There are only 118 more days until Jan. 1, 2013. That’ll be the day most Americans celebrate the start of a new year, or at least it will be once they wake up and shake off the remnants of whatever revelry they took part in the previous evening. But aside from the hidebound tradition of […]

A female house finch takes a break from foraging in a nearby buddleia, or butterfly, bush. (RACHEL LOVEJOY PHOTO)

My cat, “Muffin,” alerted me one morning to a spectacle going on outside. Oh, she didn’t exactly approach me directly to inform me of this. Rather, she did her cat thing and spent much of the morning dashing from window to window in an attempt to get the best vantage point from which to watch […]

My dentist is trying to sell me something. I realize that may sound harsh, but consider the evidence: Last week, I received birthday cards from friends, family, the usual suspects. There was also a mailing from my car dealer, offering his annual wish for my happiness. Ditto for my stock broker. And now, my new dentist, […]

Now is the season of the national political conventions ”“ historic but dying institutions. Created in the 19th century to select the party’s candidates for president and vice president, and to adopt the party position on major issues, the conventions are now fading media events. Because the candidates are now selected much earlier in the […]

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Cynthia Dill used the perfect word to describe a recent Republican-backed super PAC television ad promoting her candidacy: Cynicism. On the airwaves in Maine of late is an ad touting Dill’s achievements, which ends by stating she is “a Democrat you can feel good about.” The ad was paid for […]

While Maine’s 2012 Republican State Convention process may have been flawed, the Republican National Convention officials’ recent response to its results has been even more unfortunate, and gives one the impression that the democratic process is not being respected within the party. Several Maine delegates boycotted the convention in Tampa, Fla. earlier this week, and […]

I had an easy faith in capitalism until a friend introduced me to SkyMall. If you’ve ever flown before, you’ve probably seen one of their catalogs tucked away into the flap in the seat in front of you. It’s usually stuffed behind a safety guide featuring cartoon depictions of passengers calmly donning oxygen masks after […]

Sanford has been consistently improving in recent years, growing its business community, repurposing the old textile mills and even building a new police station. A new high school and vocational center is on the horizon, and the airport has been improved and marketed to attract more users. Now Sanford can celebrate one more victory in […]

In a split vote, the Old Orchard Beach Town Council last week denied a 1 percent, across-the-board raise for non-union employees who have been employed by the town for at least a year. The move was disappointing and likely disconcerting to those employees, especially after a $7,000 raise was approved that evening for Town Manager […]