Town takes steps to protect piping plovers

Town officials in Sandwich have approved a plan to spend up to $10,000 this summer to pay for patrols to protect the tiny Atlantic piping plover. The federally protected bird breeds on East Coast beaches during warm weather in tenuous sand dunes just above the high tide line. Their nests often are flooded by storms, targeted by predators, and easily damaged by humans. The Cape Cod Times reported yesterday that selectmen voted Thursday night to fund their protection. Town Manager George Dunham will consider hiring retired police officers for spot checks and to keep people from lighting illegal fires or disturbing the birds' habitat. (AP)

Maine maple syrup production fell this year even as output nationally rose by 30 percent. US syrup production for 2008 was 1.64 million gallons, according to the New England Agricultural Statistics Service. Vermont as usual was the number one state with 500,000 gallons, an increase of 11 percent. New York was next with 322,000 gallons, up 44 percent from last year. Maine, which had held the number two spot, ended up with 215,000 gallons, down 4 percent. Maine was the only state to experience a decline in production, with fewer taps in place and a small reduction in yield per tap. Producers in northern Maine reported temperatures that were mostly too warm and deep snows. Southern Maine producers experienced perfect weather and steady sap flows, officials said. US syrup production was valued at $41.7 million in 2007, with Maine's portion coming in at $6.8 million. (AP)

Last week's Canadian-American antiterrorism drill on the New Hampshire coast was a success, organizers say. "The exercise really showed that we are indeed one team, one fight," said Jim McPherson, commander of the Coast Guard's Northern New England sector. "All participating agencies, military, and civilian alike from the United States and Canada, came to this week's exercise . . . with a shared mission focus to ensure we can decisively and appropriately handle maritime security threats." On Friday, military and law enforcement teams wrapped up five days of hunting fake mines and fighting simulated terrorist attacks. (AP)

The head of a camp founded by Paul Newman to benefit critically ill children says it will be unaffected by the actor's health. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp dedicated a new miniature golf course at its Ashford site yesterday. Earlier this week, A.E. Hotchner, a longtime neighbor and business partner of Newman, confirmed to the Associated Press that the 83-year-old actor told him about 18 months ago he was battling cancer. A publicist for Newman said only that he is "doing nicely." James Canton, executive director of the camp, said yesterday that the camp was set up to operate regardless of Newman's health. J. Michael Smiles, chief development officer for the camp, says news of Newman's illness has brought more attention to the actor's charitable work. (AP)

Vermont may have tied with New Hampshire as the states most supportive of breast-feeding babies, but still has room to improve, says the breast-feeding coordinator with the Vermont Health Department. That was the reaction of the Health Department's Tricia Cassi to news that a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave Vermont and New Hampshire scores of 81 out of a possible 100 in how well their hospitals set newborns and their mothers on the breast-feeding path. "This national report shows that Vermont is far ahead of the curve. There is a lot of support in the state, but we still have room for improvement," Cassi said. (AP)

Trey Anastasio probably wouldn't be confused with a folk act, even if the former frontman for the jam band Phish stepped on stage solo with an acoustic guitar. The same goes for the Black Crowes, whose bluesy guitar-driven rock would easily drown out the average acoustic troubadour. But both acts are on the bill for the Newport Folk Festival, which this year features a genre-bending mix of marquee performers that draw big crowds but don't fit snugly under the traditional folk umbrella. The lineup is a way for the festival to stay relevant amid a glut of summer concerts while deepening the audience base for the tradition-rich event. The festival is scheduled for Aug. 1-3. (AP)