Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, outside of Bangor, caused quite a stir among customers and Facebook friends recently by putting a "No on 1" sign near their driveway.

The orchard Facebook page shows hundreds of comments about the issue, which range from "I will NEVER come to your farm again" to "You have a new customer in my family." Question 1 asks voters if they want to allow the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Bangor Daily News is reporting today that Treworgy has taken the sign down. Also, Protect Marriage Maine, the major opposition group, used the incident as an opportunity to say these types of things will happen more frequently if gay marriage becomes legal in Maine.

"If marriage is redefined, it is redefined for everyone, leaving no room under the law or in civil discourse for those who disagree with this new genderless definition of marriage for religious, cultural or other reasons," said Bob Emrich in a prepared statement.

On their Facebook page, the orchard owners took time to explain their position. As part of a six-point argument for why they oppose same-sex marriage based on their religious beliefs, they posted this statement:

"We at Treworgy Family Orchards truly value and respect all persons and their views and want to thank all of you who have expressed your concern about our choice to place a “No on 1” sign beside our driveway last week. We sincerely apologize for the hurt that was caused by our sign and its perceived meaning. We did not understand the way it would be interpreted by so many and it is apparent that what we intended and what has been concluded are entirely different realities. We humbly ask those who have been hurt to forgive us any offense. We would like to take the opportunity to clarify exactly what we do and do not stand for. We do not stand for hate, discrimination, rudeness, or incivility."

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Open Season targets all of Maine's political wildlife, from Portland city government to the donkeys, elephants and independents stalking the Statehouse and U.S. Capitol.

John Richardson joined the Press Herald in 1990 after working as a reporter in New Jersey. He has covered a variety of beats, including marine issues, the environment and health care. He is now covering politics and focusing on Maine's U.S. Senate race.
John can be reached at 791-6324 or jrichardson@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @jrichmaine

Colin Woodard has covered politics and elections for more than two decades, from Bosnia and Bucharest to Washington, D.C., Augusta, and Portland City Hall. He has written for a wide range of national and international publications and is the author of four books, including "American Nations," a history of North America's regional cultures. He joined the Portland Press Herald at the end of April and covers political finance and lobbying, among other things.
Colin can be reached at 791-6317 or cwoodard@pressherald.com

Susan Cover has covered Maine politics for 10 years and worked in Kansas, Ohio and Rhode Island as a reporter. This year, she is focusing on covering the same-sex marriage debate for MaineToday Media.
Susan can be reached at 621-5643 or scover@mainetoday.com

Michael Shepherd joined MaineToday Media in May 2012 after graduating from the University of Maine in Orono, where he edited The Maine Campus, the student newspaper there. Until November he'll be writing the Truth Test, a recurring feature analyzing political statements and advertising.
Michael can be reached at 621-5632 or mshepherd@mainetoday.com

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