Ski signs at N.H. airport

Travelers may feel like they’re on the ski slopes when they see the new signs at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. The airport has joined about 35 others around the country in marking different security lanes with the black diamond, blue square and green circle symbols commonly used by ski areas to rate a slope’s difficulty. The black diamond lanes are for business travelers and frequent fliers who need to get through checkpoints faster. The blue lanes are for casual travelers who don’t want to be rushed, and the green lanes are for those traveling with small children who need extra time. Travelers pick which lane to use. “These are purely recommendations, this is by no means mandatory,” said Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration. “We’re trying to empower passengers by allowing them to choose the line that best meets their knowledge of the [security] requirements.” The changes took effect Sunday. Davis said the goal is to have 50 airports participating by October.

A victory for salmon in Maine

PPL Corp. and the Penobscot River Restoration Trust in Maine announced a major milestone Thursday in the effort to open nearly 1,000 miles of the river to Atlantic salmon and other migratory fish. The trust has raised the $25 million necessary to purchase three PPL-owned dams along the river in the eastern part of the state. PPL has received the trust’s notice of intent to exercise the option, but the sale must still be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Penobscot Trust has announced that when the approvals are finalized, it plans to remove dams at Veazie and Great Works, and decommission the dam at Howland but leave it in place and install a bypass channel for fish passage. As part of this landmark agreement, PPL has already increased renewable hydroelectric generating capacity at other dams it owns in Maine. In addition, PPL started work in May to renovate and recommission its Orono hydroelectric plant, which will add 20,000 megawatt-hours per year of clean, renewable electricity to the region’s power supplies.

Utility shutoffs increase in Conn.

Connecticut utility companies say the number of customers whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of bills is significantly higher this year. Figures show that last year nearly 56,800 Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating customers lost their electricity after failing to pay their bills. Through the early part of the summer both say some 34,000 customers have lost electricity for nonpayment and there’s still five months to go. A spokesman for Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas says the number of customers shut off from service has risen by roughly 5 percent compared with this time last year. CL&P says the number of delinquent customers on payment plans is up by 14 percent compared with this time last year.

Energy woes trigger ferry cutbacks

The company that runs a high-speed ferry between Maine and Nova Scotia is cutting back service due to higher fuel costs and fewer travelers. Bay Ferries announced Friday that after Labor Day it will reduce the number of weekly roundtrips from seven to five. It’s also ending its service on Oct. 5, nine days earlier than planned. The company says it’s contacting passengers who’ve already booked for the canceled period to offer them a discount for an alternative time or to cancel the reservations. Mark MacDonald, chief executive officer, said the company regrets the changes, but his company faces the same pressures as airlines. He said fuel costs have “significantly impacted” his operating costs and the number of North American vacation travelers.

Maine CONSolidates school costs

A Maine official says about half of the state’s students attend schools in newly consolidated districts. A school consolidation law, passed last year, requires districts to form regional school units to reduce administrative costs and save taxpayers millions of dollars. The law envisions reducing Maine’s school districts from 290 to about 80. The state Education Department’s finance director, Jim Rier, told legislators that consolidation plans already approved account for nearly 103,000 students, or 52 percent of the total number of students. Rier told the Appropriations Committee that the department has approved six reorganization plans and 39 alternative plans.

Vermont plans state job REDUCTIONS

The Douglas administration in Vermont on Friday proposed closing a $32-million shortfall in the state budget by cutting state government spending, transferring funds and laying off 16 state workers. The 16 possible job cuts could come from the Tax Department, the attorney general’s office, the judiciary branch, the Department of Public Safety, not including the state police, the secretary of state’s office and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said Finance Commissioner Jim Reardon. The state will try to relocate those people to other vacancies within state government, said outgoing Administration Secretary Michael Smith. “This represents a reduction of less than two-tenths of 1 percent in our 8,900-person work force,” he said.