Maine News for Friday, August 15, 2008

Portland Press Herald
GOP pushing special session on heating aid
Republican leaders say legislators should convene without compensation.

Collins questions Edwards' baby denial
The Maine Republican says during a radio interview: 'Don't you think he is the father?'

Prime land part of newspaper package
But two members of the group negotiating to buy Blethen Maine Newspapers downplay the deal’s real estate element.

Editorials

State should speed up rules for electric cars
Maine law should stay current, as people look for transportation alternatives.

Workers still at risk at the former DeCoster Egg Farms
Multimillion-dollar penalties have not yet stopped the violations at the farm in Turner.

M.D. HARMONIf we're not at the top in tax rates, where else could we be?
A recent drop in the state's ranking has led some to leap to entirely too-rosy conclusions.

Letters

Hard-working teachers merit our thanks

Weighing in on what's causing newspaper's woes

Specialty plate proposals need not present problem

Expedite political solutions by voting out incumbents

Bangor Daily News

Energy-conservation forums slated for Bangor, Hermon
Friday, August 15, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - A group of Bangor area state lawmakers will hold two energy-conservation workshops next week in Bangor and Hermon.

Brewer, Cianbro sharing spotlight
Friday, August 15, 2008
BREWER, Maine - A video production company on Thursday was at Cianbro's Eastern Manufacturing Facility, and at other spots around town, filming for a documentary on what will be the largest oil refinery in United States history.

Reducing agencies on state's agenda
Friday, August 15, 2008
State officials are asking for the public's comments on ways to eliminate duplication in the agencies that oversee Maine's woods, waters, farms and overall environmental health.

Republican legislators press for special LIHEAP session
Friday, August 15, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Republican lawmakers are pressing their call for a special legislative session to transfer $10 million in surplus funds to Maine's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Maine to Cameroon: Yes, he's monogamous
Friday, August 15, 2008
MILLINOCKET, Maine - With all the power invested in him as Town Council chairman, Wallace Paul swears that Ben Clark is not and never has been a polygamist.

Maine food stamp benefits to rise
Friday, August 15, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Federal officials have granted the state's request to adjust food stamp benefit levels to reflect higher home heating and other utility costs, which will result in an estimated 59,000 households in Maine getting about $23 a month more beginning next month.

Bells, clappers stolen from coastal buoys
Friday, August 15, 2008
PORTLAND, Maine - The U.S. Coast Guard and the Maine Marine Patrol are investigating the theft of bells and clappers from navigational buoys along the Maine coast. Investigators believe the brass or bronze bells are being sold as scrap metal.

Mitchell to receive public service award
Friday, August 15, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell will receive the Scales of Justice Award from Equal Justice Works. The award will be presented on Oct. 16 in at a banquet in Washington, D.C.

Editorial

Maine's Water Wars
Friday, August 15, 2008
When he was governor, Angus King often lamented the lack of value-added components in Maine's economy. Wood chips and pulp should not be exported, he argued; instead, Maine should lead in paper, lumber and furniture making.

August 15 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Collins joins speculation on father of Edwards mistress's baby
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins speculated on a live radio broadcast this week that former Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards is the likely father of a child born to a woman with whom he recently admitted having an affair.

GOP hot to start session
AUGUSTA -- Republican lawmakers are pressing their call for a special legislative session to transfer $10 million in surplus funds to Maine's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Cianbro opens new plant in Brewer
A Pittsfield construction company today celebrates a landmark: The grand opening of a mammoth new facility in Brewer.

Baldaccis invite public to mansion
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci and first lady Karen Baldacci will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Maine governor's mansion -- the Blaine House -- this weekend.

Editorial

Rural workers need high-tech education, skills
By passing a $50 million bond in 2007 to fund state investments in technology, Maine voters placed their bets on that sector's future as the state's traditional, natural-resource based economy faltered.

DENIS THOET : Farmers aim to make a living, grow good food
Profit: It's as American as apple pie. Corporations, companies, commercial farms and small businesses make a profit or go out of business. Swim or die, as the sharks say.

DANA MURCH : Fort Halifax Dam a victim of economics: Cons outweighed pros
The removal of the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow has stirred passions and led to many questions regarding the interplay between state energy and fisheries policies and the regulatory role of the Department of Environmental Protection. I want to address these questions from my perspective of 25 years regulating dams and hydropower in Maine.

L. SANDY MAISEL : McCain, Obama shouldn't use old weapons in new battle
We never seem to learn the right lessons from history.

Letters

More than a 'few' don't like what's going on
Contrary to what our illustrious Mayor Roger Katz would have you believe in his "community compass" in the Kennebec Journal, more than a "few" citizens don't like what has been going on in city hall.

Does Katz believe his defense appeases public?
Does he truly believe (his) defending the current Augusta City Council's spending frenzy really appeases the continuing public dissatisfaction with the questionable behavior of city administrators? (i.e. Augusta residents should stop fighting old battles, KJ, Aug. 7.)

'Metal theft' case should have been handled better
I wish that it were within my power to erase the piece that appeared in the Wednesday, July 30 edition of the Kennebec Journal under "Local and State" headed: "Winthrop: 2 disciplined in metal theft."

Sun Journal
Senate candidate seeks court stay
AUGUSTA (AP) - Independent U.S. Senate hopeful Herbert Hoffman is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state high court ruling that effectively removed his name from Maine's November ballot.

Lake survey to expand
BANGOR (AP) - Additional milfoil surveying is planned for parts of Salmon Lake and Great Pond near Belgrade.

GOP renews call for special session
AUGUSTA (AP) - Republican lawmakers are pressing their call for a special legislative session to transfer $10 million in surplus funds to Maine's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Maine curbs fuel-saving vehicle by restricting three-wheelers
PORTLAND (AP) - Maine motor vehicle officials are curbing electric, three-wheeled vehicles that have appeared on some roads because they don't qualify as motorcycles.

Collins gossips about Edwards
PORTLAND - U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told a radio audience this week that she believes U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina fathered a love child with his mistress, according to published reports.

Obama team says book just a 'piece of garbage'
HONOLULU (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hit back Thursday with a 40-page rebuttal to the best-selling book "The Obama Nation," arguing the author is a fringe bigot peddling rehashed lies.

Editorial
There must be more to this tax story
The amorphous idea of cutting Maine's income taxes - as floated by Gov. John Baldacci - is out of character for an administration that has tightly guarded its major policy goals and proposals.

Picking Bayh could cost Obama the election
If you believe the chatter, Barack Obama is desperately seeking a white guy - any white guy - to be his running mate. Democratic sources have floated vice-presidential trial balloons for every pale-faced stiff in the D.C. region - from Delaware Sen. Joe Biden to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. But with Obama needing his "change" brand to overshadow his recent flip-flops, no pick would be more self-defeating than Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh - the career politician who best personifies "more of the same."

News businesses must work together
As one of the two major news organizations in Lewiston, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network has always enjoyed a close working relationship with one of Maine's finest newspapers, the Sun Journal. Thus it was particularly painful to read a column published Friday, Aug. 8 which uncharacteristically attacked MPBN for comments made by a volunteer during one of our fundraising drives.


MPBN
Senate Candidate Takes Case To Highest Court

The Hoffman for Senate campaign has filed a formal appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in an ongoing legal battle over qualifying ballot signatures. Herbert Hoffman is asking the justices to stay a decision by Maine's highest court that effectively removed the Ogunquit psychologist from the ballot last month. The U.S. Supreme Court is in recess, and not scheduled to reconvene until Oct. 6, but Hoffman says he must win a stay to be included on the November 4th ballot.

PolitickerME
Jacobsen: In presidential race, ME-2 a toss-up

Maine News for Thursday, August 14, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Gas prices driving motorists off road, especially in Maine
The state's traffic decline in June - 7 percent - was almost the sharpest in the nation.

State puts brakes on electric vehicle
Maine tells the owner of a ZAP Xebra three-wheeler the he must pull over.

Elderly, disabled riders save their bus stop
The city drops its plan to scrap a downtown bus route after residents at 100 State Street oppose it.

School choice plays role in districts' merger plan
Windham and Raymond officials are expected to vote next month on a consolidation plan.

Baldacci pick wins bipartisan backing
The appropriations panel endorses Ryan Low to take over the state agency responsible for budgeting.

Asphalt prices put road work on hold
A sharp increase leads the state to suspend work on several projects, including many in the Portland area.

Asphalt prices put road work on hold
A sharp increase leads the state to suspend work on several projects, including many in the Portland area.

Opinion
HILARY SCHNEIDEREmergency department task force needs consumer representation
Without ordinary Mainers on the panel, any results or recommendations will inevitably miss the mark.

Letters

Prosecution would be severe response to alleged drinking

Race official, participant laud coverage, community

Politicians focus on trivia, ignore country's troubles

Candidate looks forward to November's balloting

Bangor Daily News

DEP to broaden scope of milfoil survey
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Divers plan to survey additional areas of Salmon Lake and Great Pond near Belgrade for signs of a particularly aggressive type of the invasive plant known as milfoil.

Task force reviews pros and cons of wood heat
Thursday, August 14, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Converting a large number of Maine homes from oil heat to wood heat would save consumers money but could have implications for both the environment and other forest product industries, members of a task force were told Wednesday.

Academy signs deal for schools in China
Thursday, August 14, 2008
LEE, Maine - Agreements have been signed for three more Lee Academy satellite schools in China, and plans are in the works for possibly five in South Korea, Headmaster Bruce Lindberg said Wednesday.

Council 'fine jar' targets bad cell phone manners
Thursday, August 14, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Many Americans of a certain age are familiar with the 'fine jar' concept.

Asphalt prices delay roadwork
Thursday, August 14, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - The skyrocketing price of liquid asphalt is causing the Maine Department of Transportation to suspend the paving of about 85 miles of state roads that was scheduled to begin this fall.

DOT projects affected by high fuel costs.
Thursday, August 14, 2008

Editorial

Guantanamo Justice
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The fact that the trial of Osama bin Laden's former driver appears to have resulted in an appropriate verdict and sentence will be meaningless if the Bush administration does not release the Yemeni man after his sentence is served.

UMS Financial Gain
Thursday, August 14, 2008
With the University of Maine System in the midst of an effort to reduce costs, especially by reducing administration and increasing collaboration, it has hired the right person to oversee this work.

Richard K. Dimond: National debt about to sink us
Only 9 percent in the country approve of the job Congress is doing and 80 percent do not like the direction their country is going.

August 14 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
GROWING DISASTER
Spencer Aitel is usually well into his second crop of hay come mid-August.

CENTRAL MAINE State delays some area paving projects
Roads in need of paving this construction season -- including those in Gardiner, Monmouth and Litchfield -- will not get the attention they need until next spring, Maine Department of Transportation officials said.

AUGUSTA School board OKs new hires Advisor program at Cony approved
AUGUSTA -- Hodgkins Middle School has a new principal, Farrington Elementary a new assistant principal, and all the city's public school students have a new person overseeing their curriculum.

State 'zaps' electric cycle
Tom Joyal couldn't be happier with his new ride: an electric, three-wheel vehicle that saves him plenty at the pump and draws an uncommon amount of attention from passers-by.

Low likely in finance job
AUGUSTA -- A legislative committee gave its unanimous backing Tuesday to Gov. John Baldacci's new nominee to fill the top post at the state's Department of Administrative and Financial Services.

Collection set for home toxics
AUGUSTA -- Maine residents with banned or unusable pesticides lurking in their basements, garages or back sheds will have a chance this fall to get rid of the stuff -- legally and safely.

Costs halt paving on 4 Litchfield roads
LITCHFIELD -- Residents will have to wait until at least next year for paving work on four town roads.

Editorial

Income tax level too high for those earning little
We have consistently stated that when it comes to Maine's taxes, the tax on income is the one most in need of fixing.

KAY RAND : Natural resources consolidation should be handled prudently
I grew up in Aroostook County as the daughter of a potato farmer and pulp cutter. My father's notion of heaven is prime farmland.

ALEC CAMPBELL : GEORGIA Conflict reveals U.S. to be bad, maybe even dangerous ally
Many people will see a double standard in the American response to the Russian invasion of Georgia given our current involvement in Iraq. This is a problem for the United States, and the Russians have exploited it in their public statements.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV WAS THE LAST PRESIDENT OF THE SO : GEORGIA Lasting peace possible, needed in the Caucasus
MOSCOW -- The past week's events in South Ossetia are bound to shock and pain anyone. Already, thousands of people have died, tens of thousands have been turned into refugees, and towns and villages lie in ruins. Nothing can justify this loss of life and destruction. It is a warning to all.

Letters

Some voters expect more from candidates
David Offer states that "For the first time in many elections, I think the parties have selected two very qualified candidates." What?

Fee increase double-taxes those with vanity plates
The stated purpose for the increased fees for vehicle registration, according to Maine secretary of state's office, is "to generate revenue to support bridge and road maintenance." Certainly a fair way to raise much needed revenue.

Katz lets hypocrisy show in KJ column
This letter comments on Roger Katz's Aug. 7, Kennebec Journal, Community Compass column.

President close to an agreement to end war
With all of the media coverage of the John Edwards affair, did anyone notice that Iraq has asked us to set a date for withdrawal? President Bush is now close to an agreement that calls for U.S. combat forces to be out of Iraqi cities within a year and entirely out of the country by the end of 2010.

Sun Journal
Towns pay for state's error
LEWISTON - State revenue officials have admitted to making an error when calculating a specific tax reimbursement payment to Maine towns, resulting in overpayments to more than 100 towns and underpayments to more than 300 others.

Maine jail guard placed on leave
BELFAST (AP) - Officials say a Knox County jail guard is on leave following his arrest for alleged sex crimes involving girls.

Asphalt prices pinch projects
With the price of liquid asphalt more than doubling since January, the Maine Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it is suspending $14.3 million worth of road paving projects scheduled for later this summer.

Report: Edwards' wife in anguish after affair
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Elizabeth Edwards' cancer diagnosis forced her to decide quickly whether she would leave her husband after he confessed to having an affair, her brother and a friend told People magazine.

Wood-pellet silo hinges on FAA OK

Editorial
Put a stop to notion of moratorium
A development moratorium in downtown Lewiston is the opposite of what's needed, which are more thoughtful efforts to identify what downtown should have, rather than what it should not.

The lies and coverup are worst part for Edwards
There is something familiar about the storyline: woman has more than one sex partner; woman becomes pregnant; no father's name on the birth certificate; paternity questioned.

Letter
Corporate spin
Are Maine's media outlets so hard up that they have to accept bogus ads such as the ones being produced by the so-called "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace?"

MPBN
Maine Lobster Industry Says Its Product Deserves Seal of Approval

An effort to have Maine's lobster industry certified as sustainable is moving forward with the release of a preliminary review of the state's lobster fishing practices. The Governor's Working Group on Maine Lobster Sustainability is pushing to have Maine's signature seafood certified as sustainable by the international Marine Stewardship Council. Fisheries that are certified can use a seal that assures consumers that the seafood was not overfished or harvested in a harmful way. As Anne Ravana reports, task force members say the lobster industry could lose valuable markets if it doesn't obtain certification.

Petitioners Call For Limits On Global Warming Pollution

An environmental advocacy group arrived at the governor's office today to present petitions carrying the signatures of more than 10,000 Mainers calling for mandatory limits on Maine's global warming pollution. David Littell, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, accepted the petitions on behalf of Gov. John Baldacci. Littell says the administration is prepared to expand its leadership role in tackling global warming which, left unchecked, could mean rising sea levels, severe weather and fewer sugar maples.

Catholic Author Urges Flexibility On Abortion

More than one in four Americans are Roman Catholic, and as one of the most important US elections in decades approaches, many assume that those 60 million plus Americans are going to stick to a fairly narrow political agenda, based on opposition to abortion and gay marriage. Not so, says Portland-based author and practicing Catholic Chris Korzen, who argues the Catholic faith has more flexibility than you may think. Korzen is co-author of "A Nation For All: How The Catholic Vision for the Common Good Can Save American from the Politics of Division." He's also director of Catholics United - a non-partisan, online advocacy group dedicated to promoting social justice. MPBN's Tom Porter asked Korzen what inspired him to write the book.

PolitickerME
Confirmation hearing turned toast to Ryan Low

Allen tours state to tout economic plan

Collins gossips about Edwards on radio show

Ellsworth American
Maybe the Answer Is Blowing in the Wind
NORTHPORT — Willie Sutton had a very good reason for robbing banks.

In Winter Harbor Wind Turbine’s Effect Has Been Electrifying
WINTER HARBOR — A once-controversial wind turbine is now humming away with the help of the shoreline breezes along Schoodic Point.

Cheap Firewood Program Is Too Popular
AUGUSTA — A program that allows Mainers to cut wood on state land for $25 a cord, which in recent years has had three or four dozen participants, is now attracting 10 times that many applicants.

Editorial
The Nuclear Option
Several of Maine’s past and present political leaders are quick to say that the state must consider a variety of energy options as it faces the most serious challenge in its nearly 200-year history. But they are just as quick to reject any notion that nuclear energy might be a part of the mix. Among five politicos interviewed for the “Re-energizing Maine” series that began in last week’s issue of The Ellsworth American, only State Sen. Dennis Damon (D-Hancock County) showed an open mind where nuclear power is concerned. “There are those who have quickly dismissed nuclear power as not being appropriate for Maine, but I’m not among them,” said Damon. “I think nuclear power does have a role and that it ought not be off the table. It ought to be talked about as a serious way to fill some of Maine’s power needs and not just dismissed hysterically.”

Weeklies Are Holding Their Own
Weekly newspapers have been living by their wits for years while providing the kinds of information their readers want and have come to expect.
The doom-and-gloom that surrounds daily newspapers these days — most especially a group of Maine dailies — might lead many observers to believe that the very survival of the newspaper as an institution is at risk. Last week, the president of Blethen Maine Newspapers, which publishes the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, was reported as saying in a court document that severe financial problems facing the parent company could force a shutdown of those newspapers. And indeed, daily newspapers across the country have been struggling with increased production costs and from circulation and advertising revenue declines.

Maine News for Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Baldacci aims to lower income tax rate
The governor says lowering the change is a priority as he works on the state budget.

Egg farm faces fines for safety violations
OSHA: Employees worked in a collapsed building and shoveled roofs with no protection.

Panel takes new tack on school construction
Meetings will be held in each voting district to present renovation and rebuilding options.

Economy fuels rise in school interest
Maine Community Colleges report a record number of applications for the coming year.

Consumers unwilling to give up life's little pleasures
Alcohol, cigarette and candy makers all report healthy sales despite the looming global recession.

Commuters go online for rides
High gas prices spur more drivers to try carpooling to get back and forth to work each day and save.

Editorial

Russia's attack on Georgia highly ominous
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has now proved he will deploy troops to fight his neighbors.

Senator is giving her party a little space this year
The Republican brand could make this election tougher than expected for an incumbent like Collins

Letters:

In time of crisis, Allen votes for R&R

Young fan feels let down after Sea Dogs cancel game

Obama has dazzling style but offers little substance

Inspiring cancer fundraiser deserved more attention

Backer of turnpike's actions didn't refute foes' findings

Bangor Daily News

Baldacci may call summer session on fuel funding
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - There’s still no word about a special session of the Legislature to take up fuel assistance funding.

Beleaguered Pinkham Sawmill to close
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
NASHVILLE PLANTATION, Maine - An Aroostook County mill that has sputtered along in the past few months has finally run out of steam.

Bangor officials debate limits on methadone clinics
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Though the issue doesn't draw the large crowds it used to when The Acadia Hospital was gearing up to open the first methadone clinic in the city almost eight years ago, the controversial treatment still generates debate.

Brewer enacts 180-day methadone moratorium
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
BREWER, Maine - City Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on the opening of methadone clinics or other drug treatment facilities.

Fort Kent: UMFK in Princeton Review for fourth year
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
FORT KENT, Maine - Who says you have to stop at a threepeat? Not officials at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, who again are celebrating a 'Best Northeastern College' ranking for 2009 by the Princeton Review.

Helicopter pilots from Maine break world speed record
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Helicopter pilot Scott Kasprowicz and co-pilot Steve Sheik set the world speed record for a helicopter trip from New York to London, a journey that included a refueling stop at Bangor International Airport on Aug. 6.

Editorial
'Fogust' v. The Maples
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
This month of rain, mist, humidity and fog is so miserable that one Maine lobsterman has coined the term 'Fogust.' It has spoiled a lot of picnics, ball games and hikes, but one of its worst visible consequences is what it has done to the maple trees.

Iraq's Budget Surplus
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The revelation that Iraq's government may enjoy a $79 billion surplus by the end of the year, while the U.S. government expects a $482 billion deficit, is a classic good news, bad news development.

Matthew Warner: U.S. must not ignore Southern Sudan
Southern Sudan is one of the worst places on earth. As I walked its rutted streets, I experienced firsthand the chaos that defines this place. Daily, property and tribal disputes end in violence.

Letters for Vladimir
From President George W. Bush:
Dear Vlad:
Beijing is weird. First of all, you can't breathe the air. Second, how 'bout those drummers?

Kennebec Journal
STATEHOUSE TAX CUT STILL ON AGENDA
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci said this week that lowering the state income tax is a priority heading into the next legislative session.

INTEREST IN COLLEGES EXPLODES
Attributing it to a slowing economy and reduced job prospects, Maine's community colleges say they are seeing a record number of applications for the coming academic year.

Wyke abandons FAME nomination for university position
AUGUSTA -- Rebecca Wyke, the state's top finance official, has accepted a position with the University of Maine System, system Chancellor Richard Pattenaude announced Tuesday.

'This is absolutely ludicrous'
RICHMOND -- Betty Moody's mobile home sits on a slab in a reclaimed gully.

Consolidation plan approved
LITCHFIELD -- More than two-thirds of voters in three towns Tuesday endorsed a proposal to redesign their schools' administrative structure to comply with the state's school district consolidation mandate.

Editorials

We live in one of nation's best micropolises
Did you know that you live in more than one place?

GEORGE SMITH : Maine knows very little about moose population, mortality
Eat a lobster. See a moose. Those are the goals of nearly every Maine tourist.

KAREN BALDACCI, WIFE OF MAINE GOV. JOHN BALDACCI, : Curious first lady finds plan, recreates original garden
My family has proudly called the Blaine House our home for more than five years. We feel blessed to reside in what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful public homes in New England.

Letters

I-295 repaving project went well, few problems
As an early skeptic of the proposal to close two miles of I-295 this summer for rebuilding, I could not be more pleased with this project's early completion and perfect safety record.

Obama has one quality that will get him elected
Barack Obama is going to win in a landslide because as I always said: voters in Maine are just like voters everywhere. They carefully weigh all the political issues and then go in and vote for the best-looking candidate.

Taking reality check of blue, red colors
Bruce Hanson checks in (letter, Aug. 11) voicing displeasure over the decision to oust Herbert Hoffman's bid to be on the ballot. He thinks Tom Allen needs a new career and declares that the Hoffman "debacle" reinforces the Democrats' choice of a donkey as a political mascot. OK ... got that one. But then he says this explains "quite clearly" why states controlled by the Democrats are "blue" -- and asks if there are any questions.

Sun Journal
Baldacci continues summer planning at Maine State House
AUGUSTA (AP) - There's still no word about a special session of the Maine Legislature to take up fuel assistance funding.

Deering baseball coach resigns
PORTLAND (AP) - The coach of Deering High School's state championship baseball team has resigned.

Maine food stamp use up 7.2 percent
PORTLAND (AP) - More people in Maine are turning to food stamps during a time of economic stresses including high fuel and food costs.

Opinion
John Edwards' behavior was staggering arrogance
There is obviously no way to quantify this, but I regard Bill Clinton as the most thoroughly humiliated person in all of human history. Who else even comes close?

Letters
A big factor
Like many folks in my area, I commute 15 miles or more to my job, and heat my house with oil. This election, energy costs and renewable energy are big factors when choosing candidates. That's why David Van Wie will get my vote for Maine House of Representatives for District 105.

A broken system
There is a revolt brewing in public education. There are many very unhappy customers, vividly illustrated by far too many students leaving the system without knowing how to spell, read, or how to make change. This is from the kids themselves, not the parents.

MPBN
Task Force to Focus on Consolidating Five State Agencies

As a thirty-member task force prepares for a two-day retreat next month to probe the merits of consolidating the state's five natural resource agencies, the governor's office is inviting suggestions from the public. Originally proposed in the state's supplemental budget as a plan to merge two or more of the departments, the consolidation effort has now assumed a broader mission of simply finding efficiencies and reducing costs.

PolitickerME
Parties exchange jabs over oil company contributions

Pingree, Summers claim new endorsements

Wyke abandons FAME nomination, takes position at UMS

Maine News for Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Portland Press Herald
State awards $30 million in grants to advance technology development
The money is part of a $50 million bond issue approved by voters in November.

Riverview’s chief resigning to lead Acadia Hospital
David Proffitt, who has been at the psychiatric center for four years, will be moving to Bangor.

State to survey schools for fuel assistance
Some district officials say they've budgeted enough, while others say the cost could bring spending cuts.

To get by, more Mainers turning to food stamps
The state sees an increase of 7.2 percent this month, compared with last year.

Washed-out road closed for a month
Freeport officials expect the repairs needed on Desert Road to cost at least $400,000.

Route 1 repaving a summer sore spot
The Brunswick project – its timing has been questioned – is expected to last into October.

Central Maine cities make the grade
A survey names the Augusta-Waterville region the nation's 17th-best 'micropolitan' area.

Editorials

Law should require reporting child porn
When hard drives contain hard-core images, calling the cops shouldn’t be optional.

Consumers served by Oakhurst’s stance
People buying milk have a right to know the truth about what chemicals went into it.

Bangor Daily News

Baldacci to propose income tax cut
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci said Monday he would propose lowering Maine's personal income taxes in the January session of the Maine Legislature, but how much depends on the state budget now being developed.

Groups going to court, pressing further protection of lynx
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - Two organizations filed suit in federal court Monday to force Maine officials to take additional steps to prevent trappers from inadvertently capturing Canada lynx.

Excess rainwater may maroon potatoes in fields
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine - Some potato growers in Aroostook County will not be able to harvest some of their crops because of the higher-than-normal amount of rainfall so far this year, according to the executive director of the Maine Potato Board.

Neighbors, networks key to winter warmth
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
FORT KENT, Maine - For some of northern Maine's most vulnerable residents, the reality of the coming winter may come down to life or death with many counting on neighbors helping neighbors.

Editorials

In search of the real GOP
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Polls show that most Americans view the Bush presidency as a dismal failure. Whether the president can redeem himself in the eyes of the public in his post-White House years remains to be seen. Of far more interest to Republicans seeking elected office is the way their party is now perceived by the public. They worry, correctly, that the GOP has been tainted by the Bush years.

Betty Lou Mitchell: Unions' free choice act forfeits fairness for workers
America's union leaders are attempting to expand their enrollment and increase dues at all costs. They are pushing a bill before Congress, misleadingly called the Employee Free Choice Act, that would do away with democratic unionization procedures and instead force workers to vote publicly by petition. The obvious result of this change, should the act be passed, is that union organizers will be able to hound workers on the floor, at lunch, even at home, until they sign the petition.

Erik Steele: Saying sayonara to jerks with medical degrees
In the good old days, women were women, men were men, and it was OK for a physician to be a total jerk in the hospital as long as he or she was very talented. More than one physician got away with appalling behavior because he was Cezanne with a scalpel or Stieglitz with a stethoscope. Well, as Hippocrates would have said, "You can kiss that crap goodbye."

August 12 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
Region listed as top 'micropolitan' area
In your face, Hilton Head Island-Beaufort, S.C.

AUGUSTA: Boards differ on sign plan
AUGUSTA -- City councilors and the leader of the Planning Board clashed Monday over whether the city should change its zoning ordinance so Le Club Calumet can have a new, larger sign.

Proffitt resigns at Riverview
AUGUSTA -- The superintendent of the Riverview Psychiatric Center, the state mental-health hospital in Augusta, is resigning to become president of Acadia Hospital, a private facility in Bangor.

Augusta schools to refill top posts
AUGUSTA -- Nominations for a new principal at Hodgkins Middle School, a new assistant principal at Farrington Elementary and a new curriculum coordinator go Wednesday to the Board of Education.

For Jones, the past is present
AUGUSTA -- The expert nominated to assess the effect of state budget cuts on services to some 12,000 mentally ill people is a familiar name.

More Mainers using food stamps to get by
Keven Gillette shopped the supermarket aisles Monday with a calculator in hand. He had budgeted $60 for this trip to Paul's Food Center on Portland's Congress Street, more than a third of his monthly food stamp benefit of $160.

HALLOWELL: City sets up recycling, dispatch pacts
HALLOWELL -- Council members approved two contracts that will affect the city's emergency services and recycling program.

Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel trim workforce again
About 20 full- and part-time employees at the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel will be laid off this month or will have left their positions voluntarily, through severance packages or resignations.

On Maine Politics

Frary: “Enviro-kooks” would block refinery

Editorial

Charity alone won't solve hunger crisis
The generous people who run Maine's food pantries and soup kitchens say they're seeing far too many new faces these days.

DAVID B. OFFER : Poll targets 'anger points' so campaign can tailor message
My opinions on an extensive list of issues including the war in Iraq, taxes in Maine, abortion, immigration and oil energy policy are now part of a massive data base being collected by a national polling firm widely used by the Republican Party.

Letters

Only national insurance can fix broken system
More than 11 million of America's 47 million uninsured have chronic physical illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and asthma and are not getting the life-saving medical care they need.

Sun Journal
Site down today...

MPBN
Conservationists Sue State For Failing to Protect Canada Lynx

Two wildlife conservation groups are following through with earlier threats to sue Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for failing to adequately protect Canada Lynx, a species that's listed as threatened under the endangered species act. The groups fear that this fall trappers will again accidentally catch Canada Lynx in traps set for fox, coyote and other animals. To prevent that from happening, the Wildlife Alliance of Maine and Animal Welfare Institute brought suit today in Bangor against the state for violations of the Endangered Species Act.

Inmates May Rehabilitate Abused Horses

As Mainers watch the state's economy tighten and attempt to prepare for uncertain fuel costs that are expected to arrive with the winter heating season, cutting back on expenses has become a matter of survival. And for many families, that means giving up their animal friends to a new home or the humane society. When that animal is a horse, a whole new set of problems emerge. But as A.J. Higgins reports. state officials and animal welfare agencies are working together to try to find a solution.

Grants Aimed at Spurring Investment In Maine

State officials released thirty million dollars worth of research and development grants or awards today to 14 applicants, many of whom will be required to raise matching funds from private sources. The state is providing funding for the grants and awards from a fifty million dollar bond approved by Maine voters last year. Gov. John Baldacci says the grants will finance capital assets to help individual companies and research organizations develop new technologies that will spur investment in Maine and create new job opportunities.

PolitickerMe
Frary proposes Maine oil refinery, fears obstruction by ‘enviro-kooks’

National: DNC: Hillary Clinton is not the VP pick

Opinion: John Edwards and the death of mainstream media

Pindell Report: Collins seat increasingly safe

Obama’s campaign staffs Maine, eyes victory in both districts

Maine News for Monday, August 11, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Political scientist will explore solutions to dependence on oil
Author Michael Klare will address rising energy prices in two Waterville appearances this week.

Hydrogen vehicles fuel curiosity
Mainers turn out to see fleet of cars to learn more about the alternative-energy option.

Dairy 'somewhat vindicated'
As Monsanto leaves the dairy hormone business, Oakhurst celebrates the fact that it never caved.

States taking another look at sales tax holidays
Opponents see the annual retail tradition as more of a political gimmick than sound economic policy.

Maine vehicle fees going up by $10
Registrations, vanity plates and titles will cost more starting Sept. 1.

Floodwaters recede, giving crews time to start repairs
Freeport officials lift the order to boil water, but Desert and Varney roads were still closed Sunday.

UNE students head to Ghana for health-care clinic

New law would require reporting child porn
State House: Computer repair technicians would have to notify authorities about child sex images.

Heart of mill city getting new life
Biddeford receives a $100,000 private grant to stem 'anywhere USA' development, such as chain stores.

Dairy 'somewhat vindicated'
As Monsanto leaves the dairy hormone business, Oakhurst celebrates the fact that it never caved.

Editorial

Jail panel can cut costs, improve outcomes
Newly nominated members of the state corrections board can make a difference.

Court ruling will tighten up petition gathering practice
Maine's easy ballot access will be supported by common-sense protections in the law.

Letters
Dirigo necessary for many Mainers

Sen. Collins both praised and panned by readers

Critic of Israel's viewpoint never sees anything good

Bangor Daily News

Officials concerned over pre-emption proposal
Monday, August 11, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - State regulatory officials, Attorney General Steven Rowe, and members of Maine's congressional delegation are warning that proposals before Congress would pre-empt state regulation of insurance and financial institutions and leave consumers with fewer protections.

State helps move residents from welfare to work
Monday, August 11, 2008
Each year, thousands of people move off the state welfare rolls. They find work in professional, technical and management positions, in construction, office work and sales, hospitality and health services, and other job categories available throughout the state. But they're not on their own.

Veteran sues airline over accessibility
Monday, August 11, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - A disabled Hancock veteran who uses a wheelchair has sued Delta Air Lines in U.S. District Court in an effort to get the airline to comply with federal law that requires it to retrofit its aircraft to meet the needs of handicapped passengers.

Drug task force funding less than past years
Saturday, August 09, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Federal drug task force funding of about $600,000 announced this week was exactly the amount Maine public safety officials expected — but far less than the state has received in the past.

Michaud lauds medical help for military in Iraq
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Upon returning from a trip to Iraq, Kuwait and Germany to visit military health care facilities, Rep. Michael Michaud said Friday that overall he was pleased with what he saw and that the trip was worthwhile.

Floodwaters recede but more rain in forecast
Monday, August 11, 2008
Floodwaters in southern Maine receded during a weekend letup in the region's incessant rain, even as the prospect of more wet weather in some areas raised concerns about the prospect of renewed flooding.

Palmyra man charged in death of brother
Monday, August 11, 2008
NORTH HAVEN, Maine - A weekend visit to this idyllic island ended tragically for a pair of brothers from Palmyra with one ending up dead and the other charged with his killing.

Editorial
A Clearer Tax Picture
Saturday, August 09, 2008
It has been taken as gospel for years that Maine's tax burden is among the highest in the country. Turns out this isn't true.

Karen Hover: How our health care system failed Jane
As a family doctor, I am reminded daily that American health care is broken. A local administrative assistant, "Jane," was working on her roof on a Wednesday afternoon when she fell. X-rays showed two elbow fractures. She was put in splints that immobilized her arms from the armpits to the fingers. She went home at midnight in the care of a friend with instructions to call her doctor in the morning for home services.

Surviving the slump
Sure, consumer spending is supposed to get us out of this economic mess. But as individuals, we have to figure how to make ends meet through what could be many months - maybe even several years - of job insecurity, sagging value of our homes and securities, and most likely steadily rising prices for necessities. That means trimming expenses.

August 10 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
CRISIS SEEN IN FOOD AID Volunteers at pantries and soup kitchens fearing the worst this winter with high prices for food and fuel
Many new faces, bigger families, and fewer resources to help out.

Soon it will cost more to register vehicles
Maine drivers will have to shell out more to renew their vehicle registrations, vanity plates and titles starting Labor Day.

Professor to discuss rising energy costs
The United States is based on "the presumption of everlasting cheap oil, and that day has come to an end," said author Michael Klare, a political-science professor, in advance of his address in Waterville.

AUGUSTA: Dentist office, addition and parking plans on tap
AUGUSTA -- Proposals for a new dentist office on Leighton Road, a second-floor addition to a Cony Road dance studio, and changes to the parking plan for Kennebec Historical Society's new Winthrop Street location go Tuesday to the Planning Board.

Editorial

New tax burden statistics should spur us forward
Maine does not have the highest tax burden in the country. The national Tax Foundation says it has recalculated its numbers, and Maine is not No. 1 on the list, but No. 15.

TEAGUE MORRIS : We can get through this energy crisis by helping each other
This past week, the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel carried three separate, well-argued pieces (one editorial and two columns) about various aspects of our energy problems. All of them pointed to well-reasoned, pro-active leadership at the state, regional, federal and international level.

Letters

We love our Rail Trail along Kennebec River
I am writing to thank all of those who brought us the wonderful Kennebec Rail Trail. It is in constant use -- by young and old, bikers and walkers, joggers and marathoners.

Allen needs new career if he's afraid of Hoffman
I see the Democrats get their way again: "Court deals a crushing blow to Hoffman's bid" (KJ, July 29).

Cosmetic changes won't stop commercial creep
It seems that Augusta's officials would rather put lipstick on a pig (mast arm traffic lights at Middle Street) than enhance the city's cultural core (Lithgow Library renovation and expansion).

Sun Journal
Maine Capitol portrait off the wall
AUGUSTA - A new word is making the rounds in the state Capitol: deaccession.

Politics and star power
Celebrities have been raising money for politicians for as long as politicians have craved power, recognition and friends with deep pockets (yes, forever).

Group aids in disaster training

Editorial
Politicos best relish Simones
So, want a seat in the State House or Congress, huh?

Pattern for election results found in 1960, 1980, 1988
American presidential politics provide a prime example of the old adage that history often repeats itself.

MPBN
Rainfall Weariness On the Increase

Mainers continue to be plagued by heavy rain that's causing road washouts, flash flood warnings and even evacuations. Flooding today in the town of Lebanon forced several residents to evacuate their homes. And major roadways were shutdown in Freeport. But while scores of people are grumbling about the rainfall, others are taking it in stride. Keith McKeen reports.

PolitickerME

Maine Republican leaders dabbling in national politics

Maine’s third party: The candidates

Maine’s third party: History, barriers and misconceptions

The Bush Loyalty Score: US Senate