CANTON — Town meetings in Canton are usually high-octane and rambunctious to the point of annoying. On every article, there are discussions that are liberally lathered with lengthy verbal duels that seem to run on forever — a moderator’s nightmare. But not Thursday night’s meeting. This meeting was something else entirely — it was as […]
reporters notebook
Blown oil pump, not blown engine in Mexico PD SUV cruiser
MEXICO — Police Chief Roy Hodsdon was breathing a sigh of relief Thursday morning that the department’s 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe is back in service. He said a garage replaced the SUV’s motor last month and the department got it back May 1. That night, Lt. Dan Carrier was driving it during a drunken-driving patrol on […]
Reporter’s notebook
The muddy bookcase Lunch break found me walking the rail trail between Norway and Paris, the afternoon day bright and sunny and soon shared with a oncoming woman with two small kids. The eldest said ‘hello’ just as we drew level and asked, pointing, if I knew who had left a bookcase in the water. I […]
Reporters’ notebook
Into the wild Jonah Sachs, an entrepreneur and author of “Winning the Story Wars,” was keynote speaker at the recent 2015 Maine Governor’s Conference on Tourism and started with the story of himself at 16 being sent, reluctantly, to Greenville for a trek adventure. “While I was pretty scared of spending a month in the […]
Reporters notebook: Heavy snow busting snow removal budgets
LEWISTON — Ahhh, winter may be coming to an end, but the red ink from snow removal is showing up like mud in March. Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster tweeted a photo of snow being removed from the roof of the Lewiston Regional Technical Center last month. The pile nearly reached the roof. Webster tweeted […]
Reporters notebook: Parental power growing in Lewiston schools
LEWISTON — At most school committee meetings, only those paid to be there attend. But there’s a change brewing in Lewiston. If you show up late for a School Committee meeting, you might not get a seat. More parents are showing up, asking questions, and looking for improvements for their students. Earlier this year, McMahon […]
Reporter’s Notebook: Bear-trap trick won’t be taught at Rumford magic school
RUMFORD — Children and adults interested in learning how to perform magic and showmanship by signing up for Scot Grassette’s magic school can rest easy. Grassette said last month that he won’t be teaching his students how to do the Walk of Danger stunt with the bear and beaver traps and other sharp objects that […]
Reporters’ notebook: A 6 year-old with a sweet idea and a ton of toys
Six-year-old Maddox Nason had a goal earlier this month to raise $200 through his cookies and artwork to buy toys for sick children. He’d been inspired when he saw kids on a Make-A-Wish visit to Sea World during a family vacation and asked his mom when they could do to help. The Auburn boy raised […]
‘Homemade awesomeness’ offered at Canton board meeting
CANTON — A few minutes before the Canton selectmen meeting began on Thursday night, a cute little girl boldly walked up to the board table and plunked down some delectable-looking cooking. When asked what it was, she replied with a big grin of pride, “Homemade awesomeness!” I haven’t covered Canton selectmen meetings for years, so […]
Reporter’s notebook: ‘Monsters Underground’ gets new air dates
More monsters to hunt. More dark caves to glimpse. Maybe more of a Durham man trying to use his friends as bait . . . After a debut on the Discovery Channel last month, the rest of the six-episode season of “Monsters Underground” will run on Destination America this month. Destination America announced this week […]