At the polling place on Election Day, my friend Shirley told me that I should write more often about women. She was right. In the post-election analysis, most attention has been focused on Hispanic-American voters. Relatively few of them voted Republican, while they served as an overwhelming source of support for President Obama. Their numbers […]

Sanford is taking a new approach to trash disposal after a pay-as-you-throw program was overturned by residents a few years ago. This time around, the soon-to-be city is again partnering with WasteZero, but the program will allow residents a variety of choices: A chance to be cost-neutral when throwing out solid waste; a chance to […]

My father recently showed me some telegrams my grandfather had sent my grandmother in 1943 when he was a Marine fighting abroad in World War II. It made me think about how much tougher it was for people to get in touch with each other; they didn’t have the option of texting, calling, emailing, Facebooking […]

With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in full swing, the Brick Store Museum is doing its part to commemorate the struggle and the many locals who played a part in the conflict. The Civil War exhibit, titled “From the Kennebunks to Appomattox: The Civil War at Home and Away,” features artifacts including weaponry, […]

When people start to hate Christmas, you know things have gotten out of control. A lot of people hate Christmas ”“ just ask around ”“ and it’s not because of what it’s meant to be, but what it’s become. For many, Christmas is nothing but a huge chore, with gift-buying topping the list of tedious […]

In the wake of the Jovan Belcher suicide, there have been a plethora of opinions and misinformation bandied about in the media, as well as missteps taken and inappropriate analysis of who Belcher was. Belcher was a Kansas City Chiefs football player, a 2009 University of Maine graduate who played college football under coach Jack […]

Thumbs up to the organizers and participants who took part in several holiday festivals over the weekend. In Biddeford, the city celebrated the season Friday with the annual Holiday Festival, while in Sanford, the annual Holly Daze festival took place. Both festivals showcased local businesses and artisans while offering some free activities and entertainment for […]

The cost of rural patrol will get another look in the coming months, now that Kennebunk Town Manager Barry Tibbetts has proposed a shift of those costs. Tibbetts’ proposal would apportion the cost of sheriff’s office coverage solely to the 14 York County communities that don’t have their own police departments. The change would see […]

While the world continues to heap praise on the iPad, it’s time to address a persistent problem: The typo. This is the tablet’s dirty, little secret: What we gain in ease, portability and sheer dazzle, we lose in time spent correcting half-baked and non-existent words. My own tendency, for instance, is to sprinkle pesky n’s […]

The current Washington negotiations on cutting the national debt are about more than money. They will set key national policies for years to come. The Bush-era tax cuts for middle-income taxpayers were meant to stimulate the economy and then end. While, in effect, they have given the United States among the lowest rates in the […]