“Last night the rain spoke to me slowly, saying, ”˜what joy to come falling out of the brisk cloud, to be happy again in a new way on the earth!’” — Mary Oliver It rained last night. Not the kind of insistent rain that quickly creates puddles and fills storm drains but the kind that […]

Thumbs down to the withdrawal of Green Network Exchange of Woburn, Mass. from the proposed agreement to clean up the CGA site in Sanford. The site, littered with circuit board waste for more than 20 years now, has been an ongoing eyesore and environmental hazard that no one has been willing to touch. That glimmer […]

Angus King is trying to do something that Sen. Olympia Snowe could not do. Sen. Snowe, a Republican, tried to strike a moderate balance between the highly disciplined members of her own party and Democrats who had become almost as partisan. Frustrated by her lack of success, she decided to retire from the Senate. King, […]

For those who think our health care system is fine as it is, a wake-up call has just been issued. The inequity and unfairness of the nation’s health care options is glaring in a Massachusetts judge’s ruling on Tuesday that requires the state to pay for a convicted murderer’s sex change surgery. Robert J. Kosilek, […]

I’m not exactly what you would call a fashionista. My blindness to chic clothing choices, like so many things, probably stems from my childhood, when my firm placement in the social company of fellow geeks assured that my fashion sense didn’t really matter: I could dress as slickly and suavely as I pleased, but at […]

After rolling out new fuel efficiency standards a year ago, President Barack Obama’s proposal to double the current standards were officially adopted last week. The new federal regulations will nearly double the average gas mileage of new cars and trucks by 2025. All new vehicles will have to get an average of 54.5 miles per […]

We Americans are feeling very frustrated. Our economy has not yet adequately recovered, and it probably won’t look much better until after the presidential election in November. Last week’s Republican National Convention is over. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan had the opportunity to lay out their vision for the nation. This week, the Democrats have […]

The beginning of school is always an exciting time, full of promise and possibilities. School memories stay with us throughout our lives, from the inspiration of a favorite teacher to the elation of winning a sporting or club competition. Now it’s that time of year once again, with some students having headed back in late […]

It’s official. The Boston Red Sox are one of the worst teams in all of baseball. That’s a shocking statement, considering Boston has been one of the top teams in the major leagues for nearly a decade. It’s true Boston hasn’t won a playoff series since 2008, but it has won two World Series since […]

Thumbs up to all those who participated in the REVOLUTION3 triathlon the weekend before last in Old Orchard Beach. This was the inaugural event in the seaside town and served as a draw for thousands of people who came to participate and visit the area. Congratulations to Jesse Thomas of Springfield, Ore. and Lauren Goss […]