangor woman starts a campaign to make it a seafood Thanksgiving.

Pier-bid loser back in the mix
Ocean Properties has said it's still interested in the pier project, and it plans to meet with city officials.

Editorial

Police shooting justified, but can be learned from
A report from the Attorney General's Office should allow for examination without blame.

High salt prices shouldn't mean more ice on the roads
Using this resource more wisely makes sense. Skimping on safety does not.

PERRY A. LAMBIt's time to resolve the issue of public use of private land
The question involves Maine statutes and case law versus our customs and traditions.

CHICHUN TSOUThe two shores of the Taiwan Strait are busy mending their own business
While Taiwan is embrolied in political scandal, life on the mainland embraces capitalism.

Bangor Daily News

$80M in cuts forced on state programs

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday ordered nearly $80 million in curtailments in state programs with education and human services programs absorbing the bulk of the impact of cutbacks that result from an ailing national economy that’s sliding into recession.

’Tis the season to give thanks for … lobster

BANGOR, Maine — To many, Maine and lobster are synonymous. But lobster and Thanksgiving? A Bangor woman hopes to make it so through a promotion aimed at getting people to add the tasty crustacean to their holiday celebrations, beginning with Thanksgiving Day.

Prescription privacy ruling could influence Maine’s law

CONCORD, N.H. — A federal appeals court has upheld the constitutionality of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation law making doctors’ prescription writing habits confidential.

Baldacci: Trade is key to recovery

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci considered canceling his participation in the trade mission to Canada this week. But he decided that with exports continuing to grow, he had to at least go to Toronto to help solidify trade with the state’s biggest trade partner.

Heating resource guide created

PORTLAND, MAINE — Maine Equal Justice Partners has created a resource guide to help those who need assistance with their winter utility and fuel bills.

No bids submitted for former Moosehead Manufacturing plant

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — No one submitted a bid Saturday for the purchase of the vacant Moosehead Manufacturing Co. plant.

Augusta man sues retailer over alleged ethnic slurs

BANGOR, MAINE — An Iranian-born U.S. citizen who is a Seventh-day Adventist has sued Sears in federal court, alleging that his direct supervisor at the store where he worked in Augusta referred to him as a “sand [n-word]” and “the terrorist” and called his religious views “crap.”

UMPI windmill project a ‘go’

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE — The winds of change are blowing across the campus of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and drafts from that transformation could be felt at other campuses across the state and nation, UMPI President Don Zillman said Wednesday.

Lawmaker proposes $19M for ‘green energy’ mills

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud introduced a House bill Wednesday that would grant federal energy tax credits worth $19 million annually to Maine biomass boilers such as the one that powers the East Millinocket paper mill at which he once worked.

Leading role in genetics forecast for Bangor area

BANGOR, Maine — “Invented in Maine” is poised to join, and even supplant, “Made in Maine” and “Maine-grown” as important branding trademarks for the Pine Tree State.

2 lobster firms get ‘working waterfront’ aid

OWLS HEAD, MAINE — Two midcoast lobster businesses got help Tuesday when they were approved as working waterfront projects by the board of Land for Maine’s Future.

Editorial

The High Cost of Soda

Whenever government takes action that smacks of imposing values on a group of people, critics abound on both the left and right.

Automakers at a crossroad

With prospects of financial handout to American automakers fading, Congress and the car companies must look for alternatives that will preserve needed jobs but not sustain imprudent business decisions.

Kennebec Journal
STATE CUTS $80M
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci signed an executive order Wednesday to cut spending by nearly $80 million to help close a shortfall in the $3 billion budget.

Education takes major hit
AUGUSTA -- Slightly more than half of the $79.8 million in cutbacks Gov. John Baldacci plans for state government this fiscal year target education-related programs.

Trial of offender registry likely
AUGUSTA -- A trial is likely in a case where 30 Maine people convicted of sex offenses decades ago seek to keep their pictures, addresses, educational sites, and workplaces off the Internet.

On Maine Politics

What will it take to revive the Maine GOP? 11/19/08

Editorials:

200 new-economy jobs find home in our area
"This center will support our strategy to alter traditional opt-in, population-focused disease management with little process and results transparency, to a fee-for-service, cost-effective approach with complete accountability," said Dr. Gary Ferguson on Tuesday.

Law enforcers shouldn't stop ATV just because
All-terrain vehicles, commonly known as ATVs, are obnoxiously loud. They can tear up the landscape and cause all manner of environmental problems, like erosion that pollutes fragile streams. They scatter wildlife with their noise and scare the heck out of hikers. And there's something about being on an ATV that can bring out the worst and most juvenile aspects of someone's personality -- Vroom! Vroom!

Sun Journal
Review upholds rejection of slots
SCARBOROUGH (AP) - Scarborough's rejection of slot machines has been upheld by an inspection of ballots by the clerk's office.

Cuts hit schools, services
AUGUSTA - Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday ordered nearly $80 million in curtailments in state programs, with education and human services programs absorbing the bulk of the impact of cutbacks that result from an ailing national economy that's sliding into recession.

Recount request withdrawn
Republican incumbent Michael Vaughan of Durham on Monday withdrew his request for a recount in the race for state representative from District 105.

Editorial
Have the court rule on Poulin
Efforts by the governor, attorney general, Democratic Party officials and others to unseat wayward Androscoggin County Commissioner Helen Poulin have reached a stalemate. So far, this group has opined that she's vacated her seat, and scheduled a caucus to select a replacement.

Giving to others is source of contentment, happiness
In an age when "big business" and "corporate greed" seem to be synonymous in the public mind, some bright lights occasionally emerge from the darkness brought on by AIG big spenders and over-the-top high-livers.

MPBN
Major Cuts Ordered By Governor Baldacci

November 19, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

Nearly 80 million dollars in curtailments have been ordered by the Baldacci administration as the first stage of what is expected to be a difficult period of transition in state finances. Gov. John Baldacci says another $70 million reduction to state programs and services will be submitted to the Legislature next month as part of budget revisions needed to balance the books through June 30th. As the state feels the sting of the national recession, Baldacci says all Mainers will have to make adjustments.

Sign Questioning Barack Obama's Fate Stirs Controversy In Standish

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Standish town officials will hold a special meeting Thursday afternoon at 1:00 pm to denounce the kind of inflammatory speech reportedly used on a sign at the Oak Hill General Store earlier this month. That sign, described in a story by the Associated Press, offered customers the chance to be part of a lottery predicting when President-Elect Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden would be assassinated. As Susan Sharon reports, there's a distinct line about what is and is not protected speech but that doesn't make it any easier to read or hear.

Officials Troubled By Increase In Student Racial Slurs

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Even though the nation's contentious and sometimes vitriolic presidential campaign ended over two weeks ago, venom in the form of racial slurs is still prevalent. That's the message from the Maine Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence. Center director Steven Wessler says he's receiving an increase in phone calls, many of them from school officials, seeking to tone down the racial remarks of students, many of them aimed at President-Elect Obama.

Soup kitchens feeling the brunt of the economy

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Maine has one of the country's highest hunger rates, and that was before the economy worsened. Now, soup kitchens and food pantries are seeing increased demand. Administrators worry that they won't be able to keep up with the demand.

Times Record

Bath planners OK downtown inn...(full story)

Editorial
Early voting a good idea...(full story)

Ellsworth American

Number of State Election Recounts Down
AUGUSTA — While Deborah Simpson’s political future hung in the balance, she knitted.

Editorial
Ugly Acts of Racism
The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States had scarcely been confirmed before the threats began — more than have been seen involving any previous president-elect, according to some officials. While the U.S. Secret Service cautioned the public not to assume that those threats are racially motivated, two separate incidents here in Maine would suggest otherwise.

Capital Weekly
Baldacci curtails budget
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/19)

House members elect their leaders
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/19)

Maine News for Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Lawmakers formulate resolution on racism
A sign in Standish and other post-election incidents in Maine prompt an official response.

AG: Police justified in fatal shooting
South Portland officers fired when a suicidal man with two knives advanced toward two other officers.

In a pinch over salt
Rising prices have municipalities thinking about ways to conserve.

Once-promising telemedicine company to close
At least 200 IntelliCare Inc. workers will lose their jobs when it shuts down for 'strategic' reasons.

Editorial

Better bill might give auto bailout better shot
A plan to address all that's wrong in Detroit, including union contracts, would make sense.

Racist posting in Standish store was anti-American
The message about our next president deserves to be condemned in harsh terms.

JOSEPH W. GAULDIt's possible to create a truly American system of education
If we shifted our education focus to hearts and souls, our students' minds would follow.

Bangor Daily News

Financial meltdown having an effect on tourism in Maine

A private report indicates that tourism in Maine hasn’t escaped the nation’s economic meltdown unscathed.

Lower diesel costs ‘not making a difference’ for lobstermen

This year isn’t turning out to be one that members of Maine’s lobstering community will remember as one of their best. And according to some, 2009 probably won’t be, either.

Ex-tribal governor’s case goes to jury

BANGOR, Maine — Defense attorneys told jurors in closing arguments Tuesday that finding a former governor of the Indian Township Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe and the tribe’s ex-business manager guilty of misusing funds boils down to whether the two intended to defraud the government or considered transfers of money from one account to another as loans.

Editorial

Dirigo’s Future

The repeal of taxes on beer, wine and soda to fund the Dirigo Health program leaves lawmakers with the difficult task of keeping the controversial program afloat.

Seeking Certainty

Financial markets are as much about confidence and certainty as they are about dollars and cents.

Kennebec Journal

STATEHOUSE: Baldacci to discuss spending cuts today
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci today will detail his order to curtail state spending for the remainder of the fiscal year.

New call center in Winthrop promises 200 jobs
NotifyMD announces intention to open business in former manufacturing plant on U.S. Route 202.

School systems move closer to consolidating
Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro schools on Tuesday moved closer than ever to forming an alternative school system in which they would share resources and services.

Editorials:

Business loans harder to get, slowing growth
Lawmakers on Monday heard a mixed message about the availability of credit in Maine.

GEORGE SMITH : Maine status as Democratic state outlives prediction by 20 years
Go Blue! This favored crowd chant for the University of Maine's hockey team fills Alfond Arena at every game, and now it fills all of New England.

RICHARD W. ROSEN : GOP helped Democrats pass critical legislation
In your editorial of Nov. 16, "Note to leaders: Work with each other, legislators," you state that "Carol Weston and Richard Rosen did not like to talk to, or negotiate with, Democrats -- thus consigning themselves and the vast majority of their party (and constituents) in the Senate to a marginal role."

SHERRY HUBER : LURC succeeds in defense of Moosehead area natural resources
The editorial last month, "LURC Decision on Plum Creek Strikes Balance," was highly informative and insightful. We Mainers are passionate about our natural resources, and the debates around Plum Creek's concept plan for development and conservation in the Moosehead Lake region are the latest example. As trying as those debates may be, they serve the public well, resulting in informed and balanced decisions.

Sun Journal
Racial slurs on rise
LEWISTON - Since the presidential election Nov. 4, the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in Portland has received calls from schools about an increase in racial slurs and jokes among students.

Obama, race discussion slated
LEWISTON - A community discussion on the impact of Barack Obama's election on race relations in America and in Lewiston-Auburn will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at 219 Lisbon St.

Recount request withdrawn
Republican incumbent Michael Vaughan of Durham on Monday withdrew his request for a recount in the race for state representative from District 105.

Outcome of Lieberman vote pleases Sen. Collins
PORTLAND (AP) - Sen. Susan Collins says she's delighted that Senate Democrats are allowing Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman to retain his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Editorial
Welcome to the Maine 'Wind Rush'
We may disagree with Bruce Cook's inspiration, but we admire his thinking. He is maybe the first public official in Western Maine to suggest a proactive approach to wind turbine construction, instead of scrambling after the fact.

Message of fear has been GOP stratagem for years
They'll be back. Don't think for a minute that they won't.

MPBN
Sears Island Compromise Still In Question

November 18, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

A compromise joint use agreement on the future of Sears Island seemed anything but certain Tuesday after a legislative panel voted to approve the plan pending the receipt of an offer for the construction of a new port on the property. The Legislature's Transportation Committee voted to approve a 601-acre conservation easement for the island just off Searsport, while reserving 330 acres for transportation uses. But as A.J. Higgins reports, some environmentalists who signed off on the plan originally now claim the lawmakers' action has voided the agreement.

Maine Delegation Contemplates Bailout

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

A possible bailout for automakers was high on the congressional agenda today. Top officials from the Big Three, GM, Ford and Chrysler, all want a piece of a $25 billion pie. Maine's four member delegation leans toward an economic recovery package but is examining the consequences before making commitments. And as Keith McKeen finds, their constituents have mixed reactions about a bailout as well.

Auto Industry Woes Affect Dealer Sales

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

In Maine as elsewhere, car dealerships try to stay afloat amid the auto industry's troubles. On the floor of Yankee Ford in South Portland, general manager Bob Esposito showcases the new models that he wishes he could sell more of. Josie Huang has the story.

Think About Lobster For Turkey Day

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Maybe you can't afford to buy a new or a used car to help the auto industry and the local economy right now. But with the holidays approaching, Maine legislative leaders and others are urging you to think about consumption of a different sort. What's red and dipped in butter and very important to the Maine economy? As Susan Sharon reports, lobster or lobstah as it's lovingly referred to in these parts, is being promoted as part of the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast.

WCSH6
Legislature Fights Back Against Racism

Maine News for Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Tight credit takes toll on Maine firms
Business owners tell a legislative committee about their difficulties in trying to secure new loans.

Ex-tribal governor denies misusing funds
Robert L. Newell says he didn't intend to break the law when he transferred tribal funds to pay bills.

UMaine system faces budget cuts
A global economic crisis, tuition declines and state cutbacks spell trouble for the current fiscal year.

Adoptee advocates for access to records
Maine has joined seven other states that have passed access-to-birth-certificate laws.

Governor to replace county commissioner
Attorney general says move out of the district by Helen Poulin is cause for her to be replaced.

Maine's delegates wary of auto bailout until they see specifics
Most would only support a Big Three rescue if it includes tough conditions and protects tax dollars.

Pier project on hold as council ends contract talks
The Olympia Cos. and the city can't agree on how to move forward during a land dispute with the state.

Car sharing coming to Portland
U Car Share will station PT Cruisers at two sites for use by fee-paying program members.

Editorial

Power-line issue part of larger trade-off debate
Pursuing a green energy future will create environmental and economic winners and losers.

Predator deal with Pakistan serves a short-term need
Over time, the war on terror requiresa more stable Pakistani government.

RON BANCROFTMaine's financial problems stem from lack of jobs, jobs and jobs
Our lack of growth, along with inefficient spending on Medicaid and K-12 schooling, hold us back.

Bangor Daily News

Easy to borrow? Depends whom you ask

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine banks and credit unions said Monday they’re financially healthy and ready to talk to borrowers as they addressed a legislative committee trying to assess how the state’s

Maine home foreclosures increase in 2nd quarter

AUGUSTA, Maine — The second quarter brought a slight increase in home foreclosures in Maine, but the state banking chief said Monday the number of foreclosures remains relatively small and poses no

UMS faces $27 million in reductions

The financial state of the University of Maine System was very much on the minds of system board of trustees who met Sunday and Monday at the Farmington campus to hear reports on how students

Towns reap tax benefits from wind farms

It has been two years since Mars Hill started receiving 20 years of $500,000 in annual payments from a tax increment financing deal connected to First Wind of Massachusetts’ 28-turbine wind farm

Driver’s license requirements

To meet the state’s proof of residency requirements for a driver’s license or state identification card, one must produce one of the following documents: - State driver’s license or

Deliberation to begin on former tribal governor

BANGOR, Maine — The jury is expected to begin deliberations today in the federal trial of a former Indian Township Passamaquoddy tribal governor and the tribe’s ex-business manager accused of

BMV: First day of new license rules ‘smooth’

BANGOR, Maine — Though personnel at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices around the state were prepared for problems Monday, virtually none arose, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office said.

Editorial

Sears Island Compromise

A consensus on the future of state-owned Sears Island in Penobscot Bay, which took years to achieve, is poised for acceptance by the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.

Kennebec Journal
BRACING FOR CUTS
The University of Maine at Augusta will likely cut $1 million from its budget this fiscal year, UMA President Allyson Hughes Handley said Monday.

Waterville to host energy conference
WATERVILLE -- Finding ways to conserve energy and promote sustainability will be the subject of a three-day community forum.

Law helps adoptees access information
AUGUSTA -- Tears came to her eyes when Lee-Ann Bragdon held up photos of her father, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Editorials:

Falling energy prices don't let us off the hook
The good news and the bad news are the same: Energy prices have declined.

DAVID B. OFFER : Oil companies make record profits, banks still pay bonuses
Several months ago, I signed up for a Master Card that gives me a 5 percent discount when I buy Shell gas. At the time, gas cost about $4 a gallon. The discount saved me 20 cents a gallon -- more than $2 each time I filled the tank.

REP. HANNAH PINGREE OF NORTH HAVEN REPRESENTS HOUS : As Mainers brace for winter, health care and economy top concerns
With the elections over, pundits are dissecting the results, trying to make sense of what motivated Maine voters at the polls. Mainers are famous for their independence and propensity for ticket-splitting. This year was no exception. It is one of the things I love about this state and its voters.

Sun Journal
First day of new license rules goes smoothly at state agency
LEWISTON - Life at the Maine Bureaus of Motor Vehicles in Lewiston and Mexico went on with minimal disruption during the first day that proof of legal U.S. presence was required for getting or renewing Maine driver's licenses or identification cards.

Maine home foreclosures increase
AUGUSTA (AP) - The second quarter brought a slight increase in home foreclosures in Maine, but the state banking chief said Monday that the number of foreclosures remains relatively small and poses no threat to the stability of state-chartered banks and credit unions.

UMS chancellor: Budget cuts likely
FARMINGTON (AP) - The global economic crisis is adding to financial difficulties for the University of Maine System, Chancellor Richard Pattenaude said Monday.

Lawmakers hear from state businesses
AUGUSTA - Maine banks and credit unions said Monday they're financially healthy and ready to talk to borrowers as they addressed a legislative committee trying to assess how the state's financial services industry and businesses are faring amid the world economic crisis.

AG: Poulin's move leaves office vacant
AUBURN - Gov. John Baldacci moved to replace Androscoggin County Commissioner Helen Poulin on Monday, calling on Lewiston Democrats to nominate possible replacements for the controversial politician.

Union backs Obama plan for teachers' merit raises
WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing New York City schools, a national teachers' union said it is open to President-elect Barack Obama's effort to tie pay raises to student performance.

Editorial
A problem of political perception
Something feels amiss with how Maine chooses its attorney general, but it's hard to put a finger on what.

Black Americans on path from victim to victor
The presidential couples, Laura and George W. Bush and Michelle and Barack Obama, standing in front of the White House, looked buff and comely in their ease and smiles. The president and the president-elect in their dark suits and blue ties and Laura and Michelle in different shades of red suggested cordiality with dignity. (If one couple looked more tanned than the other, only a churl would have imagined that an insult.)

MPBN
Business Owners Ponder The State of Their Climate

November 17, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

So, how is Maine's business climate fairing under the current circumstances? It depends on who you ask. A legislative panel heard conflicting stories today on the ability of Maine business owners to access credit. Lawmakers called the informational session to take the pulse of the state's lending institutions, all of which reported that they are financially strong and ready to talk to borrowers. But some business owners maintain that talk is about all they get from local lenders.

Home Foreclosures Increase In Maine

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Maine, along with the rest of the nation, continues to experience an uptick in home foreclosures. However the State Bureau of Financial Institutions reports that though the numbers are trending upward, the increase remains relatively low as compared to some other areas of the country.

Oil Price Confusion Caused By Early Lock-Ins

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

As home heating oil prices now average $2.70/gallon statewide, some Mainers are regretting their decision to lock-in a price last summer at nearly twice that amount. At the time, they feared prices would only get higher. Depending on type of contract customers signed, some are facing a loss while others are seeing rebates in the form of lower monthly bills.

Judge Coffin Honored For 60 Years of Public Service

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

He's one of the few people to have served in all three branches of government at the federal level as well as the military. His 60-year career of public service has included roles as chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, Congressman from Maine's second district, deputy administrator for the Agency for International Development under the Kennedy Administration, and for more than 40 years, a judge on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Frank Coffin has been retired as U.S. Senior Circuit Judge since 2006. But as Susan Sharon reports, tonight he'll be honored in Portland for his remarkable contributions to legal aid for the poor.

Maine News for Monday, November 17, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Grid needs upgrades for wind power
A report's call for changes to facilitate 'clean energy' is expected to influence debate on Maine projects.

Child care centers feel pinch
Enrollments start to shrink as parents trim expenses, a trend that makes operators nervous.

Mainers train Montenegro's troops
National Guard soldiers go to the fairly new nation and its forces travel here as a relationship grows.

Tribute to celebrate work of Judge Coffin
After helping revive the state Democratic Party, the Lewiston native made a mark as a federal judge.

Lawmakers divided over bailout of auto industry
Some Democrats say American automakers can't be allowed to go under, while some Republicans say government help would only postpone inevitable failure.

Editorial

Congress should narrow its economic focus
A lame-duck session is not the time to make major commitments for new national policies.

Lawmakers ought to be wary of unintended consequences
As Nebraskans have discovered, good motivations can lead to disastrous results.

LEIGH DONALDSONIs college becoming unreachable because of rising loan costs?
Even worse, graduates are now dumped in a job market where payback is nearly impossible.

Bangor Daily News

State sees revenues declining

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine governments are facing a triple whammy in the current recession, with the three major sources of revenue for state and local governments all in decline, as well as other revenues, something that has not happened in decades.

In Maine, bishop pans gay marriage

PORTLAND, Maine — The leader of Maine’s Roman Catholic diocese issued a letter to be read at weekend Masses opposing gay marriage.

Bapst headed to state championship

BUCKSPORT, Maine — As murky fog off Penobscot Bay gradually engulfed Carmichael Field late Saturday afternoon, one thing couldn’t have been clearer for the John Bapst of Bangor football team.

UM business students get executive pep talk

ORONO, Maine — Dennis Carey worked his way through college waiting tables at Pat’s Pizza and, sometimes, ironing shirts for his fraternity brothers at 10 cents apiece.

Editorial

Consolidation Questions

While the rejection of school consolidation plans in some communities is troubling, the move toward centralized — and hence less expensive — administration is moving forward. Last week, 12 of 16 consolidation plans were approved. In those communities where they were rejected, alternatives are already being sought.

Kennebec Journal

Home-heating fuel prices plummeting
Heating oil has cost Mainers much less than many consumers feared it would.

When buying a dog as a holiday gift, Humane Society urges a bit of caution
With stores decked out in Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving only 10 days away, and a winter chill settling in, many Mainers -- and Americans -- are starting to think about holiday gifts for the family.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT 11 Budget woes may force loss of school Options for T.C. Hamlin in Randolph to be discussed at Thursday meeting
GARDINER -- School Administrative District 11 will again consider closing T.C. Hamlin School in Randolph and moving students to the Pittston Consolidated School.

Editorial

Jeweler's policy on diamonds is truly a gem
Sometimes, the world's troubles are right at our doorstep.

MARINA SCHAUFFLER : Movement wants kids to 'experience life, not watch'
The recent Governor's Conference on Youth and the Natural World drew together 350 educators, health and recreation professionals and parents to discuss how Maine could advance the grassroots "No Child Left Inside" movement.

Sun Journal
Maine warden action challenged
PORTLAND (AP) - Civil libertarians are going to court to help defend of the rights of all-terrain vehicle riders, which they say have been violated by a Maine game warden's action.

Maine night hunting, poaching on the rise
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine game wardens say they are seeing an increase in deer poaching, including night hunting, in a trend that has been noticed in other states as well.

Honoring Frank Coffin
The Maine Bar Foundation will be celebrating the life and work of Judge Frank Coffin on Monday night in Portland. Coffin has spent most of his career advocating for low-income people in Maine through his work as a lawyer, congressman and judge. He is the namesake of the prominent Frank M. Coffin Family Law Fellowship in Portland. He was born in Lewiston, went to Bates College then Harvard Law School, then returned to Lewiston to practice law. He became a member of Congress and then a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Diocese: Same-sex unions not marriage
LEWISTON - In a letter read during Masses over the weekend, Bishop Richard Malone voiced opposition to news conferences held last week urging Mainers to end marriage discrimination and calling on state legislators to enact same-sex civil marriages.

Editorial
What's in the Gulf of Maine?
Government task forces have the sex appeal of cinder blocks.

Village Soup
State pension fund value plummets
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/16)

DHHS weighs $178 million cut from its $1.9 billion budget
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/15)

Maine News for Friday, November 14, 2008

Portland Press Herald

Pingree likely choice for Maine House speaker
Hannah Pingree, daughter of U.S. Rep.-elect Chellie Pingree, is the unanimous nominee to wield the gavel.

Session to help state retirees with insurance change
Experts will offer details of the change in health insurance providers.

Same-sex marriage backed by ministers
Religious leaders in the state announce formation of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine.

Papers' future gets a bit clearer
The leader of the investor group hopes to reverse the company's slide, and already has a few changes in mind.

Project may need new lease on life
Portland intends to sue state, hoping to settle dispute delaying work

Former student charged with computer hacking
James Wieland stands accused of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy.

Editorial

Submerged land issue shouldn't sink more deals
City and state should get to the bottom of who owns the land under the Maine State Pier.

Sentence sends a message about one man's bad choices
The family and friends of Robert LaPointe's victims will never get over his poor judgment.

M.D. HARMONOnce again, it's time to give advice to losers
Dick Richards, P.I., has only one purpose in life, but all the Wal-Mart greeter jobs were taken.

Bangor Daily News

Bangor Housing Authority faces heating surcharge suit

BANGOR, Maine — Two women who live in public housing have sued the Bangor Housing Authority over the way it imposed surcharges for heating oil last winter.

Red Cross recognizes Real Heroes

The American Red Cross 12th annual Real Heroes Breakfast on Nov. 13, opened with the ceremony of placing the Stars and Stripes and the Maine state flag on either side of the podium where three individuals and two couples were honored for their heroic efforts on behalf of others.

Hannah Pingree nominated for speaker

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — State Rep. Hannah Pingree, daughter of the state’s new congresswoman-elect, won her fellow Democrats’ nomination Thursday to serve as speaker of the House during the new two-year session.

Salmon hatchery on cutting board

The fish hatchery that has produced salmon for Grand Lake Stream and other top Maine fishing destinations for more than a century could be closed as part of a package of hard-hitting budget cuts under consideration by state officials.

DOT downplays possible job cuts

AUGUSTA, Maine — Possible budget cuts leading to layoffs in the state Department of Transportation will not occur this fiscal year, the transportation commissioner said Thursday.

Rep. Mills wins Glassman award

State Rep. Janet Mills, D-Farmington, has been named the recipient of the Maine State Bar Association’s Caroline D. Glassman Award.

Lawmakers steamed about lottery promotion

AUGUSTA, Maine — The state lottery is getting strong, bipartisan criticism for its “Funds For Fuel” promotion as lawmakers say the lottery should not be using Mainers’ fear of high fuel prices this winter to sell more lottery tickets.

Editorial

Political patronage amiss

Mainers may be surprised that there’s still a political campaign going on. Although it involves the state’s top legal officer, the public has no say and likely isn’t even aware of who is competing for the job. This is a poor way to choose an attorney general and other constitutional officers.

Big Three bailout

These are not good times for conservatives whose faith lies in the unfettered marketplace. With President Bush, Congress and President-elect Obama all supporting the $700 billion federal bailout plan, the government has committed to playing lifeguard, even if it means rescuing those who decided to go swimming in a hurricane.

Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA: State set to explain health-care changes
AUGUSTA -- State health insurance experts will be in Augusta next week to explain how a change in service providers will affect health insurance for retired state employees who are Medicare-eligible.

AUGUSTA: Parents cool to closure proposal
AUGUSTA -- Parents with students attending Hodgkins Middle School and Hussey Elementary School had a message for Board of Education members Thursday afternoon.

Religious coalition urges Maine to allow same-sex civil marriages
BANGOR -- Religious leaders across the state held news conferences Thursday to urge Mainers to end marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples, and called for the state to create same-sex civil marriages.

Editorials:

How to pick an attorney general
Three Democratic lawyers want to be elected the next Maine attorney general.

JOSEPH R. REISERT : Each one in family has a favorite thing to 'export' from Europe
After 10 weeks and nine countries, our adventure in Europe is coming to an end and my family has insisted that, in this column, all of us will share a little of what we've learned during our time away.

BILL TOWNSEND : Uniform sales tax more certain than 'use tax'
The current financial collapse will affect every level of our national economy for a long time to come. Even before it, the individual states had been put under enormous budgetary pressures as the result of a combination of factors, one of the most significant being the reduction in the dollars flowing to the states from Washington under the Bush-Cheney administration.

Sun Journal
Pingree nominated for Maine speaker
AUGUSTA (AP) - State Rep. Hannah Pingree, daughter of the state's new congresswoman-elect, won her fellow Democrats' nomination Thursday to serve as speaker of the House during the upcoming two-year session.

Man seeks to ban use of food stamps to purchase soda
BANGOR (AP) - The Bangor pediatric dentist and public health advocate who spearheaded a successful campaign to ban smoking in vehicles when children are present now wants to prohibit the use of food stamps to buy soda.

EMMC to run UMaine center
ORONO (AP) - Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor plans to take over operations at the University of Maine's Cutler Health Center in January.

2 Maine wind projects proposed
BANGOR (AP) - A Massachusetts wind power company has filed permit applications for two more Maine projects, a 40-turbine wind farm in the Lincoln area, and a 17-turbine project outside Danforth.

BIW loses out on $1.6 billion ship contract
WASHINGTON - The Navy on Thursday awarded Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala., an expected $1.6 billion contract to build 10 high-speed military transport ships.

Editorial
Difficult case; wise sentence
In modern language, the phrase "activist judge" has become a slur. A popular stereotype is a black-robed liberal trying to legislate an agenda from the safety of the bench.

Colombia free trade pact would divide Democrats
It wouldn't be the George W. Bush we all know if our shamed president didn't spend his remaining White House days in a final fit of polarization.

MPBN
Members Of The Maine Clergy Offer View On Same-Sex Marriage

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Marriage, say many social conservatives, is a holy union between a man and a woman, as ordained by God. But in Maine, a group of clergymen and women say same-sex marriage should be viewed separately from marriage. Their announcement comes just a day after same-sex couples in Connecticut started to marry, and just a week after California voters overturned a court decision legalizing gay marriage.

CMP Proposal Raising Public Concern

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

Central Maine Power's proposal to upgrade and expand its high voltage electricity lines drew a crowd of concerned residents to a public hearing in Waterville last night. More than a dozen told the state's Public Utilities Commission that they question or oppose the project because they're afraid of health and safety risks and don't want CMP infringing on their property.

Lobster Industry Plagued By Reduced Income

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Marine biologists, economists and regulators, from as far away as Florida, gathered today in York to talk about the future of the declining lobster population in the gulf of Maine. Recent stock assessments have alarmed the lobster industy, and more negative projections are expected.

Times Record

Navy musters public input on BNAS reuse process...(full story)

Editorial
Nuclear power is no solution...(full story)

Village Soup
Dunlap: 'Real ID' could be real cumbersome, expensive
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/14)

Maine News for Thursday, November 13, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Veterans give advice to Legislature's rookies
At the top of the list of tips for legislators being sworn in Dec. 3: 'Don't put in too many bills.'

GI Bill likely to benefit colleges
Federal tuition money for veterans could help offset budget cuts for Maine's universities.

State seeks input on new bridge
A hearing on Monday will be the first chance to comment on replacing Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Records requested to assure liberties
The MCLU seeks to verify that Maine's anti-terror information center is not violating citizens' privacy.

Duson will serve as city's mayor again
Portland city councilors choose an experienced leader to hold the mostly ceremonial post for a year.

City panel votes to end pier project negotiations
The Olympia Cos. wants a 75-year lease, but a lease with the state, which owns the sea floor, would be for 30 years.

Group signs deal to buy Blethen Maine Newspapers
Maine Media Investment must complete its financing to purchase the Press Herald's owner by year's end.

Editorial

Conservation should not decline with gas prices
It's still in consumers' best interests to save on gas usage wherever possible.

Snowe is right to call for new strategy in Afghanistan
The simmering front in the war on terrorism will require more than just additional troops.

PAUL BRANDES, Special to the Press HeraldWestgate developer tried hard to work things out with St. Patrick's
He says the church did not respond to repeated efforts to find a solution to its parking problem.

LOUISE ROCHA-McCARTHYWhy are residents of territories denied right to vote for president?

Bangor Daily News

Dentist: Taxpayers shouldn’t fund soda

BANGOR, Maine — Soda pop, the beverage of choice for hundreds of thousands of Mainers, is well established as a major contributor to dental decay, obesity and other health disorders.

Bangor area blacks share their views on Obama victory

BANGOR, Maine — On a Saturday afternoon more than nine months ago, Sterling Dymond left his house on Walter Street, got into his car and drove over to the Bangor Auditorium with the intention of getting into a rally held by Sen. Barack Obama, who at that point was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president.

Maine AG candidates debate

AUGUSTA, Maine — Some differences in the views of Maine’s three candidates for attorney general came to light during a forum in Augusta Wednesday, but none has plans for any major changes in the

Editorial

Safe at School

The near tragedy averted at Stockton Springs Elementary last month when a man took 11 children hostage at gunpoint, according to police, highlights the challenges school administrators face in keeping children safe.

Real Questions for Summers

Some ardent feminists have launched a campaign to block Lawrence H. Summers, former President Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary, from taking the same post in the Obama administration.

Kennebec Journal

Gaining political capital
Freshman legislators make their debuts at Statehouse

3 seek post as Maine's lawyer
AUGUSTA -- The three Democratic lawyers who want to be Maine's next attorney general tried to persuade legislators Wednesday they are best equipped to take over the position.

AUGUSTA 'Green' store to open in 2009
AUGUSTA -- A new Hannaford supermarket under construction on the former Cony High School site is on track to open next summer as the world's first platinum-level-certified "green" supermarket, company officials say.

AUGUSTA: Closing schools possible money-saving option
Hussey Elementary and Hodgkins Middle school may be closed due to $2 million shortfall next year.

'We're calling out to veterans'
AUGUSTA -- When a new GI Bill goes into effect in August 2009, the University of Maine at Augusta wants to be in a position to enroll veterans returning from combat.

Towns ink merger
READFIELD -- The first phase of work is done for representatives from six towns proposing to merge their schools in response to Maine's school-district consolidation law.

Farmingdale eyes 2 grants
FARMINGDALE -- The Board of Selectmen Wednesday discussed a grant the Fire Department is in the process drafting for an all-terrain vehicle that would be used on the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

Editorials:

Economy needs people to keep their homes
The national mortgage industry estimates there will be 6,000 home foreclosures in Maine in 2008 and 2009. That's tiny compared to the projected 340,000 foreclosures in California, but in a state as small as ours, it's still a significant number.

Sun Journal
7 ballot recounts requested in state
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine's secretary of state has received two more requests for ballot recounts from the Nov. 4 elections.

Blue Cross pilot project in schools
PORTLAND (AP) - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its foundation hope to transfer experience gleaned from business health plans to school districts.

Emergency grant to help laid off paper workers
MILLINOCKET (AP) - Rep. Mike Michaud says the U.S. Department of Labor will award a $527,000 emergency grant to help workers laid off from Katahdin Paper Co.

Maine gets a 'C' in preterm births
PORTLAND (AP) - Maine is doing better than most states when it comes to preterm births but gets only a "C" in a new report.

MCLU wants info on intelligence-gathering centers
PORTLAND (AP) - The Maine Civil Liberties Union wants to know more about the activities and policies of a state center set up after the 9/11 attacks to bring together the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement and intelligence-gathering agencies.

Maine freshman lawmakers get some helpful tips
AUGUSTA (AP) - Don't put in too many bills. Make sure you return phone calls. Don't introduce off-the-wall legislation. And when you go to the supermarket, buy a gallon of ice cream first.

AG candidates make pitches to their peers
AUGUSTA - In about three weeks, Maine lawmakers will cast votes for the state's new attorney general.

Editorial
See joint services through
Some city councilors in Lewiston and Auburn have removed their executioner's hoods and given joint services a reprieve. It's taken deal-making and mind-changing among its proponents, though, so the issue remains troubled.

Union demands brought automakers to the brink
Remember when Democrats lamented the growing budget deficit and spoke of the burden our children and grandchildren would face if we didn't put our fiscal house in order? That was when Republicans ran the federal government and Democrats opposed tax cuts. Now that Democrats are about to be in charge, concern about the deficit has disappeared and spending plans proliferate, even though the national debt passed $10 trillion in September and we added another $500 billion last month.

MPBN
Election Strengthens The Hand Of Senate Democrats

November 11, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

Pending the outcome of recounts in three of last week's elections, the political composition of the Maine Senate has changed from 18 Democrats and 17 Republicans to 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans. With the Democratic hand strengthened, there are also signs the Senate may feature a more bipartisan atmosphere after last night's election of a more moderate Republican spokesman. Leaders on both sides of the aisle agree cooperation will be key in what is expected to be a rough legislative session ahead.

Criminal Background Checks Not Required Of Maine Nurses

November 11, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

In Maine and throughout the country, criminal background checks are standard for police officers, teachers and truck drivers who handle hazardous materials. But nurses, who also deal in life and death situations, and care for patients directly, get a pass in Maine, one of 18 states that does not require criminal background checks.

State Senators Choose Leaders

November 11, 2008 Reported By: Irwin Gratz

Republican and Democratic State Senators hold caucuses to make their choices for leadership positions in the 124th Legislature.

Low Income Solar Effort Underway

November 10, 2008 Reported By: Tina Antolini

The rise in energy prices is spurring more and more states to help homeowners pay for solar panels, which have an upfront cost of more than 40 thousand dollars. But even with government help most low-income people can't afford them. As part of a collaboration with other northeast stations, WFCR's Tina Antolini reports on the challenge of getting solar energy to more people.

Times Record

DHHS eyes all but 'most basic needs' for proposed cuts...(full story)

Room for improvement...(full story)

Ellsworth American

Looking Ahead to January
In about a month, members of the new 124th Maine Legislature will meet in Augusta to get acquainted and begin the process of organizing for their first session, which will convene in early January. Perhaps no legislature in recent memory has had a more daunting menu of issues than the one that will face members of the 124th when they begin their work in earnest.