Thumbs up to the voters of Wells for voting down a proposed ordinance that sought to deny rights to corporations while giving them to ecosystems. We support strong environmental protections, but the proposal showed no deference to existing law and would have imposed an expensive and unnecessary legal fees ”“ and perhaps penalties and damages […]

Reassuring news from the Maine Department of Public Safety: Crime in Maine increased less than 1 percent in 2008, and robbery, rape, burglary and domestic violence went down. The department’s annual report offers good evidence that Maine continues to be one of the safest states in the nation. And, as the report noted, it is […]

In every person’s life, there comes a time when change, wanted or not, is necessary. For the past 10 years, five of which have been spent in Biddeford at the Journal Tribune, I have dedicated my life to bringing the news to five different newspaper communities. I have worked in the coal belt of Pennsylvania, […]

With its decision to revive the use of military tribunals for high-profile Guantanamo Bay detainees, the Obama administration has chosen a pragmatic way out of a Bush administration problem. Last week the president disappointed many by announcing that appointed military panels would be reinstated. But the president’s approach may be the best way out of […]

Last week, the committee of the Maine Legislature in charge of vetting Sen. Barry Hobbins’ proposed legislation regarding the future of the Maine Energy Recovery Company’s incinerator license, possible sale and odor issues. According to those in attendance, even though it was a work session (making it so only the legislators on the committee can […]

Thumbs down to the ebbing support for Biddeford’s Franco-American festival, which will be noticeable this year with the disappearance of the downtown Block Party and fireworks. La Kermesse remains a unique and ambitious festival, and the organizers deserve great credit for the hard work and creativity they bring to the annual effort (starting June 24 […]

For nearly three decades, La Kermesse, Biddeford’s premier summer festival, a celebration of its Franco-American heritage, has brought thousands of people into the twin cities for fun, food and family. One of the key elements of the festival has been the Thursday block party, where music, food and fireworks ruled the night. As thousands of […]

Despite at least two separate votes by the people of Maine recently, saying “No” to the suggestion of further casinos or racinos within Maine, the issue just doesn’t seem to go away. The most recent volley into the war to bring organized gambling to the Pine Tree State is a bill, proposed by Rep. Sawin […]

In just a  few weeks, our fears at the prospect of a flu pandemic gathered, peaked and quickly subsided. The anxiety followed the spread of swine flu itself, which appeared and spread with alarming speed. Public concern is fading as schools reopen and experts count declining numbers of H1N1 patients. But the alarm raised by […]

On Saturday, a special Town Meeting will occur in Wells to consider a rights-based ordinance, which, if enacted, would strictly limit how water is extracted from surface and under the ground within town limits. In the preamble of the “Wells Water Rights and Local Self Government Ordinance,” which is similar to those already passed in […]