Stuff about me
My name is Keith Michaud and this is “Letters From Away,” a blog written by a Mainer living outside the comfortable and sane confines of New England. The blog is intended for Mainers, whether they live in the Pine Tree State or beyond, and for anyone who has loved ’em, been baffled by ’em or both. Ayuh, I am “from away.” Worse still, I live on the Left Coast – in California. Enjoy! Or not. Your choice.
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Category Archives: Economy
Sugarloaf unveils plans to double size of ski slopes | Bangor Daily News
Sugarloaf ski resort expansion to Burnt Mountain.
CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine – Sugarloaf Mountain is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a ski resort and thousands call Maine’s second highest peak their home mountain. For as long as skiers have hit the slopes there, they’ve looked longingly to the east and wondered “what if?”
What if the neighboring mountain was open to skiing, too?
“We’ve been talking about Burnt Mountain for 59 1/2 years,” Sugarloaf General Manager John Diller said at a Tuesday press conference.
The talking is over.
Click for the rest of this story by John Holyoke in the Bangor Daily News.
Posted in Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Outdoors
Tagged Brackett Basin, Burnt Mountain, Carrabassett Valley, ski resort, skiers, skiing, snowboarders, Sugarloaf Mountain
Northernmost Maine? I-95 won’t get you there | NPR
Northernmost Maine? I-95 won’t get you there | NPR
I’m not sure how I missed this part of the NPR package on Interstate 95 the other day (Paying a local price for I-95’s global promise | NPR), especially since it includes information on where I grew up. I was born in Fort Kent, traveled to Caribou to eat and shop, and drove those roads in my late teens and early 20s.
Extending Interstate 95 to Fort Kent or Madawaska would be good for the region to get goods and services that far north and products back south, but the comments point out that there are other pressing needs as well.
Posted in Economy, Environment, Outdoors, Politics and government
Tagged Appalachian Mountains, Appalachian Trial, Aroostook County, Ashland, Caribou, federal highway, Florida, Fort Kent, Gorham, Houlton, I-95, Interstate 95, Madawaska, Maine, Maine Route 11, Mount Katahdin, Patten, Patten Woods, Rep. John Martin, Symrna Mills
Weather, talent kept Folk Festival hot | Bangor Daily News
Here are links to a couple of Bangor Daily News stories on the American Folk Festival held this weekend on the Bangor Waterfront. There are stories, photos and video at the other end of these links back to the Bangor Daily News.
Weather, talent kept Folk Festival hot | Bangor Daily News
Posted in Economy, Entertainment
Tagged American Folk Festival, Bangor, Bangor Waterfront, dancing, music, performances
Early tidal power test in Eastport called a success | Bangor Daily News
EASTPORT, Maine — The Coast Guard’s 41-foot search and rescue boat eased away from the dock Tuesday morning, its batteries fully charged by electricity generated from the waters beneath its hull.
Since Aug. 18, a tidal energy generator developed by Ocean Renewable Power Co. has been producing clean, grid-compatible power for the Coast Guard boat. On Tuesday, the renewable power company and Coast Guard officials welcomed dignitaries and local residents to view up close what they described as the first-ever successful implementation of tidal energy at a federal facility.
“This has put Eastport on the world map,” said Chris Sauer, president and CEO of ORPC. “Folks in Australia, the UK, Chile, New Zealand know all about Eastport, Maine. They’re watching us and hoping it happens to them.”
Sauer called Eastport the “Kitty Hawk” of the developing tidal power industry, which has the potential, he said, to become a $1 billion industry in the city.
Click for the rest of the story by Rich Hewitt in the Bangor Daily News.
Pool of money keeps YWCA open | Lewiston Sun Journal
LEWISTON — The YWCA of Central Maine will stay open after all.
Since announcing its closure last Thursday, the 130-year-old institution has gathered $75,000 in donations and the promise of another $125,000 by the end of the week.
Leaders also plan to immediately begin a $1 million statewide fundraising campaign, aimed at erasing more than $700,000 in debt and making energy efficient improvements to the YWCA’s nearly 40-year-old East Avenue building.
“We’re running so fast,” said Lee Young, president of the YWCA’s five-member board of directors.
On Monday morning, one week after they voted to close, the board voted to remain open.
Click for the rest of the story by Daniel Hartill in the Lewiston Sun Journal.
Posted in Economy, Energy, Maine
Tagged debt, Dolard "Del" Gendron, fundraising, Gendron Real Estate, George Gendron, mortgage, Priscilla Gendron, YWCA of Central Maine
Despite big donations, folk festival still $226,000 short of goal | Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — The American Folk Festival committee is $50,000 closer to — but still almost $226,000 short of — its 2010 fundraising goal of $960,000 three days before it starts.
“We’ve received a number of donations at various monetary levels, but we received one $40,000 contribution and another $10,000 gift within the last week from two donors who wish to remain anonymous,” said Heather McCarthy, the American Folk Festival’s executive director. “To date, the festival has raised $734,291.”
Still, McCarthy and other festival officials are aggressively seeking to close the funding gap as quickly as possible for the three-day extravaganza, which begins Friday centered on the Bangor Waterfront.
“We’re a little more comfortable with the money we’ve raised, but it doesn’t change the tone of our message to festival-goers because we still feel the sustainability of the event, long-term, depends on educating them on what they’re getting for little to relatively no cost.
“We have to educate people [about] the value the festival provides not just for attendees, but also the surrounding community.”
Click for the rest of the story by Andrew Neff in the Bangor Daily News.
Donations to the Folk Festival can be made by calling Mary Brann at (207) 974-3217 or by mailing them to American Folk Festival, 40 Harlow St., Bangor ME 04401.
Annual Maine law enforcement summer pot harvesting under way | Lewiston Sun Journal
MEXICO, Maine — Law enforcement officials in Western Maine say there could be a bumper crop of marijuana this year, based on outside growing conditions and the number of plants seized so far.
Police are finding that plants cultivated outdoors are doing much better than in the past two years put together, Oxford County Marijuana Eradication Coordinator Chancey Libby said.
“Two years ago, we were finding pathetic-looking plants that were over-watered and drowned by all the rain,” Cpl. Libby said.
The lack of rain this summer, however, means people who cultivate marijuana outdoors have to work that much harder to grow it, which increases the risk of getting caught, Libby said.
“We’ve had such a nice, dry summer that these people will have to tote more water in,” he said.
The county’s biggest haul so far came on Aug. 3 when 298 plants were seized in Andover.
Click for the rest of this story by Terry Karkos in the Lewiston Sun Journal.
Maine tourism gets its glow back: Sun-filled summer has businesses thriving again after a dreary 2009
PORTLAND — Maine’s tourism industry is rebounding from last year’s miserable summer, and the state’s restaurants, campgrounds and hotels are getting a much-needed boost in income.
Although many consumers remain cautious about spending because of the sluggish economy, this summer’s sunny weather has been a huge improvement over last summer’s rainy and cool weather, said Steve DiMillo of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant in Portland.
He said his restaurant has been serving 1,000 meals a day – a 10 percent increase over last year. “Great weather trumps everything,” he said. “The sunshine is obviously our friend.”
Sales at restaurants in Maine are up 2 percent to 4 percent this summer over last summer, according to industry estimates.
Click for the rest of this story by Tom Bell in the Portland Press Herald.
Posted in Economy, Environment, Food and Drink, Maine, Outdoors
Tagged attractions, Bayley's Camping Resort in Old Orchard Beach, DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, hotels, Maine's Office of Tourism, motels, National Weather Service, occupancy rate, Portland, Portland Harbor Hotel, restaurants, tourism, tourits, visitors
Letters From Away 