Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME) articles from July 2011

Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME) archives from July 2011

Tackling Maine's pike problem.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Deirdre Fleming July 31--OLD TOWN -- Three hours in the hot sun and two dozen young pickerel to show for it. Not what two state biologists, two assistants and a retired colleague had in mind. The electro-fishing boat effort...

Mainers in London: A year away from a dream.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Mike Lowe July 31--London has been on Ben Shorey's mind lately. Actually, he said, "It's on my mind a lot." No wonder. Less than a year from now, Shorey, the race walker from Ellsworth, hopes to be representing the United States...

Curve in command, right from the start.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Kevin Thomas July 31--PORTLAND -- If the Pittsburgh Pirates are looking for pitching help in their push to the playoffs, they need only to look within. Kyle McPherson is mowing them down in Double-A. Pitching for the Altoona...

Taylor pulls away for Late Model win.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 31--SCARBOROUGH -- After dueling with Wayne Helliwell Jr. for more than 100 laps, Jeff Taylor, a veteran driver from Farmington, pulled away during the last 11 to win the American Canadian Tour 150-lap race for Late...

The Bottom Line: Making cents with common scents.
July 31, 2011... Byline: J. Hemmerdinger July 31--SANFORD -- The cool scent of mint permeated Tom's of Maine's Sanford factory last week. The odor, which hits you when you walk in the front door, hints at the products rolling down the factory line. ...

CEO learned about customers early on.
July 31, 2011... Byline: J. Hemmerdinger July 31--SANFORD -- When he was a kid, Tom O'Brien worked at his family's fish market and restaurant in Hull, Mass. The experience made lasting impressions on O'Brien, now CEO of Sanford-based Tom's of Maine. It...

EDITORIAL: Governor discredited by his own anti-media tirade.(Editorial)
July 31, 2011... July 31--Gov. LePage had a chance to clear the air with the city of Portland and the struggling groundfishing industry Thursday, putting to rest allegations that the governor had ordered a member of his administration to stop cooperating with...

Readers' Choice.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Ray Routhier July 31--Let the fun begin. Not that your summer hasn't been fun already. But your Maine fun quotient is about to go way up, now that the results of our expanded Readers' Choice poll are in. The 25th annual edition of...

And a few of our favorite things.
July 31, 2011... July 31--More choices are a good thing. We collected your opinions on everything from your favorite restaurants and bars to nail salons and tattoo parlors, and compiled the results for our 25th annual Readers' Choice poll. But if you...

Portland Press Herald, Maine, Bob Keyes column.(Column)
July 31, 2011... Byline: Bob Keyes July 31--When I lived in the Midwest, I'd often squirrel myself away in my dark basement, plug a bunch of Bill Morrissey CDs into my six-disc changer and let his music and words sing me back home. Morrissey, who died July 23...

Arts Planner.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Bob Keyes July 31--THIS WEEK --Maine State Ballet in Falmouth collaborates with baritone Aaron Engebreth and pianist Alison d'Amato to present "The Poet's Love," a song cycle composed by Robert Schumann in 1840. Maine State...

Decision time for 'Bachelorette'.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Ray Routhier July 31--ASHLEY HEBERT'S WHIRLWIND ROMANCE -- being wooed by 25 men on network television for more than two months -- is about to come to an end. And hopefully for the 27-year-old dental student from Madawaska, it...

Artists' impressions of France.
July 31, 2011... July 31--DAMARISCOTTA -- Claudette Gamache, a midcoast pastel artist and teacher, recently led a group of Maine-connected artists to paint in France. Their explorations included Aix en Provence, where Cezanne painted, the wine region of the...

Society Notebook: Drawing A Crowd.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Avery Yale Kamila July 31--Think back to your earliest days and try to remember the images that captivated and inspired you. Most likely, those images were found on the pages of an illustrated children's book. Fans of such art...

Acting on a homing instinct.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Ray Routhier July 31--BUXTON -- Francoise Paradis is not, by trade, a real estate developer. Yet she suddenly finds herself at the center of an effort to build a 20-unit cohousing community on eight acres of land she owns in...

Maine Gardener: Out with the non-native, in with the native.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Tom Atwell July 31--Bob Bittenbender is doing battle with invasive plants, aggressive growers that often crowd out native species and dominate that landscape. But like a good general, he wants to stack the deck so he has a better...

Can you get to the beach?
July 31, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 31--On a recent Friday, a day when temperatures would soar above 90 degrees across Maine, cars started to line up long before the gates opened at Scarborough Beach State Park. By 9 a.m., the gleaming metal...

Festival offers a taste of cultural diversity.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 31--PORTLAND -- Flags flew along State Street in the afternoon breeze, leading people from all walks of life to Deering Oaks park for the ninth annual Festival of Nations on Saturday. Spices from ethnic...

Revival of fishing boils down to lobsters.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Rebekah Metzler July 31--AUGUSTA -- At the Portland Fish Exchange, there's a hint of politics in the air, from a recent visit by the state's new top marine official to a political letter taped to the customer service window. If...

Accomplished lawyer, radio host writes book.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Bob Keyes July 31--Ken Altshuler's philosophy about life goes something like this: Cram as much in as possible. He applies that same credo to his golf game: The more, the better. Altshuler, a Portland radio talk-show host and...

Next Maine Event: Looking for lobster? Rockland festival has it covered.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Wendy Almeida July 31--When an event promotes a "Lobster-Palooza" theme, you know there's going to be a lot of lobster there. But you might need some perspective about what "a lot" of lobster really looks like if you haven't been to...

Goose Rocks: Test of public, private rights.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 31--KENNEBUNKPORT -- Squinting against the afternoon sun, Bob Almeder looked from his porch toward the sand dunes and the beach below. From Almeder's property near the mouth of the Batson River, Goose Rocks...

Scarborough: Coastal property issues arise often in this microcosm.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 31--SCARBOROUGH -- With persistent squabbles about parking and access at Higgins Beach; a controversial land swap at Pine Point; and a proposed beachfront park that generated a lawsuit before it even reached the...

U.S. shutdown would reduce cash flow.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Tom Bell July 31--Like all states, Maine will face a drastic drop in critical federal funds this week if Washington can't solve the debt ceiling stalemate by Tuesday. Federal dollars that pay for highway construction, work orders...

BRIEF: Sea Dogs lose top pitcher, hitter in trade.
July 31, 2011... July 31--The Portland Sea Dogs lost three players, including their top pitcher and hitter in a three-team trade after today's 8-5 win over the Altoona Curve at Hadlock Field. The Red Sox, Dodgers and Mariners were involved in the...

BRIEF: Falmouth woman wins third straight Tri for a Cure triathlon.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Glenn Jordan July 31--SOUTH PORTLAND -- Anne Wilkinson, a 44-year-old cancer survivor from Falmouth, won the all-women Tri for a Cure sprint triathlon Sunday morning for the third year in a row. "It's another beautiful day for a great...

Driver injured at Lebanon mud races.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Dennis Hoey July 31--LEBANON -- A Masssachusetts man, who is believed to be in his 60s, was taken to a York County hospital after he lost control of his truck this afternoon during a race at the Go Deep Mud Track in East Lebanon. ...

Maine senators say a debt-ceiling deal may be 'imminent'.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Jonathan Riskind July 31--A deal to break the debt ceiling standoff could be at hand, Maine's Republican senators said Sunday. Sen. Olympia Snowe said a compromise debt ceiling deal between Democrats and Republicans may be...

Haeger flaunts his floater.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Kevin Thomas July 30--PORTLAND -- Charlie Haeger took the mound at Hadlock Field, looked in to catcher Mark Wagner and delivered his wobbly pitch -- at 66 mph. The knuckleball is back in Portland. Not since Charlie Zink danced...

Brad Babb gets back to business.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 30--Less than a week after destroying the front end of his car while trying to qualify for the TD Bank 250, Windham teenager Brad Babb will be back on the track for tonight's American Canadian Tour 150-lap race for...

Legion Tournament: Morrill Post eliminated with loss to Brewer.(Financial report)
July 30, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 30--AUGUSTA -- Burly right-hander Kyle McLain scattered six hits Friday as Brewer knocked Morrill Post out of the American Legion baseball state tournament with an 8-3 victory at McGuire Field. Morrill Post, of South...

Local Baseball: York keeps hopes alive for Little League title.
July 30, 2011... July 30--PORTLAND -- Sam Johnson hit his fourth home run of the playoffs as York advanced to the championship round of the state Little League 11-12 tournament Friday with a 10-2 victory over Old Town. York will face Yarmouth at 10 a.m. today...

Portland firm takes home top ad award.
July 30, 2011... July 30--The Via Agency, a Portland-based advertising firm, has won one of the industry's top awards. The firm, which has about 85 employees, was named Small Agency of the Year by industry publication Advertising Age. Ann Morton, Via's...

EDITORIAL: More penalties needed to respond to 'bath salts'.(Editorial)
July 30, 2011... July 30--The Legislature did the right thing this year when it made Maine one of the first states in the nation to outlaw the drug marketed as "bath salts." The law, however, doesn't go far enough. Police have the power to fine people who...

EDITORIAL: Fifth year of high school an idea worth pursuing.(Editorial)
July 30, 2011... July 30--One of the most interesting policy ideas to come out of last year's gubernatorial campaign was put forward by then-candidate Paul Le- Page. It was the creation of an optional fifth year of high school, which would let a student earn a...

Time to clear the air?
July 30, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 30--OLD ORCHARD BEACH -- Cigarette smoke wafting in the sea breeze and discarded cigarette butts in the sand may soon be scenes of the past on Maine's busiest beach. After hearing a presentation July 19 from...

Westbrook releases details of settlement.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Leslie Bridgers July 30--Former Westbrook Fire Chief Daniel Brock will be paid $320,000 if the City Council approves a settlement agreement reached earlier this month between city officials and Brock, who claimed he was wrongfully...

Rare legal win for Dechaine: DNA comparison expanded.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 30--PORTLAND -- A judge has ordered the state's crime lab to compare a partial DNA profile -- collected from the thumbnail of a 12-year-old murder victim in 1988 -- against Maine's database of 21,000 DNA samples...

Falmouth gun club addressing concerns.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Kelley Bouchard July 30--FALMOUTH -- The Falmouth Rod and Gun Club began making headway this week in addressing environmental and safety concerns that closed all four shooting ranges at the Gray Road facility earlier this year. ...

Eastern Prom blocked off for fake emergency.
July 30, 2011... Byline: John Richardson July 30--PORTLAND -- Police arrested a 30-year-old man Friday and charged him with making a false report and triggering a two-hour search and lockdown of an East End neighborhood. Police said Christopher Sanborn of...

Smoky fire leaves 33 homeless.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Kelley Bouchard July 30--PORTLAND -- Chasity Holtan made the terrifying decision to drop her children from a second-story window to neighbors waiting below Friday afternoon, when a smoky blaze forced the evacuation of a Sherman Street...

New trial sought based on juror confusion.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Ann Kim July 30--PORTLAND -- A Kittery businessman facing prison time for knowingly making false statements about his criminal record in a Small Business Administration loan application is making a bid for a new trial because a juror...

King shares advice from book: Don't plan.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Edward D. Murphy July 30--Former Gov. Angus King's advice for planning a major six-month road trip around the country in a recreational vehicle you've barely driven with two young children aboard? "Don't plan," King said Friday while...

BRIEF: Detroit trades Furbush to Seattle in 5-player deal.
July 30, 2011... July 30--Charlie Furbush, a South Portland native who made his first major league start earlier this month, was traded to the Seattle Mariners today by the Detroit Tigers, according to SI.com. Furbush, who is 1-3 wit a 3.62 ERA, has 26...

BRIEF: Taxi hits pole, caused power outage.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 30--PORTLAND -- Authorities say power has been restored in the North Deering area after a car struck a telephone pole earlier this morning. Police don't have a cause for the accident, but say a taxi hit the...

Chartered schooner runs aground.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Edward D. Murphy July 30--PORTLAND -- The Wendameen, a chartered two-masted schooner, has run aground off Great Diamond Island, the Coast Guard said. No one was injured when the sailboat ran aground off the north side of the island...

BRIEF: Festival of Nations in Deering Oaks.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 30--PORTLAND -- The ninth annual Festival of Nations is drawing crowds to Deering Oaks Park. The festival, continuing until 8:30 tonight, features cuisine from countries around the world and vendors selling...

Patriots Training Camp: Locked in on football.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Mike Lowe July 29--FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- After a 4 1/2-month lockout, after all the legal posturing by the NFL owners and players, Vince Wilfork wasn't quite sure what to expect Thursday morning. And then the New England Patriots...

Patriots Beat: So little time to learn so much.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Mike Lowe July 29--FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Wow. Everyone figured that the first few days of NFL training camps would be wild, but wow. Albert Haynesworth. Chad Ochocinco. For basically, draft pick scraps. In two Thursday...

Bangor tops Morrill, stays unbeaten.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 29--AUGUSTA -- Left-hander Curtis Worcester scattered six hits as Bangor remained in the winners' bracket in the American Legion Baseball state tournament by rolling to an 11-4 win against Morrill Post at McGuire Field...

Local Baseball: Augusta keeps hitting, and keeps on winning.
July 29, 2011... July 29--AUGUSTA -- Augusta continued its heavy hitting in the American Legion baseball state tournament Thursday, pounding out a 21-11 victory over Gayton Post in a game shortened to eight innings by the 10-run rule. Augusta will face...

York ousted from tourney.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 29--AUGUSTA -- Kyle Farrar and Cody Hadley each drove in three runs to help Bessey Motors pull away to a 9-2 victory against York in an American Legion baseball state tournament game Thursday at McGuire Field. The...

That just-short feeling.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Kevin Thomas July 29--PORTLAND -- On Thursday afternoon, Boston Red Sox fans watched with expectation, and then despair, as Carl Crawford's attempt at a walk-off home run was caught just shy of the right-field wall. On Thursday night,...

EDITORIAL: Debt talks have already had effect on economy.(Editorial)
July 29, 2011... July 29--We don't need to wait until Aug. 2 to find out what effect a failure to agree on raising the debt ceiling will have -- it's already happening. Uncertainty over what Congress and the president will do or not do is throwing cold water...

EDITORIAL: Bus advertising a good way to help support school sports.(Editorial)
July 29, 2011... July 29--Portland school officials should be praised, not panned, for looking for new ways to pay for sports programs. Unfortunately, too many parents and fans are wedded to the way things have been done in the past. What they don't seem to...

Review: Elvis Costello still pleases fans from Maine.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Aimsel Ponti July 29--It's been four years since Elvis Costello played in Portland, but that doesn't mean he's not a red hot artist as far as his fans go. His ability to pack the house was proven when his State Theatre show sold...

Dechaine legal team tries again.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 29--PORTLAND -- A preliminary hearing is scheduled today in Dennis Dechaine's long-running bid to get a new trial in his murder case. Dechaine, 53, is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping and murder of...

LePage assures mayor he'll support Portland, slams 'dishonest' press.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Rebekah Metzler July 29--AUGUSTA -- After a departing Cabinet member said the governor didn't support reviving groundfishing in Portland, the city's mayor and Gov. Paul LePage met Thursday and smoothed the political waters. But they...

State says it will review charges of illegal voting.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Rebekah Metzler July 29--AUGUSTA -- Secretary of State Charlie Summers is pursuing an investigation into potential voter fraud, after allegations made this week by the state Republican Party chairman and earlier this month by a worker...

Double-murder suspect makes court appearance.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Ann Kim July 29--PORTLAND -- The man accused of killing the mother of his four children and his longtime friend earlier this week made an initial court appearance in the case Thursday. Joel Hayden has been charged with two counts...

Police, merchants on gang alert after brawl.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Beth Quimby July 29--Portland bar owners and other merchants are being asked to ban customers wearing gang colors and other insignia after a fistfight involving two dozen motorcycle gang members on Commercial Street early Saturday...

Sappi starts work on fish ladder.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Leslie Bridgers July 29--WESTBROOK -- The orange cones, neon vests and construction crane that can be seen from Cumberland Street might have little significance to most people driving by the Sappi Fine Paper mill. For those involved...

Bill would allow heavy trucks on interstates.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Jonathan Riskind July 29--WASHINGTON -- The heaviest trucks rumbling through Maine would be allowed back on all Maine interstates under legislation to be announced today by U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe. Snowe's bill is the latest...

Big Bang theory coming to former Loring building.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Dennis Hoey July 29--A Portland-based company will use nearly 300 pounds of dynamite to demolish a building at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, one of the largest implosion projects ever attempted in Maine. Engineered...

B&B owner, 102, is still in business after 50 years.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 29--YORK -- Irene Bennett has a lot to celebrate this summer. Her bed and breakfast, Bennett's Guest House, marked 50 years of business, and on Thursday, Bennett celebrated her 102nd birthday. "It's a...

New gun law may force workplaces to tweak policies.
July 29, 2011... Byline: J. Hemmerdinger July 29--PORTLAND -- Maine businesses may need to rewrite employee handbooks and company policies to reflect a new concealed weapon law, say employment lawyers and human resource consultants. In June, Gov. Paul...

BRIEF: Death of missing Saco man ruled a suicide.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Ann Kim July 29--SACO -- A missing man whose body was discovered a half-mile from his home committed suicide, according to the state Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death for Christopher Noonan, 26, was complications from...

BRIEF: Tri for a Cure may tie up traffic Sunday.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Emma Bouthillette July 29--SOUTH PORTLAND -- It's all about swimming, cycling and running Sunday during the 4th annual Tri for a Cure, which might make driving in the area difficult. With nearly 1,000 race participants and...

Dechaine gets DNA legal victory.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 29--PORTLAND -- A judge has ordered the state's crime lab to compare a partial DNA profile -- collected from the thumbnail of a 12-year-old murder victim in 1988 -- against Maine's database of 21,000 DNA samples...

BRIEF: Westbrook, ex-fire chief agree to $320K settlement.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Leslie Bridgers July 29--WESTBROOK -- Former Fire Chief Daniel Brock will be paid $320,000, if the City Council approves a settlement agreement reached between Brock and city officials earlier this month. The city would pay...

The Via Agency wins top industry award.
July 29, 2011... Byline: J. Hemmerdinger July 29--PORTLAND -- The Via Agency, a Portland-based advertising firm, has won one of the ad industry's top awards. The firm, which has roughly 85 employees, was named Small Agency of the Year by industry...

BRIEF: Sherman Street fire extinguished, residents rescued.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Kelley Bouchard July 29--PORTLAND -- A fire at 123 Sherman St. is out after firefighters rescued several residents this afternoon. Fire officials declined to provide any details at the scene, where several fire and rescue...

BRIEF: Lakes group to boaters: Steer clear of Songo Lock.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Leslie Bridgers July 29--NAPLES -- The Lakes Environmental Association is asking boaters to stay out of Songo Lock until after Labor Day. The association, based in Bridgton, has been working since May to remove invasive mifoil...

Revenue surplus doesn't ease economic concerns.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Rebekah Metzler July 28--AUGUSTA -- State officials remain concerned about the state's economic future despite ending the fiscal year with a revenue surplus of nearly $50 million. They said high fuel prices and the unresolved federal...

Press Herald, Telegram win 15 awards in regional contest.
July 28, 2011... July 28--The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram won 15 awards, including five first-place awards, in the 2011 New England Associated Press News Executives Association competition. The Portland papers competed against regional...

Secretary of State investigates possible voter fraud.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Rebekah Metzler July 28--AUGUSTA -- Secretary of State Charlie Summers announced he his pursuing a two-pronged investigation into potential voter fraud, stemming from allegations made by an employee within his department and leaders...

BRIEF: PROP to merge with Youth Alternatives Ingraham.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Leslie Bridgers July 28--PORTLAND -- The People's Regional Opportunity Program of Cumberland County and Youth Alternatives Ingraham are merging into a single social services agency. The boards of trustees for both nonprofit...

BRIEF: Hearing to be held in Dechaine case.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Trevor Maxwell July 28--PORTLAND -- A preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow in Dennis Dechaine's longrunning bid to get a new trial in his murder case. Dechaine, 53, is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping and murder...

Hockey camp: It's cool being on the ice.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Rachel Lenzi July 28--FALMOUTH -- Matt Duffy looked at the bright side of working at a hockey camp this week. Spending days on the ice as an instructor beat lifting weights, doing wind sprints and core workouts, some of the facets...

On Baseball: Lackey somehow gets it done.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Kevin Thomas July 28--BOSTON -- He was hit, and then hit hard in the first inning. Yet John Lackey remained, lasting 5 2/3 innings Wednesday night at Fenway Park. It is what you might call vintage Lackey these days. He walked off...

Gayton completes a comeback.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 28--AUGUSTA -- Defending state champion Gayton Post kept its unbeaten record intact with a 13-11 victory over Fayette-Staples Post on the opening day of the American Legion baseball state tournament Wednesday. The...

Morrill Post hangs tough for a hard-earned victory.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Mike Lowe July 28--AUGUSTA -- At this time of year, it doesn't matter how good you look, how many hits your batters have, how many strikeouts your pitcher has or even how many errors you make. All that matters is you win. And...

Bangor wins pitching duel.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Paul Betit July 28--AUGUSTA -- Left-hander Joe Stanevicz outdueled righty Chris Cole to lead Bangor to a 4-2 victory over Ramsdell-Rogers Post in an American Legion baseball state tournament game at McGuire Field. Stanevicz, headed...

Local Baseball: OA-Yarmouth turns early lead into a victory.
July 28, 2011... July 28--YARMOUTH -- OA-Yarmouth jumped to a 4-1 lead and held off Cumberland for a 5-3 victory Wednesday in a Junior Legion tournament play-in game. Calvin Cooper hit a two-run triple in the first inning and Caleb Uhl added an RBI triple in...