Do you know what our county commission does? How about who our county commissioner is or what that person does for us on a regular basis? Sadly, I don’t think many can answer those questions easily. We don’t hear anything about what’s happening on the county level nor how we can participate in the decision-making […]
Courier Opinion
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Scarborough Leader, Southern Maine Weeklies
Americans must defend democracy at the ballot box
Democracy is at stake. In the United States of America, more than a dozen states have enacted laws to make it harder for Americans to vote. As of today, over 400 voter suppression bills have been introduced in 49 states, including four in Maine. Luckily in Maine, our state lawmakers have passed provisions to expand […]
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Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
One small flower with a big story to tell
Nature speaks in shapes, textures and colors, and her messages are based on how all those are organized on the world’s great canvas. How often have I come upon a favorite pattern or particular brush stroke that I see repeated in totally new and unexpected places? It happened again recently when I was taking photos […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Getting ready for new school year
I know it’s hard to believe, but the end of our Maine summer is here. And with that comes the beginning of a new school year for all of our Maine students. It goes without saying that the last school year was a challenging and confusing time that was full of changes and disruptions for […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Household Hazardous Waste Day takes place Sept. 11
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day is coming up in Biddeford on Saturday, Sept. 11. Residents of Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough may bring hazardous waste to the Recycling Center at 371 Hill St. in Biddeford from 8 .m. to noon. The event is for households only, not businesses. Regular recycling services will not be open […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Ruralist Lament: More fire, less ice
“It’s just guaranteed to get worse…..Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.” Linda Means, co-author IPCC report What if an existential crisis came knocking and nobody cared? August 9th […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Beyond the Headlines: Fight for transparent government continues
A year ago this month, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life, to drop out of my re-election campaign for State Senate. Ultimately, it was the right decision at the time given my job situation and what was right for my family. While I’ll admit it’s been hard not being in the […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Precision Screw, a quintessential ‘Biddeford and Saco story’
The Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce currently has 400 members. Every business and nonprofit member has a different story to tell, but with commonalities across all of them: taking an initial risk to launch the business, finding a niche, wearing multiple hats to get the job done, balancing passion with fiscal reality, and adjusting when things […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Beyond the Headlines: Tackling college affordability, one scholarship at a time
Maine has the sixth-highest average student debt in the entire country, with the average student incurring over $33,000 for their college experience. When I was in the Legislature, this was a constant topic amongst younger members on both sides of the aisle. It was a topic that united us, and we were able to work […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Wanted or not, all flowers are exercises in complexity
No, it isn’t anything I grew in my garden. In reality, it grows everywhere, unannounced and uninvited. We stroll by it, without so much as a glance, drive by fields of it, and yank it up from our otherwise pristine lawns. It’s a White Clover (trifolium repens) blossom, and the words “beautiful, lovely, or pretty” […]