Local government is often fraught with not only potholes but also opportunities. It is where the rubber meets the road in our fragile democracy. It’s where neighbor debates neighbor about the future of their community. Unfortunately, people don’t realize how important town and school government is until it is hobbled by negative, often angry voices. […]

Just one month ago, authorities raided two houses, one in Oxford County and the other in Androscoggin County. They found piles of cocaine, piles of cash – and 129 guns. The homeowner wasn’t just a drug dealer. He was an arms trader. Drug dealers from New York and Massachusetts are happy to drive to Maine […]

I served eight years on the City Council with Cheryl Leeman. Cheryl and I seldom agreed on policy matters, yet I would not hesitate to elect her to the Charter Commission if I lived in District 4. Indeed, the Charter Commission is not chiefly concerned with policy, but rather with how public officials shall arrive […]

They say two heads are better than one, but maybe a diversity of brain types is even better. At-large Charter Commission candidate Anthony Emerson was diagnosed with a mild form of autism at a young age. When we worked together last year, Anthony introduced me to the concept of neurodiversity: the growing awareness that autism, […]

Is Maine’s public health infrastructure getting any pandemic funding? I’ve been reading articles summarizing all the places the $1 billion that Maine is getting in pandemic relief will be spent. I’ve yet to see a penny designated for a better public health infrastructure to deal with future pandemic health care problems or for a much-needed […]

I am grateful that the scientific research for a COVID vaccine essentially began a decade ago. Otherwise, we could still be praying that a vaccine will be developed. I’m grateful for the people who helped carry the burden for our recovery while we waited. They wore masks and kept their distance, protecting others from getting […]

My husband and I recently participated in a Zoom meeting, sponsored by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. One bill before this legislative session is L.D. 1541, An Act to Support and Improve Municipal Recycling Programs and Save Taxpayer Money. Sarah Nichols, the Sustainable Maine director for NRCM, shares in her testimony of May 10 […]

Hey millennials, want to get your parents vaccinated? Play the grandchild card. The National Rifle Association cap-wearing gentleman I vaccinated last week was there because his kids told him, “No vaccine, no visit with the grandsons.” It’s time to get tough! Leila Schueler Scarborough

It’s easy to understand why people feel uncomfortable changing Maine’s drug sentencing laws. Our national drug policy has made sure that we fear illegal drugs and blame them for all sorts of social problems while we ignore the rest of the drug use equation – the environment and the mental health of the people who […]