The No. 1 thing we should be thankful for this holiday season is the speedy delivery of an effective COVID-19 vaccine. The proverbial and actual shot in our arms comes courtesy of Operation Warp Speed, the most remarkable and effective private-public partnership the nation has seen since World War II. The scientists at Pfizer, which […]
Lakes Region Weekly opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Hanukkah could include a new miracle
Happy Hanukkah to all of you who will be celebrating the holiday. Because this festival of dedication runs in accordance with a calendar different from the Roman one we use to chart our Monday through Sunday schedules, the exact start and stop dates for this eight-night-long celebration change from year to year. This year, Hanukkah […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Letter: Time to do something about broadband in Maine
Tired of complaining about your internet? It’s time to do something about it! The Maine Broadband Coalition, in partnership with AARP Maine and others, has launched the “Get Up to Speed” initiative to aid broadband expansion efforts in Maine. Did you know that Maine is ranked as the 43rd state in the U.S for broadband […]
Posted inLakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Forum: Time for Yarmouth council to remove local dams
Did you know that there are two dams on the Royal River in Yarmouth within a mile of the head of tide that block fish passage to the entire 141-square mile watershed? Both dams were purchased by the town of Yarmouth in the 1970s for a dollar each. The Bridge Street dam stopped producing power […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Guest Column: Restricting legal immigrants from becoming citizens
The U.S. government has a new requirement for immigrants seeking to become citizens. This new addition started Dec. 1 and it may be a way to make is harder for legal immigrants to become naturalized citizens. The applicant must answer 12 out of 20 items, which is a passing score of 60%. The previous policy […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Bellows more than qualified to be secretary of state
Last week, I spent some time reflecting upon the work and legacy of our outgoing secretary of state, Matt Dunlap. We truly have been extremely fortunate to have him in this role, working for all of us in Maine. Last Tuesday, state legislators met to vote for who would serve in the office next. There […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Secretary of State Matt Dunlap leaves big shoes to fill
Maine is about to get a new secretary of state. This is a big deal. Secretaries of state matter. If you’ve been watching the national news, you’ve probably gained a new appreciation for the job. Brad Raffensperger, the Republican Secretary of State in Georgia, has been rather heroically holding the line on truth down there, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: ’Tis the season for Maine status symbols
Don’t know what to get your difficult-to-buy-for loved ones this Christmas season? Why not a gift that will help elevate their social status within the Pine Tree State? Every culture down through the ages has had status symbols. Everything from tanned skin to powdery white skin, a fat belly to a Twiggy-thin waist, a castle […]
Posted inLakes Region Weekly
Guest Commentary: ‘Mischaracterized’ Trump thwarted at every turn
Here’s what I think about the calls for “healing” and “coming together.” For four years the vast majority of the major print, online and broadcast media, politicians of both political parties and elements of his own administration have worked to prevent this president from advancing the agenda for which he was duly elected in a […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, The Forecaster
Mainewhile: Out of the mouths of babes
If this was a “normal” year, this week I would be surrounded by a wild, tangled clutter of colored strips of paper. On each one would be a “gratitude” written by a student, often in a near-unintelligible scrawl. I would be grabbing the glue stick and, with a practiced rhythm, swipe the glue across one […]