My head felt like it was going to explode. That’s what happens when your body is under an enormous amount of strain. My friend “Zippy” and I had been locked in an arm wrestling battle for what felt like an hour and a half, and it occurred to me that if I reached any deeper […]

Maine is often known for its singular natural beauty. From our quintessentially New England harbors and light houses to our mountains and forests to our picturesque villages — Maine makes a good backdrop for a story. Why is it, then, that more movies aren’t made here? We have an abundance of hard-working Mainers ready to […]

I like good news, except when the good news turns out to be false. Recently it has been reported that we have been misled by social scientists for decades about the divorce rate in the United States. Some are writing that the divorce rate has never been close to 50 percent and that the actual […]

While I’m grateful that the Saco City Council passed a budget with a responsible,  modest increase in the mil rate, as an educator and taxpayer I am gravely concerned about the council’s myopic meddling with the school department’s $35 million budget.   The proposal to eliminate principals was patently absurd, and reflected a new low […]

Every home schooling parent has been asked the S-Question: “What about socialization?” The implications (real or imagined) of the question are less than flattering: • Students who attend schools outside the home are socialized better because they spend so much time with their immature peers, whereas students who attend school within the home are poorly socialized because […]

Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) threaten the health care of 30 million Americans and would erode some rare progress made recently to reverse America’s growing economic inequality. By taxing rich households and big corporations to subsidize health care for working families, the ACA does what good public policy should: level the […]

President Trump’s moves to control immigration from certain countries have been temporarily blocked by U.S. District Courts in the states of Washington and Hawaii. The Trump administration reaction to these decisions has revealed a lack of understanding of the role of the courts. Attorney General Jeff Sessions criticized the Hawaii court, saying, “I really am […]

As a member of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee, I’ve been afforded an excellent opportunity to study our county jail system and how it works. I am continually impressed by the diligent work of our county sheriffs, working with limited resources, to house inmates with care. We have an obligation to care […]

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to enjoy the sound system that some friends installed in their new home. The house’s high cathedral ceilings provided the perfect acoustical venue for the type of music that complemented its isolated and woodsy location. Among the several musical selections that my friends played that day was […]

Mary Poppins was “practically perfect in every way,” except that Mary Poppins isn’t real. I fall very short of “practically perfect” in any way, every single day. I do things I regret; even more I fail to do things I should. Beyond these sins of omission and commission, however, even when I do the right […]