Park rangers on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) are reporting inadequate ice on the Allagash headwater lakes to support ice-fishing activity and snowmobiling.

AWW Chief Ranger Kevin Brown reports that Churchill Lake appears to be especially dangerous this week, with only about 3 inches of ice across the lake. Chamberlain Lake became free of ice during the recent rain storm.

Read more ›

A new University of Maine Center on Aging statewide survey of more than 230 older adults shows that legal needs of aging Maine residents continue to increase at a time when free or low-cost legal aid is scarce. The study also found that many older adults, the majority over age 70, female and living on less than $20,000 a year, do have legal issues, but don’t realize it.

Read more ›

Mr. Scrooge

With Christmas upon us, productions of Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol, adopted for stage and screen, are popping up everywhere as they have for generations. In this redemptive tale that has so caught the imagination of the English-speaking world, Dickens has really fashioned a religious drama in which the message of Jesus during the celebration of his birth is brought home to a single individual and releases him from the mean, selfish, bitter inner misanthropic image that he projects.

Ironically, when we think of Ebenezer Scrooge, whenever we speak his name even, we conjure the first impression he makes upon us. We do not consciously acknowledge his conversion. Scrooge has become almost a noun, meaning someone who is not only a miser but also a disbeliever in the words and admonitions of Jesus Christ. The early Ebenezer neither accepts nor practices the idea of doing unto others what you would have done to yourself.

By the end of the story, however, the old gentleman has changed. A kindly side emerges. The spirit of the holiday reaches him through a series of ghosts and he arrives in the sunlight of sharing a charitable disposition with his fellow Londoners, employees and relatives. Ebenezer Scrooge is re-born, so to speak.

Read more ›

“I trusted the state to help me and my family,” said Dr. Ellie Handler. “But they abused my trust. They manipulated me. Our son, David, was torn away from us. We don’t even know where he is. I’m traumatized, living in a state of guilt.”

The former successful OBGYN who delivered thousands of newborns and took care of the Belfast community’s health should have nothing to feel guilty about. Sexually abused as a child Dr. Handler suffers from mental disorders which tragically surfaced before the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) became involved in the lives of all the Handlers.

Read more ›

President Barack Obama’s statement on the two week extension for the middle-class tax payroll tax break and unemployment benefits passed by the US Senate. The House needs to approve the measure:

In the last few weeks, I set out a simple principle: Congress should not go home for vacation until it finds a way to avoid hitting 160 million Americans with a tax hike on January 1st. Extending the payroll tax cut that shows up in people’s paychecks every week is an idea that I proposed in September as part of the American Jobs Act.

At a time when so many Americans are working harder and harder just to keep up, the extra $1,000 or so that the average family would get from this tax cut makes a real difference when you’re trying to buy groceries or pay the bills, make a mortgage or make a repair. And all kinds of independent economists agree — the number-one challenge facing businesses right now is a lack of demand from consumers, which is why more people spending money means companies that are more successful and more able to hire more workers.

Read more ›

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.”

Read more ›

Citizens protesting for job creation

Gov. Paul LePage’s supplemental budget proposal released December 6, 2011, laid out a drastic plan for restructuring Medicaid, including changing eligibility which would eliminate Medicaid coverage to more than 44,000 to 65,000 Maine citizens. This Medicaid- or MaineCare coverage has been a focus of the LePage administration to dismantle.

“The proposal puts our economy in jeopardy and undermines public health and safety. It hurts Mainers who are already struggling with absolutely no plan to get people back to work,” said Rep. Emily Cain, the House Democratic leader.

Read more ›

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree plans to vote for the Synthetic Drug Control Act, which would make psychoactive stimulants known as “bath salts” illegal drugs under federal law. She is a cosponsor of the legislation, which is expected to come to a vote in the House later today.

“It’s troubling how quickly these drugs have swept through communities in Maine. A year ago, few people knew about them, but today, our police departments and hospitals are being overwhelmed with cases,” said Pingree. “Maine has taken the right steps to address the problem, but the federal government needs to take swift action to permanently make bath salts illegal in all states. We need to act quickly to address this crisis.”

Read more ›

Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci is calling for the city to establish a regional group who would amongst other duties help stop the possible closure of Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Hospital. The City Council will hear and discuss his request on Tuesday November 29, 2011, as the first item on the agenda of the Municipal Operations Committee meeting.

“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 Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci. “In order to preserve this important safety-net Bangor needs to take a leadership role to advocate for the Dorothea Dix Hospital.”

Read more ›

For consumers throughout the state with questions about safe food handling and preparation, leftovers or even recipes and nutrition as the holidays approach, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension team is only a phone call away for research-based answers.

Six Extension food safety and nutrition specialists make up the call team, which can be reached by calling the nearest county Extension office or dialing a statewide toll-free number: 1-800-287-0274. Many consumer questions can be addressed online,where dozens of Extension publications address a multitude of topics, specialists in county offices also can answer most questions. Bolton says. Consumers can expect to receive a callback within a few hours with answers.

Read more ›