Maine News Updates

Welcome to the Sunrise Herald with Giselle Goodman, the place to go to get the news from overnight and onward...

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IN THE WEATHER:

SUNRISE: 4:59 a.m. SUNSET: 8:25 p.m.

At 9 a.m., it was 58 degrees in downtown Portland.

Red
sky in morning (sailor's warning). A crimson sunrise over Portland City
Hall at the start of this day tells us our lovely summer weather is
fleeting.

Sunshine will be limited today, with clouds thickening as the day progresses. The most sun will be with us this morning.

But
there will be no sunrise pictures tomorrow. Rain develops tonight and
will be heavy by the morning.  And, sorry to say, it's supposed to
stick around for the entire weekend.

 

 

THE SUNRISE HERALD WEATHER WATCHERS REPORT:

• Bill in Rockland says:  A high grayness is spreading
  west to east and the weak westerly breeze feels a little chilly. It's
  only 48 degrees here at 5:30 and
  it seems cooler. I guess summer's gone again for a while.
• Jim from Cape Elizabeth says:
  We have milky skies this morning but it is dry (for the time being) and
  53 degrees at 6:15. The flags are barely rustling but not enough  for
  anemometer to register a speed.  The rain scheduled to creep in 
  overnight but only in the form of a few showers.  The weekend is in 
  sight.  Weather permitting, the Sea Dogs are scheduled to have 
  Fireworks this evening, so get out and enjoy.  See you tomorrow!

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ON THE ROAD:

IN BRUNSWICK --
You really can expect some traffic troubles now thanks to the Maine
Street reconstruction project. Longfellow Avenue went down to one lane
yesterday. It will be fully closed Friday and Saturday.

From today's Portland Press Herald dispatches: Public Works Director John Foster said the replacement storm drain
line crossing Longfellow Avenue at Park Row and Maine Street must take
into consideration underground telephone, gas, water and sewer lines.
As a result, the work will be slow.

He advised motorists to find alternate routes and expect delays. The
work was scheduled to begin earlier this week but was delayed.

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ON THE OCEAN:

Not
as lovely a day for ocean going today as it was yesterday. A southern
wind blows 5 to 10 knots (not so bad) BUT gusts kick up as the day
moves on, hitting us with 20 knot blows and then coming from the
southeast. Seas 2 to 3 feet.

IN PORTLAND: High tide at 7:21 a.m. and 7:44 p.m. Low tide at 1:23 p.m.

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IN THE NEWS:

SOUTH
PORTLAND -- A man whose name goes hand-in-hand with some of Maine's
favorite pastimes will be honored tonight for being a champion of
people with disabilities.

The
Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness in Portland, will give its
2009 "Person of the Year" award to Leslie "Les" Otten tonight during
its annual gala and fundraising dinner.

The star-studded event,
which will also be attended by Boston Red Sox President and CEO Larry
Lucchino, begins at the Marriott Sable Oaks in South Portland at 5:30
p.m.

Otten (Portland Press Herald file photo at right) is the
former owner of Sunday River, and former CEO of American Skiing
Company, which owned Sugarloaf USA. He was once a minority owner of the
Boston Red Sox, and has served as chairman of the Crowmwell Center's
Board of Directors for the past 5 years.

The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness,
according to its mission statement, is an innovative leader in
disabilities awareness education in schools, for future educators, and
in workplaces.  The Center does not teach about particular
disabilities, engage in "show and tell," or provide any direct services
to persons with disabilities. The center seeks to change popular
attitudes toward those with disabilities.

The event tonight is
expected to bring 350 people to the Marriott to honor Otten (and give
him some good-natured roasting) and to raise funds for the Cromwell
Center. Participants had to have registered in advance.

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PORTLAND
-- First-time home buyers may be getting some good news today, when the
governor announces an initiative that will provide more than $5,000 in
incentives for first-time buyers.

Gov. John E. Baldacci and
MaineHousing Director Dale McCormick plan to make the announcement at a
1:30 p.m. press conference today. The pair will make the announcement
from the Greater Portland Board of REALTORS office, 2271 Congress
Street, Portland.

Representatives from the Maine Association of
REALTORS, the Maine Association of Community Banks and the Maine Credit
Union League also will be present.

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FROM OUR NEWS PARTNERS:

THE MORNING SENTINEL this morning provides this report:

• NORRIGEWOCK
  -- A 23-year-old Norridgewock man was killed late Tuesday after he
  apparently failed to stop at the busy intersection of Route 139, the
  Waterville Road and U.S. Route 2 (Skowhegan Road), near the village
  center, police said Wednesday. The Somerset County Sheriff's Department
  said Randy Lake died in the accident. The four passengers in the second
  vehicle, including a 3-month-old
  infant, were treated for injuries at a Skowhegan hospital. Gottardi
  said none of the injuries appeared life-threatening. To continue
  reading the full report on the crash, click here.

 

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FYI:

If you gave or received one of these Blair robes as a gift, or own one at all, send it back. Pronto.

 

The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is reannouncing the recall of
these chenille robes, sold by Blair from January 2003 through March
2009.

Since
the orignial recall, made in April 2009, Blair company has received
reports of six (6) deaths due to the robes catching fire. Five of the
women who died were cooking in the kitchen at the time the robe caught
fire.  Three of the victims were in their 80s.

Blair, known for
it's products that appeal to an older customer, announced the recall
for the robes after the company learned of three robes catching on
fire, including one report of second-degree burns.

The recalled
robes have the following item numbers: 3093111, 3093112, 3093113,
3093114, 3093115, and 3093116. The item number is identified on a label
in the garment’s neckline. CPSC said 162,000 robes have been sold in
the United States.

If you have one, stop using it immediately.
It can be returned to Blair for a refund. Call the Blair Recall Hotline
at 1-877-392-7095 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday to
find out how.

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ONLY IN MAINE:

Here moosey, moosey .... hunter.

Yup, that's right, folks. Today is the much-anticipated, long-awaited annual Maine Moose Permit Lottery.

The
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will be at the
University of Maine at Fort Kent for the ritual, which begins at 6 p.m.

This
is the first year the lottery drawing has been held in the St. John
Valley. But it should not dampen the interest level. At last count,
57,000 people had applied for the 3,105 permits to be awarded this
evening.

A lot of folks are hoping to bag the big one. Only those with a permit are allowed to hunt for moose in the fall.

But
should you not get lucky this time around, you can still have fun at
the lottery drawing event. Vendors and more than 40 exhibitors get
together for the day, offering food and activities for the kids.Those
activities begin at 2 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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