Any Mainer who has followed the news knows about Gov. Janet Mills’ confrontation with President Donald Trump at a White House event for the National Governors Association on Feb. 21. Trump was angry that Maine hadn’t complied with his executive order that trans student athletes not be allowed to participate in girls athletic events. Mills […]
opinion
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
A look inside Brunswick’s revaluation
Of all the civic processes a town undertakes, a revaluation is often the most feared — and the most misunderstood. No community in Maine opts to conduct a revaluation simply because it seems like a fun civic challenge. It’s a requirement under the Maine Constitution, designed to ensure that the property tax burden is distributed […]
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Posted inTimes Record Opinion
Community-driven responses to poverty
Almost a month ago, a young woman knocked on the door of Tedford Housing’s administrative office, clutching a manila folder. Inside were medical records from her 3-year-old son’s recent hospital stay, two months of unpaid utility bills and a final notice of eviction. She had lost her job after taking time off to care for […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
Maine’s young people are still leaving — here’s how we keep them
There’s a quiet ache many Maine communities feel today — not from a single event, but from a slow, steady shift. You notice it when a local high school graduation gets smaller each year. When the town store closes early because there’s no one to work. Or when a neighbor’s grandchild leaves for college and […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
Proposed NOAA cuts a serious issue for Mainers
Last Friday, reports came out from a variety of major news agencies that officials within the Trump administration have advocated for the removal of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) scientific research division. The proposed plan includes budget cuts that would target programs related to climate, education and research grants, because they are “misaligned […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
Letters to the editor: Gas stoves; America in chaos; health care in crisis; pushing back against Trumpism; affordable housing
Environmental and health impacts of gas stoves We recently replaced our gas stove with an electric induction stove. We have a goal of getting off fossil fuels because of the climate crisis, and I have been scared of gas since the 2020 explosion in Farmington. We were not thinking of health benefits when we made […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
‘We’re just wild about Henry’
Every prospective resident who’s ever visited Thornton Oaks (a Brunswick retirement community) knows Henry Recknagle, the director of sales at Thornton Oaks since 2001. And, it seems, everyone who’s met Henry has good things to say about him. As a resident of Thornton Oaks, I can say he’s the real deal. Let’s take a look […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
LD 46 will expand employment opportunities for Mainers with disabilities
In Maine, only 7.1% of adults with autism hold jobs. We need to do better for our Mainers with disabilities. We have a huge opportunity here. This is why LD 46 (An Act to Establish a Grant Program to Increase Postsecondary Educational Opportunities for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder) is […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
A responsible, governing budget for all
Every two years, the Maine Legislature is responsible for drafting a state budget that works for all Maine people — an almost impossible task given the variety of issues and challenges that affect all of us. While each community that I serve here in House District 98 — Durham, Pownal and parts of Bowdoin, Lisbon […]
Posted inTimes Record Opinion
On being verbally perfect
Am I a perfect person? Well, folks, the jury is way, way out on that, so far out as to be not anywhere at all. There are actually those who think I am not even close to being perfect, but what do they know? Thus, having set this all up, I’ll today write about the […]