Maine News for Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Lawmakers formulate resolution on racism
A sign in Standish and other post-election incidents in Maine prompt an official response.

AG: Police justified in fatal shooting
South Portland officers fired when a suicidal man with two knives advanced toward two other officers.

In a pinch over salt
Rising prices have municipalities thinking about ways to conserve.

Once-promising telemedicine company to close
At least 200 IntelliCare Inc. workers will lose their jobs when it shuts down for 'strategic' reasons.

Editorial

Better bill might give auto bailout better shot
A plan to address all that's wrong in Detroit, including union contracts, would make sense.

Racist posting in Standish store was anti-American
The message about our next president deserves to be condemned in harsh terms.

JOSEPH W. GAULDIt's possible to create a truly American system of education
If we shifted our education focus to hearts and souls, our students' minds would follow.

Bangor Daily News

Financial meltdown having an effect on tourism in Maine

A private report indicates that tourism in Maine hasn’t escaped the nation’s economic meltdown unscathed.

Lower diesel costs ‘not making a difference’ for lobstermen

This year isn’t turning out to be one that members of Maine’s lobstering community will remember as one of their best. And according to some, 2009 probably won’t be, either.

Ex-tribal governor’s case goes to jury

BANGOR, Maine — Defense attorneys told jurors in closing arguments Tuesday that finding a former governor of the Indian Township Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe and the tribe’s ex-business manager guilty of misusing funds boils down to whether the two intended to defraud the government or considered transfers of money from one account to another as loans.

Editorial

Dirigo’s Future

The repeal of taxes on beer, wine and soda to fund the Dirigo Health program leaves lawmakers with the difficult task of keeping the controversial program afloat.

Seeking Certainty

Financial markets are as much about confidence and certainty as they are about dollars and cents.

Kennebec Journal

STATEHOUSE: Baldacci to discuss spending cuts today
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci today will detail his order to curtail state spending for the remainder of the fiscal year.

New call center in Winthrop promises 200 jobs
NotifyMD announces intention to open business in former manufacturing plant on U.S. Route 202.

School systems move closer to consolidating
Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro schools on Tuesday moved closer than ever to forming an alternative school system in which they would share resources and services.

Editorials:

Business loans harder to get, slowing growth
Lawmakers on Monday heard a mixed message about the availability of credit in Maine.

GEORGE SMITH : Maine status as Democratic state outlives prediction by 20 years
Go Blue! This favored crowd chant for the University of Maine's hockey team fills Alfond Arena at every game, and now it fills all of New England.

RICHARD W. ROSEN : GOP helped Democrats pass critical legislation
In your editorial of Nov. 16, "Note to leaders: Work with each other, legislators," you state that "Carol Weston and Richard Rosen did not like to talk to, or negotiate with, Democrats -- thus consigning themselves and the vast majority of their party (and constituents) in the Senate to a marginal role."

SHERRY HUBER : LURC succeeds in defense of Moosehead area natural resources
The editorial last month, "LURC Decision on Plum Creek Strikes Balance," was highly informative and insightful. We Mainers are passionate about our natural resources, and the debates around Plum Creek's concept plan for development and conservation in the Moosehead Lake region are the latest example. As trying as those debates may be, they serve the public well, resulting in informed and balanced decisions.

Sun Journal
Racial slurs on rise
LEWISTON - Since the presidential election Nov. 4, the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in Portland has received calls from schools about an increase in racial slurs and jokes among students.

Obama, race discussion slated
LEWISTON - A community discussion on the impact of Barack Obama's election on race relations in America and in Lewiston-Auburn will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at 219 Lisbon St.

Recount request withdrawn
Republican incumbent Michael Vaughan of Durham on Monday withdrew his request for a recount in the race for state representative from District 105.

Outcome of Lieberman vote pleases Sen. Collins
PORTLAND (AP) - Sen. Susan Collins says she's delighted that Senate Democrats are allowing Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman to retain his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Editorial
Welcome to the Maine 'Wind Rush'
We may disagree with Bruce Cook's inspiration, but we admire his thinking. He is maybe the first public official in Western Maine to suggest a proactive approach to wind turbine construction, instead of scrambling after the fact.

Message of fear has been GOP stratagem for years
They'll be back. Don't think for a minute that they won't.

MPBN
Sears Island Compromise Still In Question

November 18, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

A compromise joint use agreement on the future of Sears Island seemed anything but certain Tuesday after a legislative panel voted to approve the plan pending the receipt of an offer for the construction of a new port on the property. The Legislature's Transportation Committee voted to approve a 601-acre conservation easement for the island just off Searsport, while reserving 330 acres for transportation uses. But as A.J. Higgins reports, some environmentalists who signed off on the plan originally now claim the lawmakers' action has voided the agreement.

Maine Delegation Contemplates Bailout

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

A possible bailout for automakers was high on the congressional agenda today. Top officials from the Big Three, GM, Ford and Chrysler, all want a piece of a $25 billion pie. Maine's four member delegation leans toward an economic recovery package but is examining the consequences before making commitments. And as Keith McKeen finds, their constituents have mixed reactions about a bailout as well.

Auto Industry Woes Affect Dealer Sales

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

In Maine as elsewhere, car dealerships try to stay afloat amid the auto industry's troubles. On the floor of Yankee Ford in South Portland, general manager Bob Esposito showcases the new models that he wishes he could sell more of. Josie Huang has the story.

Think About Lobster For Turkey Day

November 18, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Maybe you can't afford to buy a new or a used car to help the auto industry and the local economy right now. But with the holidays approaching, Maine legislative leaders and others are urging you to think about consumption of a different sort. What's red and dipped in butter and very important to the Maine economy? As Susan Sharon reports, lobster or lobstah as it's lovingly referred to in these parts, is being promoted as part of the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast.

WCSH6
Legislature Fights Back Against Racism

Maine News for Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Tight credit takes toll on Maine firms
Business owners tell a legislative committee about their difficulties in trying to secure new loans.

Ex-tribal governor denies misusing funds
Robert L. Newell says he didn't intend to break the law when he transferred tribal funds to pay bills.

UMaine system faces budget cuts
A global economic crisis, tuition declines and state cutbacks spell trouble for the current fiscal year.

Adoptee advocates for access to records
Maine has joined seven other states that have passed access-to-birth-certificate laws.

Governor to replace county commissioner
Attorney general says move out of the district by Helen Poulin is cause for her to be replaced.

Maine's delegates wary of auto bailout until they see specifics
Most would only support a Big Three rescue if it includes tough conditions and protects tax dollars.

Pier project on hold as council ends contract talks
The Olympia Cos. and the city can't agree on how to move forward during a land dispute with the state.

Car sharing coming to Portland
U Car Share will station PT Cruisers at two sites for use by fee-paying program members.

Editorial

Power-line issue part of larger trade-off debate
Pursuing a green energy future will create environmental and economic winners and losers.

Predator deal with Pakistan serves a short-term need
Over time, the war on terror requiresa more stable Pakistani government.

RON BANCROFTMaine's financial problems stem from lack of jobs, jobs and jobs
Our lack of growth, along with inefficient spending on Medicaid and K-12 schooling, hold us back.

Bangor Daily News

Easy to borrow? Depends whom you ask

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine banks and credit unions said Monday they’re financially healthy and ready to talk to borrowers as they addressed a legislative committee trying to assess how the state’s

Maine home foreclosures increase in 2nd quarter

AUGUSTA, Maine — The second quarter brought a slight increase in home foreclosures in Maine, but the state banking chief said Monday the number of foreclosures remains relatively small and poses no

UMS faces $27 million in reductions

The financial state of the University of Maine System was very much on the minds of system board of trustees who met Sunday and Monday at the Farmington campus to hear reports on how students

Towns reap tax benefits from wind farms

It has been two years since Mars Hill started receiving 20 years of $500,000 in annual payments from a tax increment financing deal connected to First Wind of Massachusetts’ 28-turbine wind farm

Driver’s license requirements

To meet the state’s proof of residency requirements for a driver’s license or state identification card, one must produce one of the following documents: - State driver’s license or

Deliberation to begin on former tribal governor

BANGOR, Maine — The jury is expected to begin deliberations today in the federal trial of a former Indian Township Passamaquoddy tribal governor and the tribe’s ex-business manager accused of

BMV: First day of new license rules ‘smooth’

BANGOR, Maine — Though personnel at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices around the state were prepared for problems Monday, virtually none arose, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office said.

Editorial

Sears Island Compromise

A consensus on the future of state-owned Sears Island in Penobscot Bay, which took years to achieve, is poised for acceptance by the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.

Kennebec Journal
BRACING FOR CUTS
The University of Maine at Augusta will likely cut $1 million from its budget this fiscal year, UMA President Allyson Hughes Handley said Monday.

Waterville to host energy conference
WATERVILLE -- Finding ways to conserve energy and promote sustainability will be the subject of a three-day community forum.

Law helps adoptees access information
AUGUSTA -- Tears came to her eyes when Lee-Ann Bragdon held up photos of her father, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Editorials:

Falling energy prices don't let us off the hook
The good news and the bad news are the same: Energy prices have declined.

DAVID B. OFFER : Oil companies make record profits, banks still pay bonuses
Several months ago, I signed up for a Master Card that gives me a 5 percent discount when I buy Shell gas. At the time, gas cost about $4 a gallon. The discount saved me 20 cents a gallon -- more than $2 each time I filled the tank.

REP. HANNAH PINGREE OF NORTH HAVEN REPRESENTS HOUS : As Mainers brace for winter, health care and economy top concerns
With the elections over, pundits are dissecting the results, trying to make sense of what motivated Maine voters at the polls. Mainers are famous for their independence and propensity for ticket-splitting. This year was no exception. It is one of the things I love about this state and its voters.

Sun Journal
First day of new license rules goes smoothly at state agency
LEWISTON - Life at the Maine Bureaus of Motor Vehicles in Lewiston and Mexico went on with minimal disruption during the first day that proof of legal U.S. presence was required for getting or renewing Maine driver's licenses or identification cards.

Maine home foreclosures increase
AUGUSTA (AP) - The second quarter brought a slight increase in home foreclosures in Maine, but the state banking chief said Monday that the number of foreclosures remains relatively small and poses no threat to the stability of state-chartered banks and credit unions.

UMS chancellor: Budget cuts likely
FARMINGTON (AP) - The global economic crisis is adding to financial difficulties for the University of Maine System, Chancellor Richard Pattenaude said Monday.

Lawmakers hear from state businesses
AUGUSTA - Maine banks and credit unions said Monday they're financially healthy and ready to talk to borrowers as they addressed a legislative committee trying to assess how the state's financial services industry and businesses are faring amid the world economic crisis.

AG: Poulin's move leaves office vacant
AUBURN - Gov. John Baldacci moved to replace Androscoggin County Commissioner Helen Poulin on Monday, calling on Lewiston Democrats to nominate possible replacements for the controversial politician.

Union backs Obama plan for teachers' merit raises
WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing New York City schools, a national teachers' union said it is open to President-elect Barack Obama's effort to tie pay raises to student performance.

Editorial
A problem of political perception
Something feels amiss with how Maine chooses its attorney general, but it's hard to put a finger on what.

Black Americans on path from victim to victor
The presidential couples, Laura and George W. Bush and Michelle and Barack Obama, standing in front of the White House, looked buff and comely in their ease and smiles. The president and the president-elect in their dark suits and blue ties and Laura and Michelle in different shades of red suggested cordiality with dignity. (If one couple looked more tanned than the other, only a churl would have imagined that an insult.)

MPBN
Business Owners Ponder The State of Their Climate

November 17, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

So, how is Maine's business climate fairing under the current circumstances? It depends on who you ask. A legislative panel heard conflicting stories today on the ability of Maine business owners to access credit. Lawmakers called the informational session to take the pulse of the state's lending institutions, all of which reported that they are financially strong and ready to talk to borrowers. But some business owners maintain that talk is about all they get from local lenders.

Home Foreclosures Increase In Maine

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Maine, along with the rest of the nation, continues to experience an uptick in home foreclosures. However the State Bureau of Financial Institutions reports that though the numbers are trending upward, the increase remains relatively low as compared to some other areas of the country.

Oil Price Confusion Caused By Early Lock-Ins

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

As home heating oil prices now average $2.70/gallon statewide, some Mainers are regretting their decision to lock-in a price last summer at nearly twice that amount. At the time, they feared prices would only get higher. Depending on type of contract customers signed, some are facing a loss while others are seeing rebates in the form of lower monthly bills.

Judge Coffin Honored For 60 Years of Public Service

November 17, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

He's one of the few people to have served in all three branches of government at the federal level as well as the military. His 60-year career of public service has included roles as chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, Congressman from Maine's second district, deputy administrator for the Agency for International Development under the Kennedy Administration, and for more than 40 years, a judge on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Frank Coffin has been retired as U.S. Senior Circuit Judge since 2006. But as Susan Sharon reports, tonight he'll be honored in Portland for his remarkable contributions to legal aid for the poor.

Maine News for Monday, November 17, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Grid needs upgrades for wind power
A report's call for changes to facilitate 'clean energy' is expected to influence debate on Maine projects.

Child care centers feel pinch
Enrollments start to shrink as parents trim expenses, a trend that makes operators nervous.

Mainers train Montenegro's troops
National Guard soldiers go to the fairly new nation and its forces travel here as a relationship grows.

Tribute to celebrate work of Judge Coffin
After helping revive the state Democratic Party, the Lewiston native made a mark as a federal judge.

Lawmakers divided over bailout of auto industry
Some Democrats say American automakers can't be allowed to go under, while some Republicans say government help would only postpone inevitable failure.

Editorial

Congress should narrow its economic focus
A lame-duck session is not the time to make major commitments for new national policies.

Lawmakers ought to be wary of unintended consequences
As Nebraskans have discovered, good motivations can lead to disastrous results.

LEIGH DONALDSONIs college becoming unreachable because of rising loan costs?
Even worse, graduates are now dumped in a job market where payback is nearly impossible.

Bangor Daily News

State sees revenues declining

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine governments are facing a triple whammy in the current recession, with the three major sources of revenue for state and local governments all in decline, as well as other revenues, something that has not happened in decades.

In Maine, bishop pans gay marriage

PORTLAND, Maine — The leader of Maine’s Roman Catholic diocese issued a letter to be read at weekend Masses opposing gay marriage.

Bapst headed to state championship

BUCKSPORT, Maine — As murky fog off Penobscot Bay gradually engulfed Carmichael Field late Saturday afternoon, one thing couldn’t have been clearer for the John Bapst of Bangor football team.

UM business students get executive pep talk

ORONO, Maine — Dennis Carey worked his way through college waiting tables at Pat’s Pizza and, sometimes, ironing shirts for his fraternity brothers at 10 cents apiece.

Editorial

Consolidation Questions

While the rejection of school consolidation plans in some communities is troubling, the move toward centralized — and hence less expensive — administration is moving forward. Last week, 12 of 16 consolidation plans were approved. In those communities where they were rejected, alternatives are already being sought.

Kennebec Journal

Home-heating fuel prices plummeting
Heating oil has cost Mainers much less than many consumers feared it would.

When buying a dog as a holiday gift, Humane Society urges a bit of caution
With stores decked out in Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving only 10 days away, and a winter chill settling in, many Mainers -- and Americans -- are starting to think about holiday gifts for the family.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT 11 Budget woes may force loss of school Options for T.C. Hamlin in Randolph to be discussed at Thursday meeting
GARDINER -- School Administrative District 11 will again consider closing T.C. Hamlin School in Randolph and moving students to the Pittston Consolidated School.

Editorial

Jeweler's policy on diamonds is truly a gem
Sometimes, the world's troubles are right at our doorstep.

MARINA SCHAUFFLER : Movement wants kids to 'experience life, not watch'
The recent Governor's Conference on Youth and the Natural World drew together 350 educators, health and recreation professionals and parents to discuss how Maine could advance the grassroots "No Child Left Inside" movement.

Sun Journal
Maine warden action challenged
PORTLAND (AP) - Civil libertarians are going to court to help defend of the rights of all-terrain vehicle riders, which they say have been violated by a Maine game warden's action.

Maine night hunting, poaching on the rise
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine game wardens say they are seeing an increase in deer poaching, including night hunting, in a trend that has been noticed in other states as well.

Honoring Frank Coffin
The Maine Bar Foundation will be celebrating the life and work of Judge Frank Coffin on Monday night in Portland. Coffin has spent most of his career advocating for low-income people in Maine through his work as a lawyer, congressman and judge. He is the namesake of the prominent Frank M. Coffin Family Law Fellowship in Portland. He was born in Lewiston, went to Bates College then Harvard Law School, then returned to Lewiston to practice law. He became a member of Congress and then a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Diocese: Same-sex unions not marriage
LEWISTON - In a letter read during Masses over the weekend, Bishop Richard Malone voiced opposition to news conferences held last week urging Mainers to end marriage discrimination and calling on state legislators to enact same-sex civil marriages.

Editorial
What's in the Gulf of Maine?
Government task forces have the sex appeal of cinder blocks.

Village Soup
State pension fund value plummets
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/16)

DHHS weighs $178 million cut from its $1.9 billion budget
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/15)

Maine News for Friday, November 14, 2008

Portland Press Herald

Pingree likely choice for Maine House speaker
Hannah Pingree, daughter of U.S. Rep.-elect Chellie Pingree, is the unanimous nominee to wield the gavel.

Session to help state retirees with insurance change
Experts will offer details of the change in health insurance providers.

Same-sex marriage backed by ministers
Religious leaders in the state announce formation of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine.

Papers' future gets a bit clearer
The leader of the investor group hopes to reverse the company's slide, and already has a few changes in mind.

Project may need new lease on life
Portland intends to sue state, hoping to settle dispute delaying work

Former student charged with computer hacking
James Wieland stands accused of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy.

Editorial

Submerged land issue shouldn't sink more deals
City and state should get to the bottom of who owns the land under the Maine State Pier.

Sentence sends a message about one man's bad choices
The family and friends of Robert LaPointe's victims will never get over his poor judgment.

M.D. HARMONOnce again, it's time to give advice to losers
Dick Richards, P.I., has only one purpose in life, but all the Wal-Mart greeter jobs were taken.

Bangor Daily News

Bangor Housing Authority faces heating surcharge suit

BANGOR, Maine — Two women who live in public housing have sued the Bangor Housing Authority over the way it imposed surcharges for heating oil last winter.

Red Cross recognizes Real Heroes

The American Red Cross 12th annual Real Heroes Breakfast on Nov. 13, opened with the ceremony of placing the Stars and Stripes and the Maine state flag on either side of the podium where three individuals and two couples were honored for their heroic efforts on behalf of others.

Hannah Pingree nominated for speaker

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — State Rep. Hannah Pingree, daughter of the state’s new congresswoman-elect, won her fellow Democrats’ nomination Thursday to serve as speaker of the House during the new two-year session.

Salmon hatchery on cutting board

The fish hatchery that has produced salmon for Grand Lake Stream and other top Maine fishing destinations for more than a century could be closed as part of a package of hard-hitting budget cuts under consideration by state officials.

DOT downplays possible job cuts

AUGUSTA, Maine — Possible budget cuts leading to layoffs in the state Department of Transportation will not occur this fiscal year, the transportation commissioner said Thursday.

Rep. Mills wins Glassman award

State Rep. Janet Mills, D-Farmington, has been named the recipient of the Maine State Bar Association’s Caroline D. Glassman Award.

Lawmakers steamed about lottery promotion

AUGUSTA, Maine — The state lottery is getting strong, bipartisan criticism for its “Funds For Fuel” promotion as lawmakers say the lottery should not be using Mainers’ fear of high fuel prices this winter to sell more lottery tickets.

Editorial

Political patronage amiss

Mainers may be surprised that there’s still a political campaign going on. Although it involves the state’s top legal officer, the public has no say and likely isn’t even aware of who is competing for the job. This is a poor way to choose an attorney general and other constitutional officers.

Big Three bailout

These are not good times for conservatives whose faith lies in the unfettered marketplace. With President Bush, Congress and President-elect Obama all supporting the $700 billion federal bailout plan, the government has committed to playing lifeguard, even if it means rescuing those who decided to go swimming in a hurricane.

Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA: State set to explain health-care changes
AUGUSTA -- State health insurance experts will be in Augusta next week to explain how a change in service providers will affect health insurance for retired state employees who are Medicare-eligible.

AUGUSTA: Parents cool to closure proposal
AUGUSTA -- Parents with students attending Hodgkins Middle School and Hussey Elementary School had a message for Board of Education members Thursday afternoon.

Religious coalition urges Maine to allow same-sex civil marriages
BANGOR -- Religious leaders across the state held news conferences Thursday to urge Mainers to end marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples, and called for the state to create same-sex civil marriages.

Editorials:

How to pick an attorney general
Three Democratic lawyers want to be elected the next Maine attorney general.

JOSEPH R. REISERT : Each one in family has a favorite thing to 'export' from Europe
After 10 weeks and nine countries, our adventure in Europe is coming to an end and my family has insisted that, in this column, all of us will share a little of what we've learned during our time away.

BILL TOWNSEND : Uniform sales tax more certain than 'use tax'
The current financial collapse will affect every level of our national economy for a long time to come. Even before it, the individual states had been put under enormous budgetary pressures as the result of a combination of factors, one of the most significant being the reduction in the dollars flowing to the states from Washington under the Bush-Cheney administration.

Sun Journal
Pingree nominated for Maine speaker
AUGUSTA (AP) - State Rep. Hannah Pingree, daughter of the state's new congresswoman-elect, won her fellow Democrats' nomination Thursday to serve as speaker of the House during the upcoming two-year session.

Man seeks to ban use of food stamps to purchase soda
BANGOR (AP) - The Bangor pediatric dentist and public health advocate who spearheaded a successful campaign to ban smoking in vehicles when children are present now wants to prohibit the use of food stamps to buy soda.

EMMC to run UMaine center
ORONO (AP) - Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor plans to take over operations at the University of Maine's Cutler Health Center in January.

2 Maine wind projects proposed
BANGOR (AP) - A Massachusetts wind power company has filed permit applications for two more Maine projects, a 40-turbine wind farm in the Lincoln area, and a 17-turbine project outside Danforth.

BIW loses out on $1.6 billion ship contract
WASHINGTON - The Navy on Thursday awarded Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala., an expected $1.6 billion contract to build 10 high-speed military transport ships.

Editorial
Difficult case; wise sentence
In modern language, the phrase "activist judge" has become a slur. A popular stereotype is a black-robed liberal trying to legislate an agenda from the safety of the bench.

Colombia free trade pact would divide Democrats
It wouldn't be the George W. Bush we all know if our shamed president didn't spend his remaining White House days in a final fit of polarization.

MPBN
Members Of The Maine Clergy Offer View On Same-Sex Marriage

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Marriage, say many social conservatives, is a holy union between a man and a woman, as ordained by God. But in Maine, a group of clergymen and women say same-sex marriage should be viewed separately from marriage. Their announcement comes just a day after same-sex couples in Connecticut started to marry, and just a week after California voters overturned a court decision legalizing gay marriage.

CMP Proposal Raising Public Concern

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

Central Maine Power's proposal to upgrade and expand its high voltage electricity lines drew a crowd of concerned residents to a public hearing in Waterville last night. More than a dozen told the state's Public Utilities Commission that they question or oppose the project because they're afraid of health and safety risks and don't want CMP infringing on their property.

Lobster Industry Plagued By Reduced Income

November 13, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Marine biologists, economists and regulators, from as far away as Florida, gathered today in York to talk about the future of the declining lobster population in the gulf of Maine. Recent stock assessments have alarmed the lobster industy, and more negative projections are expected.

Times Record

Navy musters public input on BNAS reuse process...(full story)

Editorial
Nuclear power is no solution...(full story)

Village Soup
Dunlap: 'Real ID' could be real cumbersome, expensive
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/14)

Maine News for Thursday, November 13, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Veterans give advice to Legislature's rookies
At the top of the list of tips for legislators being sworn in Dec. 3: 'Don't put in too many bills.'

GI Bill likely to benefit colleges
Federal tuition money for veterans could help offset budget cuts for Maine's universities.

State seeks input on new bridge
A hearing on Monday will be the first chance to comment on replacing Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Records requested to assure liberties
The MCLU seeks to verify that Maine's anti-terror information center is not violating citizens' privacy.

Duson will serve as city's mayor again
Portland city councilors choose an experienced leader to hold the mostly ceremonial post for a year.

City panel votes to end pier project negotiations
The Olympia Cos. wants a 75-year lease, but a lease with the state, which owns the sea floor, would be for 30 years.

Group signs deal to buy Blethen Maine Newspapers
Maine Media Investment must complete its financing to purchase the Press Herald's owner by year's end.

Editorial

Conservation should not decline with gas prices
It's still in consumers' best interests to save on gas usage wherever possible.

Snowe is right to call for new strategy in Afghanistan
The simmering front in the war on terrorism will require more than just additional troops.

PAUL BRANDES, Special to the Press HeraldWestgate developer tried hard to work things out with St. Patrick's
He says the church did not respond to repeated efforts to find a solution to its parking problem.

LOUISE ROCHA-McCARTHYWhy are residents of territories denied right to vote for president?

Bangor Daily News

Dentist: Taxpayers shouldn’t fund soda

BANGOR, Maine — Soda pop, the beverage of choice for hundreds of thousands of Mainers, is well established as a major contributor to dental decay, obesity and other health disorders.

Bangor area blacks share their views on Obama victory

BANGOR, Maine — On a Saturday afternoon more than nine months ago, Sterling Dymond left his house on Walter Street, got into his car and drove over to the Bangor Auditorium with the intention of getting into a rally held by Sen. Barack Obama, who at that point was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president.

Maine AG candidates debate

AUGUSTA, Maine — Some differences in the views of Maine’s three candidates for attorney general came to light during a forum in Augusta Wednesday, but none has plans for any major changes in the

Editorial

Safe at School

The near tragedy averted at Stockton Springs Elementary last month when a man took 11 children hostage at gunpoint, according to police, highlights the challenges school administrators face in keeping children safe.

Real Questions for Summers

Some ardent feminists have launched a campaign to block Lawrence H. Summers, former President Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary, from taking the same post in the Obama administration.

Kennebec Journal

Gaining political capital
Freshman legislators make their debuts at Statehouse

3 seek post as Maine's lawyer
AUGUSTA -- The three Democratic lawyers who want to be Maine's next attorney general tried to persuade legislators Wednesday they are best equipped to take over the position.

AUGUSTA 'Green' store to open in 2009
AUGUSTA -- A new Hannaford supermarket under construction on the former Cony High School site is on track to open next summer as the world's first platinum-level-certified "green" supermarket, company officials say.

AUGUSTA: Closing schools possible money-saving option
Hussey Elementary and Hodgkins Middle school may be closed due to $2 million shortfall next year.

'We're calling out to veterans'
AUGUSTA -- When a new GI Bill goes into effect in August 2009, the University of Maine at Augusta wants to be in a position to enroll veterans returning from combat.

Towns ink merger
READFIELD -- The first phase of work is done for representatives from six towns proposing to merge their schools in response to Maine's school-district consolidation law.

Farmingdale eyes 2 grants
FARMINGDALE -- The Board of Selectmen Wednesday discussed a grant the Fire Department is in the process drafting for an all-terrain vehicle that would be used on the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

Editorials:

Economy needs people to keep their homes
The national mortgage industry estimates there will be 6,000 home foreclosures in Maine in 2008 and 2009. That's tiny compared to the projected 340,000 foreclosures in California, but in a state as small as ours, it's still a significant number.

Sun Journal
7 ballot recounts requested in state
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine's secretary of state has received two more requests for ballot recounts from the Nov. 4 elections.

Blue Cross pilot project in schools
PORTLAND (AP) - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its foundation hope to transfer experience gleaned from business health plans to school districts.

Emergency grant to help laid off paper workers
MILLINOCKET (AP) - Rep. Mike Michaud says the U.S. Department of Labor will award a $527,000 emergency grant to help workers laid off from Katahdin Paper Co.

Maine gets a 'C' in preterm births
PORTLAND (AP) - Maine is doing better than most states when it comes to preterm births but gets only a "C" in a new report.

MCLU wants info on intelligence-gathering centers
PORTLAND (AP) - The Maine Civil Liberties Union wants to know more about the activities and policies of a state center set up after the 9/11 attacks to bring together the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement and intelligence-gathering agencies.

Maine freshman lawmakers get some helpful tips
AUGUSTA (AP) - Don't put in too many bills. Make sure you return phone calls. Don't introduce off-the-wall legislation. And when you go to the supermarket, buy a gallon of ice cream first.

AG candidates make pitches to their peers
AUGUSTA - In about three weeks, Maine lawmakers will cast votes for the state's new attorney general.

Editorial
See joint services through
Some city councilors in Lewiston and Auburn have removed their executioner's hoods and given joint services a reprieve. It's taken deal-making and mind-changing among its proponents, though, so the issue remains troubled.

Union demands brought automakers to the brink
Remember when Democrats lamented the growing budget deficit and spoke of the burden our children and grandchildren would face if we didn't put our fiscal house in order? That was when Republicans ran the federal government and Democrats opposed tax cuts. Now that Democrats are about to be in charge, concern about the deficit has disappeared and spending plans proliferate, even though the national debt passed $10 trillion in September and we added another $500 billion last month.

MPBN
Election Strengthens The Hand Of Senate Democrats

November 11, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

Pending the outcome of recounts in three of last week's elections, the political composition of the Maine Senate has changed from 18 Democrats and 17 Republicans to 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans. With the Democratic hand strengthened, there are also signs the Senate may feature a more bipartisan atmosphere after last night's election of a more moderate Republican spokesman. Leaders on both sides of the aisle agree cooperation will be key in what is expected to be a rough legislative session ahead.

Criminal Background Checks Not Required Of Maine Nurses

November 11, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

In Maine and throughout the country, criminal background checks are standard for police officers, teachers and truck drivers who handle hazardous materials. But nurses, who also deal in life and death situations, and care for patients directly, get a pass in Maine, one of 18 states that does not require criminal background checks.

State Senators Choose Leaders

November 11, 2008 Reported By: Irwin Gratz

Republican and Democratic State Senators hold caucuses to make their choices for leadership positions in the 124th Legislature.

Low Income Solar Effort Underway

November 10, 2008 Reported By: Tina Antolini

The rise in energy prices is spurring more and more states to help homeowners pay for solar panels, which have an upfront cost of more than 40 thousand dollars. But even with government help most low-income people can't afford them. As part of a collaboration with other northeast stations, WFCR's Tina Antolini reports on the challenge of getting solar energy to more people.

Times Record

DHHS eyes all but 'most basic needs' for proposed cuts...(full story)

Room for improvement...(full story)

Ellsworth American

Looking Ahead to January
In about a month, members of the new 124th Maine Legislature will meet in Augusta to get acquainted and begin the process of organizing for their first session, which will convene in early January. Perhaps no legislature in recent memory has had a more daunting menu of issues than the one that will face members of the 124th when they begin their work in earnest.

Maine News for Monday, November 10, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Fasten all seat belts – asphalt shortage delays road-repair projects nationwide

Rules on rowdy behavior spark tension at new student complex
Building managers walk a fine line between police and residents who object to the oversight.

Islands could lead way on wind power
A man who led efforts on a Danish island to stop using fossil fuels addresses a Belfast conference.

Backyard wind turbines enjoying boom in Maine
Environmental and fiscal concerns help fuel an expected three-fold jump in the use of the technology.

Scarborough may see second school vote
Another plan to replace Wentworth Intermediate School is expected to go before voters in 2009.

Divided over consolidation
Falmouth, SAD 51 may each try to go it alone

Editorial

Automaker bailout should look to future
Helping Ford, GM and Chrysler retool could make sense, but other ideas don't add up.

Early voting is changing the way we think about elections
Election Day is just part of the period in which people expect to be able to cast a ballot.

LEIGH DONALDSONObama's election helps bring America's black middle class to light
The vast majority of African-Americans are not poor, and yet they remain relatively invisible.

Bangor Daily News

Tax rate for jobless benefits to stay same

AUGUSTA, Maine — As many states are raising taxes on employers to pay for unemployment benefits, Maine employers will see the basic rate structure stay the same for 2009, Labor

Protesters ‘sickened’ by hanged black effigies

BAR HARBO0R, Maine — More than 75 people rallied Sunday against an incident last week in which black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island the day after Barack Obama won

UM’s Culturefest adds spice to weekend

ORONO, Maine — The aroma of foods typically not found in Maine enveloped those who stepped into the University of Maine Field House on Saturday, enticing them to taste the worldly cuisines of

Island residents leading way to self-sufficiency

BELFAST, Maine — Island residents are finding solutions to the high energy prices that threaten to make Maine’s coastal islands uninhabitable, Rob Snyder, vice president of programs at the Island

Snowe, Collins key players across Senate aisle

WASHINGTON — As moderate Republicans, Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins will play a major role in the new

Editorial

Technical education success

The former Boggy Brook Regional Vocational Center, renamed the Hancock County Technical Center, is playing a special role as Maine and the rest of the country slide into recession. Jobs are probably

Hard to open

Deterring shoplifting is important, but there must be better ways than the wasteful, and sometimes dangerous, packaging around toys, electronics and other products. Sadly, things will get worse in

Kennebec Journal
An uncertain future in politics
AUGUSTA -- Julie O'Brien is reassessing her political future after a loss Tuesday in an Augusta House race that has left her feeling disillusioned about politics.

Repeal try could block changes to school law
Maine education observers predict the state's school-district consolidation law will be the subject of heated debate when legislators convene for their 2009 session this winter.

New standards lead to cleaner versions of outdoor wood furnaces
FARMINGTON -- The popularity of outdoor wood furnaces has increased as the costs of oil, natural gas and electricity have risen.

Meetings put 202 corridor in limelight
The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments has planned a series of meetings over the coming days that will go a long way toward determining the future of transportation along the U.S. Route 202 corridor.

Controversial proposal faces action by Augusta council
AUGUSTA -- City councilors meet tonight to discuss changes to a controversial proposal which would require all commercial development projects taking place on major "gateway" streets in the city, regardless of size, to go before the Planning Board.

Speaker will criticize media
WATERVILLE -- Thomas B. Edsall, political editor of the Huffington Post and former Washington Post political writer, will speak at Colby College Tuesday at 7 p.m. on "The 2008 Presidential Election: Did the Media Do Its Job?"

Editorials:

Power line upgrade project affects most of us
When the intelligent and technically adept expert who heads the Public Utilities Commission describes an issue as "weird and complicated," then you know it's hard to understand.

Sun Journal

Editorial
Stimulus? How about survival?
A 25-year high in unemployment benefits nationally? A surreal 54 percent increase in unemployment claims in Maine over the past year? Automakers pleading for rescue? A stock market stuck in perpetual free-fall?

U.S. election important to show democracy in action
Standing in line for 80 minutes at a Philadelphia polling place Tuesday (the first time in 24 years I'd seen such a line), I got a lesson in renewed American civic engagement.

MPBN
Newly Elected Young Legislators Ready For Duty

November 7, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

On Tuesday, Maine elected at least 9 new state representatives under the age of 30. The youthful group is mostly made up of newcomers to Augusta, all of whom promise to bring new energy and perspective to issues affecting Maine families. But there is some concern that during a particularly challenging upcoming session, young lawmakers might make mistakes or simply have trouble identifying with the state's older population.

Process Of Electing Attorney General Questioned

November 7, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

Forty-three states elect them at the ballot box. A handful of others let their governors appoint them. And in Tennessee, the decision is left to the state supreme court. Only in Maine is the state's Attorney General elected by a vote of the Legislature. This year's race features three members of the House, all Democrats, who are vying to become the state's top lawyer. Some observers think it's time to change the process for how the post is filled.

Maine Farmers Weighing The Impacts Of Federal Farm Bill

November 7, 2008 Reported By: Tom Porter

The Federal Farm Bill - also known as the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 - was passed by Congress back in May. But this $300 billion piece of legislation is so huge that only now are local farmers in Maine starting to learn how it will affect them. Officials from the US Department of Agriculture this week kicked off a month-long, statewide tour of meetings with Maine farmers. And today, being a farmer today is as much about environmental stewardship as it is about food production.

Unofficial Legislative Results Released

November 7, 2008 Reported By: Barbara Cariddi

Wondering if the Maine lawmakers you voted for won or lost? The Maine House and Senate have released unofficial their lists of winners.

Maine News for Friday, November 7, 2008

Change.gov

Portland Press Herald
Democrats Mitchell, Pingree in line for legislative leadership posts
Both parties will choose their State House leaders over the next two weeks.

Maine House has glow of youth with six new members under 30
The lawmakers join two young re-elected colleagues, all from districts north of Augusta.

Surge in jobless claims signals recession taking hold in Maine
With new applications up 54 percent from a year ago, the negative trend in the job market appears to be accelerating.

Obama quickly aligns top staff
Hard-edged Rahm Emanuel accepts the chief of staff post, and more decisions are expected in the coming days.

Will Obama choose Mainers for federal posts?
Democrat Tom Allen and independent Angus King are in the running, experts say.

Financial crisis a test for Obama
The president-elect will have to weigh how to sway policy and Congress before he takes office.

Editorial

‘No’ means ‘try again’ to the gambling industry
The defeat of two ballot measures looking to expand legalized gambling won’t mean the end.

Voters in 12 towns made progress on school mergers
Tuesday's election results show that some towns still have a lot of work to do.

Bangor Daily News

Maine lawmakers to elect new leaders

AUGUSTA, Maine — Legislative Democrats, who appear to have strengthened their control of the State House, and Republicans mired deeper in minority status have one thing in common at the top of their to-do lists: Select leadership teams for the two-year session that opens on Dec. 3.

Youth Movement

BANGOR, Maine — Adam Goode won Maine’s House District 15 (Bangor) race on Tuesday with more than 70 percent of the vote. He’s 25, by the way.

Panel OKs $14M Penobscot County budget

BANGOR, Maine — The Penobscot County budget committee Wednesday night approved a $14.41 million budget for 2009, which is $36,360 less than this year’s budget.

Business owners in Brewer express project concerns

BREWER, Maine — The message from business owners along the North Main Street corridor, the stretch of roadway between Joshua Chamberlain Bridge and Penobscot Bridge, was loud and clear at Thursday’s public meeting about proposed traffic changes: Leave the downtown parking situation alone.

Editorial

Collins at the Center

Susan Collins not only won re-election Tuesday; she became the most important member of the Senate.

Campaign Finance Reform

The 2008 presidential election has provided more evidence of the need to reconsider campaign finance rules.

Kennebec Journal
Jail change aids women inmates
AUGUSTA -- After months of planning and construction, the Kennebec County Correctional Facility is prepared to move most woman inmates from different cell blocks throughout the jail into a single pod.

BAD NEWS ABOUT ECONOMY MOUNTS
WASHINGTON -- A fresh wave of bad economic news, including a half-million Americans newly out of work and the weakest October retail sales in nearly 40 years, pummeled the stock market Thursday, driving the Dow Jones industrials under 9,000 again with a stunning two-day decline of 10 percent.

Maine's U.S. senators disavow Cabinet talk
Maine's two moderate Republican Senators have been rumored as possible candidates for cabinet posts in the Democratic administration of president-elect Barack Obama.

Craigslist agrees to thwart inappropriate, illegal activity
Anyone advertising erotic services on the Web site Craigslist, in Maine or elsewhere, will now need to provide a working phone number and credit card, and that information would be shared with police, if subpoenaed.

Furnace debate heating up
RANDOLPH -- The Budget Committee wants to know why selectmen and the public-works director disregarded a directive by voters to install a new furnace in the town garage.

AUGUSTA: Conduct closes soup kitchen
AUGUSTA -- The bad language and bad behavior that caused a one-day closure of the soup kitchen in downtown Augusta was absent at lunch on Thursday.

'What an opportunity for women to grow professionally'
AUGUSTA -- Edie Benttinen spent much of her career as a truck welder and boat builder. But, she said, she did not find the work fulfilling.

AUGUSTA: City to change how it buys oil
AUGUSTA -- A few months removed from locking in a heating-oil price -- and then watching as prices plummeted -- the City Council approved a policy change which administrators think will help avoid future budget surprises.

Editorials:

Olympia Gaming loses its bet on Maine casino
You come into Maine, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a political and advertising campaign and leave empty-handed. Again.

Sun Journal
Legislators look to elect leaders
AUGUSTA (AP) - Legislative Democrats, who appear to have strengthened their majority control at the State House, and Republicans mired deeper in minority status have one thing in common at the top of their to-do lists: select leadership teams for the two-year session that opens on Dec. 3.

Disconnection rules begin Nov. 15
AUGUSTA (AP) - The Maine Public Utilities Commission's winter restrictions that bar electric utilities from disconnecting customers who try to pay their bills take effect Nov. 15.

Editorial
New county board should pursue charter
The two-thirds replacement of the Androscoggin County Commission, which too often put politics over public service, on Election Day was a mandate from voters to clean up the county's act.

Democrats must give up old ways, surge ahead
"What do we do now?"

MPBN
Allen Revisited

November 6, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

A late start, a reluctance to go for the jugular and a reliance on broad national themes are all being cited by political analysts as key reasons why Tom Allen suffered a stunning defeat in his U.S. Senate campaign Tuesday. Others say the Democratic congressman's reluctance to enthusiastically embrace voters in northern Maine's second congressional district may actually prove to be the reason why Republican Sen. Susan Collins led Allen by 22 points when the votes were counted.

A High-Powered Entepreneur To Operate Red Shield

November 6, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

The woman who's taken over the reigns at the former Red Shield Environmental mill in Old Town may not be what workers expected. Lynn Tilton is the high-powered entrepreneur and CEO of a 6 billion dollar New York City-based investment and acquisitions firm with a fondness for jewelry and helicopters. But she says her company, Patriarch Partners, is excited about the ethanol fuel technology being developed at the mill and passionate about giving jobs to laid-off workers in the manufacturing industry.

Voters Weigh In On School Consolidation

November 6, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Maine voters approved 12 school consolidation plans on Tuesday, but another five were rejected. The Maine Department of Education is hailing the approvals, calling them steps toward streamlining school operations in the state. However, some communities whose voters rejected reorganization say the costs will out weigh the savings.

Stringent Salmon Protection Opposed By Industry

November 6, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Maine paper companies, water treatment plants and hydro-power producers are among those urging the federal government not to add Atlantic Salmon from the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers to the Endangered Species list. Salmon from eight downeast Maine rivers were listed eight years ago. But their recovery continues to be slow.