How about that Amanda Gorman, yeah? I just … I just … Well, OK, that right there is why I really hate trying to write about poetry. Because while this amazing young poet delivered her work, “The Hill We Climb” with grace, poise and conviction – from the steps of the Capitol and in front […]
Forecaster opinion
Here’s Something: What’s a conservative to do?
With Democrats and their liberal/progressive/socialist ideological adherents installed in high political offices in Maine and the nation, conservative Republicans might be feeling a little low as we find ourselves in the opening days of a Biden administration that promises to change America as we’ve known it. Have no fear; all hope is not lost for […]
Life Unwound: Make space for the next generation
What do they say? The days are long and the years are short. One of my pals has a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. The girl doesn’t sleep, ever. The boy fights and tantrums, always. Their mom feels frazzled, exhausted, sometimes overly involved, other times checked out. I tell her, “I remember.” I remember […]
Guest Column: Biden needs to make Africa a priority
Joe Biden has a chance to restore the United States’ credibility in parts of the world that are crucial for U.S. foreign policy. The continent of Africa has remained ignored under the Trump administration. The U.S. commitment of trade and investment in the continent has been unheard of for the last four years. The United […]
Mainewhile: The time that is given us
How are you doing? After the global dumpster fire that was 2020, it would have been kind of nice to get through the first month of the new year without an uptick in pandemic deaths, a full-out assault upon our democracy and a crashing economy to say nothing of the weather disasters in the nation. […]
Superintendent’s Notebook: Custodians among front-line heroes of pandemic
At the Portland Public Schools, we’ve always been grateful to our custodians for making sure the buildings we walk into each morning are clean and safe. Now, however, we are even more aware of how important their work is to safeguard the health of our students and staff. COVID-19 has made us value these essential […]
Over Easy: What will the new normal look like?
So here we are, almost a year into a pandemic that seems to be getting worse and worse. There has been talk of a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Talk about “back to normal” and what it means to our lives. We’ve all been waiting anxiously, but the question looms: Will there be […]
Superintendent’s Notebook: Fingers crossed
The year 2020 is finally behind us. There were positive moments in 2020 that can provide us with seeds of hope for the coming year. Author Jodi Picoult said, “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” When we first thought the lockdown from […]
Here’s Something: Trump’s legacy
What will be President Donald Trump’s lasting legacy? Long after the dust settles on his four years as president, how will historians view his term in office? Honest, non-partisan reflection will likely note it with one word: complex. But while we wait for history’s permanent verdict on Trump, how should we Americans who lived through […]
Mainewhile: Make truth-telling great again
Well. I chose a heck of a time to give up outrage, huh? I mean, giving up outrage for New Year’s and then having the week we had is like giving up sugar only to have a French patisserie open up next door. Because truly, the events of the past week, described by many (including […]