Rhode Island kicked off the new year with an increase in the state’s minimum wage, leaving Maine as one of the few remaining Northeastern states with a minimum wage below $8 an hour. Rhode Island lawmakers approved the hike ”“ to $8 an hour ”“ last year and started the new year with the change, […]

In reference to the proposed improvements in Regional School Unit 21, I agree that all three buildings need extensive work. However, I am urging fellow residents in Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport to please vote no in order to give people more time to consider the real tax impact and the long-term effect this investment will […]

This year, the Buxton Toy Box provided Christmas magic for 121 children in 55 Buxton families. Of those families, all 38 that requested a Christmas dinner received one. Thank you to the townspeople of Buxton for all of your generosity. “Elves” all over town and beyond donated money; shopped for toys, clothes, books, bedding, dinners […]

One of Maine’s most overlooked news stories this past year was the incredible thing that happened to our health insurance market. After several quarters of steady improvement, numbers released by the state’s Bureau of Insurance showed enormous improvements in the premiums for health insurance offered by employers.   The figures reflect the 2011 passage of a […]

The proposed Regional School Unit 21 expansion projects on which Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel residents will be voting this Jan. 21 are a poor use of taxpayer dollars at this time. No doubt, the schools of RSU 21 may need some attention, but the current proposal is calling for what appears to be a fantastic […]

As Democrats survey a troubled 2014 political landscape, it’s easy to forget how optimistic they seemed less than a year ago. “I would expect that Nancy Pelosi is going to be speaker again pretty soon,” President Obama told cheering House Democrats at a party retreat last February. In the rosy scenario that took hold in […]

In the short time winter has been upon us, Mainers have been blasted by much snow, freezing rain, sleet and ice storms ”“ and it’s only early January. That means there is a lot of winter weather still to be had, and a lot of difficult driving ahead. It always takes a few snow events […]

A proposal by the governor’s office to end general assistance payments to non-citizens has caused significant concern for the well-being of those who come into Maine seeking asylum. The cutback, led by Gov. Paul LePage, would align Maine’s standards for general assistance, also known as welfare, with those of the federal government, thereby making food […]