DOWN EAST NOTES

Current poll finds the vote on Maine's pro-gay marriage law too close to call. 48% to overturn it and 46% with Republicans being the overwhelming problem. . . An unusual merger between a credit union and a savings bank will be voted upon by the credit union members next week. . . Bath residents are keeping their eyes peeled for mountain lions after multiple late summer sightings were reported in the city, hundreds of miles away from the rare cats' closest known breeding grounds. . . A survey of CFL use in Maine finds that nearly half of all respondents had ten or more but only 23 percent recycled, with 60 percent not knowing where to take the burned out bulbs. . . After being named by Bon Appetit as the "foodiest small town in America," Portland was the subject of another round of gastronomic praise - this time by the NY Times. . . On Thursday, "the story about Portland had become the most e-mailed story on The New York Times' Web site, surpassing columns by Thomas Friedman and Maureen Dowd, and even Mary Travers' obituary.". . . A Unity man was charged with driving under the influence. The only thing unusual about this story was that he was driving a lawn mower. . . DETAILS IN THE COASTAL PACKET