Cascade falls in Saco, with its beautiful waterfall and picnicking grounds, has been the site of various activities over the years. Slate mining took place there in the 1800s, and in the late 1920s/early 1930s, a live bear was on site for visitors to see. In recent years, it’s become a more private, natural space, […]

Sign No. 257 that you’re a hopeless nerd: Frequent nosebleeds. As telltale signs go, it ranks right up there with Star Wars figurine collections and a lack of shame whilst attending medieval fairs. Also, using the word “whilst.” I’ll try to avoid, as much as I can, direct mentions of nosebleeds themselves, since there’s a […]

Signs of the season are apparent in the region, especially at West-Brook Skating Rink in Biddeford, where people are once again taking to the ice for a game of hockey or some leisurely laps around the frozen surface. The annual opening of the rink has been a staple in the city for more than 100 […]

It’s tough to defend a recommendation favoring continued use of a harmful product in baby food packaging. And yet, that’s what the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the LePage administration, are doing in their recommendation in favor of allowing continued use of bisphenol-A (BPA) in such packaging. BPA, used for decades in food packaging, […]

“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.” — Robert Frost A lone fisherman is out on the snow-covered pond this morning, his distant outline somewhat incongruous to this landscape. He’s dressed for the cold in a tan, one-piece thermal suit and has the usual ice fishing requisites with him ”“ […]

Last week, the Baseball Writers Association of America made a statement when it decided not to elect Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Sammy Sosa to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2013. Many baseball fans knew this time was coming, and they knew that it would create controversy. Bonds, Clemens and Sosa are all suspected […]

As a teacher/role model I’ve always felt the very least I can give the young people I encounter on a daily basis is honesty. That’s why when a youthful fellow who is nearly as tall as I am cheerfully informed me in an early-September post-class chat that he would probably do little if any reading […]

Thumbs up to former Biddeford mayor Bonita Pothier, who was recently chosen to be the regional representative for York County for U.S. Sen. Angus King. From her time as mayor to her work at Key Bank and in Biddeford schools, Pothier has had a varied career and will be a great person to help King […]

Many people, including me, complain about political partisanship these days. If only the politicians in Washington would put the national interest ahead of partisan wrangling, our government would produce positive results, we say. In other words, it’s all the fault of the politicians. Many years ago, Pogo Possum, a famous cartoon character, said, “I have […]

Gov. Paul LePage’s recent $35.5 million curtailment order targets his two favorite areas in which to cut spending: Education and social services. Of the $35.5 million that he says needs to be cut, his proposal would chop $13.1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services budget and $12.5 million in general purpose aid […]