Maine News for Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Governor issues state of emergency
Tens of thousands lose power and one man dies in a storm-related car crash.

Go light on new bills, legislators urged
State House: With budget problems and other big issues looming, it's time for efficiencies, some say.

Bailout expands to basic credit
The government will use as much as $800 million to stimulate home mortgage and consumer markets.

Plan for higher tolls tries to spread pain
Out-of-staters would pay more, as would Mainers, but E-ZPass users would be spared.

Grocery coop helps those who help others
Those who enjoy the discount food of Serve New England must spend two hours a month volunteering.

Rally today will condemn 'KKK' graffiti in Hallowell
Police are trying to determine who marked the rail trail area and if the meaning is racist.

Augusta searching for its identity
Its Branding Committee plans a pubic forum for ideas at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

Toxic soil fix may cost $100 million
The DEP orders a cleanup of the former HoltraChem site in Orrington.

List of banks in trouble grows 50 percent in quarter
That's a sharp increase, but involves only a small portion of the industry.

Wall Street shrugs off grim data
Third-quarter numbers indicate the economy is weakening faster than previously believed.

Editorial

Strong field doesn't mean AG process is best
The current method for picking an attorney general in Maine heavily favors insiders.

Choices abound for urbanites who crave the outdoors
A new trail along Long Creek in South Portland joins a list of special places in the area.

Bangor Daily News

Retail experts urge caution with gift cards

BANGOR, Maine — Holiday shoppers should carefully do their homework before plunking down hard-earned money to buy gift cards, according to retail experts.

Man charged as spy released after BIA arrest

BANGOR, Maine — A U.S. citizen working as a military translator in Iraq who authorities allege was a spy in the United States for the former regime of Saddam Hussein was released on bail Monday after appearing in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

Adoptive birth certificates to be unsealed

Beginning on Jan. 2, people adopted in Maine who are 18 or older will be able to find out the names of their birth parents.

Storm cuts power to 40,000 Mainers

A late autumn storm brought soaking rains, high winds and heavy snow to northern New England on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of people and causing headaches for drivers.

Birth control for minors scrutinized

Anticipating a legislative challenge to state laws giving teens access to birth control prescriptions and other reproductive health services without the consent of their parents, the Family Planning Association of Maine will host a series of forums around the state, beginning Tuesday in Bangor.

DOT request cancels Sears Island meeting

A Dec. 1 public meeting scheduled to be held in Searsport has been canceled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the request of the Maine Department of Transportation because of a legislative committee vote on Nov. 18.

Dedham woman evaded vehicle taxes, court says

PORTLAND, Maine — A Dedham woman has lost her bid to register her car in Louisiana while living in Maine.

Cuts threaten red tide monitors

Shellfish harvesters and dealers warned Tuesday that loss of the red tide monitoring program would likely be the death knell to yet another aspect of Maine’s commercial fishing tradition.

EMHS buys Cianchette Building in Brewer

BREWER, Maine — Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems officials bought the Cianchette Building, home to their headquarters on Whiting Hill, earlier this month, saving the company millions of dollars but removing more than $300,000 from city tax rolls.

Bangor High School threat a hoax

BANGOR, Maine — In the end, it was all a hoax, but the rumor that began during the day on Monday and spread into the evening put many students, parents, school administrators and police on temporary alert.

Sangerville man guilty of trespassing with dog

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — A Sangerville man who was summoned on two counts of criminal trespass in June 2007 for exercising his dog at the Sangerville recreational field was found guilty of both counts Tuesday by a jury in Piscataquis County Superior Court.

Editorial
Sinking Sears Island

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Legislature’s Transportation …

Today’s Barbary Pirates

The lyrics of the U.S. Marine Corps hymn, “From the Halls of Montezuma to the …

Making a very conservative case for marriage equality

As recently as 1967 there were 16 states in which it was illegal for a black …

Kennebec Journal
City seeks 'brand' for instant recognition
AUGUSTA -- Say "the Big Apple," and everyone knows you're talking about New York City.

Take our reader survey: How should Augusta market itself?
'Capital City' not snappy enough. Brand recognition sought by Mayor Katz, officials. Have your save here.

HALLOWELL Anti-hate rally set for today
HALLOWELL -- So many people called the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence to condemn graffiti found on the rail trail over the weekend that a rally has been scheduled for today.

BIG BILL
Each year, state lawmakers consider hundreds -- often thousands -- of bills that deal with everything from waterskiing safety to using fallen apples to make cider.

Icy roads likely for holiday weekend
Maine travelers who are driving to reunite with family for Thanksgiving need to be aware of winter weather conditions, officials from the National Weather Service warned Tuesday.

On Maine Politics

Cummings goes back to school 11/25/08

Editorials:

Tax repealers' failure to file reports a big deal
Sometimes, being a couple days late with a report is no big deal. If it's a fourth-grader's book report, it might get you knocked down a grade. If it's the first-quarter financials, the boss might get a bit steamed, then forget about it.

EVERT FOWLE : Fewer assistant DAs equals less justice
A recent editorial in this newspaper about the state budget lamented that allowing department heads to identify cuts in their budget invited them to only "cut the football team," suggesting that we would always find the most popular or necessary program to cut.

GEORGE SMITH : Be thankful for family, friends, even a glass of healthy clean water
And just like Santa Claus, Thanksgiving Day is inside of you, waiting to drop down the chimney and bless your family and friends with gifts and a great day of sharing.

Sun Journal
Maine AG race down to last week
AUGUSTA (AP) - The race for Maine attorney general is down to its final week.

Food banks struggle in lean times
LEWISTON - The declining economy has pinched nonprofit organizations from both sides, reducing donations and increasing the number of people seeking help.

Inauguration team run by Maine man
AUGUSTA (AP) - A Maine native is coordinating events for the upcoming presidential inauguration for President-elect Barack Obama.

4 men charged with poaching
AUGUSTA (AP) - The Maine Warden Service has issued summons to four men from eastern Maine, charging them with illegally killing or possessing moose, deer and turkeys.

Judge sentences con artist to 4 years
PORTLAND (AP) - An admitted con artist who fleeced six Mainers out of $205,000 has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Editorial
The great education policy swap
Susan Gendron, commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, is asking school superintendents for advice on repealing costly mandates, without harming the quality or delivery of education in the classroom.

Tree-stand Buddha spies no deer
To me, there's nothing like getting up ahead of the sun on Thanksgiving morning, hiking deep into the woods and squatting in frozen silence to watch for a deer to kill with my rifle.

'Why believe?' says God. 'Isn't that a fair question?'
I was crammed into a middle seat. The guy in front was practically in my lap and I had my arms drawn in tightly as I pecked furiously on the keyboard. God glanced over. "What are you working on?" He asked.

MPBN
Mallinckrodt Ordered To Finish Hazardous Waste Cleanup

November 25, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

The state Department of Environmental Protection has ordered a former owner of an Orrington chemical plant to remove hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of soil and sediment from the site, which has tested positive for eight types of hazardous waste. After several months of negotiations failed to produce an agreement, the DEP set a May deadline for Mallinckrodt Inc. to begin the soil cleanup at the former HoltraChem facility on the banks of the Penobscot River. As Josie Huang reports, the Missouri-based company has already spent several million dollars to remove contaminated storage tanks and buildings from the site. From the mid-1960s to 2000, HoltraChem produced chlorine and other chemicals and was New England's largest polluter of toxic mercury.

CMP's Proposed Transmission Upgrade Troubles Nearby Residents

November 25, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Central Maine Power Company's 1.5 billion dollar plan to upgrade 350 miles of transmission lines, mostly through an existing corridor in dozens of Maine towns came under fire Monday night in Lewiston. More than 30 residents told members of the Public Utilties Commission that they think the plan will put their property values in a nosedive, create more noise, disrupt the environment and potentially harm children's health. As Susan Sharon reports, several people also questioned its true benefits. Robert Fogg of Lewiston lives next to existing powerlines which would increase from 115 to 345 volts.

Shellfish Operations Fear State Budget Cuts

November 25, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

The hallways of the statehouse in Augusta are a long way from the muddy beds where James West harvests mussels for the company he co-owns, Eastern Maine Mussel Company. But, as Josie Huang reports, West says he sure is feeling the reach of the state's current budget crisis.

Downeast Physician Accepts Cash Only

November 25, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

A handful of primary care physicians in Maine are chosing to go it alone, forgoing the stability of working for a hospital or a hospital-run clinic. Instead they've opened their own private practices and to keep costs and paperwork to a minimum, they're doing away with insurance contracts and charging cash. As Anne Ravana reports, they want to revive the concept of the old-fashioned family doctor, complete with house visits.

Times Record

New cuts to programs for disabled Mainers start on Dec. 7...(full story)

Editorial

Let the voters decide ...(full story)

Maine News for Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Inaugural in hands of Obama aide from Maine
Emmett Beliveau, a Colby College graduate, leads 400 people planning the inauguration events.

Districts scrambling to deal with cuts in aid
Some officials may rely on reserve funds and others may trim staff, aware that more state cuts are ahead.

A state of hunger
A government survey finds more Mainers are going hungry

Cuts put 65 jobs in jeopardy at USM
President Selma Botman stresses action must be taken quickly. Layoffs will happen in coming weeks.

Maine Senators to reserve final judgment
But Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud applaud Timothy Geithner's selection.

Obama: Bold stimulus is needed now
His sense of urgency and coordination with President Bush on rescue strategy boost the stock market.

Saving people on brink of foreclosure
A retired lawyer and others in a volunteer program give free legal help to homeowners.


Without license, officer off duty
Cape Elizabeth puts Capt. Brent Sinclair on leave after his OUI arrest leads to a license suspension.

Dentist to fill need in rural area
He belongs to a corps that brings doctors to low-income, under-served areas like northern Maine.

Amid bustle, a slice of solitude
A trail through the woods along Long Creek, not far from the Maine Mall area, is close to completion.

Editorial
Decisive yet careful right tone for Obama
In announcing his economic team, the president-elect signals he’s serious.

RON BANCROFTAs always, this holiday arrives with a lot to be thankful for
Before digging into the food, a family tradition dictates taking a moment to give thanks.

Bangor Daily News

Extension to aid state’s unemployed

AUGUSTA, Maine — About 3,500 Mainers who have exhausted their extended unemployment benefits can immediately apply for the extension of federal unemployment benefits approved last week by Congress. But that help may run out early in January.

d watches announced for parts of state

ROCKLAND, Maine — The National Weather Service on Monday afternoon issued flood watches for central, Down East and midcoast parts of Maine today and into Wednesday.

Highway driving down 7.5% as Mainers face bad economy

Maine is near the top of the list of states showing a decline in highway miles driven in September. American motorists drove 10.7 billion fewer miles in September than they did for the same month last year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. That’s a decline of 4.4 percent.

Manna seeks permits for family shelter

BANGOR, Maine — Manna Ministries Inc. has filed applications for permits to build a family homeless shelter at its Main Street site which would be the only facility of its kind in Greater Bangor.

Manna to serve up a holiday meal, more

BANGOR, Maine — Manna Ministries will host a free public Thanksgiving dinner 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at the Columbia Street Baptist Church in Bangor.

Firm must remove toxic soil

State regulators have ordered the former owner of the HoltraChem facility in Orrington to remove hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated soil from the site in what would be one of the largest environmental cleanup projects in Maine history.

Editorial

Obama must look at fixes, not popularity

Conventional wisdom holds that political success lies in finding the center of popular opinion, which remains moderate to conservative. Coming from a media that have consistently failed to anticipate or even fully acknowledge the current economic crisis, such wisdom is suspect. Success in stable times may lie in claiming the center.

45 years: A long time to hide idealism

Forty-five years ago on Nov. 22, my heart broke. I was 15, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy shattered my world. All that optimism and all that idealism that the young president had harnessed were suddenly left with nowhere to go.

Kennebec Journal

Mainer guides Obama's plan for inaugural
AUGUSTA -- Maine native Emmett Beliveau is leading the presidential inaugural committee that's working on the Washington celebration to usher President-elect Barack Obama into office.

AUGUSTA CITY MAY GROW DISPATCH
AUGUSTA -- City leaders believe Augusta would pay more money and get less service and safety by joining the state Regional Communications Center.

'Fed Up' tardy, to pay penalty
AUGUSTA -- The ethics commission on Monday fined Fed Up With Taxes $10,000 for failing to file two campaign finance reports on time.

City may ink lease on vacant Y building
AUGUSTA -- The old YMCA building may be about to get a new lease on life -- at least for a year.

HALLOWELL Police pursuing graffiti case
HALLOWELL -- Police narrowed down the time when vandals defaced signs with graffiti on the Kennebec River Rail Trail over the weekend.

GARDINER City prepares for annual holiday events
GARDINER -- Public works crews were busy hoisting the city's Christmas tree Monday in Johnson Hall Park to help kick off the start of downtown holiday festivities.

Lowe's is high on expanding to Farmington
FARMINGTON -- Lowe's Home Centers, the nation's second-largest home improvement store, plans to present a preliminary plan to the Farmington Planning Board for a 138,893-square-foot store on Wilton Road.

On Maine Politics

Kennebec Republicans elect new leader 11/24/08

Editorials:

Economic woes send Obama out of shadows
The change we need right now -- as the stock market pitches in every direction and major financial institutions edge toward bankruptcy -- is the kind of change that will help our economy stabilize and get people back to work.

DAVID B. OFFER : In spite of worries, give thanks we have a democracy that works
A rafter of about a dozen turkeys has been wandering around my neighborhood all summer and fall. Obviously these birds know nothing about Thanksgiving or they are brave beyond words.

Sun Journal
Police investigate 'KKK' signs
HALLOWELL (AP) - Police are investigating the appearance of signs with the letters "KKK" in dozens of locations along a popular walking and bicycling trail in Hallowell and Farmingdale.

Mainers cut driving by 7.5%
PORTLAND (AP) - Maine is near the top of the list of states showing a decline in highway miles driven in September.

Man dies of burns from heater
SANFORD (AP) - An elderly Sanford man has died from burns he received when his clothes caught fire as he was standing near a propane heater.

Fishery offical faces tough cuts
WALDOBORO (AP) - Maine's top fishery official is proposing to eliminate the state's red tide monitoring program in order to comply with required budget cuts, a move shellfish diggers fear could drive them out of business.

Pay cuts offered to avoid layoffs
LEWISTON - Betty Robinson said she's willing to take a pay cut to help someone else not get laid off. Robinson is a professor and former dean at the University of Southern Maine's Lewiston-Auburn campus.

Lowe's reveals plan for store

Editorial
First step should be recognition
Talk about same-sex marriage in Maine tends to rush toward the conclusion: whether they should be legal. The recent announcement of a clergy coalition to draw attention to it - the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine - has renewed this debate, and drawn the usual opposition.

Movie character sets tone for male social mores
He's handsome and dresses with care, and he's what Joe Biden might call "clean and articulate." Women love him. He's the new beau ideal of the popular culture. But we're not talking about Barack Obama.

MPBN
The Return Of Whooping Cough

November 24, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

It's commonly thought that pertussis, better known as whooping cough, was largely eradicated with the arrival of a vaccine in the 1940s. But health officials have seen outbreaks of the disease in day care centers over the past few years, and as Josie Huang reports, the disease caused the temporary closure of an outpatient surgery center in Southern Maine.

Labor And Community Activists Assist Laid Off Workers

November 24, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

Unions, community organizers, farmers, businesses and religious leaders gathered in Brewer today to present more than 150 Thanksgiving dinners to laid off workers from northern and eastern Maine. Union activists also used the opportunity for union leaders to give updates on status of their local mills and the number of workers still waiting to go back on the job.

Maine Wreath Makers In Full Swing

November 24, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

This is a busy shipping week for one of Maine's most important holiday industries: wreath makers. It's also a busy time of year for the state's forest rangers who are working to ensure that evergreen boughs or tips are harvested legally.

From Combat To College

November 24, 2008 Reported By: Avishay Artsy

Going off to college can be a tough transition for young people. Learning their way around campus, making new friends, handling heavy courseloads. But soldiers returning from active duty can find it especially challenging. New Hampshire’s colleges and universities are working to help student veterans cope with those new challenges. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Avishay Artsy reports.

Times Record

Recount confirms Goodall win...(full story)

Area schools react to state cuts...(full story)

Village Soup

Some win, some lose in oil price roller-coaster ride
11/24/2008

Maine News for Monday, November 24, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Gorham senator to help lead cutback effort
Another priority is lowering Maine's dependence on foreign oil, says Majority Leader Philip Bartlett.

Maine AG seeks direct evidence of Standish sign
The state will proceed with a civil action if factual proof is developed of an alleged assassination pool.

Lagging economy whittles gas costs
As travelers prepare for Thanksgiving treks, the price of fuel drops to an average of $1.93 per gallon.

Maine mariners sail the pirate-filled seas
Merchant vessel crews get security training, but may not learn practical tactics for defending against an attack.

Reports: Deer harvest down
Anecdotal evidence from registration stations indicates last winter took a heavy toll on the herd.

Get to Hallowell? Go left
Some say the Augusta suburb tilts progressive because so many state workers live there.

Editorial

Expect social services, education to be cut again
The governor's first round of cuts focused on areas where the state spends the most.

Piracy thrives when nations struggle with stability
Things can be done to make the seas safer, but over time stable governments are the answer.

LEIGH DONALDSONRepublicans' future hinges on an ideological makeover
Unless the party turns away from its divisiveness and toward diversity, it has little hope.

Bangor Daily News

DOT may face even deeper cuts

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Department of Transportation is facing three years of reduced revenues, and lawmakers believe they will have to make cuts deeper than outlined by Commissioner David

Lincoln volunteers help insulate homes

LINCOLN, Maine — Penny Nash could feel the difference as soon as she got through the door. “When I walked in, it felt warmer,” Nash, 47, said Sunday.

Abdul fan battled depression, anorexia

WATERVILLE, Maine — A Paula Abdul fan who was found dead in a car near the Los Angeles home of the pop star she admired is being remembered in Maine by family members who say she

After last year’s harsh winter, ‘the deer aren’t there’

By this point in the hunting season, Dennis Beaulier has typically registered around 100 deer at his Ashland general store. This year, he may not even hit 50 for the entire season.

Bapst wins first state football title in 32 years

PORTLAND, Maine — The John Bapst Crusaders won their first football state title in 32 years with a 21-14 victory over Winthrop in the Class C state championship game Saturday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Editorial
The Future of Marriage Maine and the nation are likely to become embroiled, yet again, in debate over

Whither the GOP? The Democratic showing in the election — not a landslide but decisive

Put brains and skills to work to solve real problems On the radio recently I heard an economist refer to Sept. 23 as the

Kennebec Journal
Liberal and proud of it: Hallowell flaps its strong left wing
Hallowell state's only city to support keeping the beverage tax on Election Day

Fear of new gun controls leads to increase in sales
WINSLOW -- Sales of semi-automatic weapons and handguns exploded in central Maine and across the country earlier this month as gun enthusiasts predicted the pertinent laws would become more restrictive with the change in the U.S. presidency.

Emergency center, YMCA on Augusta City Council's agenda
AUGUSTA -- Councilors meet tonight to discuss whether the city should keep its own emergency dispatch center or go with the state's Regional Communications Center.

Mainers seem to be buckling up
Part of being a reporter is watching trends. Some reporters pay attention to the economic trends of Wall Street, others are proficient at crime statistics and the luckiest reporters get to track batting averages season-to-season for the Chicago White Sox.

Sun Journal
Maine rail yard rebuilds trains
MILO (AP) - A Maine railroad whose business has long focused on shipping pulp and paper has found a new source of revenue in rebuilding locomotives and rail cars.

Marine recruit an inspiration
LEWISTON - A week ago, Ulysses Milana boarded a plane bound for Marine boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. He was a 23-year-old soft-spoken husband from Lewiston ready to realize a life-long dream of serving his country.

Editorial
Palin's rhetorical question
Sarah Palin is neither gone, nor forgotten.

Status-of-forces agreement seen as benefit for Obama
Iraq's prime minister just did Barack Obama a huge favor.

MPBN
Education and the Economy

November 23, 2008 Reported By: Irwin Gratz

Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz talks with Laurie LaChance, President of the Maine Development Foundation about the need to reign in school expenses while maintaining, or increasing educational attainment.

Organic Food Advocates Blast Government Proposal

November 21, 2008 Reported By: Anne Ravana

Local organic food advocates are speaking out and encouraging other Mainers to do the same in response to changes the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put forth regarding rules on genetically modified crops. The new regulations would preempt exisiting state and local regulations related to the presence of such crops.

Mainers Cut Back On Highway Miles

November 21, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Maine is near the top of the list of states that have seen a decline in the number of miles driven during the past year. That's according to the US Department Of Transportation, which reports that Americans drove 10.7 billion less highway miles in September than they did a year earlier. As Josie Huang reports, Maine was third on the list, down 7.5 percent, behind South Carolina and Vermont.

Boat Builders Count On Diversification To Rescue Industry

November 21, 2008 Reported By: Keith Shortall

Maine's high-end boat building industry is trying to weather some rough seas. Orders for new yachts are down, and some yards have been forced to cut their payrolls. But as Keith Shortall reports, Maine boat builders are banking on a diversified approach, and a concept called "coopetition", in their efforts to keep a foothold in what has become an expanding world-wide industry.

Effort Underway To Restore Natural River Flow

November 21, 2008 Reported By: Nancy Cohen

There are more than 19,000 dams in the Northeast. Many are small, dating back to the time when early industry harnessed the power of rivers. But today, environmentalists and government agencies want to restore rivers back to their natural flow for the benefit of both migrating fish and people. As part of a collaboration between northeast stations Nancy Cohen from WNPR in Hartford reports on the debate over taking dams down.

Maine News for Friday, November 21, 2008

Portland Press Herald
By 2010, unemployment in Maine and three other New England states could top 8%

Benefits extended as joblessness grows
About 1.2 million Americans whose assistance is running out will get a reprieve under the $5.7 billion legislation.

Big Three to provide a plan for survival
Democrats won't weigh a bailout until automakers show how they'll use the aid to rebuild the industry.

Services escape brunt of cutbacks ordered at DHHS
Day One, which combats youth substance abuse, is one of the agencies dealing with a rollback.

Standish councilors condemn sign
Councilors take a stand against the anti-Obama sign posted recently at the Oak Hill General Store.

Lewiston signs on for federal aid

Gas prices drop below $2 a gallon in 23 states
Oil prices, too, are at a three-year low, but the prices come at the cost of a battered economy.

Editorial

City should explore all its options for the pier
Still, given a dispute with the state and the slow economy, redevelopmet may have to wait.

Experience trumps novelty on emerging Obama team
Obama’s choices reflect a move to the center, but don’t mean things won’t get done.

M.D. HARMONWhat's so offensive about Mormons and marriage?
They're now under fire for adopting the view of it our culture has always held – and they haven't.

CYNTHIA TUCKERGetting married shouldn't be only 'for white people'
Perhaps our new president and his family can overcome a stereotype or two.

Bangor Daily News

Sen. Collins honored by Boy Scouts

BANGOR, Maine — Though perhaps best known for the work she does in the nation’s capital, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins was honored Thursday for contributions closer to home.

Action on Sears Island sought

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci remains committed to a “positive and productive future for Sears Island,” his office said Thursday.

UMaine educator named Professor of the Year

ORONO, Maine — A University of Maine professor in the areas of soil science and forest resources has been named the 2008 Maine Professor of the Year.

Ex-tribal officials guilty

BANGOR, Maine — A federal jury Thursday found a former Indian Township Passamaquoddy tribal governor guilty on all but one of 30 charges, including misapplication of tribal and federal funds and making false statements to government agencies.

Councilor resigning his seat in Brewer

BREWER, Maine — When City Councilor Michael Celli was elected to the state House of Representatives earlier this month, he faced a challenging question: Should he keep both seats? more

Cupboard is bare at Indian Island

INDIAN ISLAND, Maine — Despite some recent renovations and the promise of a new roof during the weekend, the shelves are bare in the food pantry that serves this close-knit community.

UMaine takes 10th in national Chem-E-Car event

ORONO, Maine — A group of eight University of Maine students took 10th place out of 29 teams at last weekend’s national Chem-E-Car competition in Philadelphia.

Editorial

Legislating by Referendum

Next November, Maine voters will have another chance to rewrite their tax bills, just as they did on Nov. 4 by repealing the DirigoChoice beverage tax.

Only $600,000 a Year

It sounded voluntary and generous when the top executives of Goldman Sachs announced that they would give up their usual bonuses this year.

Time to keep on keeping on — politically

In his Nov. 13 commentary “1800s Civic Virtue Comeback Dubious,” Lynn Hudson Parson notes that “once the election cycle is complete, politics as a source of interest disappears, to be replaced by American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, the World Series or the Super Bowl.”


Kennebec Journal

STATE FUND LOSES $3B
AUGUSTA -- Wall Street's wild ride, with recent deep dips, has meant a nearly $3 billion drop in assets since July for the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.

University acknowledges a founding spirit
AUGUSTA -- Friends remember Richard J. Randall as a family man, golfer and dedicated servant to the University of Maine at Augusta.

Group links puppy mills, chain store
The Humane Society of the United States said Thursday that its eight-month investigation revealed extensive brokering between puppy mills and Petland, an international chain pet store.

Editorials:

Give thanks for what you have; hunger on rise
The family cooks are pulling together menus and shopping lists. Mom and Dad are plotting the car trip to Gram and Gramps' house or vice-versa. How big a turkey do we need this year? Are any vegetarians coming? Who's going to peel all the potatoes? Can we stop Aunt Mary from making that awful stuffing with prunes in it again?

L. SANDY MAISEL : With latest picks, Obama chooses staff with clear qualifications
I wish the critics would just chill. Remember the euphoria on election night when not only Barack Obama supporters but also many John McCain supporters felt good about the new direction the president-elect might take the nation, about one more barrier caused by racism that had been broken, about a leader who spoke to all of the people -- those who voted for him and those whom he had failed to sway?

Sun Journal
Lewiston seeking $35.7M from feds
LEWISTON - If Congress sets aside money to stimulate the national economy, Lewiston wants to get its share.

More red ink flows in Maine
AUGUSTA (AP) - Red ink continued to spill Thursday in the State House as state budget reviewers got a new report on plunging revenues and officials confirmed their belief that the shortfall for the current fiscal year will be just shy of $150 million.

Noted bridge deteriorating
NAPLES (AP) - One of Maine's most familiar bridges is in for an overhaul.

Mom accused of being drug mule
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire state police say a Maine mother of a 1-year-old girl served as a drug mule for a pair of drug traffickers.

USDA: Mainers struggling to eat AUGUSTA (AP) - Figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate 13.3 percent of Maine households were having difficulty getting adequate food even before the economic slowdown.
The department's food security report covering the period between 2005 and 2007 indicates there were statistically significant increases in Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada and West Virginia. The largest increases were observed in Maine and Minnesota.

Bar Harbor guards darkness
BAR HARBOR (AP) - They take their darkness seriously in Bar Harbor.

Builders go green by going modular
BOSTON (AP) - It took six days for builders to put together a modular classroom with wood panels and walls of windows on a concrete plaza in Boston this week.

Editorial
Will we be cheap, or good?
Good government isn't cheap.

Universal health care a top priority for Obama
If you're having trouble remembering what the recent election was all about, rest easy: you're probably not going senile - you're likely experiencing the momentary effects of brainwashing. For weeks, your television, newspaper and radio have been telling you America is a "center-right nation" that elected Barack Obama to crush his fellow "socialist" hippies, discard the agenda he campaigned on, and meet the policy demands of electorally humiliated Republicans.

MPBN
Town Council Condemns Infamous "Lottery"

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Members of the Standish Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to condemn what has been called "the Osama Obama Shotgun lottery" sign at the Oak Hill General Store. The now infamous sign reportedly asked customers to bet a dollar to predict the days Osama bin Laden and President-Elect Barack Obama would be assassinated and suggested methods for carrying out the task. Stories about the sign have now circulated around the world. And as Susan Sharon reports, they have thrust Standish into the spotlight in a raging debate about race and free speech.

Holiday Shoppers Expected To Spend Far Less This Year

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

The unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season - post-Thanksgiving's "Black Friday" - is just around the corner. A national study indicates than most consumers are looking for less expensive and more practical gifts than they sought out last year. And a University of Maine economist says that the state's retailers can expect weaker sales than they've seen in many years.

Film Portrays Positive View Of Struggling Maine Industry

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Keith Shortall

Few businesses in Maine have escaped the effects of the downturn, even high-end boat builders, who have seen orders decline, and in some cases cut their workforces. But a new film that premieres in Rockland tonight takes an unapologetically positive view of the state's boat building industry. "Maine Built Boats: Art and Soul" was produced by author, lecturer and ESPN sailing analyst Gary Jobson. Keith Shortall spoke with Jobson earlier today at the Samoset Resort in Rockland.

Jetport Provides Special Lanes For Families

November 20, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Times Record

Town officials fear 'drastic' revenue drop...(full story)

Baldacci slices $80M; more state cuts loom...(full story)

BNAS redevelopers aim to tap stimulus package...(full story)

Editorial
Reject all hate speech ...(full story)

Maine News for Thursday, October 20, 2008

Portland Press Herald
Baldacci orders deep spending cuts
His executive order calls for almost $80 million in belt-tightening, with more to come next month.

State education spending cuts could force school layoffs
A $27 million cutback in aid could also lead districts to combine bus routes and plan fewer field trips.

Gun sales shoot way up
Buyers say they fear new restrictions under an Obama administration

Race incidents blamed on 'tiny lunatic fringe'
Some Mainers fear the state might be seen as racist, but others believe outsiders know better.

New PAC focuses on GOP basics
Dean Scontras and other activists will take a lesson from Democrats.

USM wants frats, sororities to meet their neighbors
Continued complaints about the houses lead USM to invite 290 people to a community meeting.

State sex-offender registry challenge likely to go to trial
Thirty offenders have filed suit saying they would be unfairly harmed if their records are posted online.

Lobster feasts would be cause for thanks
To help Maine's fishermen, a Bangor woman starts a campaign to make it a seafood Thanksgiving.

Pier-bid loser back in the mix
Ocean Properties has said it's still interested in the pier project, and it plans to meet with city officials.

Editorial

Police shooting justified, but can be learned from
A report from the Attorney General's Office should allow for examination without blame.

High salt prices shouldn't mean more ice on the roads
Using this resource more wisely makes sense. Skimping on safety does not.

PERRY A. LAMBIt's time to resolve the issue of public use of private land
The question involves Maine statutes and case law versus our customs and traditions.

CHICHUN TSOUThe two shores of the Taiwan Strait are busy mending their own business
While Taiwan is embrolied in political scandal, life on the mainland embraces capitalism.

Bangor Daily News

$80M in cuts forced on state programs

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday ordered nearly $80 million in curtailments in state programs with education and human services programs absorbing the bulk of the impact of cutbacks that result from an ailing national economy that’s sliding into recession.

’Tis the season to give thanks for … lobster

BANGOR, Maine — To many, Maine and lobster are synonymous. But lobster and Thanksgiving? A Bangor woman hopes to make it so through a promotion aimed at getting people to add the tasty crustacean to their holiday celebrations, beginning with Thanksgiving Day.

Prescription privacy ruling could influence Maine’s law

CONCORD, N.H. — A federal appeals court has upheld the constitutionality of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation law making doctors’ prescription writing habits confidential.

Baldacci: Trade is key to recovery

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci considered canceling his participation in the trade mission to Canada this week. But he decided that with exports continuing to grow, he had to at least go to Toronto to help solidify trade with the state’s biggest trade partner.

Heating resource guide created

PORTLAND, MAINE — Maine Equal Justice Partners has created a resource guide to help those who need assistance with their winter utility and fuel bills.

No bids submitted for former Moosehead Manufacturing plant

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — No one submitted a bid Saturday for the purchase of the vacant Moosehead Manufacturing Co. plant.

Augusta man sues retailer over alleged ethnic slurs

BANGOR, MAINE — An Iranian-born U.S. citizen who is a Seventh-day Adventist has sued Sears in federal court, alleging that his direct supervisor at the store where he worked in Augusta referred to him as a “sand [n-word]” and “the terrorist” and called his religious views “crap.”

UMPI windmill project a ‘go’

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE — The winds of change are blowing across the campus of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and drafts from that transformation could be felt at other campuses across the state and nation, UMPI President Don Zillman said Wednesday.

Lawmaker proposes $19M for ‘green energy’ mills

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud introduced a House bill Wednesday that would grant federal energy tax credits worth $19 million annually to Maine biomass boilers such as the one that powers the East Millinocket paper mill at which he once worked.

Leading role in genetics forecast for Bangor area

BANGOR, Maine — “Invented in Maine” is poised to join, and even supplant, “Made in Maine” and “Maine-grown” as important branding trademarks for the Pine Tree State.

2 lobster firms get ‘working waterfront’ aid

OWLS HEAD, MAINE — Two midcoast lobster businesses got help Tuesday when they were approved as working waterfront projects by the board of Land for Maine’s Future.

Editorial

The High Cost of Soda

Whenever government takes action that smacks of imposing values on a group of people, critics abound on both the left and right.

Automakers at a crossroad

With prospects of financial handout to American automakers fading, Congress and the car companies must look for alternatives that will preserve needed jobs but not sustain imprudent business decisions.

Kennebec Journal
STATE CUTS $80M
AUGUSTA -- Gov. John Baldacci signed an executive order Wednesday to cut spending by nearly $80 million to help close a shortfall in the $3 billion budget.

Education takes major hit
AUGUSTA -- Slightly more than half of the $79.8 million in cutbacks Gov. John Baldacci plans for state government this fiscal year target education-related programs.

Trial of offender registry likely
AUGUSTA -- A trial is likely in a case where 30 Maine people convicted of sex offenses decades ago seek to keep their pictures, addresses, educational sites, and workplaces off the Internet.

On Maine Politics

What will it take to revive the Maine GOP? 11/19/08

Editorials:

200 new-economy jobs find home in our area
"This center will support our strategy to alter traditional opt-in, population-focused disease management with little process and results transparency, to a fee-for-service, cost-effective approach with complete accountability," said Dr. Gary Ferguson on Tuesday.

Law enforcers shouldn't stop ATV just because
All-terrain vehicles, commonly known as ATVs, are obnoxiously loud. They can tear up the landscape and cause all manner of environmental problems, like erosion that pollutes fragile streams. They scatter wildlife with their noise and scare the heck out of hikers. And there's something about being on an ATV that can bring out the worst and most juvenile aspects of someone's personality -- Vroom! Vroom!

Sun Journal
Review upholds rejection of slots
SCARBOROUGH (AP) - Scarborough's rejection of slot machines has been upheld by an inspection of ballots by the clerk's office.

Cuts hit schools, services
AUGUSTA - Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday ordered nearly $80 million in curtailments in state programs, with education and human services programs absorbing the bulk of the impact of cutbacks that result from an ailing national economy that's sliding into recession.

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.

Editorial
Have the court rule on Poulin
Efforts by the governor, attorney general, Democratic Party officials and others to unseat wayward Androscoggin County Commissioner Helen Poulin have reached a stalemate. So far, this group has opined that she's vacated her seat, and scheduled a caucus to select a replacement.

Giving to others is source of contentment, happiness
In an age when "big business" and "corporate greed" seem to be synonymous in the public mind, some bright lights occasionally emerge from the darkness brought on by AIG big spenders and over-the-top high-livers.

MPBN
Major Cuts Ordered By Governor Baldacci

November 19, 2008 Reported By: A.J. Higgins

Nearly 80 million dollars in curtailments have been ordered by the Baldacci administration as the first stage of what is expected to be a difficult period of transition in state finances. Gov. John Baldacci says another $70 million reduction to state programs and services will be submitted to the Legislature next month as part of budget revisions needed to balance the books through June 30th. As the state feels the sting of the national recession, Baldacci says all Mainers will have to make adjustments.

Sign Questioning Barack Obama's Fate Stirs Controversy In Standish

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Susan Sharon

Standish town officials will hold a special meeting Thursday afternoon at 1:00 pm to denounce the kind of inflammatory speech reportedly used on a sign at the Oak Hill General Store earlier this month. That sign, described in a story by the Associated Press, offered customers the chance to be part of a lottery predicting when President-Elect Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden would be assassinated. As Susan Sharon reports, there's a distinct line about what is and is not protected speech but that doesn't make it any easier to read or hear.

Officials Troubled By Increase In Student Racial Slurs

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Keith McKeen

Even though the nation's contentious and sometimes vitriolic presidential campaign ended over two weeks ago, venom in the form of racial slurs is still prevalent. That's the message from the Maine Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence. Center director Steven Wessler says he's receiving an increase in phone calls, many of them from school officials, seeking to tone down the racial remarks of students, many of them aimed at President-Elect Obama.

Soup kitchens feeling the brunt of the economy

November 19, 2008 Reported By: Josie Huang

Maine has one of the country's highest hunger rates, and that was before the economy worsened. Now, soup kitchens and food pantries are seeing increased demand. Administrators worry that they won't be able to keep up with the demand.

Times Record

Bath planners OK downtown inn...(full story)

Editorial
Early voting a good idea...(full story)

Ellsworth American

Number of State Election Recounts Down
AUGUSTA — While Deborah Simpson’s political future hung in the balance, she knitted.

Editorial
Ugly Acts of Racism
The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States had scarcely been confirmed before the threats began — more than have been seen involving any previous president-elect, according to some officials. While the U.S. Secret Service cautioned the public not to assume that those threats are racially motivated, two separate incidents here in Maine would suggest otherwise.

Capital Weekly
Baldacci curtails budget
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/19)

House members elect their leaders
Augusta (By Christopher Cousins - 11/19)

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