Bangor Daily News

Study: Unsafe Chemical Found in Baby Bottles

Results of a national study released Thursday show that plastic baby bottles, including some popular brands, leach dangerous levels of a toxic chemical into the fluids they contain. The chemical, a synthetic hormone known as bisphenol-A, is linked to the development in laboratory animals of breast and prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes and other disorders. Health and environmental groups in Maine said the study underscores the need to monitor the chemicals used in products for infants and chi...

Rallies, Caucuses On Tap for Dems Excitement Mounts As Maine Becomes More Vital in Tight Race

BANGOR - The city's most active and experienced Democrats haven't seen anything like it - two presidential candidates in Penobscot County the day before the caucus. They also have never been so undecided.

Hillary Says She has Maine's Solutions

BANGOR - In a tight race to the Democratic presidential nomination where delegates are at a premium, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama will hold dueling rallies this weekend a few miles apart in Greater Bangor. "I'm looking forward to coming to Maine," Clinton told the Bangor Daily News in a telephone interview Thursday. "I really have enjoyed my visits to Maine, across the state. I've been there many times, both for business and pleasure, and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot o...

Local Police to Help Secret Service with Security

Local police agencies have increased personnel and are working closely with the U.S. Secret Service to ensure this weekend's visits by presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama run smoothly. Clinton will hold a "Solutions for America" town hall event Saturday morning at the University of Maine's Student Recreation Center. Obama is scheduled to appear at a "Stand for Change" rally at the Bangor Auditorium Saturday afternoon.

Allegiant Honors Bia Marketing Efforts

Bangor International Airport was recognized Wednesday by its newest airline for helping establish a marketing campaign that has attracted many area fliers bound for warmer climes. Allegiant Air LLC, a Las Vegas-based company, presented the airport with an Excellence in Marketing award during a company gathering Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Tony Caruso, the airport's assistant director, and marketing manager Risteen Masters were on hand to accept the award.

Electricity Action Needed

Despite the pressing budget concerns that will occupy most of its time and energy, the Legislature must act this session on a short- term opportunity to restructure Maine's relationship with the electricity grid. Putting off a decision for further study or further reflection by legislators would have serious deleterious implications for Maine businesses, and would cost residential users more money. Last month the Maine Public Utilities Commission delivered a report to the Legislature analyzin...

Democrats' Choice

Maine Democrats caucus Sunday in town and city halls, and at schools and community centers. The party believes it is poised to retake the White House after eight years of Republican control. Part of the process by which party members evaluate the two top candidates, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, is in how well each will be able to govern. Sen. Clinton has touted her experience in government. That experience is impressive, though it is mostly peripheral to...

The Dechaine Verdict

Columnists granted the privilege of a public pulpit have the responsibility to get their facts right. This concept appears to have eluded Emmet Meara ("Accepting Dechaine verdict is sensible," BDN, Feb. 2-3), who even rejects the state's own - if long suppressed - evidence in favor of his own fantasies. (See trialanderrordennis/reportO.html for a synopsis of the state's evidence.) No open-minded person of reasonable intelligence can look at the totality of the evidence that has now been uncov...

The Dechaine Verdict

Emmet Meara's Feb. 2-3 column, "Accepting Dechaine verdict is sensible," deserves to be commended. I hope readers take the time to review it. Recently, while driving on I-95, I noticed a "Free Dennis Dechaine" bumper sticker on the rear window. I was returning home from a monthly meeting of the Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. Though emotionally drained after the meeting, I still felt compelled to speed up to see what kind of person would advocate Dechaine's release. To my surpr...

Just Wars?

I am a World War II Navy veteran. I was in active engagement from Pearl Harbor on to the South Pacific and in the North and South Atlantic Ocean. In my opinion, the only justifiable war was World War II. It was justifiable because another country invaded our shores. If they had won the war, we would be enslaved by them. Since World War II, no other country with their army or navy has invaded our shores. Instead, we send our young men and women, fathers and mothers with families, to foreign co...

Carmel Library Growth

An article in the BDN last month by Toni-Lynn Robbins about school reorganization for Hermon, Carmel and Levant quoted Peter Pelletier of Carmel as saying, "I'd like to see us keep the superintendent's office for a public library" and [he] "emphasized the town's need for one." It is important that residents realize we already have a wonderful library located in one of Carmel Village's original buildings. Simpson Memorial Library is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday morning. It is true th...

Vote Republican

Dominic Ortolano's letter "Manage resources" (BDN, Feb. 2-3) asks where were Republican Rep. Bob Walker and the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee when the state invested millions in a computer program that never worked. This was in response to Rep. Walker's call for a re-examination of the "costly social services programs gobbling up large amounts of money." Rep. Walker was not in the Legislature then, but other Republicans were frustrated that the tax, borrow, and spend Democ...

Mark Your Calendar

It has come to my attention that according to our 2008 calendar, the month of August does not have any specific recognition. Every month of the year should have something, however trivial, such as Martin Luther King Day, Groundhog Day, the Rite of Spring, April Fool's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Personnel

Katahdin Trust Co. has named Peggy S. Bugbee as assistant vice president and retail services officer and Karen L. Chapman as vice president and retail training manager. "These individuals have exhibited tremendous dedication and commitment to Katahdin Trust Company," said Bonnie Foster, senior vice president for retail services at Katahdin Trust. With nearly 50 years' experience in the financial services industry combined, both are "highly valued members of our team," Foster said. Bugbee has ...