Merton I. Staples, a Biddeford man, was the first Mainer to be killed in World War II. It’s an unfortunate first for the city to claim, made even more horrible by the multitudes who followed Staples in death during the war. Staples was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, while stationed there as a […]

Is Hilary Clinton running for president? And is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie headed in the same direction? Do Affordable Care Act issues give Republicans a strong position in the 2014 elections? Is the three-way race for Maine governor heating up a year in advance? All these questions point to the United States having probably […]

Oh, Canada. Who would have thought that a country with a reputation for politeness, levelheadedness and reason would be capable of producing such a ridiculous man as Rob Ford? Maybe I shouldn’t be using his actual name, because most people outside of Canada don’t seem to recognize it. He’s better known as the crack-smokin’ mayor […]

Budgeting is no easy task, particularly for an entity as large as the state. Appropriating revenue toward expenditures, all while keeping the tax rate reasonable, presents a huge challenge, and once people become accustomed to a tax break, subsidy or service, the outcry is significant when cuts are made. A group of lawmakers, economists and […]

The Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk has stepped up to do its part to cut down on the stray and feral cat populations in southern Maine, and thanks to grant funds, any feral cat in York County can now be spayed or neutered for free. Cats brought to the animal shelter will also receive […]

Our economy has gone through a difficult time during the recent recession. The partisan divide has increased, and Republicans and Democrats appear to be further apart on issues than ever before. Instead of bad-mouthing each other, and bringing government to a standstill, however, we really need more elected officials who are willing to set aside […]

Biddeford-Saco has a long history of grand parades, featuring people, animals and floats in celebration of everything from the cities’ anniversaries to veterans, celebrations of culture and holidays. Parades were in their heyday here in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with la Fanfare Painchaud usually leading the way with music, well into the middle […]

Even worse than the fact that stores go to such great lengths to entice shoppers to get out as early as possible on “Black Friday” ”“ or even Thanksgiving ”“ is that watching the chaos and inevitable injuries unfold has become an activity in and of itself. This year, ABC News reported, it was only […]

There it was, the first tangible sign of things to come in the form of a thick, white, glittering frost on the deck railing and floor, the bird feeder and the two empty plant stands that not that long ago supported pots of marigolds and nasturtiums. I quickly made the mental adjustment from summer lushness […]

Thumbs up to the county’s police departments, State Police and the York County Sheriff’s Office for their cooperative work that brought about the arrests of several people involved in area burglaries. Since September, a rash of residential robberies ”“ about 30 of them ”“ had been reported in Hollis, Waterboro, Dayton, Lyman, Arundel, Kennebunk, Wells, […]