Maine News for Friday, September 12, 2008

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

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

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

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

BRIEFCASE: Two composite companies awarded seed grants

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

Editorial

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

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

Bangor Daily News

State urges MaineCare use for kids

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

Asphalt price delays airport project

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

Owners of $15 million home face fines for filling in wetlands

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

Police grants shrinking

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

Our Guard heroes

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

Senate hopefuls wrangle over ads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editorials:

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

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

Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MPBN
9/11 Attacks Remembered At Statehouse

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

With Military Service Over, Veteran Faces Bigger Battle

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

Major Bank Stresses Need for Children's Health Insurance

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

Demand For Wood Pellets Raises Supply Worries

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

PolitickerMe
Daily Kos poll has Senator Collins up 19 points.

A mysterious endorsement for Obama

Maine delegation low on Fannie, Freddie contribution lists

Maine is average among gubernatorial power rankings

Maine News for Thursday, September 11, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Mainers pause to remember 9/11 attack victims, survivors
Communities plan events to mark the seven-year anniversary.

Top teacher glad to share extra credit
Colleagues and students in Westbrook see Maine’s Teacher of the Year as loving, patient, caring and tenacious.

Portland man recovering after attack for 'looking gay,' police say
Police seek the public's help in identifying the two suspects in the assault.

Blethen Newspapers, union agree to arbitrate differences
The decision puts a lawsuit, filed over a contract dispute, on hold.

Leaf-peeping is looking up
Maine's fall foliage should be 'magnificent,' thanks to summer rains, the first report of the year says.

President should boost standing, Mitchell says
The next leader of the U.S. must restore confidence in the nation's leadership around the world, he says.

Obama accuses McCain campaign of 'lies and phony outrage'
The Democratic candidate responds to the GOP charge that his 'lipstick' comment was sexist.

Editorial

Mortgage bailout should spur more oversight
The government has a role to play encouraging home ownership, but not speculation.

Disputes aside, we are all in the post-911 era together
The democratic process is how we must determine our response to the new reality.

KATHLEEN PARKERDon't let this campaign become 'Bring 'em On' vs. 'Do Tell'
Casting the race as The Two Elitists facing The Redneck Duo does the country no favors.

As Brazil celebrates its independence, it can teach us an energy lesson
It is possible for large nations to become far less dependent on oil, and here’s one way to do it.


Bangor Daily News

Katahdin paper mills to begin layoffs of workers this week

MILLINOCKET, Maine - The Maine Department of Labor will deploy a Rapid Response

Webber VP: oil customers ‘desperate’

AUGUSTA, Maine — A heating oil industry official had sobering news Wednesday

Mitchell tackles health care at forum

PORTLAND, Maine — Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, a

LURC debates land use update

BANGOR, Maine - Members of Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission spent most

Editorial
Sept. 11, Seven Years Later

As the nation marks the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, voters are considering who will take over from the administration

Flexible School Days

A proposal by a Saco legislator to give local schools the flexibility to

Kennebec Journal
Days of infamy
September 11, 2001. Ask anyone, and they will be able to tell you where they were and what they were doing that Tuesday morning.

Criticism arises about planned merger of bank, credit union
AUGUSTA -- The trade association representing Maine's credit unions on Wednesday mounted an effort to prevent an Augusta credit union from merging with an Augusta bank.

AUGUSTA Emergency cited in allowing blasting
AUGUSTA -- A need for more rock to stabilize a riverbank in Winslow made for an "emergency" requiring blasting this week in Augusta.

AUGUSTA POLICY ON JUNK FOOD IS EASED
AUGUSTA -- Parent teacher associations and other groups raising funds for the city's public schools can now sell something at community events and at schools, the local sports boosters have been able to sell all along -- junk food.

LITCHFIELD Property tax rate rises slightly
LITCHFIELD -- Residents will pay a little more in property taxes this year and may see another revaluation effort -- this one of building interiors -- begin within a year.

CHINA Subdivision plans draw comments
CHINA -- Members of the public had comments at both public hearings at Tuesday's Planning Board meeting.

School merger committee chooses new leadership
READFIELD -- The committee planning the merger of the Fayette, Maranacook-area and Winthrop school systems decided on a change in management at a meeting Tuesday night.

Editorials:

State's registry of sex offenders needs revamping
Sex offenders are among the most reviled members of society. Their crimes are often heinous, and a sampling of the punishment deemed appropriate by some Mainers includes hanging, lifetime imprisonment and castration. Those are the polite terms.

KAY RAND : Partisan parties over; tell us how you think, plan to solve problems
The big parties thrown by the Republicans in St. Paul and the Democrats in Denver are over and I'm wondering if I'm the only person who feels even more disenfranchised because of them.

Sun Journal
'Magnificent' fall foliage expected
AUGUSTA (AP) - The state has kicked off its 50th year of fall foliage reports with an announcement that Maine's forests are healthy and on track to produce "magnificent" color.

State considering requiring EKGs for dental work
Maine dental patients may soon have to submit to EKGs in order to receive some types of sedation.

The way neuroses should be
Not so friendly. Not so trusting. Not so big on rules.

Iberdrola accepts Energy East buyout terms
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Global energy company Iberdrola has accepted a series of conditions New York regulators placed on its buyout of Energy East and plans to go ahead with the $4.6 billion deal.

Cops seize phony money
LEWISTON - Since the start of spring, police and government agents have been investigating counterfeit money being passed around the city.

Editorial
Remembering 9/11
Today is the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Milestone anniversaries are generally observed at one year, at five years and every five years thereafter. So, today is not a milestone anniversary, except that it is.

McCain must first identify problems, not allies
Why do Republicans constantly talk about compromise and bipartisanship when Democrats almost never do and when they do, don't mean it? Democrats rarely compromise when they are in the majority.

MPBN
Charitable Efforts Could Lead to Legal Action

Last winter, some of the state's struggling low-income families suddenly found themselves relying on emergency municipal services after their landlords opted to abandon their buildings rather than pay skyrocketing heating oil costs. Other communities attempted to create warm shelters in public buildings where families could find some refuge from the cold. But a legislative heat and energy task force learned today that the most charitable efforts of Maine's cities and towns could expose the communities to potential legal action.

Court Urges Blethen Maine and Newspaper Union to Settle Score

A federal judge today urged the owner of three maine Newspapers and the union representing its workers to settle an arbitration dispute on their own. Blethen Maine Newspapers which is trying to sell the Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal and Central Maine Morning Sentinel, says a sale may be difficult if a buyer is forced to honor the current labor contract, and had asked the court to force the union to renegotiate.

Use of Electrodes By Dentists Raises Controversy

Sedation during a trip to the dentist is a godsend for patients who are deathly afraid of the drill. But a proposal that would require dentists to put electrodes on patients to monitor their heart rate as a safety precaution has some dentists complaining about over-regulation, and some saying they might stop offering the service. Josie Huang has more.

USM Professor Authors Book on Medical Marijuana

News this week that police in the town of Madison are investigating the theft of marijuana plants served as a reminder that in Maine, cannabis plants can be owned legally if used for medicinal use. But, the whole issue of medical marijuana is a controversial matter which, in many cases, puts individual states on a collision course. Wendy Chapkis is a sociology professor at USM who's co-authored a book looking at the issue of marijuana as medicine, called "Dying To Get High."

Green Jobs Promoted

A new report released today by a coalition of labor and environmental groups says that two million green jobs could be created in this country, including nine thousand in Maine within two years if the federal government laid out a billion dollars worth of investments. That's less than the cost of fighting the War in Iraq for a single month. But as Susan Sharon reports Maine would also have to ante up some financial incentives and it would have to do so rather quickly.

PolitickerME
The Race for Governor - Is it 2010 yet? (Democrats)

Post-primary, Strimling trains young politicos

Former Alaskan to speak to Kennebec Dems about Palin

Diamond, Mitchell lead in individual PAC money

Ellsworth American
Proposed Upgrade Has Maine Between a Shock and a Hard Place
AUGUSTA — A proposed $2-billion upgrade to the state’s electric transmission system is contingent, the utility companies say, on Maine not only staying in but expanding its ties with the organization that oversees the New England power grid.

Christian Group to Survey Voters
AUGUSTA — The Maine Jeremiah Project is working to let voters know where legislative candidates stand on abortion and same-sex marriage, using its network of evangelical churches to get the word out.

Superintendent Decision On Dirigo Assessment Due by Sept. 23
AUGUSTA — Maine’s superintendent of insurance has until Sept. 23 to decide if she will allow up to $80 million to be collected from health insurance companies and self-insured businesses — and the people and employees they cover — to pay for the state’s subsidized health plan known as DirigoChoice.

Time for Substance, not Sound Bites
Barack Obama has been running for president since Feb. 10, 2007. John McCain declared his candidacy just 10 weeks later. But when it comes to a serious discussion of the issues confronting this nation, there’s been far too little in the way of substance. Now the Democratic and Republican conventions are over and the thousands of partisan cheerleaders have returned to their home states. Just 54 days remain until Election Day Nov. 4.

Maine News for Monday, September 9, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Still waiting to see gun waiting period
Catherine Crowley, whose son killed himself with a shotgun he bought at age 18, continues her efforts to change the law.

Done climbing the walls: Noisy road's neighbors to get one
A revised policy paves the way for the state's second sound barrier, along part of I-295 in South Portland.

Cruise line fuel-saving tactic to benefit Maine ports
Ships won't travel as far and will stop more often, auguring additional visits to Portland and Bar Harbor.

'Stretching a buck' got families through the Great Depression
Mainers who survived the Depression in the 1930s say what they did then could help others now.

UMA to add new nursing program
A new bachelor's degree program in Augusta aims to meet some of the need as demand rises.

Sex offenders suing over registration law
The mandate imposes an extra penalty for offenses for which they've served their time, 25 plaintiffs say.

Mortgage takeover stirs hope, caution
Investors indicate confidence in the seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but analysts wonder if it can halt the housing crisis.

Fannie, Freddie seizure will affect homeowners
The government's move will help drive down mortgage rates and ensure access to consumer credit.

Editorial

Revived rail line could move freight, ease traffic
Bringing back Maine's east/west rail link would be progress, not a nostalgic return to the past.

Write-in candidates needed for toughest job in politics
Wanted: Someone with creative ideas and thick skin willing to serve their community.

Letters

U.S. energy needs require action now

Bangor Daily News

Maine Dems outpace GOP in enrollment AUGUSTA, Maine — As in many states across the country, Democrats in Maine are

Ohio senator joins Tom Allen at Bangor rally

BANGOR, Maine — U.S. Rep. Tom Allen of Portland rallied sup-porters Saturday

Libertarians suing secretary of state

BANGOR, Maine — The Libertarian Party last week sued Secretary of State

Greenville seaplane fly-in a success

GREENVILLE, Maine - For two pilots from Seattle, who made a 10,000-mile flight

Editorial

After Labor Day

The Labor Day weekend is an end and a beginning. For many summer folks, it is time to leave for jobs and school. One might get a sense that Maine is closing down for the year.

Prisoner Rights, Wrongs

A federal lawsuit filed by a Maine state prisoner raises difficult questions about constitutional rights and the nature of incarceration. The prisoner, Deane Brown, was serving a 58-year sentence

Fewer Districts, Students

With school back in full swing, educational leaders must refocus on consolidating administrative units so the twin goals of efficiency and excellence in education can be achieved.

Kennebec Journal

Local officials struggle to find solutions

UMA NURSING PROGRAM EXPANDS
AUGUSTA -- As nursing students Bobbi Jo Dever and Jennifer McKenzie practiced dressing a mannequin's wound Wednesday in a nursing lab at the University of Maine at Augusta, they struggled briefly to find all the necessary supplies.

KENNEBEC COMMUTER: An idea whose time has come -- again
Remember the days when you could fill your gas tank for about $20?

State's paving crunch leads to road to ruin
Fasten your seat belt and check your suspension system -- Maine roads are about to get worse.

Editorials:

Flood insurance fosters building in danger zones
In the midst of hurricane season, with storms pounding the coastline from Louisiana up through New England, it not nice to say we stop helping people whose property has been damaged. They need our sympathy.

Sun Journal
McCain or Obama: Who would be better for Maine?
When it comes to issues that matter most to Mainers, local experts generally agree either major party nominee will mark a change from the current president, though how much is up for debate.

Hospital guard shot to death
PORTLAND - A 27-year-old security guard at Mercy Hospital was fatally shot early Sunday while outdoors on his break, police said.

Opinion
McCain's maverick side somewhat overstated
All last week, Republicans hailed Sen. John McCain as a maverick and a reformer, an independent thinker who will shake up Washington with the aid of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

MPBN
Feds Issue Critical Habitat Designation For Atlantic Salmon In Gulf of Maine

Federal regulators today proposed designating more than 100 thousand miles of river and stream habitat, and more than 200 acres of lake waters as critical habitat for endangered Salmon in the Gulf of Maine.

High Food Prices Help Prompt Growing Interest In Home Canning

With the cost of food on the rise, gardening enthusiasts and frugal grocery shoppers around the state are taking up the hobby of canning fruits and vegetables. Canning classes around the state have lengthy waiting lists, and as Anne Ravana reports, the state is trying to get the word out about proper preservation techniques, to protect canners and their guests from getting sick.

Village Soup

Government to test flexible work hours