The Penobscot Maritime Heritage Association is hosting a festival of tall ships, and it is causing some waves. The issue is the late inclusion of a boat named Nao Santa Maria, a replica of one of the three ships sailed by Christopher Columbus. Initially, I wasn’t going to write about this because the organizers of […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Summer is ripe for supporting local farmland
Summer is really and truly here! The days are hot, the fireflies are out at night and our downtowns are ripe for a solid game of “license plate bingo.” Is there anything more glorious than summer in Maine? This summer seems a little bit extra. I don’t know about you, but lockdown made me really […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: Check with neighbors before setting off fireworks
Many Americans look forward to fireworks for celebratory moments, but before July 4 comes around, I start gathering my earplugs and prepare myself a place in the basement. I don’t usually have fun on the evening of July 4. The sounds and sights of the fireworks trigger post-traumatic stress disorder for those who lived in […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Do you still desire freedom?
As Independence Day rolls around each year, I always find myself contemplating three things. The first is thinking about the traits and characteristics that make America unique. The second is trying to define a “real” American. And the last is wondering whether we’re measuring up to the Founders’ vision. July 4, 1776, of course, was […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Voters should adopt a preschool mindset
The most basic, fundamental, bedrock principle of our democracy (or republic if you prefer) is the power of the vote. Everything about how we say we work as a nation – and I acknowledge there is a larger conversation lurking behind that sentence – rests on the vote. It was the guiding star of those […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Pride comes from unlikely people
As I drive, I listen to a playlist made for Pride Month. The songs don’t directly tackle harassment, job insecurity, bullying or equal rights, but the lyrics ring true today, now. I sing along. Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”: “And I’ll see your true colors/Shining through/I see your true colors/And […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Summer solstice a time to pause and reflect
Happy solstice! Derived from the Latin words for “sun” (sol) and “still” or “stopped,” solstice marks the point at which our planet’s relationship with the sun once again alters. It is the opposite point from the equinox, literally “equal night,” and it is a time of extremes. At the solstice, the Earth is at its […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: Juneteenth shows history needs reckoning
The word freedom was mentioned many times this past weekend. But the attention is on rewriting history itself from the perspective of the marginalized who have experienced the pain of oppression, injustice, the effects of slavery. Addressing historical amnesia, the vanishing of crucial memories, is necessary for bringing together histories that could be lost. The […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Lakeside living is so overrated
For years, and especially during the pandemic, lakefront real estate throughout Maine has boomed as urbanites and suburbanites, especially from the wealthier greater Portland area, seek peace and quiet for their weekend and vacation retreats. Generations of Mainers have looked to lakeside camps in the Lakes Region and elsewhere for solace, but that solace is […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Staying power
Hello, summer! Not usually my most favorite season, I find that I am really looking forward to this one. All my friends are posting graduation photos of their kids, school is on the verge of letting out, and, thanks to vaccination rates on the rise, families are able to gather again. There is hope. I’ve […]