Happy Hanukkah to all of you who will be celebrating the holiday. Because this festival of dedication runs in accordance with a calendar different from the Roman one we use to chart our Monday through Sunday schedules, the exact start and stop dates for this eight-night-long celebration change from year to year. This year, Hanukkah […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: People need people
In my 30s, I recall saying, “Wait. What? I don’t get it. I should get it. When I was 14, one of my brothers died soon after birth. When I was 21, my 41-year-old aunt died. People die. Grandparents die, but not my grandfather.” Pepere Lebel loved me as one of those people the experts […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Letter: Time to do something about broadband in Maine
Tired of complaining about your internet? It’s time to do something about it! The Maine Broadband Coalition, in partnership with AARP Maine and others, has launched the “Get Up to Speed” initiative to aid broadband expansion efforts in Maine. Did you know that Maine is ranked as the 43rd state in the U.S for broadband […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Guest Column: Restricting legal immigrants from becoming citizens
The U.S. government has a new requirement for immigrants seeking to become citizens. This new addition started Dec. 1 and it may be a way to make is harder for legal immigrants to become naturalized citizens. The applicant must answer 12 out of 20 items, which is a passing score of 60%. The previous policy […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Bellows more than qualified to be secretary of state
Last week, I spent some time reflecting upon the work and legacy of our outgoing secretary of state, Matt Dunlap. We truly have been extremely fortunate to have him in this role, working for all of us in Maine. Last Tuesday, state legislators met to vote for who would serve in the office next. There […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
Letter: Westbrook councilor doesn’t have ‘right’ to endanger others
I read with great interest the (Nov. 26) article concerning Westbrook City Councilor Elliot Storey. The gist of his protest was about mask wearing. He felt that the Governor’s mask mandate was “draconian.” Later in the article he said something with which I totally agree. He noted the impact from “the expanded definition of the […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Secretary of State Matt Dunlap leaves big shoes to fill
Maine is about to get a new secretary of state. This is a big deal. Secretaries of state matter. If you’ve been watching the national news, you’ve probably gained a new appreciation for the job. Brad Raffensperger, the Republican Secretary of State in Georgia, has been rather heroically holding the line on truth down there, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: How we start the day matters
“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.” – Terry Tempest Williams When I read this, I […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: ’Tis the season for Maine status symbols
Don’t know what to get your difficult-to-buy-for loved ones this Christmas season? Why not a gift that will help elevate their social status within the Pine Tree State? Every culture down through the ages has had status symbols. Everything from tanned skin to powdery white skin, a fat belly to a Twiggy-thin waist, a castle […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Mainewhile: Out of the mouths of babes
If this was a “normal” year, this week I would be surrounded by a wild, tangled clutter of colored strips of paper. On each one would be a “gratitude” written by a student, often in a near-unintelligible scrawl. I would be grabbing the glue stick and, with a practiced rhythm, swipe the glue across one […]