My mother, Anita Ruff, began her work at Oasis Free Clinics as the executive director the day after Christmas when I was in fifth grade. I began volunteering for Oasis within a few months (though voluntold might be a more accurate description in some cases). Over the years, I’ve assisted with a wide variety of […]

There will be at least one question on the ballot Nov. 5 that’s simple, clear and easily understood. I refer to Question 5, asking whether Mainers approve of the new state flag design. “New” is a slight misnomer, because the design actually returns to the North star and white pine flag that was official from […]

This week our lame duck President Joe Biden came out of hiding and called for some major changes in how the U.S. Supreme Court operates. His proposals — another election-time pander to his party’s progressive base — were liberal, pie-in-the-sky ideas that everyone knows will never materialize in the real world. They included getting Congress […]

“Sock it to meee?” That awkward query by presidential candidate Richard Milhous Nixon (on the September 16, 1968 episode of “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”) was probably haunting my mind on August 8, 1974. On the afternoon of that fateful day, I tagged along as my flea-marketeer mother purchased antiques from farm couple Gerald and Kate […]

It’s time for the Veepstakes, a cherished American pastime. But at the risk of ruining our current fun — who’s gonna partner up with Kamala Harris? — it’s my sad obligation to point out that rarely, if ever, does the choice of a running mate make a big difference in the balloting. Granted, it’s possible […]

Bowling didn’t make the cut again. Neither will baseball and softball, ballroom dancing, pole dancing and a host of other sports be featured in the 2024 Summer Olympics games in Paris. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is picky about the sports it chooses. A sport must be widely practiced globally, draw a high level of […]

Several events have got me thinking about my own mortality. To wit: I profiled a 96-year-old man for Oak Leaves, the Thornton Oaks monthly newsletter. When I asked his age, he said, “I’m 69, but I have dyslexia.” He ended our conversation by saying, “I don’t know why death is so popular but everyone seems […]