The Brattleboro Reformer (Vt.), June 26: The fate of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping trade agreement between the U.S. and some of its major trading partners, is now clearer. Last Tuesday, a procedural vote denied President Obama the authority to negotiate the agreement on a “fast track” basis, which means whatever deal emerges with […]

Thumbs up to Goodwin’s Mills Fire Engine 83, and to the former Fire Engine 3. Fire Engine 3 served the communities of Dayton and Lyman well for many years, and Fire Engine 83 is expected to do the same. Thumbs down to the alleged burglar or burglars who reportedly took money, jewelry, electronics and other […]

Burning your earlobe with a white-hot sparkler isn’t something you forget very easily. I was 6 when it happened, and the incident still retains a crystalline clarity in my mental Rolodex of life experiences ”“ which means it was either 1) an important event, or 2) I was some sort of child genius who, at […]

The month of July is named for Julius Caesar. This is the first full month of summer for us in the northern hemisphere and the days will remain long and the nights will be warm and short. There will be many interesting highlights to pack into those short nights this month. All five of the […]

The Providence Journal (R.I.), June 26: Under federal election law and the First Amendment, citizens and groups of citizens have a right to speak out on public issues without limits on their spending or speech. But they are not permitted to use their First Amendment protections as a backdoor to contribute illegally to political campaigns. […]

The power of love recently on display in Charleston, South Carolina has been stunning. For a nation beset by hate in recent months, from one city to another, the blood shed there has led to something better. What a deep reserve of love there must be among the family and friends of those murdered at […]