When Mike Lowe joined the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram’s staff in 1982, he never thought he was setting roots. But he learned to love Maine, its people, its games and, especially, its stories. It’s hard to say what he covers because, well, he covers everything. Over the years he’s been fortunate to witness some of the biggest sports events in Maine and elsewhere, from the Little League World Series to the actual World Series, from an NCAA ice hockey championship for Maine to an AHL championship for the Portland Pirates, from six Super Bowls for the Patriots to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He’s interviewed stars and personalities such as Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady, Seth Wescott, Michael Phelps, Ian Crocker, Paul Kariya, Julia Clukey, Kevin “Killer” Kaminski and Joan Benoit Samuelson. Yet his favorite stories often involve Maine high school sports and the passion they stir. Nothing compares to the bond between a high school and its town. He collects comic books, loves listening to the Red Sox on the radio on a warm summer night or leaning back in his recliner with a good book. He also loves, absolutely loves, chocolate-covered peanuts. A native of New Bedford, Mass., he lives in Saco with his wife Tracie and has three children and two grandchildren.