I was pleased to have been recently appointed to a new committee in the Legislature that is titled, “Task Force on Maine’s 21st Century Economy and Workforce.” We are tasked with helping to find solutions to connecting Maine’s education systems in support of Maine’s economy. Matching educators with the new and changing workforce. One disturbing […]

Memorial Day is a wonderful constant. Every year, it never ceases to touch me. My family attends an annual parade in Mercer, Pennsylvania. It’s terrific—total old-school. The flags, the courthouse, the kids, the snow-cone stand, the marching bands, and, most of all, the troops from different wars—that is, the survivors who remain with us. Speaking of […]

During Mother’s last few months, conversations were extremely difficult to follow because her mind seamlessly switched from one decade to another. Isaac Singer writes, “Sometimes she’d tangle one story with another and couldn’t find her way out” (In My Father’s Court). Within one statement, she would toggle between viewing me as a teenager in the […]

A recent article stated that Maine’s governor and others wish to negate state law which allows municipalities to ban or regulate the use of pesticides and other chemicals within their borders. Currently at least nine towns and cities have taken advantage of this provision to protect their citizens, together with birds, animals, plants, and beneficial […]

In 1971, by the act of a bill, it was declared that Memorial Day would be celebrated on the last Monday of May, giving us our long weekend. What do people do? It is a tradition to fly a flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries […]

It’s all J. Edgar Hoover’s fault. Because of him, both Washington and Augusta still grapple with the issue of the independence of law enforcement from the political world. Hoover, the late, former FBI director, seemed to hold a lifetime position and used his job security to collect intelligence on political figures, including the presidents he […]

Everyone has his own favorite spot on Lewis Creek, I guess. Some of us favor the swimming hole below Miller’s old place, with its rope swing and the kids who frolic there on hot summer days.  For Doc and Dud, it’s the big race below the rocks where the huge lunker trout lives. All our […]

Don’t watch “The Walk” on a large television screen. If you have a fear of heights you’re liable to lose control of some very important bodily functions, and you’ll be stuck explaining to any housemates why you have an oscillating fan pointed at your living room couch. Consider that a backhanded compliment of the movie’s […]

Self-control is more important than self-esteem. The ability to control one’s activities is more predictive of success than is intelligence. When it comes to self-control, research supports Ralph Waldo Emerson’s adage that “character is higher than intellect.” What does the research say about levels of self-control? This question must be answered in two ways. First, […]

College students are ill-prepared to connect with an employer and secure a job in today’s marketplace. With little or no career development, self-assessment, or an understanding of vocational calling, they believe that the degree alone will be the proverbial “ticket” to secure employment. Oh, how mistaken they are! Incorrect job expectations will derail their job […]