Every time the federal government pushes its color-coded panic button – the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s green-to-red advisory system – people like President George W. Bush a little more.

That was the finding of a sociologist at Cornell University. Doctoral candidate Robb Willer charted 26 increases and 131 Gallup polls.

On average, the president’s approval rating rose by 2.75 percent each time the terror threat rose.

The study was cited at Monday’s Great Falls Forum by Thomas Mann, a Brookings Institution campaign expert.

The think-tank thinker joked that America is about to head for the red side of the terror color chart as the election gets closer.

“I am anticipating some elevated terror warnings in the next two weeks,” Mann said.

– Daniel Hartill
Rumor debunked

Franklin County has surpassed Washington County as Maine’s poorest region.

Don’t believe it. Not even for a minute. It’s a rumor, nothing more, nothing less.

But as rumors are wont to do, this one cropped up, captured the attention of some “very important people” and landed on legs of its own after being repeated to more VIP-types.

For the record, the U.S. Census Bureau puts Franklin County’s median household income at $31,459, and its per-capita money income at $15,796.

Washington County’s median household income is listed at $25,869 and its per-capita money income at $14,119.

The numbers are for 1999, the most recent complete full year prior to the 2000 Census tally. The Census hasn’t updated the state’s county income figures

There. Rumor debunked. End of story.

– Doug Fletcher
Cursed fan?

Ann Marie Crosby remembers the horror as if it were yesterday. It was 2003 and the night of the opening playoff game between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Crosby, a huge Sox fan from South Paris, had just settled in with her family to watch the series opener. Then the cable went out.

Crosby was so angry, she wanted to either cry or chuck her television through a window.

That was a year ago. It turned out a problem with a cable feed prevented Crosby and thousands of others from watching the early part of the American League playoffs. She got over it.

Until this past Tuesday night, that is. Game 6 of this year’s Sox-Yankees bout was just about to begin. Boston was in the middle of a dramatic comeback. It could prove to be the biggest upset in all of sports history.

Then the power went out.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Crosby said. “I figured I must have the worst luck in the world.”

It couldn’t happen to a bigger Red Sox fan. Crosby had been wearing team shirts, hats and other memorabilia for weeks. She planned her days and nights around the playoffs. When the power went out, Crosby experienced a crippling sense of deja vu.

“I cannot go through this again,” she said.

And then, sweet relief. Moments after Crosby began making frantic phone calls to the cable company, the lights flickered back on. The image on her television was sharp and crisp, and the pregame was on.

The Sox went on to win Game 6. And then Game 7. If the Sox can reverse their curse, maybe Crosby’s power and cable woes may be over, as well.

“The Red Sox are going to win it all this year,” she said. “And I really want to be able to see it.”

– Mark LaFlamme
Big city lights

Owner Marcus Verrill is pulling out all the stops to announce the opening of his new club, Cloud 9.

The local entertainment entrepreneur has rented a machine to send sky-high beams of light into Lewiston’s atmosphere. Four beams of light were expected to be criss-crossing the night sky from the club’s 17 Park St. location from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday night. The machine costs $650 to rent for three hours, but Verrill said he wanted to make a big splash.

“We want to do this in a big way,” said Verrill. “And we don’t have a sign yet, so we want people to know where we are.”

The lights will be visible only during the club’s grand opening, but Verrill said there will be more surprises in store for its clientele.

“We’re looking at crrrr-azy stuff,” said Verrill.

– Carol Coultas