The Maine Energy Plan attempts to balance future electricity demand, clean energy supply, affordable heating options for consumers and sustainable jobs for workers. An Oct. 17 op-ed, “Maine needs a better plan for its electrical grid,” proposes a companion grid planning group to bring together private, public and nonprofit leaders to evaluate these interrelated issues […]

I don’t doubt that property managers at organizations like Avesta Housing work hard. They’re buried in paperwork — HUD forms, inspections, compliance reports and tenant communications. Those tasks are demanding and necessary. But what’s missing in too many housing organizations is the other half of the equation: people who actually understand buildings. Avesta manages hundreds […]

Jim Fossel’s Oct. 10 column on immigration (“Democrats’ inaction on immigration is coming home to roost“) was very lopsided. While he may have a point that Democrats didn’t do enough to stem the follow of undocumented immigrants, he ignores President Trump’s lack of interest in solving the problem. Trump torpedoed a bipartisan solution because that […]

It occurred to me this past Sunday that I very much miss Amy Paradsz and her highly entertaining “Society Notebook” of photographs and editorial, covering so many of our worthy nonprofit events. It was not only entertainment but an informative way of keeping up on the many benevolent organizations bring these supportive groups in Maine […]

When I read that Graham Platner had used the word “retarded” in old Reddit posts, it reminded me why disability history needs to be taught in schools. As someone with a disability, who was called that word growing up, I know how deeply it hurts. Children repeat words they don’t understand — but education can […]

“Antifa” is a shortened form of the term anti-fascism. Fascism is an ideology developed and implemented by Benito Mussolini’s regime in Italy from 1922-1943. Fascism is a centralized, right-wing extremist form of government, dictator-led and paramilitary-backed. Fascist dictators promote racism, violence and genocide and suppress the rights of free speech and free press.  In the […]

In Jim Fossel’s recent column on Question 1, he again shows his talent for making distasteful right-wing policies seem palatable. As he skillfully argues that there is nothing to fear about the upcoming referendum, he pierces his veil of reasonableness when he tells us that a vague “they” could have been more draconian in further […]