The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington seems like a good time to think about great American leaders of the 20th century. There are so many outstanding leaders who might qualify. We each have our own list. Three people on my list who have changed our country in significant ways are […]

New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie took an important step last week toward changing the country’s view of gay and lesbian people. Christie signed a law barring licensed therapists from trying to turn gay teenagers straight early last week ”“ making New Jersey only the second state in the country to do so. California has […]

Rights are rarely taken away in a sweeping, public fashion. Rather, they are eaten away at little by little, without fanfare or notice, until people stop expecting to be able to exercise those rights at all. Our constitutional right to bear arms is up against this very sort of attack, and the concealed carry permit […]

The characteristics and origins of garden flowers and wildflowers are pretty straightforward and obvious most of the time. It’s all pretty standard and routine in the flower world. They germinate from seeds, tubers or old roots left to winter in the ground, emerge as foliage and burst into bloom when they’re supposed to. Nothing mysterious […]

As the Major League Baseball season heads into its final month, several teams will be jockeying for a playoff position as every club that is close to a playoff spot will be playing each game with something on the line. Players, coaches and umpires will affect the outcome of games, which could be the difference […]

A fragrant water lily peeks out from among lily pads in a small pond in Lyman. (Rachel Lovejoy Photo)

Thumbs up to the effort at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach to set aside a seat for the “missing man,” in remembrance of those military service members who are missing in action. These understated memorials are a moving way to remember the people who served our country but never came home, and we’ll be […]

As the summer season ends, the state Legislature is being called back into a special session to debate the transportation bond package that was negotiated by the leadership of both parties and the governor. It is a bond package that will bring jobs to Maine families, fix some infrastructure issues on our highways and bridges, […]

The Town of Alfred is getting a new Zero Sort program for recycling at its transfer station, which kicked off last Saturday. The program means residents no longer need to sort their plastic, glass, cardboard or newspapers. Hopefully this change will encourage more residents to recycle since they do not have to sort items, nor […]

Efforts to fight terrorism and crime while preserving personal liberty are becoming increasingly worrisome. Recently, stories have appeared about National Security Agency surveillance, New York City’s “stop and frisk” law, and some governments forcing innocent people to turn over their property. Each of these reports raises legitimate concerns about striking a reasonable balance between protecting […]