Thumbs up to area school superintendents and officials for planning ahead in anticipation of reduced state aid. Although we wish state aid to education were not on the chopping block, Gov. Paul LePage announced late last month that $35.5 million would need to be cut from the state budget, with $12.58 million to come from […]

Is the United States going over the fiscal cliff? No, the possible tax increases for average taxpayers was avoided. But did the country avoid the prospect of the fiscal cliff? No, the federal debt still must be cut or there will be disastrous consequences. If the last-minute deal only put a patch on the problem […]

Pharmacy robberies in Maine more than doubled last year compared with the previous year, for a total of 56 in 2012, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. McCausland told the Associated Press that police are particularly concerned because robberies are becoming more brazen, with drug addicts taking increasingly desperate measures. In one […]

Why do boxing announcers wear tuxedos? This might seem like a trivial question, but those are the kind that often get lodged in the brain like some kind of psychic splinter. I mean, here’s a sport in which two lumps of meat are encouraged to beat each other about the face, and the ringside announcers […]

It was business as usual Tuesday in Washington as lawmakers waited until the last possible minute to approve a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” that Americans have been hearing about for much of the last six months. The deal, which passed the House by a vote of 257-167, will extend tax cuts for most […]

After five years of allowing the Lincoln Mill clock tower to rot on the ground, the City of Biddeford has finally taken the step of summonsing the mill’s owners for a “blighted vacant structure.” We’re glad that Codes Enforcement Officer Roby Fecteau has brought the summons against mill co-owners Christopher Betjemann III and Greg Bennett, […]

Every Jan. 1 millions of committed, determined individuals formally promise themselves they’ll eat healthier foods, drink less alcohol, exercise more regularly, waste less time watching video screens, be kinder to animals, spend more time with family and friends, or volunteer for deserving causes during the new year. But it’s nearly impossible to succeed at multiple […]

As we enter the new year, let’s not forget 2012, which proved to be fruitful for several area sports programs. Fans in York County love their sports, especially their high school teams. Their fervor is evident with their boisterous bellows at home sporting events, participation in ringing victory bells and closely following their home teams. […]

I think I may have touched upon this subject in past columns, but I feel that, in light of certain recent events, it bears reiterating. Now, I’m not the world’s most religious person, and might even appear to some to be downright pagan in my unreasonable worship of trees and nature. But, on another note, […]

Thumbs up to all those who helped contribute to a bright and merry holiday season for people throughout the county. From the Noel Dinner in Kennebunk to the Toys for Tots distributions in Sanford and Biddeford, many hands came together to bring the joy of Christmas to all. Not only children, but also the elderly, […]