Troops Rescue Western Hostages

2005 ROOKIE SENSATION DANICA PATRICK REMAINS THE TALK OF THE IRL HIGH OCTANE HERALD, D5

Hunting allowed The Katahdin Grand Lake 5 Miles BRIEFING Committee backs compromise N Matagamon compromise Telos Lake d. To become public land, e R Tot but not part of Baxter State rk on Katahdin Lake proposal Pa Park. Hunting would be Proposed allowed. T BAXTER

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State House: Allowing Baxter State Park while preserv- Agriculture, Conservation and R

d 1,975 acres some hunting saves the ing hunting access on lands to Forestry. “We all knew that this . PARK the north. was only the beginning.” deal, but convincing the full The vote followed several Others sounded less optimistic. Mount Katahdin Legislature is no sure thing. hours of emotional arguments “I feel a very strong sense of Southern portion: and speeches. It keeps the his- failure on this,” Rep. Patrick Katahdin toric deal alive, but in no way Flood, R-Winthrop, quietly told Lake 4,040 acres By JOHN RICHARDSON guarantees the plan will succeed fellow committee members Staff Writer when it goes before the full Legis- before the vote. “I hope that oth- To become part of Baxter AUGUSTA — A legislative lature next week. ers can succeed where we Hunting allowed State Park and off-limits committee settled on a tenuous “I’m very hopeful,” said Unity failed.” Millinocket to hunting. compromise plan Thursday that Democratic Rep. John Piotti, Lake SPORTS would add Katahdin Lake to chairman of the Committee on Please see BAXTER, Back Page STAFF GRAPHIC | JEFF WOODBURY For Blue Devils, Sweet 16 again leaves a bitter taste STROLLING STILL WELCOME Led by freshman Tyrus Tho- mas, above, LSU upsets top- Troops seeded Duke and moves to the round of eight in the NCAA tournament. Duke is 3-6 in nine straight Sweet 16 appearances. Also advanc- ing Thursday are Memphis rescue State, Texas and UCLA. D1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOCAL & STATE Judge rules against mother Western of girl on expulsion hearing He says the hearing did not violate the due-process rights of a SAD 57 teenager facing a lengthy in-school hostages suspension for allegedly writing a bomb threat. B1 British and U.S. forces bring the When a band of ranting peace activists’ ordeal to a quiet homophobes tries to disrupt a Maine soldier’s funeral, end, after another captive’s how should we react? Turn death sparked fear for their fate. our backs and focus on the life and sacrifice of Sgt. By JOHN WARD ANDERSON Corey Dan. Bill Nemitz, B1 The Washington Post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAGHDAD, Iraq — British and U.S. troops rescued three kidnapped Chris- WASHINGTON tian peace activists early Thursday. The The case of an Afghan man military operation was based on infor- facing prosecution for con- mation provided by two men detained verting to Christianity has just three hours earlier by U.S. forces, exposed a conflict in values according to a U.S. military official. between the conservative The freed captives – Norman Kember, Muslim country and the 74, of London, and nations rebuilding it. A2 James Loney, 41, DOZENS KILLED Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette and Harmeet AS SECTARIAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Colleen McKenna of Brunswick crosses the Frank J. Wood Bridge on Thursday in Brunswick. The state wants a Singh Sooden, 32, VIOLENCE BUSINESS FRIDAY path kept open on the bridge during repairs. The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge will close for repairs next week. both of Canada – CONTINUES were members of A7 Robin Whitten likes to shun Christian Peace- the rules, which has helped maker Teams, a Chicago- and Toronto- bring success to AudioFile, a based group that advocates nonviolence magazine published in Port- and is opposed to the war in Iraq. They land for the audiobook Bridge work won’t halt walkers were kidnapped in Baghdad on Nov. 26 industry and the public. C1 along with a fourth member of their group, Tom Fox of Clear Brook, Va. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Contractors must leave a path for the project contractor will be required to The well-being of the three abductees 196 295 Topsham maintain a 4-foot-wide temporary walk- THE FLIP SIDE pedestrians and cyclists between had been a cause for concern ever since way on the bridge at all times. A Minnesota college student Brunswick and Topsham. Fox’s body was discovered on a trash- Androscoggin Frank J. Wood That means that while the Androscog- strewn street in Baghdad two weeks comes back wealthy from Swinging Bridge gin Swinging Bridge is closed for the next spring break after winning $1 201 Bridge By DENNIS HOEY will be closed six months, pedestrians, runners and million in a tournament on a will offer a Staff Writer Please see HOSTAGES, Back Page Monday for about Main St. bicyclists have the option of using the poker-playing cruise. D6 temporary six months walkway TOPSHAM — People who walk or bicy- other bridge. The requirement will be !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! May-Sept. cle between Topsham and Brunswick’s incorporated into the bid contract, which A Winter St. downtowns will have at least one route n will be advertised later this month. WHEELS d r available while two bridges are worked on Although the walkway will be narrow, it o 24 Emery: Probe sc Test drive the top-dropping o over the next several months, state trans- should be wide enough to accommodate g Mitsubishi Spyder. And Click g portation officials announced Thursday. pedestrians. Concrete barriers will be set i & Clack weigh in on a motor n Bridge St. The decision allays concerns that R 1 up to protect walkers from cars. i mount mystery and the wis- ve repairs to the Frank J. Wood Bridge and Maine party’s r “I cannot see any good reason not to dom of engine warm-ups. E1 the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge might require this,” Brown said, “but I can see a 1 force walkers or bicyclists to use the lot of pluses.” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pleasant St. Bath Rd. Coastal Connector, a span nearly a mile The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, a Brunswick H R.I. race role COMING UP a east of the downtowns. pedestrian footbridge that connects the r h Rd. p s Peter Brown, a Maine Department of Olympic skiers will be in our urc 1 mile w Topsham Heights neighborhood with Mill Election 2006: The Blaine House e N own backyard when gold Maine St. Transportation engineer who will oversee medalists Ted Ligety and STAFF GRAPHIC | MICHAEL FISHER work on the Frank J. Wood Bridge, said Please see BRIDGES, Back Page hopeful says Gov. Baldacci must Julie Mancuso, Bode Miller answer queries about donations. and others come to Sugar- loaf for the U.S. Alpine SPEAKING OF HOCKEY By PAUL CARRIER Championships. Saturday Staff Writer AUGUSTA — The Maine Democratic Party’s decision to inject itself into an WEATHER Pros from abroad work at acquiring gift of gab out-of-state U.S. Senate campaign spilled over into the governor’s race Thursday when Republican contender English isn’t mandatory nervous talking to a group of David Emery blamed Gov. John Bal- for hockey, but Portland’s people in Czech, too.” dacci for the move and demanded a After soccer, hockey is the foreign players want to state or a federal investigation. most international of team Emery said Baldacci, as the head of learn for other reasons. sports. The Portland roster the Democratic Party in Maine, is Mostly cloudy, chilly includes six players who grew responsible for the party’s decision to up speaking a language other Highs near 40 B6 By PAUL BETIT give $10,000 to U.S. Senate hopeful Matt Staff Writer than English. Although it isn’t Brown of Rhode Island and to accept essential that the players $6,000 from Rhode Island businessman INDEX Portland Pirates defense- speak English, it sure is Richard Bready, who supports Brown in man Ladislav Smid studied helpful. the Democratic Senate primary there. Abby C7 Flip Side D6 English while growing up in “Fortunately, there is an The flow of money between Rhode Business C1 Horoscope C7 the Czech Republic. But when international language of hock- Island and state Democratic parties in Classified C8 Hax C7 he reported to training camp ey,” said Portland Coach Kevin Maine, Massachusetts and Hawaii has Comics C6 Lottery A2 last September, he learned Dineen. “We can all point to a raised questions about whether Brown Deaths B4 Public Notices C10 chalkboard and show people was trying to evade federal contribution Dispatches B2 Television C7 that speaking the language Staff photo by Doug Jones Editorials A8 Theaters C5 was a whole different matter. Igor Pohanka, left, and Pierre Parenteau are Portland where we want them to be. But limits by laundering additional donations “When I came here,” he said, Pirates hockey players who have worked to learn and knowing English is real from Bready and other backers who had “my English was terrible.” speak English since joining the team. important.” reached the legal limit for such gifts. Six months made a big dif- Since arriving in Portland, Baldacci said through a spokeswoman ference. Smid had enough con- Smid has taken weekly lessons Thursday that he had no knowledge of at the Cumberland County said of his participation in the the donations. Crystal Canney, the fidence to grab a microphone to improve his English. Civic Center. Hockey 101 segment while he “We’re trying to expand his spokeswoman, referred other questions and give a brief hockey lesson It was a big step. And it was sidelined with a head inju- vocabulary,” said Mary Lynch, to Maine Democratic Party to more than 6,000 fans during wasn’t easy. ry. “When I am nervous, I for- intermission of a recent game “I was so nervous,” Smid get some words. But I get Please see LANGUAGE, Back Page Please see CAMPAIGN, Back Page

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