The Trump administration has yet to break ground for its promised border wall to keep the undocumented out of the United States, but by embarking on a campaign of misinformation and secrecy, it is rapidly moving forward with efforts to target and deport immigrants already here. To advance the false narrative that the undocumented community […]

’ll never forget when a prominent statewide car dealer spent a day with us at the legislature. He said to me, “Marty, skilled automotive technicians are making twice as much as engineers right out of school.” Now, I’m an engineer. So maybe I was a little offended by that. But it turns out it’s true. […]

I was riding home from work on the Commuter Rail one night when the train lost power. In the dark, without the hum of the engine, I could hear every detail of my fellow passengers’ conversations. “Listen honey,” I heard a man behind me comforting his wife on the phone, “Take your mother to her […]

No matter where I happen to be at any given moment, no matter what I might be doing or even just thinking about doing, the fact is inescapable: nature will somehow play a role in it, if only as backdrop or setting. Even if I distance myself from the lushness that surrounds me here and […]

“Trump is exactly what Republicans are not,” former Missouri GOP Sen. John Danforth wrote recently. While that may seem extreme, the statement raises a serious issue about Trump’s relationship to the Republicans. “GOP leaders still puzzle over President Trump,” said a Boston Globe headline. Is Trump a Republican? He looks increasingly like an independent. He […]

It’s not that our pal Herb isn’t sociable. He is. One of the nicest guys around, and he can be counted on to start a conversation at the drop of a hat. And he’ll even drop the hat. No, the reason Herb hasn’t been in for coffee much this week, we know, is the archery […]

If you believe everything you read, then kids are doomed. If both of their parents work outside the home, then it’s hopeless. If one parent is a pastor, then forget about it. If one parent is missing, too bad. What if you skip on piano lessons, or soccer? What if you are in a bad […]

“Pinocchio” is one heck of a good Disney movie. I know because I sat down to watch it just recently, the grease from a giant bowl of popcorn dribbling from one corner of my mouth. There were no children present, no wide-eyed squeals of delight as the titular character became a real boy. Just me. […]

I expect that I confuse a lot of people at the gym where I work out. I have been asked more than once why I breathe so hard. The short answer is that I do high-intensity interval workouts where I raise my heart rate and then recover before beginning another interval. Some people have looked […]

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw Saco Citizens for Sensible government have long stated that transparency is an issue with the Saco City Government. We have also noted that communication is amiss. To be effective communication requires the who, what, when, why and how […]