I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach. ”“ Henry David Thoreau Is it a coincidence that these woods are often as still as the inside of a church? At times, the […]

Thumbs up to the Biddeford Donut Club and Eileen Foley, the York County community development director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine, for organizing the “Biddeford Cares” effort that will see volunteers from local non-profits decorating vacant storefronts in Biddeford’s downtown. This project will not only create holiday cheer as the days grow […]

Congressional Democrats will have many priorities for the lame duck legislative session that convenes next week, but extending unemployment benefits should be near the top of the list. At 9.6 percent, unemployment remains painfully high. The October jobs report brought encouraging news; private employers added 159,000 jobs, the most substantial net increase in employment since […]

Many residents of Arundel are apparently not reconciled to the school partnership with Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. A signature drive at the polls last week turned up more than 400 voters willing to consider a move to secede from Regional School Unit 21. Maine’s consolidation law imposed a burden on many towns, and goodwill toward RSU […]

California voters last week rejected Proposition 19, settling the argument over legalization of the sale and use of marijuana, but only temporarily. California’s legalization initiative fell about 9 percent short of the majority needed to pass. It’s not a comfortable margin for those worried that legalization of the recreational drug could have negative consequences. Supporters […]

Everyone is looking for a way to create more jobs. Two simple incentives could encourage businesses to create jobs; reduction of onerous regulations against businesses and maintenance of the federal tax cuts. Business is becoming more challenging all around us, as new technologies and growing economies in other parts of the world force constant adaptation. […]

As 33 miners emerged from their underground ordeal in Chile last month, the world watched. This was the mother of all rescues: Half-a-mile down, through solid rock, to the waiting men. For most of us, it was one of those leveling events. To paraphrase one TV sportscaster, it was utterly bizarre to segue from live […]

Congressional Republicans are making no secret of their goal of rolling back health care reform, but the first tests facing the Obama administration are likely to come from the states. The law’s mandates have already provoked legal challenges. The next confrontation may arise as requirements for health exchanges and expanded Medicaid coverage are addressed by […]

Those of us who think of the Hells Angels as just a lawless bunch of thugs are behind the times. The outlaw motorcycle club now takes a keen interest of its commercial rights and interests. The name is widely recognized. “Hells Angels” has been trademarked since 1982, and the club’s lawyers are diligent about policing […]

To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. ”“ Charles Dudley Warner Many a cold morning, I’ve drawn my chair up to the woodstove, mostly so I’ll be near it if the fire needs tending first thing. Once it gets going, and I’m sure I can walk […]