While the earth continues to provide bounty for both earthbound and avian creatures, the time is approaching when my feathered visitors won’t be able to find enough to eat. The ground will freeze and be covered in snow and ice, and they will be hard-pressed to find some bit or morsel that will help keep […]

This spring, with the full support of U.S. automakers, the administration set a rigorous standard for automobile fuel economy ”“ 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This requirement will benefit consumers, the economy and the environment, and it sets a single, national standard that automakers can live with. As President Obama said in May, “Instead […]

Thumbs up to the Old Orchard Beach Town Council for approving a letter of intent to bring the Lowell Americans New England Collegiate Baseball League team to the town, beginning in the summer 2011 season. While the official decision will not be made until October, this was a step in the right direction for allowing […]

Sanford’s Town Council has arrived at a good stopping point for the ongoing controversy over Councilor Alan Walsh and the poor judgment he showed on the night of May 15. As it stands now, the council has avoided censuring Walsh or pursuing his complaint of police mistreatment ”“ two prudent decisions. It may seem to […]

Maine and the rest of the nation are still reeling from the worst recession since the 1930s. As we think about how to create jobs and to restore and expand prosperity, it is important to understand what caused the recession. We create the economy we have through the policy choices we make. We create it […]

One of the less visible differences between the administration and Congress concerns NASA’s future, but the controversy is potentially damaging to the agency and unlikely to be resolved soon. The president’s critics on this issue, many of them Republicans, could fairly be called advocates of big government. They are outraged not by President Obama’s excessive […]

This is high season for election fundraising and spending, as political operatives prepare to focus public attention on the 2010 candidates, campaigns and issues. But for all the political visibility sought by candidates, their money-raising will be more veiled than ever. A bill requiring disclosure of contributors’ names, even if enacted this year, won’t take […]

To tackle the high unemployment in some of Maine’s rural areas, local community groups are tying education and job growth together in new and successful ways. They are doing this by providing networks of support through a variety of public, non-profit, and private organizations. Some interesting examples from the western mountain area of our state […]

It’s welcome news that the blown-out oil well that spilled about 205 million gallons into the Gulf has been permanently sealed. In spring and early summer the BP spill seemed like a never-ending catastrophe. Workers, technicians, advisers, bosses and government officials who labored for months deserve credit for eventually bringing the disaster to an end. […]

Volunteering is a great way to give back to one’s community. On this editorial page letters are printed week after week thanking those for their time given through volunteering. We commend members of the community who are 55 and older who volunteer their time. Senior Corps Week, Sept. 20-24, provides an opportunity to showcase those […]