Bangor Daily News

Housing Help On Local, Regional, State Levels Bangor Expects Many Applicants

PART 4 IN A SERIES BANGOR - Shawn Yardley is bracing for a busy winter.

Liheap Expects to Help 50,000, Averaging $415

BANGOR - The federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, traditionally has helped needy residents pay 60 percent of their winter heating bills. That will not be the case this year.

Farmington Racewalker Heads for 2nd Olympics

When Kevin Eastler crosses the finish line of the 2008 Olympic men's 20-kilometer racewalk in Beijing later this month, he'll truly be crossing his personal finish line. For what began at age 9 in his native Farmington watching older sister Gretchen racewalk around the track at Mt. Blue High School has led him to experience the Olympic spirit firsthand at both its birthplace in Athens, Greece, and now the emerging capital of China.

On Car Warrantees, Drive with Caution

Last week's column on extended auto warranties generated a lot of interest. So we're taking a second look at this kind of sale, which has attracted more than its share of rip-off artists in recent months. One reader e-mailed us, noting that after reading the article, she realized she'd bought a useless warranty. One of our caseworkers advised her on the procedure for notifying her credit card issuer to void the purchase.

Green Fatigue

As worry spreads through the nation about how global warming threatens the planet, some committed environmentalists find themselves afflicted by two new annoyances: "green noise" and "greenwashing." Together, they are causing a certain green fatigue that could endanger the growing national determination to do something about climate change. Green noise was described in a recent New York Times article as "static caused by urgent, sometimes vexing or even contradictory information played at too...

Bill Graves Explains

In response to Mr. Graham's letter, "Credit where due," (BDN, July 27-28), I'd like to clarify: First, no self-respecting writer uses someone else's ideas, words or photos without express consent, and second, the publisher, the editors and this writer would never intentionally print an image without proper credit. Literally thousands of photos comprise my files from over 35 years of outdoor writing and on the back of each are written the names and places. Although I receive many unsolicited p...

Fighting for Fort Knox

For years I have been an "army of one" trying to educate people on the correct location of Fort Knox and thought I had been gaining, but in the July 26-27 BDN, there was Fort Knox in Bucksport again. Yes, it is a tourist attraction along with the observation tower on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, but in order to visit the fort, you must drive to Prospect over the bridge which runs from Verona to Prospect. I am very glad that the British did not come up the Penobscot River and use the supposed...

Dirty Politics

A security group calling itself The Employee Freedom Action Group has mounted several attacks on Congressman Tom Allen, who has served nobly and well these past 12 years in Washington. He is now running for the Senate in opposition to Susan Collins. At the beginning of his campaign, Allen renounced the use of negative attacks on his opponent, yet Sen. Collins has not. Allen says he respects her and is looking forward to a clear and honest debate on the issues. Hopefully, Collins will denounce...

Iran Offers to Talk

The Bush administration is escalating its saber-rattling against Iran even though military experts warn attacking Iran would lead to a far worse disaster than the current Iraq quagmire. Among administration actions: President Bush recently labeled the Quds Force, a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a "global terrorist threat." Late last year the administration authorized stepped-up covert operations against Iran. Joint Chiefs Chair Admiral Mullen admitted last spring that the Pentagon is ...

Local Food Options

Regarding the letter to the editor "Meat and oil" (BDN, July 26- 27): although I agree that "Big Meat" production is as bad for the planet as joyriding in an 18-wheeler, I feel we would overlook a few important points when jumping directly from that to "our local supermarket's rich variety of soy-based" products. For instance, soy is a highly allergenic product for many, and it comes with genetic engineering and "Big Agriculture" baggage of its own. Soy still carries the burden of the fossil ...

50-Year Oil Supply

The BDN states in its July 30 editorial that Republicans are holding heating assistance hostage in return for offshore drilling. This could not be further from the truth. Republicans only want a compromise which would and should allow more drilling. Of course, opening up drilling will bring the price of oil down if only because of pressure on the Middle East. We have enough untapped resources in the U.S. and its territories to last us for well over 50 years.

Snowe and the Veepstakes

As both John McCain and Barack Obama close in on their choice for a running mate, one name keeps popping up - Olympia Snowe. Her name isn't bandied about by professional political pundits, but by bloggers and would-be wonks. Although she won't be on the ticket, the frequent mention of Sen. Snowe shows the public's desire for strong, feisty, pro-choice women in national politics, says Bowdoin College government professor Chris Potholm. He notes that former Sens. Bill Cohen and George Mitchell ...