Environmental Impact to Height of Land Area

The Height of Land scenic byway in western Maine overlooks many awe-inspiring views including Mooselookmeguntic Lake and surrounding areas. The proposed highway reconstruction for the byway on Route 17 between Byron and Oquossoc has finally been approved funding after 4 years of lobbying for the project. The project will have an impact on the environment throughout the vicinity of the reconstructed highway.

This area is peppered with Maine wildlife including moose, eagles, and a variety of fish species.

The biggest positive environmental impact will be the effect is has on the watershed. It has been shown in the past that the road consistently washes out. The new reconstruction will prevent the silt and pollutants from draining into the watershed. The project consists of blasting ledge to the east of the old road to shift it to a different slope.

Mike Michaud, a Maine Congressman, has stated, "The $3.2 million Height of Land Economic Stimulus project could create good-paying jobs, increase tourism in western Maine, connect three scenic byways and three premier recreation/ski resorts, improve safety, and protect a lake and watershed."

Therefore, the project is not only positive for the environment, but even for the economic status of the western Maine area.

The proposed project will no longer be a 'pull-over wherevever you want' type of tourist attraction, according to Mark Hume, Maine Department of Transportation Region 3 engineer.


SOURCES:

http://www.sunjournal.com/node/834817
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/13830/places/15021/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g40835-d103845-r44298004-Height_of_Land-Rangeley_Maine.html
http://www.eaarts.com/Rangley/Height%20of%20Land%202.htm
http://www.mainebiker.net/photo/height-of-land
http://www.rlht.org/
http://www.trails.com/usgs-topo-height-of-land-scenic-overlook-locale-topographic-map-1908341.html

NBA Playoffs Heat Vs Celtics Game 2 Recap 04/20/2010 (0-2)

NBA Playoffs - Boston Celtics v. Miami Heat (Game 2)

The National Basketball Association's playoffs began April 17 and it has been a nonstop excitement train since then. The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat tipped off their best-of-seven series on that date. When Game 2 was set in place on Tuesday, April 20, the Celtics were already topping the series with a 1-0 lead. Game 2 took place at the TD Bank Garden in Boston at 8 p.m. in front of an audience of 18,624. Not one person attending the game had a lack of anticipation for the hopeful victory for their home town team.
As the crowd filtered in, there was an evident buzz throughout the entire arena. The Celtics started the game slow, matching the Heat point for point for the first seven minutes. By the beginning of the second quarter, it was apparent that the Celtics meant business. There was no way they were going to be stopped. Ray Allen led a 21-0 run in the second quarter and ended the game with 25 points. The Heat were only allowed 33 points before halftime.
After halftime, the trend was no different. The Celtics did not let up. Their defensive presence was strangling the Heat. It seemed as if Dwayne Wade, the Heat's perennial all-star, was the only player to show up to stand up to the Celtics, as he scored 29 points. It was not enough to beat the over-powering Boston team, who were a well-oiled machine all night long. The fastbreak points differential was 27-2 in Boston's favor.
Except for the first few minutes of the game, there was no point in the game when Ray Allen and the rest of the Celtics were not in control. With a 106-77 win, the Celtics will take their 2-0 first round series lead to Miami to try and sweep the Heat to advance to the next round.

Spreading the Love for Virginia Tech

With the invention of online networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Wikepedia, and YouTube, people has become much more exposed to information. This information can range from what your next door neighbor is having for dinner to how the Bank of America stocks are performing. This knowledge has become instantaneous and is updated every second of the day. There are pros and cons to having unlimited information at your fingertips. However, in the case of natural disasters or tradgedies, it is human nature to reach out a hand and help. For some, help comes in the shape of websites, blogs, and emails.
On April 16th, 2007, a tradgedy occurred on the Virginia Tech campus the gained national attention. The United States as a whole was in complete schock that a student would enter an academic building one day and decided to kill 33 people. However, the nation didn't just sit around and observe as the investigators and media got involved. Everyone got involved in the situation; not necessarily involved in the investigation, however, intangled in social networking organizations to discuss the massacre, help distribute information, and find and talk to more sympathizers and/or victims.
A Facebook search for "Virginia Tech Massacre" queries more than 500 different groups. A few of the names of groups include: "Praying for VT"; "A Hokie Nation"; and "All will be missed -VA Tech: April 16, 2007." All three of those groups have over a thousand members, which translates to: when a disaster happens, people band together. These groups were used two years ago to pray and vent emotions. Today, these groups still exsist, but as memorials, more or less.
Facebook is not the only interface used to spread word about the massacre. Wikipedia was used as an enormous resource for many people. The article titled "Virginia Tech massacre" did not spare any details about the incident. Over 100 sources were cited. Since Wikipedia is an free-sharing network, anyone can post information about anything. In the case of the Virginia Tech shootings, it is obvious that many people joined in on sharing information.

Integrated Biorefinery lecture

Delmar Raymond, a highly decorated spokesman for the chemical engineering community, spoke to a room full of students and professors from around the northeast Saturday, March 27th. Raymond was elected as the keynote speaker for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers conference held at the Wells Conference Center on the University of Maine campus in Orono. He was the perfect candidate to speak because he was born and raised in Maine as well as receiving three degrees from the University of Maine. One of his finest achievements was helping found the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute. His expertise on pulp and paper processing was on full display during his presentation titled "Integrated Biorefinery".
Raymond believes that paper mills are "facing tough times" as it is hard to keep up with the downward sloping economy. Many of the paper refineries from 10 to 15 years ago are now gone because of the lack of national knowledge on how to maintain and innovate them. However, he claims that with enough innovation and efficiency, they will make a strong recovery. He gave multiple reasons as to why wood processing has higher returns than a lot of other types of energy. His biggest point was "wod has a much better energy ratio that corn" and other ethanol products. The majority of the lecture was geared towards informing the audience of his views on making smarter moves towards processing wood products for the future.
Delmar Raymond received a respectful applause at the end of his presentation. He said that he was very happy to be there, after traveling from the west coast. His global popularity was not gained by accident. He has made great strides within the pulp and paper industry around the world. Raymond seemed pleased to be there and excited to share his wisdom with an audience that will surely follow in his footsteps one day.

Everyone, Devin. Devin, Everyone.

Devin Beals, a man of many words and no lack for wit, will make a first impression one will sure never forget. He makes sure that whenever something needs to be said, it will be said. He doesn't come across rude or imposing, but rather convincing, and at the same time, frivolous. Devin will make you laugh; he will make you think. In order to get his point across, he will use any method he can conjure to make someone see it the way he does.

His hidden intention, behind the mask of him seeming to control situations, is to understand people and their reactions. As Devin puts it, "without being judgmental, I can usually figure a person out almost immediately. I'm extremely observant and pick up on little things most people wouldn't, whether it be a style of sarcasm, or different facial expressions or even what a person laughs at." He prides himself in his ability to read others. Devin claims that the relationship between himself and his last love was when he realized just how thought-manipulative he could be. However, at times, a brick wall will block his talent for understanding people. It irks him if he can’t get into someone’s head. Whenever Devin meets someone that he cannot identify with using his ability, which is a rare occurrence, he “find[s] that [those are] the only people that [he’s] interested in…these people are extremely hard to find.”

The moment one meets Devin, it is understood that he is a born leader. “My strongest leadership trait would be my energy…because I can channel my passion and energy into other people in a positive way.” Leaders like Devin make opportunities for themselves. If he wants something, he is going to do anything to attain it. Devin is not selfish in the sense that he is only looking out for himself. A common theme in Devin’s daily routine is helping people make the most of their abilities. He sees potential in everyone and everything, even if no one else does.

As Devin strives to reach his goal: restaurant/bar entrepreneurship, his last thought would be to do it by himself. His contagious attitude on life and towards other people is going to take him a long way in this life. He says that he admires his father more than anyone else in the world. Devin once asked his father after turning down a slew of great life opportunities, “ ‘if you could go back and do anything differently in your life, what would you do?’ He looked me right in the eye, and before he even said [anything], I knew [that] the answer was ‘absolutely nothing’”. Even though Devin has high hopes in life that will surely be attained, he will follow in his father’s footsteps by living with no regrets. Devin will make his time on this earth well worth it, just like he has begun to do already at his young age.

Local Newscast - New Bridge in Portland

One of Portland’s largest news broadcasting networks, WGME, posted a newscast online about a bridge repair proposal to a heavily traveled roadway in the metropolitan area. The news anchor provided supple information about the story. I thought his lead into the story was also extremely effective. His lead went as follows:

What some consider as the gateway to Maine’s largest metropolitan area is about to get a face-lift. The Maine Department of Transportation unveiled plans this morning to replace the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. The current bridge connects Portland and South Portland and carries more than 22,000 vehicles a day. But years of wear and tear and increasing traffic make the $63 million project necessary.

All of the necessary components of a lead were evident, except for maybe the ‘how.’ The newscast includes a clip of the announcement from the Maine Department of Transportation’s Commissioner, David Cole. I think the clip adds accuracy and background to the story. The anchor goes on to explain how and when the project is planned to start. Overall, the story is very concise, which is exactly how many people would want to have it. This is not breaking news, so there is no need for a sense of urgency or time relevance.


Plan For New Bridge Unveiled
Posted: Thursday, February 4 2010, 06:43 PM EST
http://www.wgme.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wgme_vid_2331.shtml