Next week, Saco voters will decide whether to borrow $6 million for the construction of a new fire station. The current station is small and in poor condition, and city officials make a good case that it is time to replace it. The financial timing seems appropriate because Saco’s overall debt will drop once it […]

President Obama told the nation last week that he sees the year ahead as a difficult one. So perhaps his most encouraging words in the State of the Union address were, “I don’t quit.” After one year in office, the administration’s problems seem to be intractable. Economic recovery has not begun to restore the jobs […]

Thumbs up to the Biddeford Ross Center’s Fifty Plus Club, which offers a plethora of opportunities for older people ”“ from trips to dances, bingo and yoga. Most importantly, the club gives seniors a place to hang out with their friends, make new friends, and stay active. Thumbs up to the York County Budget Committee […]

Now that flu is not so widespread, vaccine is abundant. Naturally, the public is less inclined to get vaccinations; why go to a clinic when the risk of getting sick is low. But for those who don’t follow the crowd, now might be the right time to consider a swine flu vaccination. The Maine Center […]

Biddeford’s City Council appears ready to approve a stripped-down Shoreland Zoning amendment, to the relief of environmental organizations and residents who had feared the city would remove restrictions on protected coastal property. This amendment will not resolve all the inconsistencies in Biddeford’s Shoreland Zoning ordinance, but it has  two important virtues: It updates Shoreland Zoning […]

The Supreme Court last week cleared the way for international corporations, as well as unions and interest groups, to play a more direct role in political campaigning. The court’s decision, affirming a corporate right of free speech, hands a megaphone to those who already speak with a loud voice. By turning up the volume, it […]

In his State of the State address last week, Gov. John Baldacci laid out goals for the state that no one can seriously disagree with: “A leaner government, increased efficiencies and frugality.” These are hard times for Mainers and for state government, which, after already adjusting several times for declining revenue, must now close a […]

Thumbs up to the Sanford Town Council for making it clear that they acknowledge text messages as public information. By voting to add the term “electronic transmissions” to the council Code of Conduct, council members show that they respect the Freedom of Access statute and know that the town’s business should be done in public, […]

On the surface of the procedure ”“ changing the sterilized pad over the surgically inserted catheter in your abdomen ”“ seems simple enough when you read about it in the literature, but there is far more to it when you attempt it at home by yourself. My nurse instructor, Connie, supplied me with Avant gauze […]

The election of Republican Scott Brown as the junior senator from Massachusetts changes the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. No matter what his priorities are, his immediate impact will be to limit Democratic ambitions. But some are jumping to the conclusion that his election this week represented a groundswell of conservativism. Were Massachusetts […]