Folk Festival is a moment of pride for Bangor - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

What a wonderful time to begin a week's vacation, right in themiddle of the 66th National Folk Festival in Bangor!

I share the pride of all residents of this area who have helpedmake this event so successful, and am especially grateful for theextra effort of City Engineer Jim Ring and his crew for their hardwork in making the Bangor waterfront so attractive.

That effort and the dedication and commitment of everyoneassociated with the third and final National Folk Festival in thiscity bode well, I hope, for what follows: the very first AmericanFolk Festival on the Bangor waterfront in 2005.

I hope everyone enjoys the National Folk Festival, and that youall have a safe Labor Day weekend.

My column returns to this section on Wednesday, Sept. 8.

Jean Lyford hopes the public will show its support for the BrewerHistorical Society by making purchases at its bake sale from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. today at Marden's in Brewer.

The sale features homemade foods, and proceeds will benefit thesociety museum at 199 Wilson St., which Lyford said 'needs a lot ofrepair.'

On behalf of the Island Fishermen's Wives Association, its co-chairwomen, Cari Quiterio and Angela Douglas, invite the public toattend a benefit concert for the association and the Island CommunityCenter.

Flash in the Pans steel band will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday,Aug. 30, at the Stonington Commercial Fish Pier.

For information, call 348-2626 or 348-6931.

Tim Throckmorton, WABI-TV sports anchor, will be a featured guestwith recording artist Debbie Myers at the Palmyra Wal-Mart All-American Labor Day Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday,Sept. 6, in Palmyra.

Nightmoves will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., when The DebbieMyers Show takes center stage and performs until 3 p.m.

You will also watch a clogging demonstration by the Highlanders,and see Tickles the Clown and Kellogg's Tony the Tiger.

A craft show, bounce house, face painting, barbecue, pet photos, araffle and a fund-raiser by local firefighters for the MuscularDystrophy Association will all be part of the day's activities.

Proceeds will help the MDA fund clinics, support groups and MDA'smedical equipment purchase and repair program.

Clips of the event will be aired throughout the local broadcast ofthe Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.

The works of artist Rachel Collin Therrien of Augusta will bedisplayed during regular business hours Wednesday, Sept. 1, throughThursday, Sept. 30, at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St.

The public is invited to attend an opening reception and hear atalk by the artist, who features landscapes in her work, at 6 p.m.Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the library.

Seating is limited, so if you wish to take a riverboat cruise, aguided tour of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and an escorted tour ofhistoric Kings Landing settlement, you need to make your reservationsnow.

Moosehead Historical Museum is planning this two-day trip toCanada for Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 8 and 9.

The cost, including transportation, lodging, lunch at KingsLanding, admissions, the riverboat ride and city tour, is $195 perperson.

Call the museum at 695-2909 to make your reservation.

First United Methodist Church of Bangor is planning a silentauction/dessert social fund-raiser from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday,Sept. 11, at the church on Essex Street.

Auction items will include donations from local businesses as wellas from members of the congregation.

However, if you have household goods or items that you are willingto donate, church members would be very happy to have you help withthis fund-raiser.

Donations can include books, movies, furniture or any other itemsyou think might be suitable for this fund-raiser.

If you are interested in making a donation to the auction, callDeb Christensen at 941-9567, or e-mail her at fumco@juno.com.

From Kristie Miner of Westgate Manor in Bangor we learn that theannual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction to benefit the MaineAlzheimer's Association will be 4:30-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at theBangor Elks Club, 108 Odlin Road.

Admission for the dinner is $5 for adults and $2.50 for childrenunder 10.

Tickets are available at Westgate Manor or can be purchased at thedoor.

Bangor show promises hot rods, big sounds - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

With the enthusiastic support of Bangor Police Chief Don Winslow,a group of very nice young men, whom I had the pleasure of meeting,will hold a special event that I hope is well received by residentsof Greater Bangor.

The first Dynamic Performance Auto Club Car Show is 9 a.m.-1 p.m.Saturday, June 21, at Bass Park in Bangor. The event is free forspectators.

The gates open for registration at 7 a.m., and cars can beregistered until 10 a.m.

The admission fee is $5 to register show cars and $10 for the SPLcompetitors, which is where I had to pause and ask, 'What is SPL?'

Noah Sargent of Bangor, A.C. Gallant of Brewer and Terry Wolfe ofEddington all smiled and, practically in one voice, informed me itsignifies a car stereo system, as in 'those loud boom sounds youhear!'

Wow! That's some unusual competition but, I want you to know, thisis a good-hearted effort for a most worthy cause.

Proceeds from the Dynamic Performance Car Show benefit the PoliceAthletic League.

The young men told me what they're trying to do is create a commonbond to help improve the relationship between young car enthusiastsand members of the community, which includes the BPD.

'We want the kids to know that the cops are there for theirbenefit,' Sargent said, 'and the police to know that the kids are notdoing what they see in the movies. We want everyone to understandwhere the lines are, both ways.'

There are 20-plus classes for show cars, two bike classes and sixSPL classes, and car owners of all ages, from everywhere, are invitedto participate.

The organizers expect car clubs from as far south as New York andas far north as Canada to be here. The phone has been ringing off thehook, they said.

Complementing the car show at Bass Park is drag racing from 3 to 9p.m. Saturday, June 21, at Winterport Dragway, under special lightsthat have been rented for this event.

Entry fees for the Winterport site are $10 for racers and $5 forspectators.

Attendees are invited to camp out, at the track, and stay over forSunday's Import Wars sport compact car races the next day.

With help from people such as Winterport track manager DerrickCunningham, sponsorships and the support of Chief Winslow, the clubmembers hope this is a successful event.

Winslow e-mailed to say he believes the car show at Bass Park 'isa great idea. It gives them an opportunity to show off the fruits oftheir hobby.'

After meeting with club members, Winslow said he left with a'better understanding of the group, and an appreciation for theirhard work' and that, from his perspective, 'showing off their cars atan organized event is much better than lining them up along MainStreet.'

This should be one terrific event: An opportunity for young andold alike to share their love of cars.

I commend Dynamic Performance for this effort, and hope the clubcontinues to grow and share its good will and community spirit withall of us.

For more information about the show, visit dymanicperformance.orgor winterport

dragway.com.

For information about the show or the auto club, call Sargent at942-7285.

Joanne Bradshaw reports that Corinth Family Medicine will hold itssecond annual Health Fair to coincide with Corinth's Old Home Days,which run 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, June 20, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday,June 21.

The Health Fair is noon-2 p.m. at the ballpark behind the townoffice. There will be minimassages and cholesterol and blood sugarscreenings. Weight Watchers will offer body-mass index measurements.

On behalf of the Peony Society of Maine, its president, KenLiberty, invites you to the society's third annual Peony Garden Tour,10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at his home, 23 Ohio St. in Bangor.

More than 70 varieties of peonies and nearly 100 plants should bein full bloom.

Admission is a $2 donation, which is used to donate unusual peonyplants to local public gardens. Previous donations were to theLittlefield Demonstration Gardens at the University of Maine in Oronoand Ecotat Gardens in Hermon.

The tour will be held rain or shine, and more information isavailable from Liberty by calling 945-9726.

Bangor, Maine, Prepares for National Folk Festival. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Jackie Farwell, Bangor Daily News, Maine Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Aug. 2--Organizers of this year's National Folk Festival in Bangor want to make sure festival-goers are properly attired while they boogie to bluegrass tunes and croon to country music.

That's why W.S. Emerson of Brewer is screen printing nearly 12,000 Folk Festival T-shirts, almost double last year's order.

'This is the biggest order of the year of one design,' said owner John Vickery. 'It's a real team effort.'

Selling for $15, the short-sleeve shirts are available in pink, gray, lime green and bright blue, and feature the multicolored Folk Festival logo depicting a shadowed musician.

The company's regular staff of 40 employees began production of the shirt July 28 and plan to complete the order -- which also includes 1,400 embroidered baseball caps and 500 tote bags -- by Monday.

'There isn't one person who hasn't handled these shirts at least once,' said Betsy Vickery, supervisor of the embroidery department.

Youth shirts will sell for $10, caps for $12, and tote bags for $10, according to Folk Festival coordinator Heather McCarthy. Proceeds from the sale of the items will go into the festival's operating budget, she said.

Despite the workload, the company continues to fill its regular orders, John Vickery said.

'We can't just dedicate six days to one customer,' he said.

The company screen printed the shirts for last year's festival and in June again beat out both in-state and out-of-state bidders for the order, John Vickery said. The large volume allowed his company to bid aggressively and produce the shirts at a special rate, he said.

'We're really proud to have done this,' he said. 'The more they order allows us to be more competitive.'

About 900 bright orange shirts have been set aside for festival volunteers and 130 teal shirts for staff, according to Merri-Lee West, director of sales for the company. Musical performers will don pale green shirts with a complete listing of festival musicians on the back, while Red Cross volunteers will sport white shirts, she said. These shirts will not be available for sale, West said.

'The colors are nice and bright,' she said. 'The lime was the most popular last year, so we have plenty of those.'

The company hopes to secure the profitable order again for next year's festival, John Vickery said.

'We will definitely submit an aggressive bid next year,' he said.

To see more of the Bangor Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bangordailynews.com

GOP targets Maine votes with Palin's Bangor stop ; Election 2008: The McCain campaign wants all four of Maine's electoral votes, not just the one for the 2nd District. - Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME)

TOM BELL By TOM BELL Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
10-14-2008
GOP targets Maine votes with Palin's Bangor stop ; Election 2008: The McCain campaign wants all four of Maine's electoral votes, not just the one for the 2nd District.
Byline: TOM BELL By TOM BELL Staff Writer
Edition: Final
Section: Local & State
Type: News

Sarah Palin's campaign appearance in Bangor Thursday will be part of a Republican effort to win all four of Maine's electoral votes, not only the one in the state's more-conservative 2nd Congressional District, according a campaign spokesman.

'We have seen evidence that Maine is a competitive state and is very much up for grabs,' said Jeff Grappone, a spokesman for the Republican presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain, though Grappone said the campaign is especially eyeing the 2nd District, which in the past has been more favorable to Republicans.
Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee, will speak at a 'Road to Victory' rally set for 9 a.m. at the Bangor International Airport maintenance hangar.

The Maine Republican Party is encouraging supporters to arrive early because a big crowd is expected.

The event in Bangor will end a series of campaign stops that is taking Palin up the East Coast.

On Wednesday, Palin will make her first campaign visit to New Hampshire, making stops in Dover, Laconia and Salem.

The appearance in Dover will be a town hall-type event at Dover High School, starting at 9 a.m.

Earlier this month, when the McCain campaign announced that it was dropping its efforts in Michigan, it said it would divert resources to more competitive states, including Maine, which has four electoral votes.

Maine is one of only two states that split their electoral votes, rather than use the winner-take-all method.

Maine gives two electoral votes to the winner of the state and one to the winner in each congressional district.

Democractic Party officials have said they are confident of carrying the state for U.S. Sen. Barrack Obama because they have a stronger grass-roots campaign here.

Grappone said Palin will draw a 'clear contrast' between McCain and Obama on Thursday.

'Governor Palin will talk directly to Mainers about John McCain's agenda to put government back on the side of the people and keep taxes low to help small businesses across Maine invest and grow and create good jobs,' he said.

The Obama campaign said that Palin's message will ring false in the 2nd District, which has suffered economically under President Bush.

'The McCain-Palin ticket is offering more of the same failed economic policies that have caused home heating oil costs to skyrocket, retirement accounts to disappear, and jobs to be outsourced,' said Toby McGrath, Obama's Maine state director, in a prepared statement. 'Barack Obama has laid out policies that will grow our middle class and strengthen the economy. That is the kind of change Mainers are looking for and need from our next president.'

According to a Sept. 24 SurveyUSA poll of 675 Maine voters, Obama led McCain 49 percent to 44 percent.

He held that 5-point lead in both northern and southern Maine.

The poll had a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

The Alaska governor's visit to Maine will come just days after her husband, Todd, made a series of campaign appearances in Maine's 2nd District.

On Sunday, Todd Palin stopped at Dysart's Restaurant and truck stop in Hermon and Harry's Motor Sports in Presque Isle.

On Saturday, he made an appearance at the Moosehead Trading Post in Palmyra.

Although the rally in Bangor will be free to the public, people will need tickets, which are available at McCain campaign offices in Bangor, Caribou, Lewiston, Machias and Portland, or online at http:/ /maine.johnmccain.com/Maine.htm.

Staff Writer Tom Bell can be contacted at 791-6369 or at:

tbell@pressherald

Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: The Associated Press Sarah Palin will end a series of East
Coast campaign stops in Bangor. Gabor Degre/Bangor Daily News Mark
Bradstreet of Searsport talks to volunteers Lorraine Wilcox, left,
and Shelley Wirth at Maine Republican headquarters in Bangor, where
he got tickets Monday for this week's appearance by vice
presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Copyright 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

Bangor election official still looking for owner of camera card found during 2010 voting - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

BANGOR, Maine -- The family on the found camera card went on awhirlwind tour of the southwest and then lost the 360 or so imagesat the Bangor Civic Center, possibly while voting during theNovember 2010 elections.

The photo card was found on the floor during the elections nearlytwo years ago and handed over to the Deputy Registrar of Voters,Bangor resident Mike Gleason.

'I advertised it in the 'found' column of the BDN to no avail,and sent several of the photos to people I thought might know someof the individuals,' the election official said.

Gleason was reminded about the lost photo card when he read arecent Bangor Daily News story about decades old photos of a familyand a dinosaur found inside a camera at a yard sale, he said.

'Found Film? How about 'Found Photo Card'?' was the subject lineof the email he sent to the Bangor Daily.

The photos feature four main people, two adults and two youngadults, who apparently took a family trip to the Southwest.

'This group did it all -- the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, Denver,the Air Force Academy, zoos, sports venues, aquariums, et cetera,'said Gleason, a retired senior master sergeant who served with theU.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. 'I'm sure they would like toget back the photos.'

His time in the Air Force is why he 'recognized the Air ForceAcademy photos,' he said Sunday.

Organizers hope basketball hall ends up in new Bangor arena - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

Throughout this week, thousands will flock to the BangorAuditorium, for more than 50 years the traditional home ofbasketball in eastern and northern Maine.

On the way there, they will pass the future home of basketball,the new arena now under construction and due to open in the fall of2013.

In that new arena may rest the repository of basketball historyin Maine, in the form of the proposed Maine Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball is the sport that Mainers have taken most to heart,yet there's no home for its history.

'There's not a town in Maine that hasn't been touched bybasketball,' said Peter Webb, who has been Maine's commissioner ofbasketball for the past 22 years. 'There's Halls of Fame foreverything, but not for the sport that's king. We want to make surethat basketball's history is preserved.'

Webb added that there's a need to gather the materials needed forthe Hall of Fame soon.

`It's vital we do it now,' he said. 'In another 10 years, what wewant to do will be much more difficult.'

Webb is one of the organizers of the Maine Basketball Hall ofFame, along with Skip Chappelle, former Fort Fairfield andUniversity of Maine coach, who as a player at Old Town High Schoolplayed in the first regular-season high school game at the BangorAuditorium back in 1955.

Chappelle sees the new arena as the natural place for such ahall.

'We're talking about capturing the last hundred years ofbasketball in the state, and history says that Bangor is at thecenter of it,' he has said.

Organizers are now working with members of the Friends of theMaine Center and Bangor city officials to determine what form thehall will eventually take. The Friends are a citizens' group whocame together in 2010 to assist and support the Bangor City Councilin the effort to build a new arena and convention center.

A. Mark Woodward, former executive editor at the Bangor DailyNews and Friends spokesman and co-chairman with Miles Theeman,cautioned that it's very early in the process for the arena and theproposed hall. Still he feels the two have a shared destiny.

'There's a powerful connection between people in this state andbasketball,' Woodward said. 'The key is for us to capture that andcapitalize on that. The arena is the right place for [the hall],since its predecessor was the center of so many great moments inbasketball.'

Having the hall inside the arena would help to make the newfacility more diversified, Woodward added.

'We hope to be part of the dialogue of how this arena should bedesigned,' he said. 'The design could be tweaked to accommodate anarena the city of Bangor can be proud of. It would be something tobring people to that facility when there isn't a major event there.'

Woodward, Steve Pound of the Hall of Fame organizing committeeand Bass Park Director Mike Dyer recently walked through the currentauditorium, with an eye toward items that could be sold asmemorabilia, with the funds pumped back into the facility, pendingCity Council approval.

Woodward used that story to illustrate how many steps must betaken before the arena and the Hall of Fame can be joined together:'We've got to finalize the design, find out what space is allocated[for the hall], gather and sell the artifacts.

Bangor tulip garden to benefit cancer fund - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

Seven women who work in Bangor are trying to raise $5,000 for theMaine Cancer Foundation Women's Cancer Fund, and you can help.

Gail Creath e-mailed that she, Nancy Torresen, Darlene Emerson,Margaret Kravchuk, Julie Morse, Brenda DeRoche and ElizabethRichardson 'have formed a core group for a fundraising project toplant a pink tulip garden in front of the Margaret Chase SmithFederal Building' on Harlow Street in Bangor.'

To raise the $5,000, Creath said, the core group of gardeners willpurchase 500 pink tulip bulbs and sell the bulbs for $10 each.

The public is invited to attend the Pink Tulip Project kickoff andpurchase a bulb or bulbs at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, on the secondfloor of the federal building, where you also may enjoy brownies andcoffee.

If you are unable to attend but would like to donate directly tothe project, visit www.pinktulipproject.com, select Support A Garden,and then select Margaret Chase Smith Courthouse Garden.

Executive director Joshua Torrance invites you to the WoodlawnCanine Carnival 9 a.m.-2 p.m. today at Woodlawn, Route 172 inEllsworth.

The family event features everything from a dog show to tips onresponsible dog ownership, dog agility demonstrations, vendors anddog carting demonstrations.

Call 667-8671 or visit www.woodlawnmuseum.org for information.

Here's late word from Criterion Theatre and Arts Center boardmember Erin Uliano that the country duo Blue County will perform abenefit concert for the SPCA of Hancock County and the CriterionTheatre and Arts Center at 7 tonight at the theater in downtown BarHarbor.

Balcony tickets are $35 and downstairs tickets are $25. They areavailable at the theater and Cadillac Mountain Sports in Bar Harbor.

Uliano reports the concert will open with 'Maine favorite DannyHarper,' and that the benefit 'is very important to both nonprofitorganizations and could really help with their fundraising.'

She also believes that such 'a great Nashville name like BlueCounty doing a benefit in Maine' is quite special.

Katherine Marks-Molloy of the Orono Public Library reports it hasbeen selected by the Maine Humanities Council to offer a 'Let's TalkAbout' Book Group with five sessions beginning 3:30-5:30 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Inn at Dirigo Pines Retirement Communityin Orono.

The succeeding sessions, all Thursdays, are Oct. 25, Nov. 29, Jan.31 and Feb. 28.

All residents of Orono and nearby communities are welcome toattend any or all of the meetings.

The series, 'The Mirror of Maine: The Maine Community in Myth andReality,' will be led by Judy Hakola, and books will be available atthe library.

The books in the series are 'The Weir' by Ruth Moore, 'A MaineHamlet' by Lura Beam, 'Twelve Journeys in Maine' by Wes McNair,'Empire Falls' by Richard Russo and 'Maine Speaks: An Anthology ofMaine Literature.'

For information, call the library at 866-5060.

Sue Tidd e-mailed that the Brain Injury Association of Maine isseeking volunteers to help plan the 2008 Walk for Thought scheduledfor March 22 at six sites that will attract more than 1,000 walkers.

For information, call 861-9900 or e-mail stidd@biame.org.

On behalf of Bangor Center Corp., Sally Bates reminds interestedparties that two public meetings on the subject of nighttime noiseissues in downtown Bangor are planned for next week.

The first meeting is noon-1 p.m. and the second 5:30-6:30 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 27, in council chambers of Bangor City Hall.

Bates reminds readers the Bangor City Council asked BCC's LiaisonCommittee to address the issue of 'after hours bars' downtown andthese meetings are follow-ups to the committee's first publicmeeting, which was on Aug. 28.

Community Health and Counseling Services has announced it isseeking volunteers for its Warm Line program.

Warm Line, according to a release, 'is a part-time, free andconfidential, non-crisis telephone line designed to serve personswith mental illness, and their families, in Penobscot, Piscataquis,Washington and Hancock counties.'

Warm Line volunteers are individuals who possess 'a sense ofempathy, the ability to be nonjudgmental, and good listening skills.'

Training and support are provided, and information is available bycalling Maureen Walsh, 947-0366, or 800-924-0366, ext. 214, andleaving a message.

Volunteers will receive an application and an interviewappointment.

Bangor: Lonnie Hackett's unorthodox running style has confounded opponents all season. - Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME)

Anonymous By KEVIN THOMAS Staff Writer --
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
11-20-2009
Bangor: Lonnie Hackett's unorthodox running style has confounded opponents all season.
Byline: Anonymous By KEVIN THOMAS Staff Writer --
Edition: Final
Section: Sports
Type: News

BANGOR --

He does not appear heavy, unless you consider all the weighted courses he takes at Bangor High.

But Lonnie Hackett is strong.
And he's fast.

Still, there is more.

Hackett, a senior with a 4.34 grade-point average, is a prime reason why Bangor (11-0) could become just the third Eastern Maine team in 23 years to win the Class A state championship. The Rams meet Windham for the title at 11:06 a.m. Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

Hackett, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, will get the ball often, displaying speed, his tenacity to run into the line, and his ability to keep going.

Part ballet dancer and part bumper car, Hackett jumps, spins and stays on his feet.

'He's quite unique,' said Bangor Coach Mark Hackett. The coach and player are second cousins and did not meet until Lonnie entered high school.

Initially watching the young Hackett dance around the field, a football coach might be tempted to straighten the lad out. But all the moves produced results.

'We didn't want to stop his idiosyncrasies because he gets the job done,' the coach said.

After gaining 1,073 yards last year, Hackett has nearly doubled that with 2,064 yards this season, including 176 yards on 34 carries last week in the Eastern Maine final, a 24-7 win over Brunswick.

'He's elusive,' said Brunswick lineman Harrison Kemp. 'He's able to run straight, spin around the tackle and gain his speed right back. He was incredible.'

Hackett said the moves aren't planned.

'Just instinct,' he said. 'I see game films and say, 'Why did I do that?'

But Hackett knows why. 'I hate getting tackled,' he said.

Hackett is a three-sport athlete who finished fourth in the 100- meter dash at last year's indoor state meet and patrols center field for the Rams in the spring.

As a young football player, he was the stereotypical speedy running back.

'In youth football, he'd go around the end and no one could catch him,' Coach Hackett said. 'It's been a process for him to run between the tackles.'

Hackett has learned to settle for shorter gains, but he is still dangerous inside.

In the Brunswick game, after Bangor's defense stopped the Dragons at the goal line, the Rams' offense got the ball on their own 1. Hackett took an inside handoff and broke free for a 22-yard gain.

Bangor will keep pounding away with Hackett, evidenced by his 34 carries last week. The Rams can do that because of Hackett and an offensive line that rarely gets outmuscled.

Add in quarterback Joe Seccareccia, a two-way threat who rushed for 92 yards last week; a pounding fullback in Maxx Alexander; and two receivers who know how to get to the ball - Josiah Hartley and Nate Henigan - and the Rams are a force, averaging more than 33 points a game.

'Both the offense and defense are clicking,' Hackett said after the Rams held the high-powered Dragons to one touchdown last week.

Hackett will be called on to carry a lot of the load Saturday. He's used to it, on the field and in the classroom. Of his six courses, five are advanced placement.

He has applied for early decision at Bowdoin College and hopes to play football for the Polar Bears.

But he has one more high school game to play; a chance to spin, leap, and dazzle one more time.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: Michael C. York Photo/Bangor Daily News Lonnie Hackett has
been a workhorse running back for Bangor and also has an ability to
break big plays, having rushed for more than 2,000 yards this
season.

Copyright 2009 Blethen Maine Newspapers

Bangor gearing up for second Winter Weekend - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

BANGOR - Downtown businesses, the city and several localorganizations are teaming up to present their second annual WinterWeekend, which this time will span four days.

Residents and visitors are invited to alleviate cabin fever bytaking part in some of the roughly 30 events, most of them outdoorsand most of them free, that will be held Feb. 10-14 in venuesdowntown, on the Bangor Waterfront and in nearby city parks.

The schedule for the event still was being firmed up this week,according to Terry Delargy of J Group and Steve Ribble of AMES A/E,co-chairmen of the Winter Weekend planning committee.

The tentative schedule that has evolved so far shows that theevent will feature some of the events debuted during the event'sfirst year, including the Paul Bunyan look-alike contest, the BanffFilm Festival, a Soup and Cinema event, snow sculptures in downtownparks, a pancake breakfast, horse-drawn wagon rides, a rovingphotographer, snowshoe racing and lots of events for kids.

Events and activities new to the Winter Weekend lineup include avolunteer kickoff party, formal dance, a bonfire on the waterfront,events for snowmobilers, Big Wheel races and a remote-control vehicletechnical course.

Other first-time offerings will include Taste of Bangor, sidewalksales, picture framing and safe Web surfing programs conducted bydowntown merchants.

Sponsors and partners in the first Winter Weekend event wereDowntown Center Corp., the Greater Bangor Convention and VisitorsBureau, Epic Sports, J Group Advertising, Sea Dog Brewing Co., BangorDaily News, Ames A/E, the city of Bangor's parks and recreation andpublic works departments, the Greater Bangor Region Chamber ofCommerce and Maine People's Alliance.

New partners for the coming edition of Winter Weekend includeFusion Bangor, which is sponsoring a formal dance at the Union StreetBrick Church on Feb. 10, the Paul Bunyan Snowmobile Club, which isorganizing a ride-in, 'show-shine' and safety program on Feb. 12 inthe vacant field next to Railroad Street.

Ribble encourages those who want to try their hand at the snowsculpture competition to contact him by e-mail at sribble@amesae.comso that organizers can make sure enough space and snow are availableto all who want to take part.