Bangor Daily News

Plans Set for Bangor Supercenter

BANGOR - It's official. Construction of a 209,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter near the Bangor Mall is slated to begin at the end of May or beginning of June, City Engineer Jim Ring said Monday.

Shorebird Habitat Accord Brokered Final Panel Vote Expected This Week

AUGUSTA - Lawmakers have reached a tentative deal that would allow coastal landowners to build closer to shorebird habitat while still strengthening protections for the fragile bird populations. In a unanimous vote on Monday, members of the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee gave preliminary approval to a bill that would reduce the buffer required between new construction and migratory shorebird feeding areas from 250 to 100 feet. The committee is expected to take a final vote on the b...

Schools Reassess Crisis Plan Millinocket Officials, Police Address Flaws

Millinocket school officials and police met Monday and will meet again this week to try to improve security and communications at area schools after two recent threats of violence that forced two schools to lock down for several days. Superintendent Sara Alberts and Millinocket School Committee Chairman Thomas Malcolm said much went right with the police and school response to the threats, but that lapses angered and confused parents, possibly weakened security and made school officials look ...

Um Ceremony to Honor Alumnus Killed in Iraq

ORONO - The University of Maine will hold a ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 6, between Nutting and Hitchner halls to honor the memory of David Veverka, a former student who was killed in Iraq last year while serving with the Maine Army National Guard. The event will include a tree planting and the unveiling of a memorial.

Historical Society Sets First Meeting of Year

CORINNA - The Corinna Historical Society will hold its first meeting of the year at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at the Levi Stewart Library. Topics include officer elections, plans for changing and rotating displays and establishing a cleanup day.

Camp Bangor Cleanup Planned Citywide May 5

BANGOR -The eighth annual Camp Bangor citywide cleanup will be Saturday. Camp Bangor children and their families are encouraged to take part to meet the program's community service requirement.

Cinco de Mayo Event at Emcc in Bangor

BANGOR - The Bangor Region Junior Achievement will hold a Cinco de Mayo "Taste of Spring" at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Eastern Maine Community College. The event will feature hors d'oeuvres and desserts by area restaurants, beer tasting by Sea Dog Brewing, wine tasting by Winterport Winery and an auction with auctioneer Ric Tyler.

Postal Carriers Seek Help with Food Drive

MILLINOCKET - Residents who want to help the United Way of Eastern Maine need only to leave canned food and other dry food goods at their mailbox or curbside box on May 12, postal carriers said Thursday. Local representatives of the National Association of Letter Carriers, U.S. Postal Service and AFL-CIO will try to better their 2006 drive results - 2,500 pounds of food - when they do their May 12 collection effort, which the Town Council honored with a resolve on Thursday.

Old Town Veterans to Meet May 16

OLD TOWN - American Veterans Post 9 will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at the American Legion Hall, 20 Water St. Nominations and elections for 2007-08 officers will be held. For information or to become a member, contact Don Plummer at 827-6575.

River Cleanup Effort Looking for Volunteers

BREWER - The city and the Bangor Area Storm Water Group will host another Penobscot River streamside cleanup event May 19, and are looking for volunteers to lend a hand. Last year, some 180 people from Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Orono, Old Town, Veazie and Milford participated in the annual cleanup and removed more than 6 tons of trash from the banks of the Penobscot and contributory streams.

Growsmart Maine Sets Meeting in Bangor

BANGOR - GrowSmart Maine plans a meeting to build support for shifts in state policy. The public gathering is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Sea Dog Brewing Co., 26 Front St.

Ofelia's Staff Poised for New Shop Opening

BANGOR - Ofelia's Community Thrift Store on Union Street closed last week in preparation for the May 4 opening of Ofelia's Resale Shoppe, 73 Central St. Operators of the resale shop have several activities planned for their opening day, including the premiere of Arte Fino Gallery, a gallery inside.

Sad 22 Sets Meetings On Hampden School

HAMPDEN - SAD 22 will hold public meetings to discuss the Hampden Academy capital improvement project. The public will discuss community education programs, special education and technology from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 11, and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 12.

Grant to Um Funds Digital Art Preservation

ORONO - The University of Maine's new-media program has received a $300,000 research grant to study the preservation of digital art, UM announced Monday. The grant is the largest UM has ever received from the National Endowment for the Humanities, according to the university's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Disputed Corinth Vote Spurs Town Meeting

CORINTH - Controversy over a vote at this year's annual town meeting has caused the Board of Selectmen to call a special town meeting later this month to reconsider the previous vote. At last month's annual meeting, residents voted 66-40 in favor of the town buying the former Corinth Products Co. Inc. building and associated land at 10 Exeter Road for $225,000.

Lincoln Schedules Street Sweeping in May

LINCOLN - The Public Works Department's efforts to rid town streets of winter sand and debris will kick into high gear in the coming weeks, if there's little or no rain, Public Works director David Lloyd said Monday. While some streets have already been swept, those efforts were primarily in the travel lanes, Lloyd said in a news release.

Arbor Day Tree Planting Rescheduled for Today

5th-Graders Win Award for Sun Safety Project

EDDINGTON - Fifth-graders from the Eddington School will be honored with a Service-Learning Project Award for their sun safety project at 11 a.m. today at the State House in Augusta. Award winners were selected for exhibiting academic rigor, civic engagement and overall excellence in a model service-learning project.

Officer Crashes Cruiser On Way to Call

Bangor police Officer Tyler Leighton was responding to an emergency call with his cruiser lights flashing about 10:20 p.m. Saturday when he struck a vehicle in the center turn lane at the junction of Main and Lincoln streets. No one was injured in the crash, but the cruiser had to be towed, Sgt. Bob Bishop said Monday. The incident remains under investigation. (Nok-Noi Hauger, BDN)

Milo Sets Special Town Meeting On Tif

MILO - Financing of town equipment and a move to rescind a tax increment financing district formed seven years ago will be up for action by residents during a special town meeting this month. Residents voted in 2000 to create a tax increment financing district for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad. The railroad had planned to do a $2 million expansion to the Derby shop and consolidate its shops in Houlton, Hermon and Millinocket with the one in Derby.