Schools all over the state are wrestling with the question of whether and how to reopen this fall. Let me make it simple for them. Don’t. Maine public school systems have been working on contingency plans geared to the state’s designating communities as green (OK to return to in-person instruction), yellow (best to try hybrid […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: All that, without the bag of chips
Have you noticed the price of everything, especially food, has been increasing quite a bit lately? I recently ordered a cinnamon doughnut and iced coffee at my local coffee shop and left with eight fewer dollars in my pocket. A trip to the grocery store costs a lot more than it used to, too. Somehow, I […]
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Posted inForecaster Opinion
Here’s Something: Why do Portland’s homeless get special rights?
Remember the Occupy Wall Street and related protests that commandeered America’s city streets and parks about 10 years ago? Compared with many of those protests that turned violent, Occupy Portland, based in Lincoln Park across from City Hall, was relatively peaceful with protesters sleeping overnight in tents and hanging out in the daytime as they […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
The Universal Notebook: Preferred gender pronoun primer
Though I have written for publication since 1965, I had never run into the use of gender-neutral pronouns until a couple of weeks ago and then I blew it. To begin with, I was not told that the subject of my article used “they/them/theirs,” not “she/her/hers,” but when we did try to make the requested […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: ‘Follow the science’ and reopen schools
A few weeks ago I saw with my own two eyes about 10 teenagers playing shirts-and-skins basketball on a Buxton playground court. That same day I also witnessed about 40 kids taking part in a town-sponsored summer recreation program inside a gymnasium. A few days after that, I saw dozens of children congregating on a […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
The Universal Notebook: The root of all evil
The senatorial race between incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Sara Gideon is already the most costly political race in Maine history. The 2018 2nd District congressional race in which Democrat Jared Golden unseated Republican Bruce Poliquin held the record briefly at a combined $31 million. Gideon v. Collins now stands at about […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
Letter: State needs fast action to ensure easy, safe voter registration, balloting
Maine should not suppress the vote through the lack of online voter registration, long lines at the polls and a reduced number of polling places. We have learned from Dr. Shah of the Maine CDC that there are many unknowns regarding the effects of COVID-19 on Election Day in November. In light of the recent […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
The Universal Notebook: America makes a correction
Cancel culture, aka call out culture, is the social media practice of boycotting people who do and say objectionable, usually racist, things. Currently, we are experiencing a paroxysm of cancel culture aimed at symbols and artifacts of the Confederacy and embodiments of racial stereotypes. Hurray for that! History is constantly being written and revised, but […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, The Forecaster
Letter: Balentine’s BLM column outrageous, inappropriate
Are you kidding me? Not funny. Actually I was horrified to read John Balentine’s opinion last week (“BLM mural sends the wrong message,” July 8) While Portland may try its best to be a “peace-loving, live and let live” place, there is racism here. Outrage is what we need, and I found it very outrageous […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Signs of the times, part II
“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.” So goes the catchy lyrics from the equally catchy smash hit “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band in the 1970s and covered by Tesla in the 1990s. Fast forward several decades and this phrase fittingly describes the scene along just about every roadway in Southern Maine. We’re in political season […]