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Maine News

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Maine News for Thursday, May 29, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Three Democrats running to fill Portland Senate seat
Election 2008: In District 8, a veteran legislator faces two men who have never held elective office.

Bond for new Portland elementary school goes to vote June 10
Election 2008: If it passes, the Ocean Avenue facility would open in 2011.

Allen offers health-care proposal that's a blend of private and public
Election 2008: He says his plan is universal but not a single-payer system like Canada's.

Maine soldier receives high honor
Lewiston native Sgt. Christopher Corriveau helped hold off 40 insurgents in combat in Iraq last year.

'Smokin' Joe' Frazier stumps for 1st District candidate Summers
The former boxing champ appears in Portland and at a fundraiser for the Republican.

'These girls had plenty of time to move'
Officials are at a loss to explain why two sunbathing teens were struck by a train near the Maine-New Hampshire border.

Editorial
Bayside's $5 million pathway will define neighborhood's future
This key urban amenity will help the Bayside vision come into sharper focus.

Note to home buyers: It's your market now
Obsessing about picking the bottom of the market can lead to missing an opportunity.

JACK NICHOLASState budget requires long-term vision
To improve state revenues and children's services, personal income has to be helped to increase.

KEREM DURDAGMaine's historical firsts include a leap of doughy inspiration
The man who claimed to put the hole in the doughnut has a link that extends to today.

Letters
Democrats should elect Maggie Allen to DNC post

Bangor Daily News
'Heated' historical society meeting leads to assault charge in Guilford

GUILFORD, Maine - A 'pretty heated meeting' among Guilford Historical Society members over the display of old photographs turned uglier Tuesday when fists and hair started flying.

Beleaguered by grub worms, Bangor turns to the experts

BANGOR, Maine - The recent rash of grub worms that have been devouring lawns in coastal and eastern Maine has prompted Bangor officials to call in the experts.

Sneak Preview: State gambling board takes tour of new Hollywood Slots complex

BANGOR, Maine - Members and staff of the state's Gambling Control Board got a chance Wednesday to check out the nearly completed Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway. More photos inside!

Plum Creek deal hangs on conservation

AUGUSTA, Maine - Members of Maine's Land Use Regulation Commission indicated Wednesday that they could stomach an unprecedented amount of development in the Moosehead Lake region as long as it comes with land conservation on an equally historic scale.

Group threatens to sue state over Canada lynx

A wildlife advocacy group is renewing legal threats against the state of Maine, claiming rules enacted last year to prevent accidental trapping of Canada lynx have failed to protect the threatened wildcats.

Editorial
Incentive Review

An independent review of the state's many economic development programs, to begin soon, is long overdue. While the study is under way, lawmakers should use the time to fortify themselves to make the difficult decisions that must follow.

Bridge To Indian Island

Indian Island, home of the Penobscot Indian Nation, is a visual metaphor for the often uneasy relationship the native peoples have with Maine. That relationship has deteriorated in recent months to the point that the Penobscots are considering severing ties with state government.

Maine needs farm bill's food aid
Many people have criticized the reauthorization of the farm bill last week because of its obscure and unfair farm subsidies.

May 29 Letters to the Editor


Kennebec Journal

Father, daughter still in critical condition; public told community is safe
PITTSTON -- A father and daughter remained in critical condition at separate Maine hospitals Wednesday, a day after they were critically injured in an attack in their home.

Neighbors shocked, fearful after home invasion
PITTSTON -- Residents and neighbors on Wednesday struggled to come to grips with a violent crime that left two people critically injured and some in this rural community of 2,700 worried for their safety.

Suspect in robbery of Guerrette safe says he was shocked by attack
AUGUSTA -- When Maine State Police officers pounded on Daniel Fortune's door at 5:30 Tuesday morning, he said he was shocked as anyone to hear tragedy had befallen a Pittston family.

Commissioners hint at few changes to Plum Creek plan
AUGUSTA -- Land Use Regulation Commission members Wednesday found concerns in Plum Creek's plans for the Moosehead Lake region, but they also found balance.

Cony not 'at risk'
AUGUSTA -- Some of the issues that got Cony High School's accreditation placed on probationary status 10 years ago are the same ones that now have Cony's accreditation on warning status.

Can't spell 'Democrat' without 'me'
AUGUSTA -- The Maine Democratic Party unveiled a new slogan and logo Wednesday, just in time for the three-day convention that begins Friday in Augusta.

On Maine Politics
Augusta GOP to meet 05/28/08

Editorial

Removing Curran's name honors victims
The Rev. John J. Curran, who died in 1976, served as priest at Augusta's St. Augustine Church from 1962 to 1972. Curran was a central and powerful figure in the city's Catholic community, largely composed of Franco-Americans. So it was fitting that when the state wanted to honor Augusta's citizens of French descent, the downtown span crossing the Kennebec River was named the "Father Curran Bridge." So, too, it was fitting that two college scholarships in the area -- one at the University of Maine at Augusta, the other awarded by the Calumet Club -- were named in honor of Curran.

JIM BRUNELLE : No lack of choices in race for 1st Congressional District
As Democrats gather in Augusta this weekend for their state party convention, attention shifts from the eclipsing, all-consuming shadow of presidential politics to more parochial matters.

LIZ SOARES : Letter to grads: Agitate for change That's how you'll ensure having a future
You've heard a lot of advice lately about how to get out there to be a great success, and I'm sure you've reached the point where you're tuning most of it out.

Sun Journal

Rep. Allen unveils health plan
WESTBROOK (AP) - Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Allen on Wednesday said that if he's elected he will offer a universal health care plan whose cost of at least $75 billion would be financed in part by bringing American troops home from Iraq.

Train hits 2 Maine teens
LEBANON (AP) - Two teenage girls sunbathing on a railroad trestle lost limbs when a train came upon them unexpectedly in this New Hampshire border town, police said Wednesday.

Logging driver charged
MACHIAS (AP) - A logging truck driver from Island Falls is being charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a Maine Department of Transportation worker last year.

Man, daughter still critical after attack
PITTSTON (AP) - A former state legislator and his 10-year-old daughter remained in critical condition in Maine hospitals Wednesday as police continued their investigation into attacks that took place in the victims' home.

Harvard students charged after protest
SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) - Four Harvard University students have been charged after refusing to leave a military recruiting center in South Portland where they were protesting the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Maine Maritime ship setting sail
CASTINE (AP) - Maine Maritime Academy's schooner Bowdoin heads off Thursday on a 60-day sail training trip to the Arctic Circle with 11 students and 5 professional crew members.

Holiday traffic drops from 2007
AUGUSTA (AP) - Traffic volume on the Maine Turnpike was down by nearly 3 percent from last year's Memorial Day weekend record.

MPBN

New Forensics Lab To Fight Crime in Cumberland County
Crimefighters in the greater Portland area Wednesday unveiled plans to build what they describe as a 'state of the art' regional forensics crime laboratory in Portland. Police chiefs and town managers from Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Falmouth, South Portland, Westbrook, Windham, Yarmouth and Cumberland County, signed an agreement to create the facility. They expect it to be completed by the fall of 2009. Tom Porter has details.

New Forensics Lab To Fight Crime in Cumberland County
Crimefighters in the greater Portland area Wednesday unveiled plans to build what they describe as a 'state of the art' regional forensics crime laboratory in Portland. Police chiefs and town managers from Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Falmouth, South Portland, Westbrook, Windham, Yarmouth and Cumberland County, signed an agreement to create the facility. They expect it to be completed by the fall of 2009. Tom Porter has details.

New Hollywood Slots Building Readies for Gamblers
Members of the Maine Gambling Control Board spent an afternoon in Bangor today for a private tour of the soon-to-be-completed bigger and permanent Hollywood Slots complex that includes a hotel as well as 1500 slot machines. The facility is the first of its kind in Maine. Anne Ravana has the story.

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

PolitickerME

18-year-old runs for DNC delegate


Red senator painted green


Ellsworth American
Timberland Owners Dub LURC Plan Confiscatory
AUGUSTA — The staff of the Land Use Regulation Commission, which is essentially the planning board for the 10 million acres in the state’s unorganized territory, has just completed its first round of public meetings on a draft land-use plan that timberland owners are calling a “confiscation” of their property rights.

Runaway Oil Costs Cause Headaches For Homeowners, Fuel Dealers
ELLSWORTH — With the price of home heating oil averaging nearly $4.50 a gallon in Downeast Maine, oil dealers are trying to rein in runaway prices, while homeowners worry about how they will heat their homes next winter.

Bond Issue for Road/ Bridge/Rail Improvements Set to Go Before Voters
AUGUSTA — Voters on primary day will be asked to approve a bond for $29,725,000 for a series of environmental and transportation projects, with the lion’s share going to roads, bridges and rail improvements.

Legislators Warned to Keep Hands Off $40M Revenue Surplus
AUGUSTA — With home heating oil at $4 or more a gallon and gasoline prices poised to hit that all-time high, legislators are being cautioned to keep their hands off an estimated $40 million revenue surplus.

Several Petitions Awaiting State Voters in Primary
AUGUSTA — Voters going to the polls on primary Election Day, June 10, could be asked to sign as many as seven petitions for proposed ballot initiatives ranging from the so-called TABOR 2 tax and spending limit to a ban on gay marriages.

Editorial
An Unmitigated Failure
Does it make sense, at a time when food shortages are reaching critical proportions in many corners of the world, for U.S. taxpayers to be subsidizing farmers to divert more than a quarter of the nation’s entire corn crop into the production of ethanol? Clearly, the answer is “no.” But that didn’t stop Congress from including millions of dollars in food-to-fuel subsidies in the bloated $290 billion farm bill that was recently approved — by overwhelming margins — in both House and Senate.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Maine News for Wednesday, May 28, 2008

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

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

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

BILL NEMITZElectric car? It's not unthinkable any longer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Letters
Hillary Clinton steps over the line, should withdraw

Bangor Daily News
Nomination struggles test candidates

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

State, county Down East jail eyed

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

Senators urge easing truck weight limits

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

New aquaculture facility in Franklin celebrates mission to raise quality salmon

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

Log trucker charged in DOT driver's death

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

Volunteers put finishing touches on new house

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

Plum Creek fate in state's hands

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

Editorial
College value and cost

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

Editorial: Shades of Short Creek

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

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

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

May 28 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editorial

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

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

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

Letters

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

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

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

Sun Journal

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

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

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

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

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

Editorial

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

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

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

MPBN

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

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

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

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

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

PolitickerME
People's Veto Team - meet your opponents

Shipyard commander endorses Scontras

Gov. Romney endorses Summers for Congress

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Maine News for Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Two dozen primaries contested
Election 2008: Just 13 percent of Maine's 186 legislative districts will offer choices on June 10.

Fee for luggage leaves fliers holding the bag
Experts say the rising cost of flying means travelers should get used to added charges.

Marine reserves deploy with mixed feelings
About 20 Mainers are putting their lives on hold, heading to California for training, then to Iraq.

Thornton Academy to accept boarding students
The 200-year-old private school looks to solidify and diversify its high school enrollment.

You think Massachusetts drivers are bad? Watch out for New Jersey's
Maine drivers finish 31st in the nationwide survey by GMAC Insurance.

Wanted: Someone to buy old Somerset County Jail for $200,000
It sits in the heart of downtown Skowhegan and has no zoning or permit-use restrictions.

Young delegates turn out
Speaking of the excitement, one convention-goer says 'it's never been anything like this.'

Veteran groups face future with fewer, less active members
Younger veterans are less likely to get involved in the VFW or American Legion, leaders say.

Editorial
Rand should get party's nod for state Senate
The Portland Democrat is loaded with experience and passion for the job.

Has Maine turned the corner on its fiscal crisis? No way.
A surplus for the month of April doesn't change the grim, long-term forecast.

Another View: Without a landline, we're losing another lifeline
Elderly, handicapped and other housebound citizens need a phone service they can rely on.

CHIP BOEHM, Special to the Press HeraldEmergency care takes a hit in Portland
The EMS lieutenant's job was cut and paramedics may no longer be answering every call.

Letters
If conflict's such a worry, McCain, fire the lobbyists

Bangor Daily News
State to track funding activity

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine has 55 separate economic development programs, from tax credits to technical assistance, and a state agency assigned the responsibility of promoting the state's economy. But, for the first time, a comprehensive study will try to determine whether they are effective.

Wyman expanding Deblois blueberry facilities

DEBLOIS, Maine - The state's largest wild blueberry producer has embarked on a multimillion-dollar expansion of its harvesting, processing and storage facilities in rural Washington County, highlighting its strong commitment to Maine's well-known fruit in uncertain economic times.

Two recently created 'green' cemeteries in Maine reject embalming, waterproof caskets and vaults

It was four days before Christmas - the winter solstice - when Arielle and Rob Bywater buried their infant son in a plain wooden coffin on a forested bluff overlooking the Penobscot River.

Troublesome gaps found in port security

WASHINGTON, Maine - A Department of Homeland Security program to strengthen port security has gaps that terrorists could exploit to smuggle weapons of mass destruction in cargo containers, congressional investigators have found.

Thousands pay tribute to war dead

HOLDEN, Maine - Though Memorial Day offers opportunities to honor the nation's war dead and veterans, during wartime the holiday takes on an added significance. That certainly appeared to be the case Monday in Greater Bangor.

Editorials
ClickBack on school week, PTSD, tourism

This week, ClickBack asks readers to ponder a shorter public school week, post-traumatic stress disorder and tourism.

Editorial: The Enron loophole

It may be like locking the barn door after the horse has escaped, but Congress' approval of a bill that includes a provision regulating energy trading is an example of how government can help control escalating energy costs.

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

Karen Hover: What Australia can teach us about health care
As Americans, we are taught to think that a free market is good because it keeps prices low. In health care, however, free market forces breed complexity, and complexity is costly. Here is an example, taken from my day-to-day experience as a family doctor.

Letters
May 27 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA Party expects large turnout Democrats will hold state convention over the weekend
AUGUSTA -- More than 3,000 Democrats from across Maine will be in Augusta for their party convention Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

RICHMOND Downtown sees vitality as new businesses arrive
RICHMOND -- This small riverside downtown is filling up with places to fill your belly.

Communities observe Memorial Day by honoring those who gave lives for freedom
DRESDEN -- Ellie Dekker and her dad, Mike, honored fallen soldiers Monday by taking part in a ceremony performed each year since 1954 at the Pownalborough Court House.

2 Democrats to vie for key Senate race
AUGUSTA -- Two longtime Democrats, both with political experience, will face off June 10 for the right to represent their party in the race for Senate District 21.

Few Maine districts feature contested primaries in June
AUGUSTA -- Most voters who hope to choose their parties' legislative candidates next month might as well bring a rubber stamp to the polls.

Easements key tool near Appalachian Trail
FARMINGTON -- The high mountains of northern Franklin County and the remote region around the Appalachian Trail that crosses them are being targeted for conservation by an environmental group working to purchase easements from landowners that would keep the region open for public use, sustainable forestry and recreation.

On Maine Politics
Brennan slammed by Greens 05/26/08

Editorial

New health-care tool likely to help control costs
Ask anyone who understands anything about the nation's health-care crisis, and they'll tell you that controlling ever-rising medical costs is a huge part of the solution.

DAVID B. OFFER : Youths lack financial expertise but not access to easy credit
New high school graduates, with little work experience, credit history or understanding of the ins and outs of financial affairs, soon will be bombarded with offers of credit cards.

Sun Journal

Under-21 delegates prompt Democrats to limit alcohol
AUGUSTA - Political conventions are known for their hospitality suites, in which politicians hobnob over drinks with activists and potential supporters. At the Democratic State Convention this coming weekend, there will be a new twist to the informal get-togethers.

Veterans groups face challenges
BANGOR (AP) - Saturday night dances at the American Legion, bingo games at the Veterans of Foreign Wars and baked bean suppers at local veterans halls were, for decades, an important part of the social fabric in Maine's small towns and large cities.

Maine woman trapped in freezer
WINSLOW (AP) - A Maine woman is apparently OK after an extended stay in a walk-in freezer.

Editorial

Spending money on spent fuel
Maine has a closed nuclear power plant, Maine Yankee, that stores its spent nuclear fuel in Wiscasset.

Ted Kennedy's challenge deserves our support
These days, people on "one side" of the political spectrum are not supposed to cooperate, much less have a personal relationship with anyone on the "other side." Siding with "the enemy" can get you branded a compromiser, a sellout, or fool. While it is true that on too many occasions, conservatives have had their ideological pockets picked by liberals whose favor they curried, that is no excuse for hating people because of their political beliefs.

Letters

Remember what she has done
On June 10, citizens of Lewiston will vote in the Democratic primary election. I support Elaine Makas, who served as a state representative for the past six years and who is running for the state senate.

Eminently qualified
I urge voters in the 1st District to support Chellie Pingree.

MPBN

Gas Prices Impacting Holiday Plans
With gas prices hovering near, or in some cases, over the the four dollar per gallon mark, some holiday travellers are thinking twice about hitting the road for a long weekend. AAA predicts that hundreds of thousands of Americans will travel shorter distances than they did last Memorial day, and state economists are reporting that gas sales are rapidly declining. Keith McKeen reports.

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

Researchers Seek a Better Understanding of the Smelt
Spring is a time for cleaning house, planting gardens, and for some Mainers, standing in the dark along the banks of streams with a long handled net and a flashlight. The smelters, as they're called, shine their flashlights for an instant across the shallow water looking for darting shadows. They are in search of "Osmeris Mordax", otherwide known as the Atlantic Rainbow Smelt, a small fish that is a much a seasonal delicacy as the fiddlehead fern. As A.J. Higgins reports, marine scientists in Maine are currently hard at work trying find out more about the life of the smelt.

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.

PolitickerME

PPH endorses Cote, Summers


Romney backs Summers

Times Record

Invest in making health care affordable