Bangor Daily News

Dot Pitches $131m Transportation Bond

AUGUSTA - Trying to keep pace with road and bridge repairs in Maine in recent years has been like a bicyclist trying to follow a car on I-95, proponents of a $131 million transportation bond said Wednesday. With a 35 percent spike over three years in the cost to build or repair roads and bridges, the state Department of Transportation has fallen further and further behind, Transportation Commissioner David Cole and others said.

Veazie Kids Learn About Fire Safety

VEAZIE - Third- and fourth-graders at Veazie Community School on Wednesday morning rocked back and forth on their knees, anxiously throwing up their arms as a firefighter asked them questions about how to protect their homes from fire. They were begging to be the first to offer answers that could one day save their lives.

Record Trek On Sled Gets Maine Assist

MILLINOCKET - When you're snowmobiling from Alaska to Maine, you plan for everything. Steve McKenna, 38, brought extra warm clothing, maps and a GPS tracker, a tent and repair tools, even a shotgun in case he ran into a polar bear.

Bangor-Area Classes to Resume After Threats

Three Bangor-area schools planned to resume classes as usual this morning, a day after administrators closed the buildings because of mailed bomb threats. Nearly 1,600 students who attend Hampden Academy, John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor and Bangor Christian Schools stayed home Wednesday, missing after-school activities as well as classes.

The Rail Deal Cherryfield Man Explores Tourism Possibilities with Sunrise Trail Effort

CHERRYFIELD - With a stretch of old train tracks on one side and the gentle current of the Narraguagus River purring on the other, Arthur Tenan stood atop a small hill surveying his family's property. Tenan has daydreamed many times before about his grand plans for the 9-acre parcel, but on Wednesday afternoon he wasn't alone.

Bangor School Officials Get Budget Update

BANGOR - Despite this week's release of state school subsidy projections, Bangor school officials and their counterparts around Maine remain somewhat in budgetary limbo. The subsidy numbers were scheduled to be released last month, but the state budget is still being reviewed by the Legislature, Superintendent Robert Ervin noted Wednesday night during a school committee meeting at City Hall.

Milo Fundraisers to Benefit After-School Events

What a wonderful effort Milo area residents have made, and are making, to ensure their young people have "something to do" after school. Ed and Ethelyn Treworgy wrote that those folks are holding a spaghetti supper from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Milo town hall.

Old Town Looking at Ecotourism Options On River

OLD TOWN - Combining the history of the river and rich culture that defines the Old Town region, the city is embarking on a new economic development endeavor that it hopes to launch this summer. The idea is being dubbed a "cultural-ecotourism opportunity" by city officials and is a link to the Penobscot River Restoration Project to revitalize the Penobscot River and its recreational and natural uses.

Ex-Postal Carrier Gets Jail Time for Stealing Mail

BANGOR - A former postal carrier was sentenced in federal court this week to two weeks in prison for stealing mail over three years from residents on her rural route in Franklin. Angela I. Young, 34, of Eastbrook also received three years of supervised release, a $500 fine and had to pay $381 in restitution for the mail theft, according to court documents.

3m Picked to Build Health Information Cyberway

Doctors in the Bangor area may be among the first clinicians in Maine to have access to a statewide electronic patient information system, possibly by the end of this year. The ambitious Maine HealthInfoNet project, or HIN, has been in the planning stages for about three years. Funding is still speculative, but planners say they're confident a combination of public and private money will come through soon.

Ums Chief Urges Support for Bond

AUGUSTA - University of Maine System trustees made an appeal Wednesday to lawmakers to back the first portion of a nearly $130 million bond request. UMS Chancellor Terry MacTaggart urged the Legislature's Appropriations Committee to endorse a $62 million bond to fund improvements to classrooms, laboratories, libraries and technology systemwide.

Pair's Trial in Rape of 3 Women Moved

The trial of two people charged with drugging and raping three women in 2005 in Hancock County has been moved from Ellsworth to Bangor. Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Hjelm decided this week to move the trail of Peter Mills, 49, of Southwest Harbor and Stephanie Stark, 45, of Bar Harbor to Penobscot County Superior Court.

Umm Crew Saves Heart Attack Victim Scuba Teacher Was Stricken After Class at Pool

MACHIAS - Stan Smith is grateful there was a lifeguard on duty the night he had a heart attack. The 59-year-old adjunct instructor teaches SCUBA diving classes at the University of Maine at Machias' Center for Lifelong Learning.

Kayaker's Death Ruled an Accidental Drowning

AUGUSTA - The state medical examiner has determined the cause of death of a Camden man who rolled his kayak over in Searsmont last weekend was an accidental drowning. Mark Latti, spokesman for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said Jim McLarty, 61, of Camden drowned while kayaking on the St. George River last Sunday afternoon. Latti said no autopsy was performed and that the diagnosis was determined through an examination of the body.

Heavier, Healthier Young Seal Returns to Ocean Off Mdi

SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Hector took little time Tuesday to shuffle his body into the water off Cable Crossing Lane, pausing only for a few moments to look at the people scattered around him on the beach. Soon, he was halfway across Western Way toward Great Cranberry Island, leaving only a wake and well-wishers behind him.

School Concerns Aired in Orland Residents Approve $3m Education Budget at Annual Town Meeting

ORLAND - Questions about school consolidation plans and a proposed contract for superintendent services surrounded discussion of the school budget Tuesday at the annual town meeting. But despite concerns about the future, residents approved the $3 million school budget and all other items on the town meeting warrant.

Tip About Heroin Run Leads to Katahdin Area Duo's Arrest

BANGOR - A tip led to the arrests last weekend of two men found with some $4,000 worth of heroin in their vehicle, officials said Wednesday. Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents arrested the men Saturday after finding 21 grams of heroin in their vehicle, MDEA said in a news release.

St. Agatha Oks Property Tax Aid Ordinance

ST. AGATHA - A property tax assistance ordinance that town officials believe will provide some financial relief to a segment of taxpayers whom they consider to be some of the most vulnerable was given the nod by voters at the annual town meeting Tuesday. In a written statement Wednesday, Town Manager Ryan Pelletier said residents voted 130-41 to approve the property tax assistance ordinance.

Rockland Teen Charged in Theft of Two Pickups

ROCKLAND - A 17-year-old city boy has been charged with stealing two pickup trucks overnight Tuesday and abandoning both in damaged condition. Deputy Police Chief Wallace Tower said Officer Nellie Waterman arrested the juvenile Tuesday morning and charged him with two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, aggravated criminal mischief and illegal possession of alcohol. The youth was on probation at the time of his arrest.

Property Tax Relief for Veterans Expanded

AUGUSTA - Property tax exemptions for veterans are expanded for tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2007. The program will now include veterans who served from Aug. 24, 1982, to July 31, 1984; Dec. 20, 1989, to Jan. 31, 1990; and Feb. 28, 1961, to Aug. 4, 1964, who were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.