Bangor Daily News

Baldacci Seeks Aid for Red Tide Impact

AUGUSTA - Gov. John Baldacci on Friday asked the federal government for disaster assistance for Maine's shellfish industry in the wake of red tide and flood closures along the coast. Marine experts are forecasting that closures will continue for months, possibly wiping out the state's shellfish season.

Petrucelly Not Guilty, but Insane in Murder Judge Sentences Palmyra Man to Dhhs Custody

ROCKLAND - A Palmyra man who stabbed his older brother to death during a visit to North Haven last summer was found not guilty by reason of insanity Friday. Enoch B. Petrucelly, 24, was found "not criminally responsible by reason of insanity" by Justice Jeffrey L. Hjelm in Knox County Superior Court.

Apollo 11 40 Years Later One Giant Leap Mainers Share Memories of That Moment in History

Forty years ago, human beings took their first steps on an extraterrestrial world in an event that captivated a nation and made people everywhere believe that anything is possible. Just a few months after he was inaugurated in 1961, President John F. Kennedy told a joint session of Congress that he would direct federal resources to put a man on the moon within a decade. Some thought the president was overreaching while others embraced his bold prediction.

Correcting the Record

Ties to Maine, Moon for Nasa Engineer Winterport Man Worked On Apollo 11 Mission

WINTERPORT - Louis Deckers says flat out that he is not a rocket scientist. "All I did was draw pictures," the 83-year-old retired engineer said recently, jokingly referring to the short memoir about his career that he'd put together for family members.

Shooting the Moon

It's hard to say which is more remarkable - that men were able to develop the technology to land on the moon and return, or that the nation reached consensus on the goal of a moon landing and stuck with it for a decade. Forty years ago this weekend, the Apollo 11 mission succeeded in putting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. It was a goal the nation had moved towards for decades, and was a logical extension, in a way, of World War II. The war forced huge technological leaps forward,...

Political Theater for a Slow Week

This week's televised confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate may not have been the show to watch for viewers seeking thrills and suspense, I suppose. But for a slow week in July, it was pretty good political theater nonetheless. Because Democrats enjoy a substantial majority in the Senate, Sotomayor's confirmation as President Barack Obama's first nominee to the Supreme Court has never been much in doubt since ...

Backyard Patriotism

Regarding Sarah Smiley's July 13 column concerning her and her family's experiences with the Boston crowd over the Independence Day weekend and the lack of, or rather the scoffing at, any show of patriotism: She might find it good to know that she only has to look in her own backyard to see the greatest displays of love for this country she will find anywhere. Attend any parade and this is very apparent, whether you witness it from the sidewalks or are fortunate enough to be part of the parad...

Good Old Wood

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed energy and climate legislation requiring 20 percent of our nation's electricity to be generated from "renewable" sources. Importantly, the legislation recognized sustainably produced wood as a critical element in reaching the goal. As a forester who has spent 22 years working in Maine's forests, I know this is especially important to Maine, where millions of acres of working forests provide timber, wood products, clean water, recreation, wildl...

Slow Down, Vote No

July 20 marks six months since the president was inaugurated, and we as Americans have nothing to show for his presence except total chaos on Capitol Hill. Hurry up and vote on the stimulus and omnibus packages so we can have new jobs created - now unemployment is nearing 10 percent. Hurry up and vote on cap and trade so we can save our planet. Now, hurry up and vote on the health care package, so we can save ourselves from the insurance industry.

Tax Bill Hurts Industry

Just when you thought that it couldn't get any worse, it did. The business climate in Maine has been miserable. Then, Reps. Michaud and Pingree voted for the biggest tax bill to ever hit the floor of the House of Representatives. The cap and trade bill will tax the carbon emissions from every industry and small business, increasing the cost of everything that you buy, including a gallon of gas. We expected this from Congresswoman Pingree, but not from Congressman Michaud, who likes to tout th...

Tidal Project Laws

After reading the June 25 article by Sharon Kiley Mack about the FERC hearing in Eastport on a proposal to erect a dam at Half Moon Cove for a tidal hydro-electric project proposed by Normand Laberge and Leslie Bowman, and the letter of July 7 from Lois Grossman, both attacking Dana Murch of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for pointing out the concerns of DEP about the proposal, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. Dana Murch is an outstanding public servant. I respect his...