I’ve spent this particular lifetime in the grip of what you might call a simple bare fact: Life is a lousy drag. Actually, that was the title of a book I saw in the window of a Chicago bookstore, must have been 50 years ago. And it wasn’t given any special treatment, didn’t call attention […]
Forecaster opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: Heal trauma from Black deaths with community support
This is the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, and soon it will be George Floyd’s one-year anniversary. The traumas American Blacks experienced from the 2020 events continue to ripple through Black houses this year. Young Black girls and women see Taylor in the mirror every day, and the Black men, including myself, see Floyd, […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: The end may be near for daylight saving time
“Beware the Ides of March” warned the soothsayer in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. For ancient Romans, the Ides (the 15th on the calendar) was bad luck because it was the day for paying off debts. For Caesar, it was a reckoning of another sort: he was assassinated. Changing up the clocks might not exactly equal Caesar’s […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Ed techs punch above their weight
Educational technicians – better known as ed techs – are the glue that holds schools together. I speak from experience: I started my career as an ed tech. Principals and teachers rely on ed techs. Portland Public Schools has 235 ed techs – almost 1 in 5 of our employees. Their titles give a sense […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Freeport-area schools beginning the journey towards diversity, inclusion
“You must be bold, brave and courageous and find a way …,” the civil rights leader and politician John Lewis once said. Diversity, equity and inclusion are critical in RSU 5’s mission to inspire and support every learner by challenging minds, building character, sparking creativity and nurturing passions. As we search for ways to provide […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Exploring the joy of reading exceptional books
My big sisters took my education very seriously. They made sure I could identify every single Beatles song, taught me the proper way to talk mom and dad into keeping a stray pet, and kept my shelves full of really good books. I was a fortunate child. What’s more, although I certainly had the staples […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: ‘Oh dear,’ cancel culture is a shame
We’ve seen financial bubbles in the stock market, housing market and bitcoin, but until recently we’ve never seen a bubble when it comes to classic children’s books. That all changed last week when six books written by the late, great Theodor Seuss Geisel – aka. Dr. Seuss – were targeted by his own publishing company, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Life Unwound: Measuring life, inch by inch
As my mid-March birthday approaches each year, two of my brothers like to whip out a 25-foot metal tape measure used by our dad in his shop, which he equipped with a hundred tape measures. He’d say, “They were on sale at Marden’s. Someone in our extended family might need them.” The tape measure appears. […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
Forum: Arctic conditions in U.S. show climate change is here
Sometimes it seems like certain politicians won’t support climate action until hell – or Texas – freezes over. Well, after last month, the climate threat is as clear as can be, and it’s time for Congress to act. On Feb. 13, a winter storm began sweeping across the U.S. Within days, the frigid conditions and […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Brunswick schools see March Madness of a different kind
March is a busy month. There’s the first day of spring (March 20), the launch of daylight saving time (remember, spring forward on March 14), St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) and, if you are a Shakespeare fan, the dreaded ides of March (March 15). For sports fans, March signals one of the most exciting events […]