With only six days left until election day, one thing’s certain: Mainers are revved up about the referendum question that would ban the use of hounds, traps and bait by bear hunters. Proponents of Question 1 have protested what they say is a “fear-mongering” TV ad by their opponents. The “No on 1” side has countered by asking TV stations to stop airing what they say is a deceptive ad. Meanwhile, a Medway couple shot a bear on Monday night after it climbed onto their roof and refused to leave. Think the bear chatter will slow between now and election day? I don’t, either. Stay tuned, folks. It might be an eventful week … and we’ll continue to keep you posted on all things bear. Oh … one more thing: Friday is Halloween. If you’re looking for some spooky tales, read on.
— John Holyoke
I ain’t afraid of no ghost … or am I?
Everybody loves a good ghost story, and over the past several weeks, our BDN staffers have been chasing some great ones to share with you for Halloween. The series is called “Maine Ghost Stories,” and while we never did find a spirit, our visual journalists produced some stunning videos to augment the stories. So sit back, turn out the lights (if you dare) and check out our spooky tales.
In letter, Question 1 supporters protest ‘fear-mongering’ TV ad featuring bear attack
Maine’s Yes on 1 campaign released a letter to their opponents on Monday, asking them to stop what they’re calling “fear-mongering advertising” in reference to a new television ad that features a woman who was attacked by a bear in Florida.
“Your campaign’s advertisements stoking ungrounded fear about black bears are beyond the pale of civil debate,” Katie Hansberry, director of the Yes on 1 campaign, wrote to James Cote, director of the No on 1 campaign. “In particular, your assertions in the ads run against the private thinking of the very ‘experts’ that your campaign is asking the voters to believe.”
‘No on 1′ asks TV stations: Stop airing pro-bear referendum ‘Hounds’ ad
Manager of the No on 1 campaign, James Cote, sent a letter to television stations Tuesday morning, asking them to stop airing what he sees as a “false, misleading and deceptive” pro-bear referendum ad.
Entitled “Hounds,” the ad shows blurry footage of a pack of hunting dogs chasing a bear. Cote’s issue with the ad lies in the number of dogs shown. At one point, the ad shows eight dogs in the pack, Cote said. Maine statutes prohibit the use of “six or more dogs” while hunting bear.
Blog log
Act Out with Aislinn: 1-minute hike: Baker Hill in Sullivan
“In the coastal town of Sullivan, Baker Hill rises just a few hundred feet above sea level, yet from its granite ledges, hikers can see all the way to the ocean and mountains of Mount Desert Island. The hill is covered with a mature forest, filled with a variety of trees (including maple, birch, cedar, pine, oak) and carpeted with moss, ferns and lichen.”
Out There: ‘Down East Dickering’ star spices up Youth Deer Day
What if you shot the first deer of your life and a reality TV star just happened to be hanging out at the tagging station when you arrived? That’s what happened to a Kenduskeag 14-year-old on Saturday, who said the presence of “Down East Dickering” star Tony Bennett helped make a special day more memorable.
On the horizon
John Holyoke spent some time with Suzanne AuClair and her husband, retired fisheries biologist Roger AuClair, last week, and they chatted about Suzanne’s new book documenting the history of the state’s fisheries management team. John’s also working on a story about the bear that was shot on Monday night in Medway after it refused to leave a couple’s home. And Aislinn? She’s busy on the bear beat, and will keep you up to date through election day.
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