From Oct. 15 through Dec. 15, many seniors will be reviewing their Medicare options and many others who are turning 65 in the next year will be trying to work their way through all the details and choices available for their future health insurance. Fifteen years ago, as I was contemplating early retirement at 62 […]

Last week, I had the tremendous opportunity to join many of our state’s business leaders and job creators at Portland Community Chamber’s Eggs & Issues breakfast, where the economic engines of Maine’s economy exchange ideas and solutions to create jobs and grow our state’s economy. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee and Small […]

The Cumberland County Civic Center is in a tough spot. It is clear that the 34-year-old building is in need of an upgrade. The inside concourse is cramped, creating problems at well-attended events in both the bathroom and concession areas. There is no club seating of the kind available at similar-sized venues. Behind the scenes, […]

Another dip into the Quinn collection of random facts and figures acquired from various credible sources: Tea partiers? A total of three congressmen responded to a suggestion that Congress give up some portion of their 2010 salary to aid in debt reduction. What’s really important: In 2010, National Public Radio received $2.7 million in federal […]

An emergency bill strengthening penalties for the sale and possession of the synthetic drugs commonly referred to as “bath salts” passed last week 35-0 in the state Senate and 137-0 in the House. It was a common-sense move for legislators, as it added teeth to laws regarding the drugs, which have proven to be at […]

In all likelihood, in communities throughout Maine, the ringing in of New Year’s 2012 will be accompanied by the whistles and booms of fireworks. Unfortunately, that is likely to happen whether communities embrace the state law that makes many fireworks legal beginning Jan. 1, or whether they follow Portland’s lead and ban them altogether. And […]

With the news of the religious whackadoodle emanating from Republican presidential candidates, Lucius Flatley and the coffee shop regulars were inspired to an hour of deep discussion this week on that very subject. They began with Job, an early Israeli farmer who, because he suffered terrible reverses, asked, “Why, God?” They then moved on to […]

The flow of emails over the transom here at Storyteller Central has slowed a bit now that our summer visitors (sometimes known affectionately as summer complaints) have packed up and gone home. But people from away are still sending emails, mostly in hopes of getting an answer to one question or another. For example, Peter […]