Maine News for Thursday, June 12, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Back to the city?
Mainers are making life changes that could bring urban sprawl to a crawl.

Average cash price for heating oil in Maine hits $4.60 a gallon
For the first time, the survey is conducted in a nonheating season.

1st District race, Pingree vs. Summers, looks to be a tossup
Election 2008: As the Democrat, Pingree has the district's voting history on her side.

Pingree's decisive win no surprise to her campaign
The Democratic winner took 44 percent of the vote, losing only in York County.

U.S. Senate race might gain independent candidate
Election 2008: Herbert Hoffman might siphon votes from Democrat Tom Allen in a race against incumbent Susan Collins.

Kittery Trading Post bags Maine's moose hunt lottery
The outdoors store will host this year's lottery, which will go to L.L. Bean in 2010.

Voters award Democrats Innes and McLaughlin a surprise: A tie
Election 2008: The state is expected to conduct a recount in House District 107.

Maine doctors part of electronic records project
Keeping computerized files could mean up to $29 million to 100 practices over five years.

Saltwater anglers could lose 'freedom'
In an effort to manage U.S. fisheries, Maine and 23 other coastal states would have to require licenses.

Super Wal-Mart breaking ground in Sanford
City leaders say that the store will help revitalize the downtown and draw other retail investment.

New Hampshire joins Maine, other states in emissions fight

Metro Portland 'a solid economy in some ways'
But the area has potential that isn't being fully tapped, a new Brookings Institution report suggests.

Editorial
1st District race shapes up as a real choice
Chellie Pingree and Charlie Summers both strongly represent their parties' base.

Dangers of unused drugs getting more attention in Maine
A limited mail-in program and local 'take-back' events help prevent misuse or abuse.

ELISA BOXER-COOKNew Maine law keeps poisons at bay
No longer will we have to buy baby and children's products without knowing what they contain.

Letters

Voters need better access to information

Obama should be judged by those he associates with

It's nice to know people are willing to stop and help

Listeners shouldn't jump to negative conclusions

School choice proven to benefit children

Drug disposal program doesn't go far enough

Bangor Daily News

Tribe's tidal study wins energy grant
Thursday, June 12, 2008
PLEASANT POINT, Maine - The Passamaquoddy Tribe's efforts to someday harness the energy-producing power of tidal and ocean currents and turn it into electricity took a step forward this week after the federal government awarded the tribe a $120,000 grant, tribal environmental officials said Wednesday.

Severe storms hammer northern Maine
Thursday, June 12, 2008
FORT KENT, Maine - Thunderstorms moved through the area on Tuesday evening and toppled trees, downed power lines and caused damage in parts of Aroostook and Piscataquis counties.

Orono: Brain injuries' effect on troops topic of forum
Thursday, June 12, 2008
ORONO, Maine - Traumatic brain injury, affecting an estimated 15 percent of American troops who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, is widely considered the 'signature injury' of the current military conflicts.

Editorial
The Libya Problem
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Libya's strongman leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, was an international pariah in the 1980s and 1990s. He now has reformed and given up his terrorism and his nuclear weapons program, but Bush administration efforts to patch things up have run into difficulties.

Lobster Line Revisited
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service to delay a rule mandating that lobstermen change their rope to avoid entangling endangered Atlantic right whales gives the agency more time to fine tune the requirements.

John Frary: The change the public is seeking
Simple charity demands recognition that professional politicians regularly face problems the rest of us do not. Charity requires us to cut them some slack.

Anne Perry: Disposing of prescription medication
As a nurse practitioner and House chair of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, I am delighted to hear about the early success of the Safe Medicine Disposal for ME pilot program.

June 12 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA Silsby will vacate House seat
AUGUSTA -- Rep. Kim Silsby, D-Augusta, said this week she will not seek re-election to her Maine House of Representatives seat because she needs to spend more time with her family.

SCHOOL DISTRICT PASSES KEY TEST
Voters in five municipalities overwhelmingly approved a proposal to unite the administration of four different school districts, marking one of the first successful efforts in the state to consolidate school districts under a 2007 state law.

AUGUSTA Council to discuss mill site's future use
AUGUSTA -- A committee studying what to do about the abandoned American Tissue mill recommends the city take the riverside property through tax foreclosure, demolish the buildings on site and seek redevelopment proposals.

Attack victim to watch graduation via link
PITTSTON -- Nicole Guerrette, critically injured along with her father in a home invasion last month, will be watching her fifth-grade class graduate today via laptop computer from her hospital room.

Feds want to license saltwater anglers next year
The federal government wants the nation's saltwater anglers to be licensed starting next year as part of an effort to get a more accurate count of recreational fishermen and the amount of fish they catch.

Fort-to-fort canoe expedition is Saturday
Canoers and kayakers on Saturday will push off from Fort Halifax in Winslow, paddle 17 miles down the Kennebec River and end their journey at Augusta's Old Fort Western.

Editorial

No time for victors to rest We need, expect real solutions to our very real problems
Here are some of the latest results from the Gallup organization, which has polled American attitudes on just about everything for the last 70 years:

JIM BRUNELLE : Maine voters stand solidly with familiar candidates
Here are some random thoughts about Tuesday's balloting in Maine:

FELICIA KENNEDY OF SOUTH CHINA WORKS AT THE MAINE : Erskine Academy's Don Poulin Retiring headmaster helped students believe in themselves, their dreams
I went to an Erskine Academy awards ceremony recently and watched headmaster Don Poulin at the lectern. I marveled at the presence of this man, his demeanor unchanged from when I first knew him.

DAN BILLINGS : Government coffers lure some with poor ethics
Politics in Maine has a reputation for strong ethics and a lack of corruption. This reputation has been enhanced by people like Sens. Margaret Chase Smith and William Cohen, who made national reputations by standing up to abuse of power in their own party.

Letters

Some questions about Maine road repairs
* Why is there construction and delays on I-95 South, when the Maine Turnpike Authority wants us to use that as an alternative route to I-295 South? Couldn't one southbound route be construction-free?

Uniform building codes will help Maine save energy
I am writing to praise Rep. Nancy Smith of Monmouth for her work on energy efficiency during this past legislative session. Maine had been the only state in New England and one of 10 nationwide that did not require new homes to meet minimum energy performance standards.

Mainers should continue to respect people's privacy
I have been hoping the day would never come, but it's here. My local newspaper has become the National Enquirer, or maybe it's just People.

Sun Journal

Maine House race ends in deadlock
YARMOUTH (AP) - A recount is expected for a Democratic House primary race in Yarmouth that ended in a tie.

Legislative races take shape for fall
AUGUSTA (AP) - Unlike the Primary Day voting for Congress, being well-known didn't always guarantee success in Tuesday's nomination contests for the Legislature. But mostly it helped, according to unofficial returns.

Voters pick familiar faces in Maine 1st District race
AUGUSTA (AP) - In the end, Democratic and Republican voters went with familiar faces and issues rather than unseasoned challengers and ideology in primary contests for southern Maine's 1st District congressional seat.

Voters won't OK ballpark sale
OLD ORCHARD BEACH (AP) - Old Orchard Beach voters have given a thumbs down to a proposal that would have allowed the town to sell its aging baseball park.

Maine man apologizes for racial threat after plea
AUGUSTA (AP) - A 75-year-old Brewer man whose threats of violence prompted the Bangor chapter of the NAACP to cancel last year's Kwanzaa celebration has pleaded guilty to terrorizing and offered an apology.

Editorial

Debt culture now rooted in U.S. economy
We are rapidly becoming a two-tiered society, according to the director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

Hate-speech complaint battles free-speech ideal
At its best, Western civilization has fostered freedom of speech and of thought. But Canada has a better idea.

MPBN

Maine's Democratic and Republican Parties Gear Up For Next Phase of the 2008 Election
"We've had our differences, but we're all friends now" - that was the message today from Maine's Democratic party as members put on a display of unity after wrapping up the primaries last night. Following a keenly watched, and at times divisive, six-way contest to represent Maine's 1st congressional district in November's election, the five losing candidates showed up to throw their weight behind winner Chellie Pingree. Meanwhile, Julie Ann O'Brien, executive director of Maine's Republican Party, says the GOP is unified behind Summers. And Bowdoin professor of Government Chris Potholm says Charlie Summers' relatively moderate stance means he's well positioned to build the party's base of support. Tom Porter has the full story.

Upsets of Well-Known Candidates Raise Questions About The Electorate's Desire For Change

They may have been lost in the glare of the spotlight on Maine's 1st Congressional District races, but yesterday's primary produced several upsets in state House and Senate races. A few well-established candidates were vanquished by youthful newcomers to state politics who may have been riding a wave of change ushered in by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. As A.J. Higgins reports, the state's light voter turnout also clearly helped some candidates, but hurt others.

Government Proposing National Registry For Saltwater Anglers

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service today announced a plan to require all saltwater anglers to enter their names and contact information in a national registry. The proposed registry would go into effect in 2009, and NOAA says it would allow the government to better survey anglers about their fishing habits. As Anne Ravana reports, the registry would also include people who catch anadromous species, including striped bass, salmon and shad, that spawn in rivers and streams and spend their adult lives in saltwater.

Renewed Interest In Burning Coal As Alternative To Heating Oil Has Some Environmentalists Concerned

Even with temperatures nearing 90 degrees in some locations today, many Mainers have their minds on where soaring heating oil prices might wind up next fall. The scary prospect has scores of homeowners focused on fuel alternatives. Firewood is in short supply; wood pellets are gaining in popularity. As Keith McKeen reports, even coal is making a comeback.

Pingree Prevails in the First District Demrocatic Primary

In the crowded field of Democratic candidates vying for Maine's First Congressional District, the victory went to the only woman in the six-way primary and the person with the most name recognition and the biggest campaign war chest. Chellie Pingree says she is looking forward to the next five months. As Susan Sharon reports, Pingree says she'll stick to the themes of her primary race: restoring the middle class and changing the status quo in Congress.

PolitickerMe
The biggest loser

Ellsworth American
Rolling Past the Pumps

Consolidation Law Not Affecting All Areas as Dramatically

Maine News for Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Food prices put frugality on the menu
As oils run-up ripples into the grocery aisles, Mainers respond by finding ways to cut costs.

133rd faces yet another deployment
The engineering battalion based in Maine is notified of a possible 12-month assignment in Iraq in 2010.

Heavy election turnout expected
Election 2008: Voters will pick candidates for a seat in Congress and who will challenge Sen. Collins.

Activists to woo voters with flurry of petitions
Election 2008: Opponents also will be at the polls as at least six campaigns gather signatures.

Bike-sharing network takes off
The public can borrow the white bikes and then return them for others to use around the city.

Probe leads lawmaker to give up seat
Election 2008: Chris Barstow, under investigation by police, says he won't seek re-election.

State's plan for new span raises concerns
Critics say a fixed bridge would prevent passage for taller boats and hurt the area's economy.

Newspaper offers employee buyouts
Voluntary separation plans are part of the effort to reduce staff as costs jump and revenue slides.
Edward D. MurphyTeens report harassment in workplace

Editorial
A national energy policy would help Mainers cope
People can take steps to cut their fuel costs, but that's not a substitute for good public policy.

Clinton transcended gender in her drive to be president
The first woman ever to be a front-runner in a presidential primary got in it to win it.

Don't forget that today is Election Day all over Maine
You can still register to vote, and every vote counts in deciding vital races and issues.

RON BANCROFTLife in Maine a celebration of good things
While the state has its problems, they don't negate the things that attract people here.

STEPHEN SEARS, Special to the Press HeraldIs our air healthy to breathe?
Smokescreens established by the Environmental Protection Agency make the answer difficult to see.

Letters

State must act on looming oil crisis

Mainers in need deserve access to better care

Bangor Daily News

Medicaid changes delayed
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine — Some cuts in the Medicaid program scheduled for July 1 have been delayed by federal officials and others may be delayed for a year by Congress, saving the state millions of dollars, at least temporarily.

Hannaford breach lawsuits assigned to judge
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
PORTLAND, Maine - The federal lawsuits filed around the country over the security breach of Hannaford Bros. Co’s computer network have been consolidated and assigned to the District of Maine and U.S District Judge D. Brock Hornby.

Alfond institute to take hiatus
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
With assets of more than $500 million, the Harold Alfond Foundation is poised to be the largest in Maine and among the largest foundations in the country.

Heavy voter turnout expected today
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - High energy from this year's presidential race combined with intensely contested congressional races and important local issues are likely to draw an unusually heavy turnout at Maine's polls today, the state's top election official said.

Trucking violations uncovered in sweep
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine — A statewide inspection campaign of more than 3,600 commercial trucks conducted by the Maine State Police last week led to removing 102 vehicles from service for safety violations.

500 guardsmen may go to Iraq
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Approximately 500 Maine Army National Guard soldiers were notified Saturday of a possible deployment to Iraq in February 2010, the Guard announced Monday.

Editorial

ClickBack on Hillary, Gas
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
This week, ClickBack, the BDN's interactive commentary feature, seeks reader musings on Hillary Clinton, $4 per gallon gasoline, bees, revolutions and the Boston Celtics.

Editorial: Intelligence and Iraq
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
More than five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Senate Intelligence Committee has found that the White House knowingly exaggerated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.

June 10 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Voter turnout looks difficult to predict as town clerks see decline in absentee ballot requests
While Maine's secretary of state predicts higher-than-average voter participation in today's elections, town clerks scattered across central Maine say fewer absentee voters may indicate otherwise.

Home invasion suspect moved to different jail
The only man facing charges from a home invasion that left a father and daughter severely injured has been moved to a jail in southern Maine.

Maine Guard unit faces new Iraq tour 133rd Engineer Battalion notified of plans for 2010
AUGUSTA -- About 500 Maine Army National Guard soldiers could be headed back to Iraq in early 2010.

State hits Hannaford on dust
AUGUSTA -- Excessive dust leaving the demolition site of the former Cony High School has earned Hannaford Bros. a violation notice from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Vote there, sign here
AUGUSTA -- Maine voters will be asked to do more than cast ballots in today's primary election, as activists pushing several causes try to collect the signatures they need to force future votes on their issues.

Gardiner Selectmen sound alarm on $21M city budget
GARDINER -- Some city officials say residents' taxes will go up if they support the $21 million school budget on today's ballot.

State issues warning on activity during heat
AUGUSTA -- The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday told residents to take steps to avoid heat-related illnesses as Maine entered a third day of high temperatures.

On Maine Politics

Baldacci backs Obama 06/09/08

Editorial

GO MAINE
For carpooling information, as well as tips to save on gasoline and ways to keep warm this winter, go to: www.gomaine.org

It's time to get serious about carpooling
Here are all of the reasons you haven't been part of a carpool or vanpool up until now:

DAVID B. OFFER : Primary day a good time for some political trivia questions
Today is primary day in Maine. Republicans and Democrats will select candidates to run for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Letters

People's veto petition is your only way to cut taxes
Some people don't want you to sign the people's veto petition that gives Mainers a chance to vote in November on eliminating the new tax on beer, wine and soda.

Sun Journal

Philanthropist leaves more than $500M in assets
PORTLAND (AP) - The assets of a foundation established more than 50 years ago by philanthropist Harold Alfond are poised to exceed more than $500 million, a sum its chairman says could have a "transformative effect" on Maine.

Couple who stole from fuel company headed to prison
PORTLAND (AP) - A Biddeford couple who pleaded guilty to charges linked to the embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a fuel delivery company were sentenced to prison on Monday.

Teenager accused in home invasion involved in jail scuffle
PORTLAND (AP) - An 18-year-old man charged with attacking a father and daughter in a home invasion in Pittston is being held in segregation at the Cumberland County Jail.

Mainers go to polls today
AUGUSTA - High energy from this year's presidential race combined with intensely contested congressional races and important local issues are likely to draw an unusually heavy turnout at Maine's polls Tuesday, the state's top election official said.

Maine Guard battalion on notice
AUGUSTA (AP) - About 500 soldiers in a Maine Army National Guard battalion have been told that they have been identified for possible deployment to Iraq.

Editorial

Stop grumbling; go vote
There is a single bond issue on the ballot today which, while important, is not likely the big draw for voters.

What will it be like for the next female candidate?
Sen. Hillary Clinton did not win enough delegates to capture the Democratic presidential nomination. The question now becomes: what about the next female candidate? Will it be easier for her because Sen. Clinton broke new ground? Will that next woman run as a liberal Democrat like Clinton, or a conservative Republican in the mold of Margaret Thatcher? Will she get the same attention as Clinton, or will she be like the second man to walk on the moon?

MPBN

Primary Care Physicians Want Higher Pay Rates
The number of primary care physicians in Maine is on the decline, and as the cost of running a private practice escalates, at least one doctor in Bangor is throwing in the stethoscope. Both he and the Maine Medical Association assert that insurance reimbursement rates are not sufficient to cover the costs associated with running an independent practice. Anne Ravana has more.

Many Fear Old Growth Forest Jeopardized By Development

Sometime in the next 18 months, the Plum Creek Timber Company plans to log a section of forest in Elliotsville Township that some people think should be left alone. That's because this particular area is believed to contain rare "Old Growth" forest, trees that are 200 or more years old and that provide habitat for a wealth of animal and plant species. Plum Creek says it will rely on the advice of independent forest ecologists before any cutting takes place, but that comes as little comfort for people who've visited the area. Susan Sharon has more.

Some Economic Numbers Remain Positive

If you're looking for good news about the economy, there is some, despite last Friday's reported increase in unemployment. Maine's Gross Domestic product climbed 1.3 percent last year. Nationally, GDP grew even in the first quarter of this year. Also, in April, advance estimates of retail and food services, new orders for manufactured goods and building permits were all higher than a year ago. And many retailers reported a better-than-expected May. Morning Edition Host Irwin Gratz talked with Mike Donihue, an economics professor at Colby College about two "R" words: recession and resiliance.

Demand For Wood And Pellets Rising In Maine

This week Red Shield Environmental announced a temporary shutdown of its biomass boiler in Old Town, citing a shortage of wood waste to burn. Even in Maine, with its vast supply of timber, the combination of high diesel prices and a slowdown in new home construction is making it difficult to get wood to market. Couple that with a near-frantic demand for woodstoves and pellet stoves in the face of skyrocketing heating oil prices and some worry that there could be supply issues on the horizon, at least in the short term. Susan Sharon has more.

Times Record

DDG-1000 opponent challenges $2.6B cost estimates (full story)

Opinion
Senate's Lion faces his greatest fight (full story)

People's veto won't end DirigoChoice (full story)

Monday Meter (full story)

Maine News for Thursday, June 5, 2008

Portland Press Herald
A fallen soldier returns home
Justin Buxbaum, a graduate of South Portland High and a son of Chebeague, is buried on the island.

Troops with Maine ties who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan

Memories of RFK assassination still bring sense of loss
Those who were inspired by Robert Kennedy's presidential run in 1968 are left to wonder 'what might have been.'

1st District Republicans offer choices to voters
With days to go, Charles Summers and Dean Scontras continue to butt heads.

Crowded Democratic field in 1st District turns feisty down the stretch
The six-way race is hard to handicap because there hasn't been any independent polling.

Lewiston superintendent's suit against Fox News thrown out

Man gets six months for breaking campaign funding law
A former legislator from Lewiston gets the longest sentence ever for Clean Election Act violations.

Sewers, education, taxes top Eliot selectmen's agenda
The town pays an unfair share of school costs, an incumbent says; a challenger cites Bolt Hill Road waste woes.

Kittery voters will decide on charter amendments

Alternative-energy rules on Eliot ballot

Foundation trying to raise quality of health care
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also wants patients to demand the best treatment and care.

Gas hits $4 in Maine
Motorists handle the high prices in their own ways, whether it's driving less, budgeting more or both.

Editorial
His historic first is only part of Obama's appeal
The candidate is now so familiar, it's easy to forget about how far we have come already.

TIM OUELLETTELawmakers right on roads, bridges
The state's infrastructure shortfall remains too high even with the measures a columnist criticized.

Letters

Roads still need our attention

Brennan, Cote seek change; gas tax must be considered

Residents shouldn't take police services for granted

Alfond shows leadership, promotes collaboration

Bangor Daily News

$29.7M bond sale proposed
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Maine officials are once again asking voters for authorization to issue bonds that would funnel nearly $60 million in state and federal money to transportation and environmental projects.

Primary care focus of health conference
Thursday, June 05, 2008
AUBURN, Maine - Primary care physicians are a dying breed. Pediatricians, internists, the iconic small-town family doctor and general practitioner - they’re all on the endangered species list, especially in rural areas.

Public to revisit Plum Creek plans
Thursday, June 05, 2008
ORONO, Maine — State regulators agreed Wednesday to reopen the public record on the latest proposed changes to Plum Creek’s controversial development plan for the Moosehead Lake region.

Maine leading nation in Rx drug mail-back
Thursday, June 05, 2008
OLD TOWN, Maine - A cutting edge pilot program that’s providing a safe way for residents to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs for free is working well, and is expected to be expanded statewide by fall, according to program officials.

Editorial

Yes on Question 1
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Early last year, the Legislature approved a two-part bond package to help the Department of Transportation catch up with road and bridge work. The second part of that two-part plan goes before voters June 10.

Editorial: 1st District Primaries
Thursday, June 05, 2008
With Rep. Tom Allen leaving the 1st Congressional District seat after six terms to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, heated primary campaigns are under way as Democrats and Republicans prepare to fight for the open seat.

George Gay: A win in Congress for Maine's woods, communities
After months of discussion and debate, Congress has overwhelmingly passed the farm bill. Much has been made of this legislation’s likely impact on certain agricultural subsidies and food stamp programs.

George Will: Give me oil but not in my backyard
Rising in the Senate on May 13, Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat, explained: "I rise to discuss rising energy prices." The president was heading to Saudi Arabia to seek an increase in its oil production, and Schumer's gorge was rising.

June 5 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal
Muslim leader's jet parks at Augusta airport
Someone is traveling in style

Democrats clawing their way to finish line
A raft of campaign squabbles is surfacing in the final days of the six-way Democratic race to represent southern Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives.

GOP duo: Insider vs. outsider
The Republican candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the 1st Congressional District are blending time-tested themes, mutual attacks and a dash of theatrics as they scurry to build support in the few days that remain before Tuesday's primary.

AUGUSTA: Public hearing slated on city charter tonight
AUGUSTA -- Should the city abandon its current system of electing councilors both citywide and from individual wards?

Tech center rewards 400
AUGUSTA -- Rebecca Wicks knew she wanted to pursue a people-oriented field. The Capital Area Technical Center's health occupations program, she decided, fit her calling.

Amoroso leaving disaster preparedness post
Kelly Amoroso, director for the county's Emergency Management Agency, has resigned from her post after two years of service, county officials announced this week.

Vassalboro lets windmill go up
VASSALBORO -- If a proposed windmill will serve a private residence only, is no more than 33 feet high and is not in the shoreland zone, it does not need a permit from the Planning Board in this town.

On Maine Politics

Nader in Maine Thursday 06/04/08

Editorial

On the mountaintop
This is not an endorsement. We write neither as Republicans nor Democrats, but rather as Americans.

THEODORA J. KALIKOW : Listening gives everyone a chance to further their education
As the president of a public liberal arts college, one of my jobs is to listen.

JIM BRUNELLE : Maine artist Hartley finally catches world's attention
With few exceptions, the sad fact is that about the only time the news media in general pay much attention to the art world is when some artist's work fetches a multimillion-dollar bid at auction.

'Time for a change' begins at local level
Change -- You hear and see this word everywhere. Political campaigns are based on it. From the national on down to the local level, our politicians promise change. But we will not get change unless we find a way to cause it.

East-west highway, tidal power are good ideas
In my opinion, the Legislature missed an opportunity to increase employment in the northeastern section of the state by not giving Cianbro full-speed-ahead on its proposal to build an east-west highway.

Question 1 passage good for healthier Maine air
On June 10, voters will be asked whether they favor a $30 million bond issue to support public infrastructure projects in Maine (Question 1).

Sun Journal

Two charged with draining soldier's funds
GREENVILLE (AP) - Two Piscataquis County men face forgery charges for allegedly stealing more than $14,000 from the checking account of a 22-year-old soldier who discovered the loss after returning from a 15-month deployment in Iraq.

Candidate gives gas-tax rebates
MANCHESTER (AP) - Motorists facing nearly $4 per gallon prices as they pulled up to the pumps got a surprise during Wednesday afternoon's rush hour: They didn't have to pay federal or state taxes, cutting their bills by 46 cents a gallon.

Maine soldier remembered
SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) - A 22-year-old soldier who was killed last month in a non-combat accident in Afghanistan was laid to rest Tuesday with full military honors.

Editorial

Paper's prescription is prevention
News from Millinocket about the potential closure of the Katahdin Mill, and 208 Mainers facing layoff in a troubling economy, must move officials to wield their own, old, saw: An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.

Bill Clinton reduced to self-pitying plaint
Few things are sadder than former greats past their prime. A bloated Elvis Presley in a sequined suit; a diminished Michael Jordan making one last comeback with the Washington Wizards; and, we can add, a gaunt Bill Clinton desperately plugging his wife's doomed presidential campaign - the Big Dog in winter.

Don't play his game
Paul Madore is running in the Democratic primary for the state Senate.

MPBN

Fellow Democrats Question Candidate's Views
Several Maine Democratic leaders are raising questions about the candidacy of Adam Cote, a former Republican, who is running as a democrat in the six-way primary race for the 1st Congressional District. Some question whether Cote's core beliefs are consistent with those of southern Maine Democrats while others wonder why so many Republicans and big corporations have made contributions to his campaign. As A.J. Higgins reports, there is also a possibility that Cote is moving up in the polls, prompting his adversaries to pull out all the stops before voters determine the outcome of the race next Tuesday at the ballot box.

Veteran and Novice Battle for Congressional Nomination
Early on in the First District Congressional race, one campaign was receiving high marks even in the absence of its candidate. Republican Charlie Summers was serving in Iraq while his wife Ruth acted as a popular surrogate, winning praise as an effective stand-in. But that raised the question of whether the absence of Naval Reserve Officer Summers was a plus or a minus for his campaign. It's still a question as the better known Summers, a former state senator, finds himself fending off political newcomer Dean Scontras. Keith McKeen reports.

Union Members takes Ads to Task

You may have noticed some ads on local television and in national newspapers recently that take aim at labor unions. An anti-union group in Washington, D.C. has launched a campaign that it says is designed to highlight rampant corruption in labor leadership. But Maine labor unions say the ads are simply an effort to sway public opinion against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to form unions by openly signing petitions or cards, rather than by secret ballot. Anne Ravana reports.

Medical Policy at Jails Facing Probable Legal Challenge

Previously, we reported on the common practice of forcing opiate addicts in Maine's correctional facilities to go into withdrawl once incarcerated. The policy applies to inmates on legally prescribed maintenance medications such as methadone and buprenorphine. The only exception is for pregnant women, who are allowed to continue their prescriptions until they give birth and then they also undergo rapid detoxificaton. As Susan Sharon reports in part two of our story, some advocates are prepared to challenge this practice on legal, ethical and medical grounds.

Maine Lobstermen Win Reprieve On Trap Line Change

The federal government is proposing to delay a new rule requiring lobstermen to change the type of rope they use on their traps beginning in October. A final decision is expected in August, but as Barbara Cariddi reports, the delay will mean an uninterrupted lobster season and postpone an expensive investment in new fishing gear.

PolitickerME

Michaud last Maine superdelegate to endorse

Times Record

West Bath windmill ordinance advances (full story)


Bath superdelegate supports Obama (full story)

Editorial
Borrowed 'savings' (full story)

Ellsworth American
The Man with the Plan
Peter Vigue Says The Time Is Right For a Cross-state Super Toll Road
SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick — With diesel fuel about to hit $5 a gallon and with both the Maine and U.S. governments coping with growing deficits, Peter Vigue has never been more convinced that the time to build an east-west toll road through north-central Maine is now.

Prescription Drugs Big Factor in Maine Overdose Deaths
AUGUSTA — Legitimate prescription drugs were involved in 86 percent of the 154 drug overdose deaths in Maine last year.

High-stakes Battle Brewing Over Beverage Tax Repeal Effort
AUGUSTA — Stakes are rising in the battle over a people’s veto campaign to repeal the beer, wine, soda and health insurance taxes passed to support the state’s subsidized DirigoChoice program.

Editorials
Water Over the Dam
There’s no small irony in the reality that, at the same time thousands of Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. customers are having a hard time paying their electric bills, there is a fully functioning hydro-electric dam in downtown Ellsworth that sits dormant at least 10 months a year.

The Law of Supply and Demand
In the wonderful world of national politics, the answer to the higher oil and fuel price crunch being felt by U.S. consumers and the economy as a whole is simple. Just hit the major oil companies with a new “windfall profits” tax. It will generate millions in tax revenues that politicians then can spread around to all sorts of recipients who will be sure to remember them come election time.

When It Comes to Energy, the Future Is Now
A recent public opinion poll asked respondents whether they thought the recent run-up in gasoline and heating oil prices was temporary or permanent. A clear majority answered “permanent.” Consider the implications; most people have concluded that we have reached a hinge point in history. The era of cheap energy (specifically cheap oil) that has fueled this economy for nearly 150 years is over. The impact is already being felt; virtually overnight a major component of most family budgets has doubled. The effects on the national budget have been equally dramatic as trade deficits rise and the value of the dollar plummets.

Maine News for June 4, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Triumphant Obama claims nomination

Maine contributes two votes to help Obama end the race

Ignition locks coming for repeat drunk drivers
The devices, used as an incentive for shorter license suspensions, will make Maine safer, some say.

Cooperative effort may be key to Long Creek cleanup
Advocates say getting all interested parties involved is best for the watershed.

House District 120 rivals: Bring people into process
Election 2008: Both Democratic candidates want to get more Mainers involved in government.
Strimling criticizes Democrat rival Cote
Election 2008: Based on some of Cote's financial support, he's 'a Republican in Democrat's clothing,' Strimling says.

Extending time for new line
Under the proposal, lobstermen can use old floating lines until April.

Data services company to open office at ex-MBNA site
The Boston-area business plans to hire up to 250 workers in Rockland.

Energy East suitor Iberdrola woos N.Y. with wind energy

Editorial
Tuesday's Question 1 meets many infrastructure needs
This $29.7 million bond issue contains a variety of projects to benefit the state.

Regional waste agency right to keep focus on recycling
Though ecomaine's generation income could suffer, cutting the waste stream makes sense.

Bangor Daily News
Greene gets jail in theft, forgery cases
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - City Councilor Richard Greene resigned Tuesday after being sentenced earlier in the day to five days in jail on forgery and shoplifting charges.

GOP race in 1st District pits veteran vs. newcomer
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
The primary campaign for the Republican nomination to represent Maine's 1st Congressional District pits a highly recognized party leader and Iraq war veteran against a first-time candidate centered on family values who has shown a strong ability to collar campaign contributions.

State braces for possible battle over N-waste
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine — State officials are reacting to the possible need for a second federal nuclear waste site by preparing for another battle like that of 20 years ago, when Maine was on the list of possible locations before Yucca Mountain in Nevada was chosen as the first repository.

Report argues for incentives in struggle over school reform
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - A new report by the Maine Children's Alliance contends that the state's school reform effort is flagging but could be revived through a new focus on incentives for consolidation.

Boston Financial to occupy ex-MBNA site in Rockland
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
ROCKLAND, Maine - Boston Financial Data Services Inc., a leading provider of investor and intermediary services to the financial services industry, has signed a lease agreement with Rockland Harbor Park LLC to occupy the former MBNA building at 12 Water St.

Editorials

Politics and pastors
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Thirty-two years ago, presidential candidate Jimmy Carter had to explain to many skeptical and wary voters what being a "born again" Christian meant. Sixteen years before that, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy had to persuade voters that his allegiance would be to the Constitution, not his Roman Catholic pope.

Beyond trade
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
The pitfalls of having separate - and much more generous - unemployment benefits for workers deemed to be out of jobs because of trade rather than, say, modernization of a plant or decreased demand for goods was highlighted last week when Maine's senators asked for Trade Adjustment Assistance for the workers at Katahdin Paper Co.

Kathleen Parker: Is revenge sweet for Bush snitch?
Sometimes the answers to our most perplexing questions can be found on the playground.

Lynne Williams: Land deals stand in stark contrast
The May 21 Bangor Daily News featured a story about the conservation of 342,000 acres in a deal put together by Downeast Lakes Land Trust, which raised $34.8 million to purchase the land and conservation easements.

June 4 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Report: School mergers focus too much on budget, not enough on quality education
AUGUSTA -- School district consolidation in Maine is a worthy endeavor, but the law directing the process focuses too much on budgeting and too little on educational quality, according to a new report.

Confusion, not intent, cited in fatal head-on crash on I-95
AUGUSTA -- An Augusta man who died in a fiery crash after driving north on the southbound lane of Interstate 95 showed no signs of suicidal intent before the accident, police said.

Doctor: I stole narcotics
AUGUSTA -- A radiologist accused of stealing drugs from MaineGeneral Medical Center in Waterville pleaded guilty to that offense on Monday, but will be permitted to withdraw that plea in a year if he meets a number of conditions.

Access law comes of age
A state senator who leads the state's open-records committee says "good progress" has been made in establishing a transparent government.

Editorial

Say "yes" to Question 1
There are a lot of reasons to cast your ballot in favor of Question 1 on the June 10 ballot:

SHARON GUYNUP'S FIRST BOOK : Drugs in the drink?
Down eight glasses of water a day and chances are, many Americans are also "self- prescribing" minute amounts of various prescription drugs, including those used to treat infection, epilepsy, mental illness, heart problems -- even those used to prevent pregnancy. A recent investigative report from the Associated Press (AP) revealed that public drinking water in at least 24 major metropolitan areas is tainted with multiple drug residues.

GEORGE SMITH : Kick the kids out of the house, for their own good
No one had to tell us to take it outside when I was a kid.

Sun Journal

Bangor councilor pleads guilty in forgery case
BANGOR (AP) - A Bangor city councilor has resigned his seat after pleading no contest to forging the city manager's name on a $9,000 invoice.

Snowe wealthiest of Maine delegation
PORTLAND (AP) - Financial disclosure reports show that Sen. Olympia Snowe is the wealthiest member of Maine's congressional delegation.

Proposal could delay floating rope rule
PORTLAND (AP) - The federal government is proposing to delay a new rule requiring lobstermen to change the type of rope they use on their traps, officials said Tuesday.

Democrats joust in 1st District race
AUGUSTA - Some swinging-elbow jostling has broken out with a week to go in the crowded race for the Democratic nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District.

2 Mainers in column for Obama
AUGUSTA (AP) - Two of Maine's three undeclared Democratic superdelegates announced Tuesday they're endorsing Barack Obama for president.

MPBN

Maine Lobstermen Win Reprieve On Trap Line Change
The federal government is proposing to delay a new rule requiring lobstermen to change the type of rope they use on their traps beginning in October. A final decision is expected in August, but as Barbara Cariddi reports, the delay will mean an uninterrupted lobster season and postpone an expensive investment in new fishing gear.

Boston Financial To Take Over Former MBNA Space In Rockland

A major financial services company has announced the creation of 250 jobs in Midcoast Maine - with the hope of more to come. Boston Financial today announced it has chosen Rockland as the site of a new call-center operation. As Keith Shortall reports, the company will take over a space that once housed one of the areas largest employers.

Concerns About The Coming Winter Already On Mainers' Minds

It's not officially summer yet but Mainers are already worried about how they're going to keep their homes warm this winter. With heating oil prices soaring above four-dollars-and-fifty-cents a gallon, and gas, kerosene and even wood prices rising fast too, it will be a struggle for many Mainers to keep their furnaces, heaters and wood stoves operating when temperatures begin to plunge. But for Maine's poor, it might be impossible without resorting to charity. Barbara Cariddi reports.

Addicts Behind Bars Forced To Go Into Withdrawal

Each month there are between 35 and 45 opiate addicts housed at the Cumberland County Jail. Of those inmates, fewer than six are in treatment for addiction and on maintenance medication like methadone or buprenorphine. But whether inmates are in treatment or not, once they enter the Cumberland County Jail and many other jails, unless they are pregnant, they will be forced into withdrawl. As Susan Sharon reports, that's raising legal, medical and ethical questions with addiction specialists, advocates and others both in and out of Maine.

PolitickerME

Breaking: Spencer endorses Obama, urges a shared ticket

DeChant picks Obama

What does two million buy?

Maine News for Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Campaigns networking on the Web
Election 2008: It gives congressional candidates more ways to reach voters.

Kennedy 'feels like a million' after brain surgery
The senator will begin radiation treatments after a delicate operation to remove most of a tumor.

Brain surgery on awake patients done in Maine, but rarely
Deep tumors require a conscious patients help in guiding the surgeon.

Evidence against boater ruled out
The man accused in the fatality at Long Lake was not advised of his rights before making statements.

Low-profile bond targets transportation
Election 2008: Roads and bridges would get much of the $29.7 million that the state would borrow.

Senate to debate bill to fight global warming
Sen. Snowe co-sponsors the measure to require companies to pay for greenhouse gas emissions.

House District 114: Two in city primary differ over term limits
Election 2008: The Democrats running to oppose Morton Soule agree on many issues.

Newspaper to cut more jobs

EDWARD D. MURPHYState courts' high rank can be useful

Editorial
Florida and Michigan Democrats stole their own votes
State party officials broke the rules and now they will face the consequences.

RON BANCROFTMake the best of bad school deal
Lawmakers sliced and diced the governor's plan, but it's all we have to work with.

VINCENT S. CONTI, Special to the Press HeraldMainers should be proud of their hospitals
The key to good medical care is good people, and those are present in abundance.

Bangor Daily News

Dump truck damages highway overpass
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - An empty dump truck struck a highway overpass early Monday morning, causing the vehicle to roll over several times before coming to rest in the northbound lane of Interstate 95.

City councilor on trial today in forgery case
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - City Councilor Richard Greene is scheduled to go on trial at 8:30 a.m. today before Judge Jessie Gunther in 3rd District Court for submitting to the city a document on which he allegedly forged City Manager Edward Barrett’s signature.

Man drove wrong way on interstate in fatal crash
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine State Police were investigating whether an Augusta man intentionally drove his car the wrong way on Interstate 95 early Monday and crashed head-on into another vehicle.

State studies options for Millinocket mill
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
MILLINOCKET, Maine - State officials are pursuing three options to maintain the Katahdin Paper Co. LLC mill and create an independent energy production facility on the Katahdin Avenue campus, Gov. John Baldacci said Monday.

PETA proposes Lobster Empathy Center for Skowhegan jail
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
SKOWHEGAN, Maine - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has sent a proposal to the Somerset County commissioners to lease their jail for the world's first Lobster Empathy Center.

Maine tourism-related businesses struggle to find seasonal workers
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
For the past seven years, the Pentagoet Inn in Castine has relied on five temporary foreign workers to take jobs local people aren't interested in - washing dishes, cleaning rooms, changing beds and cooking. This year, changes to the H-2B visa program will make it even more difficult for owners Jack and Julie Burke to fill those positions and keep their business running smoothly.

6 Dems vie for nomination to run for 1st District seat
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
When Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat, decided to mount a challenge against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins after having served more than a decade in Congress, six candidates jumped at the opportunity to fill his open seat in Maine's 1st District.

Milo man given 115 months on drug conviction
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
BANGOR, Maine - A Milo man who took the unusual step of withdrawing his guilty plea and proceeding to trial on drug charges last year was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to nearly 10 years in prison.

Editorial
ClickBack on Hill, Mill, Sex
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
This week’s ClickBack, the BDN's interactive opinion feature, takes on the fate of Hillary Clinton's campaign, the possible demise of a paper mill in Millinocket, and the 'Sex and the City' phenomenon.

Plum Creek Confusion
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Early in its handling of an application from Plum Creek Timber Co. to rezone much of its land for development, the Land Use Regulation Commission sought to make a clear distinction between the development proposal and an agreement between the company and conservation groups to protect nearby land through a large conservation easement and purchase.

Peter Funt: A race worthy of 'West Wing'
How's this for a political plot: Good-looking congressman in his mid-40s, married with two young children, known for his inspirational speeches, comes from far behind to clinch the Democratic nomination and face an older, more experienced centrist Republican. If he wins, he's America's first non-Caucasian president.

Dr. Erik Steele: Tax hike is about life and death, not beer and soda
In the next six weeks you are not going to be able to kick a pile of moose poop in Maine without some of it hitting a person on the street asking if you are fed up with high taxes.

June 3 Letters to the Editor

Kennebec Journal

Augusta trim budget approved
AUGUSTA -- The City Council unanimously approved a $51.3 million city and school budget expected to result in no change in the tax rate.

Dismissed priests had ministered in central Maine parishes
The two Maine priests the Vatican has dismissed from the clergy spent parts of their careers ministering in central Maine.

Wrong-way I-95 crash probed
Maine State Police are trying to determine whether a Monday morning crash that killed an Augusta man and left a woman who works in Waterville in critical condition was intentional.

Stalker gets 8 years in jail
AUGUSTA -- A Wilton man will serve eight years in prison after again being convicted of stalking a Readfield family.

State campus, open areas in focus
HALLOWELL -- "What would you like to see in Hallowell's future?"

BRIEFS
GARDINER -- Councilors at their meeting Wednesday will spend most of their time discussing the 2008-09 municipal budget.

On Maine Politics

Did Dobson make the deadline? 06/02/08

Editorial

Another difficult chapter for Millinocket
Once, the people of Millinocket faced a golden future.

Remembering Dick Randall
There's a family without a good husband and father today.

SOURCE: FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION : How not to get hooked by phishing
If you get an e-mail or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don't click on the message, either.

Sun Journal

Bonnie Raitt to play for Allen
PORTLAND (AP) - Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt will be performing a concert this summer for Tom Allen's Senate campaign.

Maine firewood sales on the rise
AUGUSTA (AP) - As the price of heating oil goes up, so is the demand for firewood.

Greene man files suit against 2 wardens
BANGOR - A Greene man has sued two Maine game wardens alleging that they violated his First Amendment right to free speech when they issued him a summons last year for making a rude gesture.

Popularity contest? Gilbert vs. Lajoie
LEWISTON - Both men - Larry Gilbert, the former Lewiston police chief and current mayor, and Mike Lajoie, former Lewiston fire chief - are stumped when asked what issues separate them as candidates.

Editorial

All quiet on the casino front
Seth Carey, former president of Evergreen Mountain Enterprises, stepped down April 17. Evergreen's newly minted-at-the-time spokesperson, Pat LaMarche, subsequently promised an announcement of new leadership in short order.

Democrats aren't immune from stretching the truth
Fraud: "deceit, trickery ... or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage."

Letters

Patronizing politicians
It was Ben Franklin who said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." So as far as I can see, we, the people of the state of Maine are truly insane. We continue to send the same people to represent us in Augusta and Washington and we expect things to change.

Political hoggers
When is enough, enough?

MPBN

Governor's Veto Yields Suits Over Sex Offender Registry
State prosecutors and defense attorneys in Maine are being hit by a flurry of cases involving Maine's sex offender registry. So many cases have been filed that the Maine Attorney General's office has had to assign three prosecutors to handle them, according to Assistant Attorney General Paul Stern. The cases began piling up after Governor John Baldacci vetoed a bill passed this session that would have removed low-risk offenders from the list. Lawmakers took that step after the Maine Supreme Court ruled in September that the registry law could be challenged on constitutional grounds. Now, those challenges have started to pour in.

Fuel Consumers Already Weighing Next Winter's Payment Options

Retail heating oil prices have risen to more than four dollars and fifty cents a gallon, nearly double what they were last year at this time. While some oil dealers have delayed rolling out their payment plans for next fall and winter, others have begun to advertise their prices. As Anne Ravana reports, customers are now wondering which payment program to choose and how they will come up with the money to keep warm when temperatures drop.

Manure Smelling Better as Fertilizer Prices Rise

High fuel prices have sent the price for fertilizer soaring. As farmers have scrambled to find alternatives for their crops, they’ve begun to reevaluate a reliable source right under their noses. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports that dairy and poultry manure has never smelled so good.

Migrant Workers Crucial for Maine's Harvest

They've been described as Maine's unseen labor force, the thousands of seasonal migrant farmworkers who pass through the state every year. They can be found picking blueberries downeast, for example, or broccoli and potatoes up in Arroostook County. Tom Porter has the story.

Millinocket Braces For Mill Closure

Just one day after receiving word that another paper mill is closing in their town, residents of Millinocket are trying to absorb the news. The Katahdin Paper Company announced Thursday that record oil prices have made the business unprofitable. The company plans to close its Millinocket mill and may also cut jobs at its second mill in East Millinocket. More than 200 workers are expected to be laid off at the end of July. Governor John Baldacci was in town this afternoon to meet with the town manager and has sent the Department of Labor's Rapid Response team to the area. Anne Ravana reports.

PolitickerME
Dobson for Senate campaign: never mind

John Frary's GOP (Grand Old Punchers)

Maine DNC delegates elected

Times Record
Strimling breaks down barriers (full story)