GORHAM

Central Maine Power crews respond to pair of outages

Central Maine Power Co. crews were kept busy with electric problems in Gorham on Saturday night.

The utility said power went out shortly before 9 p.m. for about 900 customers in western Gorham and a small section of Buxton.

The company said a tree limb took down a line and knocked out power. It took about an hour for crews to find the problem and make repairs to restore power.

Shortly after that problem was fixed, the company said, an unrelated problem caused a blackout in the northern section of town, affecting a small number of customers.

KENNEBUNK

Authorities investigate theftof stools from restaurant

Some customers at Federal Jack’s may have taken an invitation to “take a seat” too literally.

Police said the restaurant reported three stools missing after a customer saw three men lowering them from the deck into a pickup truck.

Police said the incident was reported at the Western Avenue restaurant shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday. A witness provided police a license plate number.

FREEPORT

Ground Round expecting to be debt-free this month

The Ground Round restaurant chain said it expects to become debt-free with its final bank payment this month.

The Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative was created by franchise owners who stepped up to raise nearly $5 million in cash and financing to acquire the brand and franchise rights in 2004, after Ground Round filed for bankruptcy and closed company-owned restaurants.

Ground Round Grill & Bar was created by the Howard Johnson’s in 1969, and there were several hundred locations at one point in the early 1980s.

Headquartered in Freeport, the Ground Round IOC now operates 24 Ground Round restaurants located in 10 states in the Midwest and Northeast. 

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

National Park Week events will run through April 24

Acadia National Park is celebrating National Park Week with ranger-led walks, nature discussions and children’s programs.

The theme of this year’s park week, which runs through April 24, is “Healthy Parks, Healthy People,” with a focus on the connection between public lands and public health.

In Acadia, rangers will lead nature outings that include a bird walk, a geology walk and a walk on Otter Point.

At the Schoodic Education and Research Center in the Schoodic Peninsula section of the park, rangers will hold two children’s programs during the week, along with a discussion about Earth Day and the impact of the environmental movement.

AUGUSTA

LePage suggests Democrats should join, not fight, him

Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address to go after Democrats who criticized him this past week.

LePage said Saturday that Democrats who complained that he hasn’t done enough to help the state’s economy in his first 100 days should join him instead of fighting him.

He said his two-year budget would save $500 million, cut in half the state’s $4.3 billion unfunded liability and return $203 million to Maine families and small businesses through tax cuts.

He said he’s given the Legislature “the tool that will generate jobs — they just need to pass it.”

On Wednesday, dozens of Democrats rallied outside LePage’s office in the State House Hall of Flags. Democrats gave him “incomplete” grade for his first 100-days’ performance.