Maine News for Friday, May 23, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Maine gas sales start to decline
Commuters begin to search in earnest for alternatives to the very costly habit of driving.

Cell merger might affect some Maine customers
Some Unicel subscribers could have to buy new phones once a merger with Verizon is completed.

District 1 Republican race grows heated
Election 2008: The candidates trade accusations on each other's records in ads and a debate.

Despite surplus, state officials pessimistic
Maine lawmakers are cautioned that the longer-term state revenue picture is gloomier than the surplus suggests.

Maine gas sales start to decline
Drivers begin to search in earnest for alternatives to the very costly and convenient habit of driving.

DANIEL W. WALKERContributing to a political campaign

Airlines raise fares, cut flights, face bankruptcy
Merger talks dry up as fuel prices climb to levels one analyst calls 'unsolvable.'

Commentary
RICHARD ANDERSONDelta-Northwest merger good for Maine
Combining these airlines will produce a stronger carrier with a firm commitment to the state.

Letters

Where is the real report on Cabela's?

Ethan Strimling will fight for what he believes in

Speak out against more money for war in Iraq

Bangor Daily News

Lawmakers cautioned on revenue picture
Friday, May 23, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - State finance officials say gains by better-off taxpayers and by energy companies enjoying the effects of high oil prices have buoyed Maine tax collections, at least temporarily.

Maine's parks anticipate busy season
Friday, May 23, 2008
Crews in Maine's state parks are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy summer season as more and more families choose to vacation closer to home due to soaring gas prices.

4-day week for schools rejected
Friday, May 23, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said Thursday that several school districts have asked about a waiver to allow a four-day school week to help mitigate the skyrocketing costs of energy, but she has had to say no.

DIF&W to limit antlerless-deer hunting
Friday, May 23, 2008
PRINCETON, Maine - State wildlife officials voted Thursday to slash the number of permits issued to hunters to shoot antlerless deer during the 2008 season, but elected to continue allowing doe hunting on the day reserved for young people.

Editorial
Farm bill failings
Friday, May 23, 2008
Congress has demonstrated that if a huge giveaway bill is packed with enough earmarks and pork, members will give the farm lobby almost everything it wants.

Editorial: The first-year experience
Friday, May 23, 2008
Successfully completing that first year in college can be a huge challenge.

Ron Harriman: Mapping land use is a regional responsibility
In the early days of exploration, mapmakers would draw to the edge of their knowledge.

Kennebec Journal

Feeling gas pain at the pumps, Mainers are finding ways to cut back on driving
Maine gasoline sales are declining at the fastest rate in more than 15 years as pump prices continue to rise toward $4 a gallon and residents look for ways to cut back, state figures show.

Hannaford seeks to recycle 99 percent of materials
AUGUSTA -- Wall by wall, one classroom after another, the former Cony High School is slowly but irreversibly coming down.

Seat belt checks yield extras
MONMOUTH -- Turns out a campaign to enforce Maine's seat belt laws is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get.

MAINEGENERAL:Hospital'spatients back it up in survey

Editorial

University costs rise when they should go down
Years ago, a Maine high school graduate who didn't go to college could earn a good living in manufacturing and the state's natural resources economy.

PAUL R. LEPAGE : Congress, not Bush, to blame for our misery
During much of the Clinton administration, Congress was under the control of Republicans, and President Bill Clinton eagerly took credit for the economic prosperity enjoyed by many Americans.

BUDDY DOYLE OF GARDINER : We, and our leaders, should stand for truth
Since Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still hashing it out and I've written about them already, I was fretting over what I might use as an idea for my column this month.

L. SANDY MAISEL : Will the real John McCain please stand up?
The general election campaign for the presidency has started. The answers to two basic questions will determine what kind of campaign we will see (or perhaps endure, depending on the answers to the questions) between now and November.

Letter:

Laying off court reporters won't save time or money
In response to your article surrounding the loss of official court reporter positions in Maine, it is important that the public and the Legislature consider the consequences of this action.

Sun Journal

Lawmakers cautioned on state revenue picture
AUGUSTA (AP) - State finance officials say gains by better-off taxpayers and by energy companies enjoying the effects of high oil prices have buoyed Maine tax collections, at least temporarily.

Maine firm tapped to scuttle library
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A Maine public relations firm has been tapped to assist a grassroots effort aimed at stopping George W. Bush's presidential library, museum and think tank from being built at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

FairPoint responds to 911 problems
PORTLAND (AP) - FairPoint Communications has put safeguards in place to fix recurring problems with the Cumberland County 911 emergency response system.

Ex-MBNA retreat opening to public
NORTHPORT (AP) - A corporate retreat built by credit card company MBNA in the 1990s in Maine is opening to the public.

Critics pan Plum Creek development
AUGUSTA (AP) - Plum Creek Timber Co. fails to meet the regulatory and legal criteria to move forward with it proposed large-scale development in the Moosehead Lake region, critics of the plan said Thursday.

Former cannery goes to auction
BELFAST (AP) - A former sardine cannery on the Belfast waterfront will be sold to the highest bidder when it goes to auction next month.

Editorial

Liberal lion, in winter
Depending on political persuasion, the specter of the venerable Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is engaging or infuriating. If the measure of a man is his friends and enemies, then Teddy Kennedy is giant among giants.

Unthoughtful conservatives making all the noise in GOP
Don't read this column yet.

Letters

Changes will happen
Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is telling workers to not talk about policy, but rather talk about how they came to Obama. What is this "Change we can believe in," if not based on policy?

Favors the people's veto
Gov. John Baldacci and the Maine Legislature promised to not raise taxes, but now they have targeted alcohol and soda, just to help keep the Dirigo insurance program going.

MPBN

State Lawmakers Warned Of Pessimistic Revenue Forecast
Legislative budget writers learned today that nearly halfway through Maine's two-year budget cycle, the state has exceeded tax collection estimates by a little more than $45 million dollars. Although some lawmakers on the panel raised concerns over the appearance of excess revenues in the wake of last month's efforts to cut the budget by nearly $200 million dollars, state financial experts warn the apparent surplus could quickly disappear as consumers respond to the continued pressure of high energy costs. A.J. Higgins reports.

Conservation Groups "Shocked" By LURC Recommendation On Plum Creek Project

The state agency reviewing Plum Creek Timber Company's proposal for a massive development in the Moosehead Lake region has overstepped its bounds in recommending changes to the plan. That's according to two environmental groups opposed to Plum Creek's proposal. Barbara Cariddi reports.

Lung Association: EPA Ozone Standards Fail To Protect The Public

As of next week, the federal goverment, and the state of Maine, will adopt new health standards for ground level ozone. The new standards are more strict, and would prompt a public health warning when ozone concentrations rise above 75 parts per billion, about ten points lower than the old threshhold. But as Keith Shortall reports, one health advocacy organization in Maine believes the standards don't do enough to protect the public from the harmful effects of ozone.

Candidate Profile: Democrat Steve Meister Vies For First District Seat

Steve Meister is a new Democrat. Literally. He joined the party last October, after being an independent. But he's running to succeed Democrat Tom Allen in the First Congressional District, one of six Democrats seeking their party's nomination on June 10th. As Irwin Gratz reports, Meister has focused his campaign on the subject areas he knows best.

PolitickerME
A superdelegate wants to know: What do you think about the presidential nominating system?

Times Record
Petition backers to mine June 10 election for signatures
AUGUSTA — Voters going to the polls to vote in the June 10 primary could be asked to sign as many as seven petitions for proposed ballot initiatives. Proposals range from the so-called TABOR 2 tax and spending limit to a ban on gay marriages.

High gas prices out of reach for pumps
AUGUSTA — Mom and pop gas stations across the state are having problems with their old pumps because the non-digital price counters on them don't register gasoline and diesel sales at today's prices.

Ellsworth American

Editorials

OPEGA Is Worth Its Cost
Maine’s Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) has lived to fight another day, despite the efforts of some state legislators who seem to hate the idea of any nonpartisan government oversight.

An Agenda for Change?

The national Republican Party is running scared, and rightly so. In a clear sign of dissatisfaction with the party headed by unpopular President George W. Bush, Republicans have lost three special elections so far this year. Their most recent debacle came last week in Mississippi when a conservative Democrat won 54 percent of the vote in a House district that a Republican won with 66 percent in 2006.

Maine News for Thursday, May 22, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Voter drive registers more than 200 inmates
Party representatives talk politics with prisoners during the first effort of its kind at the Maine State Prison.

Commentary: NEWELL AUGURMainers deserve vote on new taxes
Lawmakers' last-minute tax hike is certainly a fit target for a people's veto campaign.

Can we afford a gas-tax holiday?
A national group concludes that the plan would cut highway funds and jobs but save drivers very little.

Blame game won't keep price of fuel from rising
Senators hold a hearing to chastise oil company executives again but there is nothing in the way of solutions.

Lines drawn in beverage tax showdown
Business groups hope to repeal the law; health-care advocates say the money will do a lot of good.

N.H. joins greenhouse gas plan
The regional effort, which includes Maine, aims to cap carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

Beliveau honored for cultural advocacy
YORK NEIGHBORS: Les Franco Americains

L.L. Bean to issue new Visas
The retailer is severing ties with Bank of America, and current cardholders must apply for new plastic.

Maine publisher sues Amazon
BookLocker.com of Bangor accuses the Internet giant of actions violating antitrust laws.

Editorial
Plum Creek should consider more changes
A report by land use regulation staff has moved the debate in a promising direction.

Long-term study of concussions in Maine Guard a worthy effort
Other states are following the program's progress on helping injured troops.

More data, not less, can combat patient confusion
The proliferation of Web sites on doctor and hospital preformance is a positive trend.

Letters:

With rights come responsibilities

Phone service takes a hit with the sale of Verizon

Senators' support of war ignores realities at home

Chellie Pingree to offer progressive leadership

Ethanol wastes water, is not a viable solution

Bangor Daily News

Coalition objects to tax on beverages
Thursday, May 22, 2008
BANGOR, Maine — A coalition of Maine residents, businesses and organizations launched a petition drive Wednesday in an attempt to repeal the beverage tax recently passed by the state Legislature.

Gasoline tops $4 a gallon in Calais
Thursday, May 22, 2008
CALAIS, Maine - Angela Howland wants to buy a horse and Gail Cottrell plans to ride her bike to work now that gasoline prices in this border community have topped the $4 mark for regular unleaded.

UMaine student dies of burns
Thursday, May 22, 2008
ELLSWORTH, Maine - A student at the University of Maine in Orono died Wednesday morning from injuries he suffered after apparently setting himself on fire the night before in a wooded area off Nicolin Road, according to officials.

Baldacci touts importance of micro businesses
Thursday, May 22, 2008
BANGOR, Maine — Though they may feel under-appreciated and isolated, Maine’s small businesses play a huge role in the state’s economic well-being.

LURC urges Plum Creek changes
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Staff at the Land Use Regulation Commission are recommending that Plum Creek change the scope of several proposed subdivisions near Moosehead Lake and be required to complete several large conservation deals before any houses go up.

Health savings accounts touted at Bangor business lunch
Thursday, May 22, 2008
BANGOR, Maine — A small group of area businessmen and businesswomen gathered at the Sea Dog Restaurant on Wednesday to hear a presentation about health savings accounts, a form of health care coverage that promises to save money for businesses and their employees.

Voter registration drive conducted at state prison
Thursday, May 22, 2008
WARREN, Maine - A 47-year-old inmate at the Maine State Prison believes being able to register to vote is a way of speaking up.

Red tide limits harvests near Maine islands
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has closed the islands from Isle au Haut to Frenchboro to shellfish collection due to the presence of red tide.

For wilderness camp leaseholders Roxanne Quimby is Public Enemy No. 1
Thursday, May 22, 2008
TERRITORY 5, RANGE 8 - A retired Great Northern Paper Co. millwright and pipe fitter, 68-year-old Dennis Ballard has summered in a small camp overlooking the Penobscot River's East Branch since 1969.

Editorial

MCF turns 25
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Donating money to charity, especially large sums, is worthy and commendable. Ensuring that money does not duplicate existing efforts and can be pooled with other funds to do more good is smart business and increases the value of such philanthropy.

Editorial: Ted Kennedy's legacy
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The genuinely sympathetic reaction among elected officials and the public at large to the news that Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy is suffering from a malignant brain tumor says much about the hold the Kennedy clan still has over the nation’s imagination.

Chellie Pingree: My brother Bob
I remember the day nearly 20 years ago when the phone rang as we were getting ready to head off on a family trip. It was my brother Bob, who we were planning to meet up with.

George Will: Environmentalism a threat to freedom
A preventive war worked out so well in Iraq that Washington last week launched another. The new preventive war — the government responding forcefully against a postulated future threat — has been declared on behalf of polar bears, the first species whose supposed jeopardy has been ascribed to global warming.

May 22 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Signatures sought for 'people's veto' of new beverage tax
New state taxes on beer, wine and soda are at the center of an emerging showdown between anti-tax activists and health-care advocates.

Alewives harvesting returns to Vassalboro's Webber Pond
VASSALBORO -- A harvest of alewives in Vassalboro's Webber Pond will mark the first time legal harvesting has been allowed there in almost 200 years, an official from the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Wednesday.

WINDSOR: Town Manager Carl Pease steps down
WINDSOR -- After three years as town manager, Carl Pease has resigned for personal reasons, according to selectmen.

Caron: I stole nearly $1M
AUGUSTA -- A Waterville woman who now admits embezzling about $900,000 from her family's company over a five-year period is to be sentenced Aug. 26 in Kennebec County Superior Court.

Plum Creek revisions panned
AUGUSTA -- Better, but still too big and in the wrong places.

'The lights will not stay on if we don't'
AUGUSTA -- Sara Burns, president and chief executive officer of Central Maine Power Co., is more than willing to meet with any group to explain a major initiative that will ensure the state has a reliable power system.

GARDINER: Grant to help grow city's green areas
GARDINER -- The city recently received another grant from the Maine Forest Service to plant trees.

Boat inspections grow with threat of milfoil
AUGUSTA -- Voluntary boat inspections will again take place at boat ramps throughout Maine this summer, an effort to prevent invasive plants from spreading.

On Maine Politics

Greens commit to Real ID veto drive 05/21/08

Editorial

After faux pas, Fairpoint has to gain our trust
In March, FairPoint Communi-cations completed the largest telecommunications deal in Maine history: the $2.7 billion purchase of Verizon Communications' 1.6 million telephone land lines and 230,000 high-speed Internet lines in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

JIM BRUNELLE : Memorial Day shares weekend with start of tourist season
It helps in this part of the country to think of Memo-rial Day, which arrives this weekend, as the first day of June.

KAY RAND : Alfond fund a helpful start on big expense
My soon-to-be-born grandchild, Jack or Ellie (we don't yet know if it's a boy or a girl), will be one of Harold Alfond's 2008 babies. My grandchild is scheduled to be born in June at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, the pilot site (along with Maine-General Medical Center in Waterville) for the Harold Alfond College Challenge.

Sun Journal

Petition drive aims to repeal new taxes
PORTLAND (AP) - Signature collectors are out in force in Maine with the launch of a petition drive aimed at repealing new taxes on beer, wine, soda and other drinks.

Maine's blizzard appeal denied
PORTLAND (AP) - The federal government has denied the state's appeal for an emergency declaration following a late March blizzard in northern Maine that clogged roads and led to extraordinary snow-removal costs.

Turnpike feels pinch of gas prices
YORK (AP) - Soaring gas prices are expected to hold down traffic on the Maine Turnpike over the Memorial Day weekend, preventing the highway from setting new traffic records.

Maine man offers $5,000 in search for Miss Right
WELLS (AP) - A 39-year-old man from Wells is looking for love - in the classifieds.

Report claims herring trawlers threaten New England waters
PORTLAND (AP) - A coalition of environmental groups has released a new report that claims large herring trawlers pose a threat to New England waters.

Maine man's Megabucks lottery winnings to send sons to college
LUBEC (AP) - A Lubec man who won last weekend's nearly $10 million Tri-State Megabucks lottery says the winnings are going to his twin sons' college educations.

Maine LURC staff seeks changes in Plum Creek project
PORTLAND (AP) - The staff of the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission says changes are needed in Plum Creek Timber Co.'s plan to rezone some 20,000 acres in the Moosehead Lake region for 975 house lots and two resorts.

Editorial

Obama needs lesson in leverage before talks
In their litany of American presidents who met with hostile dictators, supporters of Barack Obama cite John F. Kennedy and his meeting with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna in 1961. They leave out how it went.

Letters

Tax it, tax it, tax it
This is response to an article that appeared May 5, "Drive targets tax on alcohol, soda."

Family destruction
Michael Heath is a decent, courageous man who has his personal life in order and, indeed, sees the big picture.

MPBN

NAACP Launches Voter Registration Drive At Maine State Prison
After two years of discussion with state corrections officials, the Portland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was permitted to hold a voter registration seminar at the Maine State Prison in Warren. Maine and Vermont are the only two states in the country that permit prison inmates to cast ballots in state and local elections. MBPN's AJ Higgins was at the Prison in Warren, and he spoke with Barbara Cariddi.

Beer And Soda Tax Debate Comes To Downtown Portland

A tax on beer, wine, soda and most other non-alcoholic drinks to fund the state's Dirigo Health program brought a number of opponents and supporters to Monument Square in Portland this morning. A group called Fed Up With Taxes announced its petition for a ballot referendum to repeal the tax, but its effort was challenged by representatives from several health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and Consumers for Affordable Healthcare. Anne Ravana reports.

LURC Staff Recommends Changes To Plum Creek Plan

The staff of the Land Use Regulation Commission is recommending that Plum Creek scale back and alter some of its development and conservation plans for the Moosehead Lake region. The recommendation does not give the massive project a thumbs up or down. But as Keith Shortall reports, both supporters and opponents of the project say they're concerned about the signal being sent by the commission.

Federal Herring Oversight Criticized

Fish conservationists are calling on federal regulators to increase oversight of the region's industrial herring trawlers. They gathered on the Portland waterfront to make their case. Barbara Cariddi reports.

Lobstermen Trade Old Rope For More Expensive Sinking Rope Designed To Protect Whales

As the October deadline looms for a new federal rule to protect endangered Right Whales. Maine lobstermen are undertaking a shift in the way they work on the water. This week they've been turning in old rope used to connect their traps and making a switch to more expensive rope that regulators believe will help prevent entanglements. But as Susan Sharon reports it's not clear whether the plan will work and whether it could jeopardize the lobster industry.

PolitickerME
John Martin launches fedupwithDanaConnors.org....sort of

Rehabilitation programs key issue for Maine’s inmates

2008 momentum drives inmates to push for change

Maine News for Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Portland Press Herald
District 1 Democratic hopefuls debate gas-tax holiday
Election 2008: Only one of the six backs the idea, with a windfall-profits tax levied on oil companies.

State agency: Plum Creek plan needs work
The developer wants to rezone 20,000 acres in the Moosehead Lake region for 975 homes and two resorts.

Kennedy news a shock for Maine's delegation
They don't all know him well, but are saddened and wishing him the best in his battle with cancer.

Kennedy facing long odds
The senator's brain tumor is often lethal, and some experts say he might have less than a year to live.

Customer complaints mostly minor since switch to FairPoint
Long caller wait times and temporary suspension of the online billing system are among the issues.

Anthem to post prices online for 39 procedures
Costs for lab tests and hospital stays also will be accessible through members' passwords.

Right hospital could be just a click away
Web sites providing ratings of patient care and clinical performance are proliferating.

Editorial
911 mishaps draw further FairPoint scrutiny
This may not signal a problem with the sale decision, but it will focus attention on it.

New toll plaza's first priority to provide safe passage for cars
If that can be done with minimal impact, good; but if not, it still should be done nonetheless.

GREG KESICHCalifornia marriage ruling takes out safe middle ground
Civil union statutes will not satisfy either the supporters of same-sex marriage or its foes.

SENS. SUSAN COLLINS, BEN NELSON and EVAN BAYHBipartisan change sought in Iraq policy
This plan would place much of the financial burden of troop support on the Iraqi government.

Letters

There's more than one side to the issue of health care

Cote, Pingree praised; Strimling called a 'poor choice'

High MERI rating isn't necessarily a good thing

Bangor Daily News

Baldacci urges 2nd stimulus
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci says Congress should approve a second stimulus package as soon as possible, given the state of the economy both in Maine and nationally.

Penn National fined for sending ads to addicts
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
CHICAGO - The Illinois Gaming Board has fined an Aurora casino $800,000 for sending promotional materials to problem gamblers in violation of an agency program.

Verso IPO lower than expected, but company has record quarter
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
MEMPHIS - Verso Paper Corp. announced Tuesday that it has closed its initial public offering of 14 million shares of common stock at a price of $12 per share.

Flood victims urged to seek FEMA aid
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
BRADLEY, Maine - Like dozens of people in towns along the Penobscot River, Joe and Randilee Moore's home was damaged the first week of May when water from the rising river flooded their basement and land.

How to get aid for flood damage
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Residents whose property was damaged in the flood from the April 28 storm and who need assistance must call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. The phone line is open daily 8 a.m.-6 p.m. until further notice.

$34.8M raised to protect 342,000 acres Down East
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Nine years ago, Jimmie Upham and a handful of other Grand Lake Stream residents gathered around a picnic table and, unbeknownst to them, set in motion one of the most significant land conservation deals in Maine history.

Tribes seek help from Feds
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Maine's Indian tribes are taking steps to get the federal government to intervene in their effort to be considered sovereign nations by the state of Maine.

Bangor publisher suing Amazon in anti-trust case
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - A Bangor woman who operates BookLocker.com, a print-on-demand publishing business with more than 1,500 titles in its catalogue, filed a class-action lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court against online giant Amazon.

Editorial
Save, But Save Wisely
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Saving through a 401(k) plan - if it is done right - can make all the difference between a successful retirement and a less-than-successful old age. A recent survey shows that too many employees are not doing it right.

Pre-emptive Condemnation
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
For voters hoping the state's campaign for the U.S. Senate will focus on issues and not personal attacks, Democrat Tom Allen's call for outside groups to skip the negative advertisements was welcome news.

Gerrard W. Rudmin: Demand action on energy solutions
New England has just come through one of the harshest winters on record. Most Mainers use heating oil or wood to heat their homes. Some have access to natural gas. All are carbon-based sources of energy.

Kathleen Parker: Why this much ado about slips of the tongue?
Chivalry is still charming, as Barack Obama proved when he recently warned Tennessee Republicans to leave his wife alone.

May 21 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
UMA chief defends tuition hike
AUGUSTA -- Flat funding from the state this year for Maine's seven public universities, coupled with rising personnel and energy costs, made raising tuition inevitable, University of Maine at Augusta President Allyson Hughes Handley said Tuesday.

Panel: Smaller Plum Creek
The state agency reviewing Plum Creek Timber Co.'s plan for homes and resorts around Moosehead Lake wants development areas scaled back and conservation lands protected by tougher restrictions.

Gardiner sets farm market at city park
GARDINER -- Live vegetables and fruits will greet customers today at the new Gardiner Farmers' Market on Gardiner Common.

Stolen lottery tickets net jail
AUGUSTA -- An Augusta woman was sentenced Friday in Kennebec County Superior Court on a charge of receiving stolen property.

Maine's officials offer hope
WASHINGTON -- Members of Maine's congressional delegation expressed shock and sadness Tuesday to news that U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

On Maine Politics

Prison voter registration drive Wednesday

Editorial

Maine picks up failure of feds in veterans care
One of the tragic ironies of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is that while many soldiers are surviving horrendous explosive attacks because of advanced body armor, they are surviving with serious and disabling brain injuries.

Traumatic brain injury
Symptoms of mild Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.

ROXANNE QUIMBY USED TO BE MY ENEMY. : Getting to know foes as people helps us understand each other
And when she reached out to me to find common ground, I did not want to like her.

KEVIN MCGINNIS OF HALLOWELL : Maine Trauma System
This week is recognized nationally as Emergency Medical Services Week. This week also marks the 15th anniversary of the inception of the Maine Trauma System, a program for emergency injury care.

Sun Journal

Funds to protect E. Maine forest
AUGUSTA (AP) - Land preservation groups are announcing the completion of fundraising to protect 342,000 acres of forest and hundreds of miles of remote lakefront in Down East Maine.

Delegation prays for Kennedy
PORTLAND (AP) - Maine's congressional delegation is expressing concern over the health of Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

Woman using oxygen dies as cigarette ignites clothing
GORHAM (AP) - The state Fire Marshal's Office said Tuesday that smoking was the cause of an early morning fire in Gorham that killed an elderly woman.

Editorial

A laudable promise, if they listen
A byproduct of running one of America's most-watched campaigns for the U.S. Senate is, all of a sudden, having a lot of friends you wished you didn't.

Of dollars and sense and cheap government
I think George W. Bush deserves a raise.

MPBN

Fairpoint Accepts Blame for Malfunctioning 9-1-1 System
Fairpoint Communications officials are acknowledging that the company did not respond forcefully enough to complaints about 9-1-1 outages afflicting the Cumberland County Regional Dispatch Center in Windham. The county's 9-1-1 system malfunctioned several times in March and April, and went down again last weekend. Barbarta Cariddi reports.

Penn National Casino Fined for Violating its Own Policy
An Illinois casino, owned by Penn National Gaming which operates Hollywood Slots in Bangor, has been fined 800,000 dollars for violating its own policy. The Illinois gaming board penalized the casino for sending promotional materials to a list of problem gamblers. In Maine, a leader of the anti-casino movement says the violation is evidence that casinos are dependent on addicts. But a Penn National executive says the incident in Illinois was inadvertent and won't happen again. Keith McKeen reports.

Veterinarian Shortage Plaguing Maine's Farm Industry

The shortage of veterinarians who care primarily for livestock and other large animals is putting a strain on Maine farmers, on the animals they raise and on the vets themselves. Large animal vets are forced to travel hundreds of miles a week to far-flung farms. Sometimes animals die when emergency care isn't available. Julia Davis caught up with one large animal vet, based in Turner, who travels up to a hundred miles between farms to care for many of the region's cows, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas.

The Greening of International Trade

Going green: it's not just a trend in the US, but around the world, creating new requirements for Maine businesses that trade abroad. Maine International Trade Center President Janine Bisaillon-Cary tells Irwin Gratz it's become the theme for this year's Maine International Trade Day conference, which will be held Thursday, May 22, in Portland.

PolitickerME

Wally Edge: 10 for Collins and 10 for Allen

Maine News for Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Greens focus on local elections
Election 2008: Coming off their convention, Maine Greens emphasize building the party at the local level.

State's FairPoint review didn't look at 911 issues
The Public Utilities Commission is examining that topic separately.

FairPoint admits 911 errors
Problems that caused delays in answering calls should have been fixed weeks ago, an official says.

Bill to pay veterans' college costs set for vote
Thousands of Mainers who did tours after Sept. 11, 2001, would be eligible.

Iraq veteran Summers banking on experience
Election 2008: The Republican used to run a business, and says he can navigate the federal system.

Allen, Ledue debate earmark moratorium
Election 2008: Tom Ledue calls for a one-year moratorium. Rep. Tom Allen calls it a gimmick.

Allen to outside groups: No ads attacking Collins
Election 2008: The Maine Democrat says he wants the Senate race to focus on the important issues.

Board OKs 10.1 percent university tuition hike
Rising fuel, retirement and health care costs are blamed as charges for students rise again.

Tax break needed to finish North Dam Mill project
Doug Sanford hopes to use the city's new incentive to put housing in the old blanket factory.

Editorial
Earmark system doesn't serve Maine, nation well
Congress appropriates money for local projects without sufficient public review.

Afghan democracy won't survive death sentences for journalists
It will take more than elections alone to create a free country in the Taliban's former home.

RON BANCROFT, Special to the Press HeraldSo, fellow Democrats, we've got a primary coming up In a bow to the inevitable, a long-overdue party switch opens up many new possibilities.

PETER MILLSMaine's caught in an electricity vise
For every penny that out-of-state pressures raise the price of a kilowatt-hour, we lose $120 million.

Letters

Evolution both a theory and a fact

Maine's 1st District race is still stirring interest

Time to apologize to allies for damage done by Bush

Bangor Daily News

General Fund surplus tops $45M, analysts say
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Legislative analysts say revenue flowing into the state General Fund exceeded projections by $23.2 million in April, bringing a looming surplus with two months to go in the fiscal year to $45.3 million.

Bomb dogs showcase skills at BIA
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Three newest members of the city's Police Department showcased their skills Monday to a captivated audience at Bangor International Airport.

Trustees OK 10% tuition increase
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine - The University of Maine System board of trustees adopted a $520.7 million budget Monday for the upcoming fiscal year, which includes an average 10 percent increase in tuition at Maine’s seven university campuses and a $15.7 million cut in personnel and operating costs.

Fire safety stressed in May
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
BREWER, Maine - May is Electrical Safety Month, and with electrical home fires claiming an average 485 lives each year in the United States, there is one piece of advice that Brewer Fire Chief Rick Bronson is spreading around.

Bangor readies for school budget, primary votes
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Though requests for absentee ballots have been slow to arrive, the June 10 elections are shaping up to be technically trickier than most, city officials said Friday.

Sen. Collins touts bipartisan record
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - When time came Monday morning to talk about the specifics of America’s policies overseas, Sen. Susan Collins started off on an issue she has mentioned before and is likely to mention again in the months leading up to the Senate election this fall: bipartisanship.

Lottery winner has plans for $9.8M
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
LUBEC, Maine - Larry Burns is a character, but he’s now a very rich character.

Editorial

ClickBack on Cars, Tuition
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
This week's ClickBack focuses on college tuition, gas prices and gay rights.

Polar Bear Politics
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Under court order, the Bush administration this week listed polar bears as a threatened species. In doing so, however, the Interior Department took great pains to note that the listing would do nothing to stop climate change or prevent the melting of sea ice, the very problem that is imperiling the bears.

Vernon DeLong : Targeting farmers for political gain
As a person who works with farmers every day, I take issue with the recent column 'Counter-revolutionaries in Montville' (BDN, May 2), which praised the Montville town meeting vote to ban the planting of genetically modified crops, calling it a 'distant echo of the American Revolution.'

Kennebec Journal
Students at all seven campuses will see higher bills starting in the fall
Maine's full-time public university students will see their tuition bills jump an average of 10 percent starting this fall, the University of Maine System Board of Trustees decided Monday.

Summers draws from experience in GOP Congressional primary
Last in a series of profiles of candidates running in the 1st District Congressional primary races.

Million-dollar grant for kids
AUGUSTA -- Local schools and the Augusta Boys and Girls Club for Teens won a grant that could provide more than $1 million over the next five years to help at-risk youths.

Woman says she was fired for refusing advance; panel agrees
AUGUSTA -- The Maine Human Rights Commission on Monday sided with a woman who claimed she was fired from a Waterville business less than a week after complaining that her boss made unwelcome sexual advances.

Waterville river trail system focus of forum
WATERVILLE -- The public on Wednesday will have a chance to give input on a proposed pedestrian connector from the Hathaway Creative Center to downtown.

On Maine Politics

Allen, Collins weigh-in on 3rd party money 05/19/08

Editorial

Call centers not ideal, but are good for Maine
Peter Gore lives in the real world, the one where Maine's economy is sagging if not struggling. The one where a "good" job -- and, certainly, hundreds of them -- should not be forsaken.

DAVID B. OFFER : Impeachment wrong response to failed Bush presidency
Three of the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Congress in Maine's 1st District and incumbent 2nd District Rep. Mike Michaud have endorsed a proposal that would be silly -- if it was not so wrong, so serious and so important.

Letters

Superintendent should focus on Augusta schools
Cony High School is again in trouble with its accreditation.

Christians don't hate homosexuals, but the sin
Do you believe in God, do you believe in Jesus the Christ, some say it is not a proven science, but it is a historical fact in any encyclopedia, just like do you believe in George Washington, and is a historical fact.

Health plan reserve funds could have offset increase
Last week as a state employee, I received two notices from the Division of Employee Health and Benefits.

Sun Journal

Rep. Allen says he'll denounce third-party ads
PORTLAND (AP) - Declaring that his campaign has "no place for the politics of personal destruction," Democratic Senate candidate Tom Allen vowed Monday to denounce any third-party attack ads that personally target Republican incumbent Susan Collins.

Maine woman, 96, still volunteering
WATERVILLE (AP) - Josephine Misunas has thought about retiring from volunteer work at a soup kitchen in Waterville, but friends who work with her won't have any of that.

FEMA to visit Penobscot County
MILFORD (AP) - A federal government mobile disaster recovery center will move through Penobscot County beginning Monday to assist individuals and business owners who were hurt by the floods in late April.

Greens focus on local races
AUGUSTA (AP) - The Maine Green Independent Party is putting a priority on energizing its local and county committees and building party strength in the state's rural areas, the party chair said Monday following its weekend convention.

Study finds General Fund $45M ahead
AUGUSTA (AP) - Legislative analysts say revenue flowing into the state General Fund exceeded projections by $23.2 million in April, bringing a looming surplus with two months to go in the fiscal year to $45.3 million.

UMaine System tuition rising
PRESQUE ISLE - College tuition is going up next year, an average of 10.1 percent at the seven campuses of the University of Maine System.

Turnpike fatality motorist in court
ALFRED (AP) - The daughter of one of the two people killed in a wrong-way collision on the Maine Turnpike expressed frustration Monday as the woman accused of causing the crash walked away from the York County Superior Court.

Opinion

McCain spreads ruse of global warming cult
In an effort to win over those "moderates" who believe that global warming is about to destroy the planet, Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke last week at a Portland, Ore., training facility for Vestas Wind Technology. He claimed, "The facts of global warming demand our urgent attention, especially in Washington."

Where are you?
On May 9, local news reported that the price of a barrel of oil had reached $126. Earlier in the day, I had purchased some gas at a local station for $3.64 a gallon. The next day, the price was $3.74 a gallon.

Warming insanity
V. Paul Reynolds' column May 11, "Global warming or insanity?" is definitely the latter - insane.

Values human life
I am writing in support of Margaret Craven's candidacy for the Maine Senate.

MPBN

Cost of A University of Maine Education on the Rise
Racing car enthusiasts from across New England gathered in Scarborough over the weekend, but the vehicles taking part in yesterday's competition didn't come close to breaking the sound barrier. They also didn't require an oil change. And as Tom Porter reports, their pit crews were made up entirely of high school students.

Training Nurses Close to Home

Wanted: Trained professionals to work in your own community. Great benefits, starting salary: 45 thousand dollars a year. Sounds pretty good. So why is there still a shortage of nurses in Maine? The problem, say those struggling to fill nursing positions, particularly in more rural areas of the state, is not a lack of willing applicants, but a bottleneck in the nurse training system. As Keith Shortall reports, a new effort announced today in Lincoln County is aimed at training nurses close to home.

Insect Scientists Study Decline of Bees

Insect scientists across the world are trying to figure out what's causing a mysterious malady that's killed millions of agricultural honey bees, threatening the food chain on which humans depend. Colony collapse disorder first showed up in US migratory bees about two years ago and has since decimated bee colonies in several states. In colonies afflicted with so-called C-C-D, worker bees suddenly abandon the hive, leaving the queen and larvae to die. While the disorder has yet to show up in Maine, bee experts here say it's likely to be just a matter of time. And so far, no one knows how to stop it.

Electrathon Entertains Race Car Enthusiasts

Racing car enthusiasts from across New England gathered in Scarborough over the weekend, but the vehicles taking part in yesterday's competition didn't come close to breaking the sound barrier. They also didn't require an oil change. And as Tom Porter reports, their pit crews were made up entirely of high school students.

Real ID Opponents Launch Petition Drive

A coalition of groups opposed to the federal Real ID law got together in downtown Portland today to launch a petition-gathering campaign. Their aim is to repeal a state law that bolsters Maine's drivers license requirements and brings the state closer to compliance with the Federal Real ID Act of 2005. The act, say proponents, is designed to stop identity theft and improve national security by establishing new national standards for state-issued driver licenses and other ID cards. Tom Porter has details.

PolitickerME

Opinion: In Lewiston, the primary is the general election

CBS News

Daily Products May Be Harmful
People are exposed to brominated flame retardants in furniture, cars, children's products and even food. But, as Wyatt Andrews reports, the chemicals designed to protect may actually cause

Maine News for Monday, May 19, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Scontras new to political arena
Election 2008: The Republican newcomer and conservative sees his outsider status as an asset.

JUSTIN ELLISA few more ideas for raising the bar in Old Port

Problems cause gaps in response to 911 calls
Cumberland County officials say FairPoint sometimes is slow to take actions that restore service.

Racial issues addressed by Maine's UCC churches
United Church of Christ members start a dialogue, stirred partly by comments by a former UCC pastor.

Editorial
Bloated farm bill rotten to the core
Sen. Susan Collins is right to vote against a bill that perpetuates subsidies for rich farmers.

Once essential, the old landline is becoming a relic
As more people rely exclusively on cell phones, our lives are altered in big and little ways.

Regulate backyard beekeepers, but back off blanket bee bans
Neighbors should have their concerns addressed, but bees bring big benefits.

LEIGH DONALDSONPresident Bush should attend Olympic opening in Beijing
China's human rights abuses would get more attention with world leaders present than not.

GLENN CUMMINGS, Special to the Press HeraldBeware pushers of lobbyists' agendas
Columnist Ron Bancroft offers one-sided ratings to malign Democrats' achievements.

Bangor Daily News

Delegation seeks long-term solutions as national debt grows
Monday, May 19, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine — Each man, woman and child in Maine owes nearly $31,000 as their share of the national debt that is increasing every week by more than the entire state budget for a year.

Community colleges send off graduates
Monday, May 19, 2008
There was a reason Angela Nadeau put off taking a required oral communications class at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.

Maine Guard tracking brain injury
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Maine Army National Guard has embarked on a program to test its members before and after they're deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in what is thought to be the first state-level initiative to identify brain injuries in troops.

Hermon: Maine truckers put their mettle to the pedal
Monday, May 19, 2008
Even a veteran like Warren Lewis found Saturday’s Maine Professional Truck Driving Championships tough going.

N.H. man gets 41 months in prison in child porn case
Monday, May 19, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - A New Hampshire man was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to more than three years in prison for possession of child pornography.

FEMA staff in Milford, to aid county flood victims
Monday, May 19, 2008
A mobile Disaster Recovery Center from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will visit two Penobscot County towns to help all county victims of the flooding that began late last month.

10% hike in tuition likely at UMS sites
Monday, May 19, 2008
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine - Students in the University of Maine System are expected to see, on average, about a 10 percent increase in their tuition rate effective with the July 1 budget.

Compact vehicle draws attention, but concerns linger for many consumers
Saturday, May 17, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - The 40 miles per gallon that Stu Tinker gets driving his two-seat Smart car - the fortwo passion - is just a bonus.

Editorial

Pulp and paper futures
Monday, May 19, 2008
Once the king of Maine's economy, the paper and pulp industry's transformation over the last 30 years has led to a perception that it is dying a slow death in the Pine Tree State. But don't write that obituary just yet.

Editorial: End the ethanol hype
Monday, May 19, 2008
The powerful corn lobby has successfully spread the message that making ethanol from corn will save on fuel costs, reduce American dependence on foreign oil and help save the planet from the effects of climate change.

David Broder: GOP facing uphill battle in election
One way of measuring the current miserable state of the Republican Party is to note that in the past 10 weeks, 55 years of Republican seniority in the House of Representatives were wiped out in three special elections.

May 19 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
BIW workers ratify contract
AUGUSTA -- The largest union at Bath Iron Works voted to accept a new four-year contract Sunday that includes raises, a continuation of health-care benefits and more money for pensions.

AUGUSTA Linen store staying open Despite bankruptcy, 2 Maine closings, local store is safe
AUGUSTA -- Linens 'N Things will close retail stores in Bangor and Biddeford in the next few months but, for now, the Augusta store at 14 Stephen King Drive is safe.

1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Scontras sees conservatism as virtue in campaign
Eighth in a series of profiles of candidates running in the 1st District Congressional primary races.

Dealing with race head on

COLBY COLLEGE Officials have concern about drinking event
WATERVILLE -- Colby College administrators have second thoughts about hosting an annual drinking event that continues to end in the hospitalization of multiple students.

Editorial

Auburn oil plan an idea to help where it hurts
Everyone wants to wave a magic wand and make high energy prices go away. Or at least down.

Letters

McCain shows he's not above negative campaign
As we have seen recently, Sen. John McCain, presumptive Republican presidential nominee, self-described maverick and captain of the "Straight Talk Express," has made claims that terrorist organization Hamas has "endorsed" Sen. Barack Obama for president. He has done this in interviews with conservative bloggers. He is also purporting that it is he whom the terrorists fear most.

Stop buying gas from 'big' oil to see prices come down
I am tired of the high gas prices as we all are. The oil companies like it.

Maine budget stays below mandated spending limit
The May 12 Maine Compass column by J. Scott Moody, "Lawmakers reneged on vow to cut spending," included numbers and statements that are not supported by the facts.

Sun Journal

Union OKs pact at BIW
AUGUSTA (AP) - Members of Bath Iron Works' largest union overwhelmingly approved a four-year contract that gives workers annual 3.5 percent to 4 percent pay hikes while increasing pension contributions and holding the line on health care contributions.

1st Congressional District at a glance
Demographic profile of Maine's 1st Congressional District, according to most recent Census data:

Firm agrees to stop automatic fees
AUGUSTA (AP) - A Portland-based property management company has agreed to stop automatically charging early termination fees when tenants leave an apartment before a lease is up.

Maine Guard begins initiative on brain injury
PORTLAND (AP) - The Maine Army National Guard has embarked on a program to test its members before and after they're deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in what is thought to be the first state-level initiative to identify brain injuries in troops.

Tom Allen's open seat produces crowded field
SCARBOROUGH (AP) - Democratic Rep. Tom Allen's underdog effort to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins has set off a two-party free-for-all for southern Maine's open congressional seat.

Deal nears for former home of Portland Public Market
PORTLAND (AP) - The building that housed the Portland Public Market until it closed two years ago could soon have a new owner under an agreement between the building's owner and a local development firm.

York residents oppose plan to move toll plaza
YORK (AP) - Townspeople in York are giving a thumbs down to a proposal to relocate an aging Maine Turnpike toll plaza to another part of town.

Editorial
The swan song of the superdelegates
For months, Washingtonian mating rituals have occurred behind closed doors between the presidential campaigns of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama and powerful Democratic superdelegates.

Bad policies have left Bush little leverage in Lebanon
The timing couldn't be worse. President Bush's last trip to the Middle East comes at a time when his Mideast policy is in tatters.

MPBN

Real ID Opponents Launch Petition Drive

A coalition of groups opposed to the federal Real ID law got together in downtown Portland today to launch a petition-gathering campaign. Their aim is to repeal a state law that bolsters Maine's drivers license requirements and brings the state closer to compliance with the Federal Real ID Act of 2005. The act, say proponents, is designed to stop identity theft and improve national security by establishing new national standards for state-issued driver licenses and other ID cards. Tom Porter has details.

Senator Collins Crticial of Unchecked Speculation in Oil Futures

While Maine Senator Susan Collins voted against the massive farm bill yesterday, she whole-heartedly came out in support of one of its key provisions, to do away with the so-called "Enron Loophole". Collins, a Republican, says she believes that one major contributor to the rising cost of gasoline is unchecked speculation in the oil futures markets, which have been exempt from the kind of regulation that applies to trading of other commodities. Barbara Cariddi reports.

Small Maine Airports Facing Costly Future

Three of Maine's four small airports that rely on federally subsidized essential air service contracts with Colgan Air face costly decisions in the months ahead as they weigh whether they will accommodate the company's new 34-passenger aircraft. Colgan, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp., has been serving airports in Augusta, Trenton and Rockland with a 19-passenger plane for years. As A.J. Higgins reports, while some small airport managers wonder whether they can afford to say "yes" to the larger aircraft, others argue that they can hardly afford to say "no."

Gay Rights Opponents Say California Ruling Bolsters Effort

Civil rights activists in Maine are hailing a California Supreme Court ruling overturning a voter-approved ban on gay marriage in that state. They say the decision sets a precedent that could eventually lead to broader acceptance of same-sex unions. But gay marriage opponents say the decision will give a boost to their pending petition drive to reaffirm Maine's ban on gay marriage and to repeal a wide range of gay rights laws here. Barbara Cariddi reports.