A benefit spaghetti buffet to help burn victim Kenneth Daigle Jr., 28, of Lisbon, has been extended to include lunch as well as dinner today.

The meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Little Joe’s Chuck Wagon on Sabattus Street, where Daigle worked as a cook before his accident.

Daigle suffered serious second- and third-degree burns Oct. 30 when the sheep costume he was wearing caught fire. Daigle, who is known for his creative costumes, used glue to attach cotton balls to long johns. The glue turned out to be flammable. As soon as he came near a lit cigarette, his costume turned into a fireball, according to his mother, June Daigle. Kenneth Daigle’s friends helped extinguish the flames and rushed him to a hospital.

Since Oct. 30, Daigle has been a patient at the Maine Medical Center in Portland. He has undergone two painful skin-graft surgeries, and faces a third surgery on Tuesday, June Daigle said Friday. He’s expected to remain at the hospital for another week.

In addition to not being able to work or pay his mortgage, Kenneth Daigle faces substantial medical bills. Daigle does not have health insurance, his mother said.

A second benefit, a dance at the C&J Hall on Webster Street in Lewiston, is planned for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19.

– Bonnie Washuk
Fox News show visits Maine

While it was producing its special television show, “The Heat is On: The Case of Global Warming,” Fox News visited Maine as well as other parts of the world. In Maine, the network worked with the Natural Resources Council in Augusta to interview three Maine experts and Pete Didisheim, the council’s global warming advocacy director.

The council hasn’t seen the final version of the show, but is hoping the Maine interviews survived the cutting room floor. Several Mainers were interviewed by Fox in August about reducing global warming pollution and implementing Maine’s Climate Action Plan. Steve Seabury was interviewed at Higgins Beach about coastal erosion. Forester Harry Dwyer spoke about increasing temperatures and the effects on forests. Jan Wilk talked about her hybrid car.

According to Fox News, the show is about shedding light, “not just heat, on one of the most important issues of our time.” Fox News crews traveled around the globe gathering evidence from top scientists and business leaders about the extent of humans’ effects on rising temperatures, the network said.

For more information, people may go to www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175036,00.html.

“The Heat is On” airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on Fox.

– Bonnie Washuk

New tank given

to needy woman

CHESTERVILLE – Although volunteers repaired Susan Moody’s faulty septic system in Chesterville free of charge, Gerry Chenard, one of those who assisted her, noticed that her metal tank would probably not last much longer.

Moody, who lives alone on public assistance and suffers from a variety of illnesses, would not be able to afford to replace it, Chenard thought to himself. So he made some calls and received a positive response from John Snowe of American Concrete in Auburn.

“Without a moment’s hesitation,” Snowe agreed to provide a free new tank for which Chenard dug the hole, Chenard said.

“I didn’t do it for the recognition,” Chenard said Monday. He just thought “it could snowball with someone else doing something nice for somebody else,” he added.

“I’m still kind of in shock,” Moody said Monday as Chenard buried the newly delivered tank in her yard. “I’m very, very excited about all this happening.”

– Jodi Hausen

Deep thoughts

at ethics hearing

Wednesday’s investigative hearing in Augusta into the 2004 campaigns of Julia St. James and Sarah Trundy produced responses and behavior that could have been from a “Saturday Night Live” skit. Only it was for real.

Maine Ethics Commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne asked witness Daniel Rogers to explain why he and Jessica Larlee recruited transient Major Isaac Pike to run for the state Senate seat in District 16.

Both Rogers and Larlee worked for the two campaigns being investigated.

Rogers said Pike isn’t a transient, but likes to hang out with homeless people.

Perhaps that explains why Pike listed his campaign workers on his candidate registration form as Robin Hood and Lost Bear.

At another point, when St. James finished testifying and tried to leave, Larlee, who had yet to testify, yelled that she wanted to cross-examine St. James.

Commissioners, taken aback by the outburst, tried to explain that wasn’t possible.

But Larlee persisted until St. James, laughing, said no, because she wanted to get home in time to see herself on TV. Channel 13 had filmed the proceedings.

Commissioners could no longer keep straight faces.

– Terry Karkos

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