In his March 15 commentary, Sen. Angus King wishes Maine a Happy Birthday and another 200 years. He is certain history will repeat itself. OK. What will he and Maine’s congressional delegation do to ensure it? Will they adhere to our state motto to lead and demand that Congress implement true political election reform? Let’s […]

I was disheartened to see that plans for building a cold-storage facility right on the Portland waterfront have been revived (March 5). Two months ago, over 50 Portland residents signed a letter raising concerns with that location. The site is basically old landfill – and susceptible to coastal flooding; the added traffic will greatly increase […]

Recent and not-so-recent events suggest to me the need for reform of the state referendum process. Too many special interests have hijacked the referendum process for their gain. (Shawn Scott’s $9 million attempt to secure himself and only himself a casino license certainly leads this category.) Too often have paid signature gatherers used unsavory tactics […]

A letter in your newspaper Friday urged the public to wear face masks to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus, with the writer (Tracy Floyd) saying she found it “shocking” that she was one of only three people during a recent shopping trip using one. This advice might be reasonable if medical experts were in […]

This is a tough time for all who earn their living preparing meals for and waiting on those of us who love the food variety throughout the Portland area. Since restaurants have moved to takeout-only service, I know that many who are the servers who depend on us for their tips are being impacted. Please […]

Maine people are making “closing the barn door after the horse” errors that countries, President Trump and states have made, minimizing and acting belatedly. A Cape Elizabeth parental update (reported in the Press Herald) wrongly stated “… this is not a virus that we can contain by quarantining.” That’s the purpose of quarantining: to limit […]

As all of us look for ways to deal with COVID-19, which is now obviously prevalent and spreading by community transmission, I found it shocking that while at Hannaford the other day I was only one of three people wearing a mask. I work for a multinational corporation and had the benefit of a virtual […]

A large part of Portland’s business community runs on a “gig” economy. Bars, restaurants and entertainment venues represent a substantial portion of the business done in Portland. With voluntary and mandatory closures of businesses underway, employees in this economy face an existential economic threat from the coronavirus, since they cannot work from home via computer. […]