Bangor Daily News

Low Temperatures Bring Chilling Warning Lives at Risk When Mercury Falls

BANGOR - For many, the bitter cold of the past few days seems little more than a nuisance. It means uncomfortable dashes to and from warm places, layers of fleece and flannel, and a car that gasps and wheezes before struggling to life in the morning. What a lot of people don't always realize is that the serious cold brings with it serious health hazards. Left unprepared on a frozen night, even the hardiest of souls risks at least extreme discomfort and at worst hypothermia and frostbite.

Bangor Chamber Honors Troop Greeters, City Leaders

BANGOR - Bill Knight and his fellow "troop greeters" got a standing ovation Wednesday night from the community they've put in the national spotlight as the friendly town that welcomes - and sends off - troops to Iraq. Knight, who coordinates the troop greetings that are attended regularly by fellow veterans and townspeople, tries not to miss any flights of soldiers landing to go through customs at Bangor International Airport en route to their destinations.

In Search of Sports Done Right

You might already have heard about "Sports Done Right," the recently released report by the University of Maine Sport & Coaching Initiative that deserves all the publicity it can get. The report is an ambitious, thoughtful and pioneering attempt by a panel of 17 Maine educators, administrators, coaches and other concerned individuals around the state to define what constitutes healthful and rewarding interscholastic sports programs and to recommend ways to create the best possible learning en...

Private Investigators Seek Clues in Sperrey Slaying

BANGOR - The Maine State Police is not the only party investigating the murder of Erin Sperrey. At least two private investigation companies are collecting their own evidence into what happened the night of Jan. 2, when Sperrey was killed, allegedly by co-worker Christopher Shumway at a Tim Hortons coffee shop in Caribou.

Maine Water Allocation a Concern

AUGUSTA - Mainers have always washed their cars and watered their lawns, secure in the fact that clean, fresh water was plentiful in New England - the upside of six months spent snowbound. But as climate change threatens to alter weather patterns and global water demand grows, water-rich states such as Maine no longer can afford their complacency. On Wednesday, representatives of communities, industries and farms that rely on fresh water gathered at the Civic Center to consider the inevitable...

Hampden Panel Considers House Size Fowler's Landing Residents Speak Out Against Limiting Seasonal Housing

HAMPDEN - Several residents spoke out Wednesday night against a proposal before the planning board to limit the size of houses in the seasonal zone to 1,500 square feet. The restriction was spelled out in a zoning amendment the Town Council referred to the board. Also before the board was an amendment the ordinance committee referred that specified the term "seasonal" would not limit the number of days per year a dwelling in the zone is occupied.

Newport's Water Falls Short of Federal Safety Guidelines

NEWPORT - When Newport Water District Superintendent Thomas Todd was asked Wednesday night if it was safe to drink the water in Newport, he hedged. "When I am asked that, I say it is legal," Todd answered. He then quickly explained that under federal guidelines, one person in 10,000 has a 2 percent chance of getting cancer from Newport's water - in its current state - but only if they drink 3 liters a day for 70 years.

Bangor Weighs in On Baldacci Tax Reform Plan

BANGOR - Officials from Maine's third-largest city have decided to publicly support Gov. John Baldacci's tax reform proposal. During a special workshop Wednesday at City Hall, city councilors reviewed a letter to the governor and members of Bangor's legislative delegation. The letter, drafted by City Manager Edward Barrett, applauds the efforts of the Legislature's Select Committee on Tax Reform and outlines the city's position on some of its key elements.

Eddington to Double Recycling Pickups

EDDINGTON - The town's trash and recycling pickup contract with Griffin's Disposal Service of Bangor was renewed for three years Tuesday, with an $11,984 increase in costs over the next few years. "The cost for the service went up," Town Manager Russell Smith said Wednesday.

Stolen Cross Returned to Ellsworth Church Brass Emblem Found in Truck; Man, Teen Charged

ELLSWORTH - Call it a miracle or just good police work, but a brass processional cross is back in the sanctuary where it belongs after being stolen twice in 36 years. The cross, which is about 2 feet tall and worth about $1,000, was stolen from St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church on State Street last November. Police recovered it this week from a repossessed pickup truck and have charged two people in connection with its disappearance.

Business Plan Seminar Offered in Millinocket

Sangerville Library Plans Annual Meeting

Baby-Sitting Class in Dover-Foxcroft

DOVER-FOXCROFT - Openings remain for an introductory baby- sitting class, Caring For Kids, that will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, through Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Piscataquis Cooperative Extension Office. The class, which costs $10, will cover child development, discipline, creative play, safety, first aid and job responsibilities, among other topics.

Kingman School Earns Grant for Ski Program

KINGMAN - Kingman Elementary School was awarded a "Teamwork for Kids" minigrant for its cross-country ski program. The school received $1,000 to go toward developing a ski program that will include the community, parents and school in promoting a healthful lifestyle.

Sad 31 High School Takes Shape Board Votes Place Project On Schedule to Open in September 2007

HOWLAND - SAD 31's new high school building will house grades seven to 12, cost $4.5 million to $6 million, sit in the footprint of Penobscot Valley High School and will open its doors in September 2007. Or at least that's the concept the SAD 31 board of directors approved during a meeting Wednesday night with a series of mostly unanimous votes. Superintendent William Ziemer was pleased.

Mall Development District Discussed

BANGOR - City officials are in the early stages of exploring the pros and cons of establishing a development district for the Bangor Mall area, much like the one that has existed downtown for at least two decades. Though some city officials expressed reservations about the proposal on Tuesday night during a meeting of the City Council's transportation and infrastructure committee, most agreed the concept warrants further study.

Icy Roads Cause Rash of Accidents On I-95

ORONO - Icy road conditions Wednesday night contributed to several accidents involving a half dozen cars on the northbound lane of Interstate 95. Four motor vehicles went off the road below the off ramp to the Kelly Road in Orono, according to state police. About a half mile down the highway, a motorist was unable to stop in time for traffic slowing for the accidents ahead and rear-ended a car.

Regional Schools Pitch Summer Education Plan

BANGOR - Aiming to make learning relevant and exciting, schools along the Penobscot River are planning a regional summer program in which students could demonstrate their knowledge of the Maine Learning Results standards while earning their driver's permit or CPR certification. The goal of the summer school, which is still in its initial planning stages, is to make learning interesting for students between the ninth and 10th grades who are scoring poorly on their local assessments and who may...

City Councilors Support Plan to Consolidate Polls

BANGOR - City councilors expressed support Wednesday for a proposal to consolidate the city's nine polling places into one, but they will have to wait and see whether the public will back the idea. City Clerk Patti Dubois pitched her recommendation to the finance committee to use the Bangor Civic Center as a "one-stop shop" for election polling.

Snowsled Races at Whim of Weather

LINCOLN - Snowmobile racing fans will get a weekend to remember - if Mother Nature cooperates. Lincoln Snowhounds Snowmobile Club and town Public Works Department officials will meet today to decide whether enough snow has fallen to hold the club's seventh annual Sno-Cross Races on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 at the club's headquarters on Town Farm Road, Alan Smith, race coordinator and past club president, said Wednesday.