It almost sounds like the beginning of a Dr. Seuss tale.

Terry Tracy was walking in the woods one day with the Litchfield town manager when she saw a big old tree and asked, is this the biggest one in town?

He didn’t know. “Why don’t you have a contest?” he suggested.

So she did.

In September, through the town office newsletter, The Litchfield Sodalite, Tracy, the trail chairperson for the Conservation Commission, put out the call for residents to find the biggest giant in the woods.

She says she figured it would get people out exploring and bring attention to the four walking trails she’s bushwhacked through town. The trails range from a half-mile to three miles, from flat to hilly.

They got 10 entries.

There was no mad scramble into the treetops. From solid ground, a volunteer and state district forester used a special tool to check out candidates. Points were awarded for different measures, and a tie declared.

The co-winners: a 106-foot-tall red oak with an 80-foot crown, more than 12 feet around at chest height; and a 96-foot-tall sugar maple with a 62-foot crown, 14 feet around at chest height.

Both tree owners were given a crabapple tree from Roaring Brook Nursery in Wales.

Tracy already plans to make the contest an annual event. She thinks there might have been some confusion this year about how to go about entering: “Now we have something to go from next year when we’re setting up: Beat this tree.”

She’s pretty sure there are bigger ones lurking out there.

– Kathryn Skelton
No comment

It was a celebration. Period.

That was the flavor of Wednesday night’s soiree at the Sable Oaks Marriott in South Portland, where the Maine State Chamber of Commerce conferred its economic achievement awards. That afternoon’s announcement that Lewiston’s mayor – one of the award recipients – was facing charges of groping a young woman, didn’t mar the event.

Three tables of Lewiston-Auburn business people, officials, city staff and others were on hand to cheer the cities’ economic partnership, which earned a President’s Award from chamber President Dana Connors. Mayors Lionel and Normand Guay accepted the awards on behalf of their cities.

During the social hour preceding the dinner and ceremony, the mood was upbeat and jovial. When asked if he cared to comment further about the charges, Mayor Lionel C. Guay declined, saying he had already been interviewed about them and wanted to keep the night’s focus on the cities’ good news.

Others were of the same mind. Two television news crews arrived at the hotel and were asked if they were there to cover the chamber event. When they said they only wanted access to Mayor Guay, they were asked to leave.

“Technically, it was a private function and the feeling was we didn’t want that to overshadow the economic awards,” said Melanie Baillargeon, spokeswoman for the chamber.

Media representatives who pre-registered for the annual meeting were allowed in, as were media there to cover the awards ceremony.

– Carol Coultas

Questions, questions

Duke’s Rotary Barbershop, long considered the Simones’ Hot Dog Stand and political roundtable of Augusta, released its polling data Friday.

Although his polling is informal, barbershop proprietor Duke Dulac prides himself on the accuracy of the numbers, estimating he’s been very nearly right every year since he started in 1974.

In 2000, he correctly predicted the outcome of the gay rights and the physician-assisted suicide referenda and has no doubt his numbers are right again this year.

Concerning Question 1, to repeal the state’s new anti-discrimination law, Dulac said the “No on 1” campaign will win and the newly added protection would stay put in Maine’s Human Rights Act.

He polled 125 folks, 100 fewer than in 2000, and said this year’s numbers are close but that “no” will be a winner.

Question 7, the constitutional amendment that would allow towns to adjust assessments of working waterfront property, will pass by a ratio of 4-to-1. It’s a sure bet, he said.

Same for Question 2, a transportation borrowing package. And questions to borrow money to improve water systems, feed economic development and invest more in Land for Maine’s Future will also pass, Dulac said.

The only question that appears to be in trouble is No. 6, the $9 million bond package investing in Maine’s education. Although he calculated a 4-point margin in favor of the question Friday, Dulac predicts it will ultimately fail.

– Judy Meyer