Lebanon selectmen announced this week the town will soon switch to single-stream recycling, which allows residents to put all of their recyclables into one container, which will later be sorted for recycling. We commend officials in Lebanon for taking a step forward to increase recycling, reduce waste, make the process easier for residents and save […]

These last few days have been very windy, and I never tire of watching the trees on the back slope bobbing and swaying to the wind’s non-choreographed rhythms. The forest floor will certainly be littered with debris, dead branches and twigs, and there will most likely be a few more victims to add to the […]

The University of Maine made a splash this past week in hiring Richard Barron as its women’s basketball coach. His hiring not only moves the basketball program forward, but it ends a tie with former state basketball star Cindy Blodgett, which needed to be cut. Blodgett will always be remembered as one of the best […]

Dictionary.com defines “justice” as “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness,” or “The moral principle determining just conduct.” The same source explains “vengeance” as “infliction of injury, harm, or humiliation on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge.” The two words have distinctly different meanings, yet […]

Times are tough, we know, which is why budgets are being cut at every level of government, in private businesses and in homes. However, pulling 20 percent of an organization’s funding at the end of the budget process is excessive. Last week, Gov. Paul LePage made a last-minute recommendation to eliminate 100 percent of state […]

Thumbs up to LearningWorks, a non-profit organization that recently opened a branch in Biddeford to help troubled youth. This company has been providing services for 45 years in Portland, and we are glad to see it expand its services to Biddeford, where many underprivileged, at-risk youth could use its help. Young men will be provided […]

Volunteers are currently being sought for Sanford’s new Restorative Justice initiative, which provides community members the perfect chance to get involved in an effort that could really turn a young person’s life around. This program would help youth who have committed a minor criminal offense by connecting them with the community and giving them a […]

A bill to eliminate new voter registration on election day ”“ and during the two business days before an election ”“ is scheduled to be discussed by members of the legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs committee Friday. The bill, LD 1376, would restrict access to the polls and reduce participation by eliminating the opportunity for […]

Three bills currently under consideration in Augusta would significantly alter public notice requirements for the state and municipalities. Current law requires that the public be notified of public hearings, meetings and other legal notices in a paper of record. In an effort to trim the state budget, LD 1445 was proposed, which would remove all […]

People are speculating how the al-Qaida terrorist organization will operate after its terrorist mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was killed by the Navy SEAL Special Forces last week. Serious questions need to be answered about the harboring of such terrorists, which will determine our future relationship with the Pakistani government. Bin Laden was seen as the […]