Bangor, Maine News Update: November 27, 2019

Organizers of the American Folk Festival announced yesterday that the popular waterfront event is being discontinued because of financial reasons. It started in 2002 as the National Folk Festival, and then continued to run on a local basis. The festival has struggled in recent years with a lack of donations and expanded construction on the waterfront.

A man who was convicted of murder in New Mexico was arrested in Enfield. Ernesto Valdez was sentenced to eight years in prison and five years’ probation for a stabbing in 2010, but violated his probation when he cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Maine.

Officials say a recent surge in solicitation calls from people claiming to be fundraising for the State Police or Highway Patrol are not actually representing the agencies. While there is a non-profit agency that raises money, it’s done on a business-to-business basis. Anyone receiving one of these scam calls should just hang up.

Eastern Maine Community College is now offering new program to train substance abuse counselors, the first of its kind in the community college system. The program meets state requirements for certified alcohol and drug counselors, and will focus primarily on the opioid epidemic, in hopes of meeting a growing need.

Folks are encouraged to bring a toy to the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce Friday morning, to help Down East Community Partners stuff the bus. DCP’s Magic Toy Drive will benefit kids in Hancock and Washington counties, and will run from 7 to noon on Black Friday. Find more information on the Down East Community Partners website.