These new Katahdin-area mountain bike trails are top notch

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 7, 2020

The Hammond Ridge Trail System is an expanding trail network for mountain biking, cross-country skiing and hiking located just outside Millinocket on Black Cat Mountain and Hammond Ridge. The trail network was constructed by Katahdin Area Trails, a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2014 to bolster the economy of the Katahdin region through the development of sustainable, world-class mountain biking and cross-country ski trails and facilities. The end goal is to develop at least 75 miles of mountain biking trails and 30 miles of cross-country ski trails in the area.

Editorial: Tourism-related COVID cases in Bar Harbor area warrant close scrutiny

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 7, 2020

We know that measures such as physical distancing, face coverings, ventilation and cleanliness can keep the virus from spreading. Making those small sacrifices can help everyone, out-of-state tourists and Mainers alike, enjoy the summer to the extent possible, without jeopardizing Maine’s status as one of the safest places to be in terms of COVID-19 – and putting at risk months of hard work.

Editorial: Seeing Maine as the perfect place to quarantine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

Maine’s tourism industry needs more than longer stays from well-heeled travelers to make up for the coronavirus-related downturn. But there is value in recognizing — and marketing — Maine’s centuries-old appeal as a place of refuge and personal restoration.

Acadia Center Gateway Project Recieves $9 M Grant

MAINE PUBLIC • August 6, 2020

A project designed to establish a full-service intermodal transit hub serving Acadia National Park and nearby communities has received $9 million from the Federal Transit Administration. The money will help pay for the second and final phase of the Acadia Center Gateway project in Trenton, not far from the airport. David MacDonald, CEO of Friends of Acadia, says phase one of the project, which was completed in 2012, included a storage and maintenance facility for the fare free Island Explorer shuttle bus system which was put in place to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in the region. MacDonald says phase two will allow the creation of a welcome center where visitors will be able to get information and buy a park pass.

Maine lawmakers endorse sovereignty bid in historic win for tribes, but obstacles remain

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

Tribes won a historic victory on Thursday when a Maine legislative panel endorsed a sweeping sovereignty effort, but it could be a hollow one with lawmakers squabbling over the terms of a return to Augusta and looming special-interest opposition. On Thursday, the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee endorsed the package while splitting it into three different bills as a way to make the issues more palatable for lawmakers. They include one bill allowing tribes to conduct gaming on their lands; one on taxation, land acquisition and criminal jurisdiction; and a third touching on fishing, hunting and other rights.

Maine Conservation Voters Action Fund announces legislative endorsements

MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS • August 6 2020

On Thursday, the Maine Conservation Voters Action Fund announced its early round of endorsements for Maine legislative candidates for this year's general election.

Trump's pitch to Maine lobstermen falls flat

THE HILL • August 6, 2020

President Trump was beaming when he traveled to Maine two months ago to tell lobstermen he was reversing protections for some 5,000 miles of ocean territory in a bid to open it to fishing. “You’re going to go fishing in that area now that you haven’t seen for a long time,” Trump said. But the area Trump aims to reopen is 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod — far beyond the reach of Maine’s day-boat lobstermen. “This doesn’t help the Maine fisherman at all,” Leroy Weed, 79, who has had a lobster license since he was 10 years old, said of Trump’s reversal of protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Most of Maine’s lobstering takes place within 3 miles of shore. Trump’s pronouncement in June marked his latest overture to an industry that has been hit hard by tariffs in his trade war with China. After the tariffs hit, Maine lobster trade with China dropped 48 percent.

$1,500 of fishing gear stolen from boats at Winthrop marina

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • August 6, 2020

About $1,500 worth of fishing gear was stolen from boats at Lakeside Lodge & Marina sometime overnight Sunday, police said. According to a Facebook post by Lakeside, the theft happened after 9 p.m. Sunday from one row of boats by the cottages.

New York Attorney General Moves To Dissolve The NRA After Fraud Investigation

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • August 6, 2020

The attorney general of New York took action Thursday to dissolve the National Rifle Association following an 18-month investigation that found evidence the powerful gun rights group is "fraught with fraud and abuse." The suit alleges that top NRA executives misused charitable funds for personal gain, awarded contracts to friends and family members, and provided contracts to former employees to ensure loyalty.

Opinion: The death of the Unity College dream

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

The coronavirus has affected colleges since spring 2020. It’s curious why Unity College, in such a short time, has opted to go fully online, lay off faculty, potentially sell its campus and significantly take from the community that built it. How did Unity use its $822,158 allocation from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act? Online education has not lived up to its potential. Why has Unity opted for a model that dismisses the importance and positive effects of socialization and experiential learning? This was not the dream of the Unity founders. As founding students, this is not our Unity. ~ Mark Alter, the first graduate of Unity College in 1969, is a professor of educational psychology at New York University. Michael Allen is president and CEO of Maine-ly Red Wing Inc. Richard Saltzberg is president and CEO of Charles River Publishing. Both graduated from Unity College in 1970.

A cruise line rejected by Bar Harbor wants to make stops in Bucksport

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

Having been turned away from making stops in Bar Harbor this year, American Cruise Lines has approached the town of Bucksport to seek the town’s blessing in making three stops in the riverside town this fall.

Storm Cleanup reminders from Maine Forest Service

TURNER PUBLISHING • August 6, 2020

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service reminds everyone involved in storm cleanup to be safe and also help keep Maine’s forests healthy. After power and other utilities have been restored, property owners will be faced with the issue of what to do with storm-damaged trees. Project Canopy, a program of the MFS, offers these tips and helpful guidance to property owners faced with questions about what to do with downed trees, limbs and branches.

Column: Why this crow species was just struck from the North American bird list

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 3, 2020

I have a goal to see 700 bird species in North America. Getting there just got a little harder. Until now, there was a crow in the Pacific Northwest that was slightly smaller than the American crow; it had a more nasal voice. It was first declared a species when settlers arrived in the 19th century. In June 2020, the American Ornithological Society announced that the northwestern crow no longer existed — that it was just a smaller version of the American crow. it was a deduction from my Life List. I’m down to 601. Nowadays, I can barely find the bathroom light switch in the dark, let alone find a tiny owl on an island 30 miles off the coast of Canada. But if I did, that would be something to crow about. ~ Bob Duchesne

Bryant Pond 4-H Camp quietly continues its mission to engage youth

ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • August 6, 2020

Bryant Pond 4-H Camp had to suspend all summer programs and camp sessions but it did not give up on finding ways to engage the youth it serves. Starting with virtual sessions begun last spring as a way to support SAD 17 educators in distance learning and adding new programs for quarantine activities, camp directors were able to connect with not just those who were unable to attend, but campers from previous years and underserved kids who had never even been involved with 4-H before.

Pandemic Will Scrap Chance To Study Imperiled Maine Shrimp

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 6, 2020

The federal government is canceling a research survey about New England's imperiled shrimp fishery due to challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Maine shrimp fishery has been shut down for several years because of concerns such as poor survival of young. Scientists say environmental conditions in the Gulf of Maine have put the future of the fishery at risk. NOAA said it's also canceling a handful of other research surveys.

This 100-mile Penobscot River paddling trail will soon have a network of campsites

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

A group of paddlers launched an ambitious effort to provide camping options on 100 miles of the Penobscot River stretching from Medway to Bucksport four years ago, and built a site in Brewer in 2018. The hope was that the Penobscot River Paddling Trail would let adventurers spend a day on the river, then find appropriate spots to stop and camp out along the way. Organizers set a goal of providing at least one campsite every 10 miles along the route. The group’s website now lists eight campsites over more than 50 miles of the river. In addition, 25 boat launches or put-in sites are listed. The group has a plan, and hopes to continue the trail’s expansion.

Coronavirus concerns force Oxford County Fair to pull the plug in 2020

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2020

A state fair in Oxford known for drawing top musical talent such as Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes and The Marshall Tucker Band has been canceled this year due to the pandemic. Almost every agricultural fair in Maine has been forced to shut down due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements. Due to run Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 16 to 19 at the grounds on Pottle Road in Oxford, the Oxford County Fair was the last major holdout.

A ‘very good year’ for the Auburn Farmers’ Market

SUN JOURNAL • August 5, 2020

Farmers markets in Auburn and Lewiston participated in National Farmers Market Week, Aug. 2-8. Auburn's is held Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. across from Festival Plaza. "It has been a very good year for the market," Jenna Roberts of Marvelous Macaroons said. "The whole COVID thing has brought everyone back to buying local," she said.