How’s my new head shot? Y’like it? It’s one of about four photos ever taken of me that doesn’t make me depressed. This is saying something. In order for a portrait to not convince me that a ski mask should be grafted permanently onto my face, the photo has to meet several conditions: A) It […]

Winter can be a dangerous time of year, with extreme weather that can turn daily activities into hazards. Simply going for a walk during the winter puts one at risk for slips and falls, which can be especially damaging for the elderly. With January now making its entrance after a particularly snowy December, it’s a […]

From the time I was old enough to remember anything to until after I graduated from high school, my family lived on Austin Drive, a small road in a small town in a small state. There were five houses on that tenth-of-a-mile span, including ours. When we were young, the house next door got new […]

2013 has been a year full of change, and as 2014 begins, we should all remember the good and make note of how to learn from the not so good. Biddeford’s renaissance is well under way, according to Mayor Alan Casavant, who was elected to a second term and recently inaugurated. Under his leadership ”“ […]

Thumbs up to York County government on its improved rating by Standard & Poors. The county got an uptick in its rating about a year and a half ago, and now, it’s at AA ”“ a full point increase. Ratings are important as they signify the organization, business or government’s financial health. Having a good […]

Credit cards are convenient and generally easier to deal with than cash. In some cases, they’re even safer to carry than cash, and provide a paper trail of purchases in addition to regular receipts. Once in a while, however, we’re all reminded of how vulnerable these cards are to fraud and theft, as we were […]

Since the al Qaida attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, the country has been struggling with protecting individual liberties while combating terrorism. Most people have supported tougher anti-terrorism efforts, even if that meant some invasion of their privacy. But one purpose of protecting against terrorists is to allow the American system of […]

The future of the New England Cable News Network broadcasts was recently in jeopardy for Time Warner Cable customers ”“ of which there are many in Maine ”“ because the cable provider announced it would drop the station in Maine as of Jan. 1. However, the company announced over the weekend that it will retain […]

As a younger man, the transition into a new year seemed somehow significant, a major event of sorts. Friends and I would gather around a TV to watch the ball drop in Times Square; and then, as with any big-deal moment, we’d consummate the celebration by cracking open bottles with swashbuckling pirates etched into the […]

Dec. 14 marked the one-year anniversary of the day the nation was shocked to learn that 20 young children and six adults had been murdered in Newtown, Conn. The families of those who were killed continue to mourn, with some of them turning toward charity efforts or advocacy to deal with their grief. The community […]