Bangor Daily News

Views On Local Wildlife

I recently attended a public meeting of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council. While I was waiting for the meeting to start, I observed a bear walking across the Aroostook River. I delighted in watching the bear as it made its way across the river. As other people who were participating in the meeting saw it, someone said, "I wish I had my gun, bear is in season!" At that moment, I was acutely aware of the fundamental difference in worldview that I have from t...

'To Die for a Lie' Demonstrators Rally in Bangor to Remember Soldiers, Civilians Killed in the War in Iraq

Mary Alice Horrigan's son died in Iraq on July 16, 2005. He was 40 years old, married, with a young daughter. He had completed nearly 20 years of service in the United States Army and was due to return home in a few days when he was attacked and killed during a midnight mission in Al-Qaim. On Saturday, Master Sgt. Robert Horrigan's grieving mother told a crowd of anti-war demonstrators in Bangor that her son died believing in his mission, convinced that it was better to confront the terrorist...

Ellsworth Hospital Unveils Plan for Emergency Room Expansion $1 Million Donation Gives Mcmh the Means to Move Forward

ELLSWORTH - For several years, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital has been discussing an expansion of its aging and often crowded emergency department only to see a lack of funding preclude those plans from moving forward. However, a recent generous gift from late benefactor Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. has moved the long-awaited expansion - expected to cost between $7.5 million and $10 million -from possibility to reality.

Nurses to Strike at Emmc

BANGOR-The nursing union at Eastern Maine Medical Center rejected the hospital negotiating team's final contract offer Sunday afternoon and announced its intention to call a one-day strike. The official strike notice is expected this morning, both sides said Sunday night. By law, the union must give the hospital 10 days to prepare for the walk-out. The nurses' three-year contract with EMMC was due to expire at midnight on Sunday.

Waldoboro Police Target of Petition Recent Shooting Spurs Effort

WALDOBORO - Residents have mounted a petition drive to eliminate the town's police department in the wake of last week's shooting of an unarmed teenager by a town police officer. "This just brought everything to a head," petition organizer Patricia Chapman said of the shooting death of Gregori Jackson, 18, of Whitefield by part-time Patrolman Zachary Curtis. "People have been dissatisfied with the police department for the last 20 years. There's been a lot of unrest in town about it for a lon...

Contact Plays Key Role in Brady Anniversary Events

We Bangor baby boomers all remember the fascinating stories our parents and others told about the shootout with the Al Brady Gang on Central Street way back in 1937. Each storyteller remembered exactly where they were, what they saw, and exactly how they felt. For today's younger generations, the feelings were probably similar to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. With the 70th anniversary of the Columbus Day shootout fast arriving, we at Northeast CONTACT have been planning, since January, the fo...

Dollar Values

Recent headlines touted the benefit to U.S. retailers from the rising Canadian dollar. The strong Canadian dollar presents other important opportunities to Maine's largest industries, such as timber and paper, fisheries and seafood. With Canadian goods now more expensive, Maine industries have an opening to increase their share of the market. That opportunity may be limited, however, if the Canadian government decides to slow its economy by lowering interest rates. Late last month, the Canadi...

Understanding Burma

While strong condemnations of the military crackdown against protesters in Burma are necessary, if predictable, the international community, including the United States, will need much more than harsh rhetoric to improve the situation. Given the chaos of recent weeks, international negotiators may have an opportunity to work with the secretive ruling regime to increase freedoms while also finding ways to improve the country's economic outlook. This dovetails with the Bush administration's sta...

Consider Currency Pact

Now that the American and Canadian dollars are at par, I think this would be a good time to discuss a currency union with Canada. The treaty also could include a free exchange of workers provision. If a single currency works with the European Union member countries, why not North America? Think how much money could be saved and how much confusion could be avoided if a single currency could be used from Texas to the Northwest Territories?

Destroying Democracy

It is my opinion that George Bush is destroying our democracy bit by bit and the House and Senate are helping him do it because they have no understanding of the Constitution they took an oath to protect and defend. Jane Sanford

Spay or Neuter Pets

Animal shelters all over the country are overrun with unwanted cats and dogs, especially this time of year. Please spay and neuter your pets. The state of Maine has a low-cost spay-neuter program. If you receive or are eligible for food stamps, TANF, SSI, SSD or Medicaid you can have your cat fixed for $10 and your dog fixed for $20. Please call the State Animal Welfare hotline at 800-367-1317 for an application.

Fishing No Easy Task

In his letter "Quit complaining" (BDN, Sept. 14), Dudley Gray refers to the time when lobsters were 75 cents per pound. I remember that bait was 25 cents a bucket at the local factories at one time and fuel was around 20 cents or so a gallon. Lobsters may be selling at higher prices than then, but so is everything fishermen need. Bait is about $10 per pail, fuel in the $3 per gallon range, traps run $65 and up depending on the size, etc., and a good mechanic costs $40 to $75 an hour. Try payi...

Thanks to Troop Greeters

On Saturday, Sept. 22, my husband and I and our four children got up before the crack of dawn to see my parents off at the Bangor International Airport. After a long wait in the security clearance line, my parents made their plane. We wanted to see it take off before leaving. Before it started for the runway, we heard troop greeters inviting everyone left in the terminal to help welcome home three troop planes. We gladly joined them in thanking and welcoming home these courageous men and women.