Thumbs up to Harry Blumenthal, Charles Rotmil and Julia Skalina for sharing their stories about the Holocaust during World War II. It must be unbearably painful for those who survived the war to think back on what they experienced, what they saw, what they smelled during those dark times. But thanks to their courage to […]

“I hurt myself today to see if I still feel. I focus on the pain, the only thing that’s real. The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting. Try to kill it all away but I remember everything. What have I become my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end. And […]

Maine held its first statewide dropout prevention summit last July, sponsored by the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Shared Youth Vision Council. More than 250 educators, public officials, business leaders, social service providers, students and others gathered to brainstorm solutions at the University of Maine in Orono. Participants in the Maine summit worked […]

If you think the Toyota car recall is something special, think again. Recalls happen all the time. A recall of any product can take place when someone registers an official complaint that the product is a danger to use, which could result in serious injuries or death to other consumers. That is when the US […]

Conservative members of the Texas State Board of Education ”“ as they see it ”“ struck a blow last week against a liberal bias in education. In reality, the majority faction has set back education by adopting a right-wing social studies curriculum. The new standards take a mistaken view of the Christian roots of the […]

Patriotism, these days, comes in many different varieties, not all of them consistent with basic American values. Last week a Web site devoted to conservative politics revealed its doubts about the American system of justice. Keep America Safe, founded by Liz Cheney, the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, recently tried to whip up […]

Consider a federal agency committed to an ambitious program, but chronically over budget and behind schedule. Since the U.S. spends billions every year on space programs, you might expect Congressional Republicans to applaud a dose of fiscal discipline, But it turns out many conservatives have a soft spot for NASA, despite its difficulty in keeping […]

“Whether living with hope or at the end of the rope. It isn’t written in the stone when the futures unknown. And though some do atone, through no fault of their own, they fall through the cracks and get left by the wayside. God willing, it’s the last time I’ll say goodbye. God willing, I’ll […]

The U.S. House and Senate have the opportunity to approve major health care legislation in the coming weeks. While no bill will please everyone, the time for health care reform is now. According to an Associated Press-GfK poll from earlier this month, the majority of Americans want Congress to continue working on a bipartisan health […]

Thumbs up to Sgts. Tyson and Shannon Trepanier of Sanford and the rest of their unit, the 1136th Transportation Company of the Maine Army National Guard, who shipped out Saturday to serve our country in Afghanistan. A special thumbs up is also in order for Shannon’s brother and sister-in-law, who will be caring for the […]