Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell got to work with Pia Gibson, 8, and Mike Shannon, 76, at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage development. photo by Ramona du Houx

“I have enthusiastically and with pride joined Belfast Cohousing,” said Lindsay Verite, one of the 50 future residents of the Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage at the ground-breaking ceremony. “Community is what I’ve bought. And the amazing, energy-efficient, well-thought-out house is a bonus.”

Ecovillage represents what could become the subdivision of the future, with a return to community and environmentally responsible principles to live by. The community on the outskirts of Belfast will consist of 36 one-to-three bedroom homes, built to meet the highest standard for energy efficiency in the world. The old-fashioned neighborhood houses will be clustered together on the 42-acre site, supporting small-scale sustainable agriculture connected by pathways — 85 percent of the land has been put aside for agricultural use and open space.

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Atticus Biswell enjoys turbines in Deering Oaks Park that represent the estimated 10,000 which could be created by offshore-wind power. Photo by Greta Rybus

“Clean energy is one of the few bright spots in this challenging economy — with strong job and business growth,” said Rob Brown of Opportunity Maine at the announcement last October of a new citizens’ initiative to increase clean-energy use in Maine.

Maine Citizens for Clean Energy, a coalition of organizations, businesses and individuals, aims to help create jobs, control energy costs, cut pollution, and move the state further towards energy independence. They are currently gathering signatures for the November 2012 ballot. So, if the holiday stroll downtown is interrupted for your John Hancock, this most likely is the reason why.

The ballot initiative would require 20 percent of Maine’s electricity to come from new, renewable-energy sources. It also wants electric utilities to invest in energy efficiency whenever this would reduce energy costs for ratepayers.

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A measure that would prevent unchecked rate hikes on health insurance premiums by insurance companies will not be heard by lawmakers in the upcoming session in January. Republican legislative leaders refused an appeal to allow the bill to be considered.

“Maine families and small businesses are the ones that will literally pay the price of this shortsighted decision,” said Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, who submitted the proposal to help fix problems resulting from the rushed Republican insurance overhaul, referred to as LD 1333 or Public Law 90. “This is a bill that would have prevented insurance companies from excessively hiking rates without any kind of oversight. Maine families and small businesses just can’t afford to put more money in the pockets of Big Insurance.”

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Figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show Maine households and businesses cut heating oil use by a higher percentage than any other New England state.In fact Maine residents slashed their heating oil use by 45 percent between 2004 and 2009.

However Maine remains more dependent on heating oil than any other state in the nation, causing a drain on the economy and on household and business budgets. According to the latest U.S. Census data, about 70 percent of households still heat by oil — that is down from 80 percent in 2000.

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“Realizing that we’ve discovered something no one else knows about is neat,” said Page Case, a UMaine research student. UMaine courtesy photo

A University of Maine engineer, Clayton Wheeler, and his student research team have discovered a revolutionary new chemical process that can transform forest residues, along with other materials such as municipal solid waste, grasses, and construction wastes, into a hydrocarbon fuel oil. One day some cars could be running on it, houses heated by it, and businesses powered by it.

“The process is unique,” said Wheeler, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. “No one else in the world is doing this. With this new biofuel we have the potential in Maine of replacing 25 percent of our kerosene, diesel, and heating oil, while providing all the steam and power needs of processing plants.”

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Dorothea Dix Hospital Psychiatric Hospital in Bangor is under threat of closure

Last November Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci called for the city to establish a regional group who would amongst other duties help stop the possible closure of Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Hospital. In December the committee was established.

“There is no question that for many families in eastern and northern Maine there is an urgent need for adequate mental health care. As a vital part of that continuum of care, Dorothea Dix is an essential safety net that serves thousands of families in our region,” said Baldacci. “In order to preserve this important safety net, Bangor needs to take a leadership role to advocate for the Dorothea Dix Hospital.”

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Ichiro Fujikake (right) meets with Jason and Chris Brochu of Pleasant River Lumber Mill to discuss sustainable wood certification and business practices in Maine.

“We are working to start our own certification system,” said Ichiro Fujikake, a forest economics professor at the University of Miyazaki and an adviser to Himuka Ishin no Kai Loggers.

Fujikake contacted Beth Ollivier, executive director of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNF), to learn more about the Northeast Master Logger Certification (NEMLC) program. TCNF then hosted the Himuka group last October as they traveled throughout Maine to learn from master loggers in action from Brunswick to Passadumkeag. Himuka wanted to see the reality of the NEMLC program, which fosters environmental stewardship. The Fujikake group included loggers, landowners, a town councilor, and an executive director of a sawmill.

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"UMaine will have the ability to process cellulose nanofibrils in ways that open up applications for cellulose nanocomposites." said UMaine Hemant Pendse. photo by Ramona du Houx

“With development of new natural and functional nanomaterials, UMaine will be recognized as an innovator in novel cellulose nanofibril processing,” said FBRI Director and UMaine Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Hemant Pendse. “UMaine will have the ability to process cellulose nanofibrils in ways that open up applications for cellulose nanocomposites. It will be at a scale that opens up markets.”

Last April UMaine, with scientists from six other educational institutions and the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), began a research collaboration on the conversion of wood components into novel nanomaterials.

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I remember going to bowling alleys all over Maine and the country,” said Alfond before he made a strike at Bayside photo by Ramona du Houx

“We provide a ton of fun for people,” said State Senator Justin Alfond looking around at the inside of Bayside Bowl. In front of him were 12 bowling lanes, off to the side a stage, behind him a customized bar with sun streaming in from a skylight, and 4,850 square feet of restaurant space which can serve 50 people comfortably.

People of all ages were bowling, some were enjoying a drink at the bar, others were just listening to the music and having a meal. That “ton of fun” visibly manifests in a number of ways besides bowling, which has made Bayside Bowl a center where the community comes to unwind and enjoy music, food, bowling in a relaxed yet energized atmosphere.

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Nick Danby,on the left, helped give out awards at the first annual Kennedy dinner in Orono. One honor went to former Governor John Ellias Baldacci for all his years of public service - since he was 23. photo by Ramona du Houx

Some will recognize Nick from giving a speech introducing Pat McGowan as his nominee at the Democratic Convention in Augusta in 2010. McGowan admitted truthfully that Nick was a hard act to follow. Confident in his delivery and full of natural charm, the young man stole the hearts of many watching. Nick is also an aspiring actor and the son of Bangor’s cartoonist for the Bangor Daily News.

How did you get involved in being a Democratic activist?

I have always been interested in politics. Since my father was and still is the political cartoonist for the Bangor Daily News, I feel that his impact on me was great. I remember one day he brought home a poster of all the presidents up to George W. Bush; I was quite fascinated by it and I took it upon myself to memorize every single president in order in which they served.

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