The Bangor Daily News from Bangor, Maine • 9

Maine Bangor Daily News Monday November ip 198G OPERA IS BACK I boom reveals some gloom vr- distribution of growth benefits uneven PORTLAND (API Under the fitter of southern Maine's boom economists are finding some reasons for gloom Experts see a difference between WOnomlc growth and economic well Bemg and Bowdoin College eco-bfiormcs Professor David Vail warns bsgainst confusing the two in south Vm Maine the more prosperous part of two that politicians discussed during the recent guber-ntffonal campaign brrThere's a ot mystification about the reality of economic 'growth" said Vail adding that benefits of the rapid growth toss not being equally distributed br A negative side to that growth is Vpredatory real-estate which Vail said is squeezing 'working-class people out of affordable housing fishermen from the 'waterfront and farmers from protective land Some of those who are struggling o-survive blame out-of -staters for the doubling of apartment rents in three years in some parts of fortland Slate economist Lloyd Irland said Kept are two sides to reports of the growth in trades and services in southern Maine For example most of file jobs in an average supermarket are part-time and do not have full fringe benefits Some department stores have shifted from full-time to part-time sales personnel so the ume amount of work is divided a Wong more people Vailsaid the development boom in dchyntown Portland and other parts of southern Maine is more a result of pressures from Boston than fruition Slate economic policies He added that Maine's expanded high-tech sector tends to have downstream end of the lobs production and assembly line work" while the engineering and scientific jobs remain along the Boston area's Route 128 Although unemployment in southern Maine is down underemployment is on the rise and what may be most galkng to the underemployed is that to yuppies is where a lot of these dead-cna Jobs are" said state Sen Thomas Andrews D-Portland Andrews and Vail warn that the rapid economic boom based on runaway real-estate speculation could go bust and in the meantime deplete natural-resource based industries such as fishing Irland said it is important for young Mainers who are tempted by making quick money in the service industry to take time for education and for people who lose jobs in industries such as shoes and textiles to find vocational training future career op- Eortumties are being frittered away the part-time fast Irland said The number of food-stamp recipients dropped dramatically in York County between 1983 and 1985 but it rose in Cumberland County while unemployment dropped stamps are more revealing of an said state Human Services Department spokesman Thomas LaPointe Referring to a theory that everyone benefits from a rising economic tide LaPointe said Ole in low-paying jobs using stamps as a lifejacket because not in the boat" -9? far V' 1 who keeps it going year to year All that VA representatives know is that it costs federal agencies money to answer the letters and calls It also creates some bitter disappointment among World War II veterans who hope to be paid a few dollars during the heating season It was true that in 1950 Congress passed a law allowing special dividends to be paid to veterans But later Congress passed another law limiting payment to those veterans who applied within a deadline period Anyone applying after 1950 would receive no money from the VA In some posters and letters to vet- erans a fictitious name appears The name of a fictitious US Navy captain is used in the publicity but VA officials have not been able to trace the name to a real officer either a World War II or later service veteran say VA officials VA officers and US Sen William Cohen said that no active duty MEMBERS OF THE CAST of the opera termission Sunday afternoon They are as Gilda This was the first fully pose for NEWS photographer (from left) Mark Rucker as RigolettoPaul staged opera to be produced at the Ban-Michael York during the in- Hartfield as Duke Mantua and Maureen gor Opera House since 1908 Dividend hoax aimed at veterans returns pursing students plan education strategies naval officer would be allowed to work for the use of the name ihey said is misleading The SHELL letter from Bloomington Minn is titled: FROM and tells veterans that their GI life insurance premiums paid during the war are refundable What separates the Bloomington letter from others found around the country is that the veterans are asked to send information about their service and $10 to SHELL McTigue spieculated that SHELL may be a pun on the old shell game in which confidence men bilked gullible people of their money Three shells and a pea were used in that game where the shells one supposedly covering the pea were shuffled around a table Finding the pea made the gambler a winner Only there was no pea There also are no -GI insurance dividends due veterans i Every year VA offices are deluged with mail necessitating written answers explaining that no such dividend program exists Until 1986 VA officials may have wondered why there was no profit motive on the part of the perpetrator But this year a scheme surfaced in Bloomington Minn in which veterans were asked to send $10 to a post office box held by The scheme constitutes mail fraud said Phil McTigue a veterans counselor with the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services in Bangor McTigue said that he has worked with the bureau for 10 years and during each of those years the letters and posters have appeared Also with each wave of false publicity come the demands by veterans for their know whether someone has an ax to grind or holds a grudge against the McTigue said Friday No one in the VA has discovered who the originator of the hoax was or James Tierney were the ones who raised those topics said Tierney number of position papers were written as a result of He added that the 1986 campaign proved the Democrats raise enough money to compete with Tierney said outgoing Demo- cratic Gov Joseph re-election budget four years ago was roughly $600000 doubled said Tierney and two-thirds of the money came from within the state Campaign reports filed the week before Election Day showed Tierney had collected slightly more than $1 million nearly $300000 of it since September At the same time McKernan had collected $12 million $259000 of it since mid- September Tierney encouraged his leaders to stay unified and to work toward the election of a Democratic president in 1988 would have been a nice touch to hold the opening as part of the dedication ceremonies (Tuesday Nov 11) but we get everything done in Connors said He said construction schedule had been set long before planning for the dedication began would have been ideal if they had coincided" he said it just in the The opening date had been in question for the past several weeks while DOT officials evaluated means for dealing with a delay in the delivery night patrols ready for bad weather By John Hubbard Of the NEWS Staff A hoax perpetrated against the Veterans Administration has surfaced each year for decades but this year with a new twist say VA officials Since the end of World War II US veterans have been encouragril incorrectly to apply for dividends based on their old military life insurance and the number of years they served their country In Maine the scheme is again alive and well and claiming its share of victims say VA officials Already several World War II veterans from Maine have demanded the non-existent dividends and have been told that they have been victims of a hoax Mysterious letters and posters ap-pear nationwide instructing veterans to write to their VA representatives and claiming that as much as $1000 can be refunded to them Tierney proud of Democrats Attorney general unclear on future OLD ORCHARD BEACH (AP) -James Tierney told state Democratic officials Sunday that his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign forced important issues into the open and that have every reason to be Meanwhile Tierney said he would announce later this week whether he will seek re-election by the Legislature as attorney general and that he has made no decisions on his political future In last election Tierney was defeated by Republican John McKernan Jr Independents Sherry Huber and John Menario finished behind Tierney In an interview before a speech scheduled for Sunday afternoon to the Democratic State Committee Tierney said have every reason to be of the campaign which he said a tremendous success in some The Democrats dominated discussion of the and forced the opposing candidates to -take positions on such issues as nuclear power toxic wastes community-based social services rapid real-estate development and education said Tierney By Carroll Astbury Of the NEWS Staff Members of the University of Maine Nursing Students Association met in Orono Saturday to draw up -plans for future activities and to plot ip strategy that would enable the fledgling organization to assume an influential role in the future of nursing education in Maine group formed in February is Ip chapter of the National Student Nursing Association that has 30000 members Maine was the last state to start a chapter of the national organization TKe local group has about 40 RtOmbers all of whom are nursing students at one of the three university-system campuses offering a Baccalaureate program in nursing Those campuses are located at Orono Fort Kent and the University ofrSauthern Maine According to Jennifer Bell president of the nursing group and a senior at the of Southern Maine there are about 500 nursing students imthe university system To form a state association there must be two separate school chap--ten Bell said that this was a goal of the group that someday there would be two chapters within the UM System Bell also said she hoped that dlfidents in nursing programs at St and Husson colleges would start a chapter or chapters cThe purpose of the Maine group as wgllfts the national organization is to contribute to nursing education in order to provide the highest quality health care They sponsor programs toaid in the development of students apdin their understanding of responsibilities in the field of health care Jive of the students attended a recent national convention of the group Amy Everett a student at Orono will attend the mid-year convention 12-16 in Louisville Ky this group I have fto arrests yet 1WINTHROP (AP) No arrests pete reported Sunday in the killing 4 34-year-old Winthrop man as authorities continued to withhold the Ifcsflts of an autopsy that was periled a day earlier I State police spokesman Richard opre said Brian was found in his home at about jm Friday Moore said Sun-lay that state police investigators Sd not want to reveal the results of 3 Improvements at by the enthusiasm of students growing and becoming beginning said Sally Martin a member of the association have learned the roles and responsibilities of the nurse in the community and it has given me more direction in what the profession of nursing is organization is giving me an opportunity to become more aware of the professionalism in nursing and the opportunities nursing can offer Bell said enabling me to become a better leader more confident in my abilities and really excited about my profession" The association is trying to raise money in the form of donations from local communities and from health-team members such as doctors They are involved with the Maine State Nursing Association the professional organization for nurses Bell sees the student group as a stepping-stone to the MSNA Anyone desiring more information about the group should call 780-4230 Meanwhile the student nurses have planned several activities They will co-sponsor a health fair at the USM gym in March that will include blood pressure checks and screening for skin cancer Their main focus is on fund raising and membership At USM and Orono they are organizing turkey raffles and pie-baking contests They also plan to sponsor speakers on local 1 hunger and are establishing where food can be gathered and forwarded to the Salvation Army A into program is planned to encourage high school students male and female to consider nursing as a career hope to make them aware of things other than clinical said Bel Portland and Orono students will be supporting the American Cancer great American smoke-out on Nov 20 They will be participating in a booths in homicide an autopsy but said the case clearly involves a homicide Deputy Attorney General Fernand LaRochelle said Winthrop police were called to the scene after wife who was on a business trip in New York reported she was unable to reach her husband telephone LaRochelle refused to discuss possible reasons for the death rather steer clear of that kind of speculation at this he said Squaw begin AUGUSTA The night patrol of the Maine Department of Transportation began its annual task of keeping a winter watch on highways Nov 8 The patrols are in their 33rd season and cover the majority of the 3400 miles of highway plowed by the state including nearly 240 miles of interstate highway alerting plowing and sanding crews when a storm moves into their patrol area John Dority director of Bureau of Maintenance and Operations said that the patrol operates only on nights when inclement weather is likely On clear calm nights or during a storm when plowing and sanding crews are already Environmental group fears effect of veto working night patrol personnel will perform other duties at DOT garages and maintenance facilities The crews also carry sand to cover icy patches of highways at dangerous locations and are prepared to provide assistance to motorists in distress Last year the night patrol assisted 383 stranded motorists Throughout their tours patrol personnel contact DOT division offices by radio at least once every hour to report weather and road conditions Every two hours division offices forward the information to DOT headquarters in Augusta Division offices are located in Presque Isle Ellsworth Bangor Scarborough and Dixfield of sewage treatment to state and local government Carson said the veto jeopardizes the future of many of the projects included in the $12-tnillion bond issue for sewage treatment passed by Maine voters last Tuesday because the projects depend on federal matching funds Maine stands to lose $9 million in federal funds next he said add- -ing that it is unrealistic to expect local communities or the state to be able to cover so large a loss Parkway South and Wilson Street in Brewer opening of this interstate extension should improve travel between Bangor and Brewer provide an incentive to additional development in the Brewer Industrial Park remove some congestion from Bangor and Brewer streets and improve access between 1-95 and Ellsworth Bar Harbor and the rest of Hancock and Washington Connors said He described the project as vital link in transportation AUGUSTA (AP) A leading environmental group in Maine says President veto of an $18 billion extension of the -Clean Water Act will probably be overridden by Congress in January action last week could cripple efforts to finish cleaning up its water said Everett Carson director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine Reagan said he vetoed the bill because it was too expensive He proposed shifting the financial burden 1-395 extension to open mid-morning Nov 17 of lighting poles needed for part of the project decided that temporary lighting would provide adequate safety until the specified poles can be delivered and installed" Connors said that decision was made it was fairly easy to anticipate an opening on the The 1-395 extension to be opened that day provides a 37 mile-long connection between Mam Street (Route 1-A) in Bangor and Wilson Street (Route 1-A) in Brewer Interchanges connect 1-395 with Main Street in Bangor and with South Main Street GREENVILLE (AP) A group of investors has taken over the Squaw Mountain ski area from the state in time to make several improvements before ski season enters full swing The state sold Squaw Mountain to several Maine investors for $300000 plus a promise to invest $700000 more in improvements said Herbert Hartman director of the state Bureau of Parks and Recreation The investors who call themselves Big Squaw Mountain have three years to complete the promised capital improvements at the 1050-acre ski area Work on a $440000 triple chair lift is already under way and is expected to be done by Christmas Duane Landfer one of the investors said the lift will double the skier capacity AUGUSTA expect to have everything ready for an opening about mid-morning on the said Dana Connors Maine Department of Transportation commissioner announcing the opening date Monday Nov 17 for the Veterans Remembrance Bridge between Bangor and Brewer Connors' said morning make any last-minute preparations check everything one more time and then take down the barricades on the entrance and exit ramps and let the traffic 'i.