Now that the three-year waiting period has passed, Arundel residents who want out of Regional School Unit 21 are eager to begin the withdrawal process. As of Jan. 2, 2012, petitioners can begin collecting signatures of those who favor withdrawing from the RSU, which now includes Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel. We doubt it will take […]

When legislators get back to business in January in Augusta, a pressing issue will be before them ”“ just how pressing they find it to be remains to be seen. The Supreme Court struck down a provision of Arizona’s clean election bill ”“ which was modeled after Maine’s law ”“ in June that allowed for […]

Syracuse University in mid-November fired long-time assistant coach Bernie Fine after three men accused him of sexually molesting them when they were minors. Fine’s termination came after university officials heard a 2002 audiotape recorded by Bobby Davis, one of Fine’s three accusers. ESPN broadcast the audiotape, which is allegedly of a conversation between Davis and […]

How strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude! — Emily Dickinson Of all of nature’s virtues, we’d do well to emulate her patience. In this hurried world of never enough time or things, a simple look around me here brings my often chaotic thought processes to a halt. I cannot look […]

Considered by many to be the philosophical founder of modern Conservatism, Irish-born statesman, author and orator Edmund Burke (1729-1797) is also generally credited with being the initial person to utter and/or write the words, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Many other notables, including philosopher-novelist-poet-essayist George Santayana (1863-1952) and Sir Winston […]

Thumbs up to the area high school students and others who participated in the United Way’s “Keeping York County Warm” initiative this past Thursday. The students, from Biddeford, Noble and Kennebunk high schools and The New School in Kennebunk, helped local homeowners with weatherization projects such as installing insulated stripping and door sweeps. Their efforts […]

A plan outlining how and where gambling facilities may locate in the state will be before Maine legislators this session thanks to a local representative.  State Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, has submitted LD 227, a bill that would set up four districts in the state, allowing one casino in each district. The proposed legislation would […]

‘Tis the season for thank-you notes, the time of year when gifts abound and acknowledgments must follow. While some people avert this issue by conveying their gratitude via phone, others face a thoroughly modern dilemma: Whether to handwrite or email their thanks. Several schools of thought exist on this matter. Traditionalists argue that a hand-chosen […]

The transformation of the old York County Jail into a new home for multiple county uses is nothing short of inspiring. The 1970s building has been empty since 2004 and it’s reassuring to see it reused. Existing offices have been rehabbed, some cells have become offices, the brick exterior has been wrapped with stucco, flooring […]

In the spirit of the holiday season I have a gift for you: A freshly minted Herman Cain joke. Q: Mr. Cain, what about Libya? A: I never laid a hand on her. But life isn’t all jokes and foolishness. It just seems that way when you’re dealing with politics. There are serious issues to […]