BAR HARBOR (AP) – Maine ports are finishing the cruise ship season with a record number of calls, 128.

Bar Harbor drew the bulk of the ships, 97, and Portland was the destination for 31. Bar Harbor harbormaster Charlie Phippen says the new record was set despite 11 weather cancellations at the Down East port.

A third Maine port, Rockland, gets into the act next year as a destination for large cruise ships. Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to make a daylong visit to Rockland on June 21, and Jewel of the Seas is expected to have passengers ashore on Oct. 4.

Fairchild to shut down temporarily

SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) – Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. is blaming the troubled economy for its decision to shut down many of its U.S. operations during Thanksgiving week.

Company officials say their customers and distributors are coping with reduced orders for consumer appliances and electronic devices that use Fairchild’s computer chips.

Spokeswoman Patti Olson said all office workers and some of the manufacturing staff will be off during Thanksgiving week. Fairchild has about 1,000 employees at its headquarters and manufacturing plant in South Portland.

Earlier this week, the company cut back on its revenue estimates for the final three months of the year. It said revenues for the fourth quarter will be down between 16 percent and 21 percent from the third quarter of the year.


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