First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out ”“ Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out ”“ Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out ”“ Because I […]

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Though so many years have passed by since, I’ll never forget that morning, and the weeks immediately following. I was working for the (now defunct) Casco Bay Weekly, and when I […]

Former President George W. Bush is all but invisible on the issues of the day, but his legacy has been slow to fade away. The end of the Iraq war is not quite in sight, and the government’s domestic surveillance apparatus has not been dismantled, and the spirit of No Child Left Behind still governs […]

The dangers of driving while distracted are apparent not only to police officers, but every driver who has had to yield to someone who just wasn’t paying attention. That highway traveler next to you who seems out of touch with traffic conditions ”“ it’s likely he’s talking on the phone. Other potential distractions include food […]

Planners have completed the difficult assignment of accommodating a marijuana dispensary in Biddeford, and the City Council this week made the final decision of how and where such businesses may operate. With Safe Harbor Maine licensed by the state to do business here, the Planning Board last week laid out sound recommendations for how such […]

In his radio address last weekend, Gov. John Baldacci gave high marks to the preparations for Hurricane Earl, an apparently successful tourist season and the arrival of the apple harvest. Yet it was his main theme that we found most welcome: A statement of optimism at the start of school. This is the right time […]

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ”¦”  ”“ 1st Amendment U.S. Constitution America is not a Christian nation. Glenn Beck held his rally Aug. 28 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. His words and actions were a not-so-subtly coded message to white […]

Thumbs down to the Maine State Legislature for approving a law that requires school districts to ask parents for their children’s Social Security numbers. The Legislature should rescind this law, as communities have asked, to protect Maine’s students from a greater risk of identity theft. Recently, the Biddeford School Committee passed a resolution asking the […]

School is back in session, and with its arrival brings the return of sports teams gearing up for a new season. Kids of all ages are pulling on uniforms and heading out to the fields to work on techniques and strategies in the hopes of becoming the best team of all. This summer, my 7-year-old […]

On Labor Day 100 years ago, workers paraded in groups according to their trade. Accounts in the Biddeford Daily Journal spoke admiringly of the disciplined ranks of elite tradesmen like the loom fixers, or the machinists of Saco & Pettee as they marched during the annual Labor Day parade. On this long weekend, most of […]