American farming is in a dismal condition. Decades after giant, polluting industries – paper, leather, chemicals and many hazardous substances – were either shut down or forced to clean up, we are left with giant, polluting farms. Maine had numerous paper mills and tanneries that fouled the rivers and air of countless “mill towns,” and […]

I have a deep, nerdy love for the Postal Service. I trace it back to my 20s, when I was working as an analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, DC. As part of my job, I was sent into the bowels of mail processing plants with a clipboard to audit the […]

I have written before of growing up in Brunswick in the 1980s and 1990s. It was a great time to be a kid. Few concerns entered our minds beyond what we would be doing for the summer and what we might be having for dinner that night. Brunswick was a fun place. Brunswick also had […]

Donald Trump wants to make voting more difficult this year, because voters supporting the Democratic Biden-Harris ticket may be less enthusiastic than those backing the Republican Trump-Pence ticket. If the Democratic voters lack commitment, they might be easily discouraged from casting their ballots by obstacles placed in their path to the polls. Making it impossible […]

Growing up in the Midwest, I belonged to a family and close-knit community who eschewed health insurance. This was largely for religious reasons. The church we belonged to believed that any “thought for the morrow” was antithetical to their faith. God would take care of them as he did the “lilies of the field.” Insurance […]

Let’s take a time out this week to celebrate the 300th birthday of this column. That means I’ve poured — some might say splattered or thrown — about 210,000 words into the effort, enough for three novels. Herewith, some reflections. Thanks to readers who have taken the time to comment on a specific column or […]

Many unwilling to take action on COVID I once thought that we valued human life in America, but I was wrong. When thousands of people were dying annually from drug overdoses, people formed task forces and created programs to try to address the root causes. When motor vehicle and gun deaths each consumed over 39,000 […]

As a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham community, Mid Coast–Parkview Health’s mission is to care for our community by promoting wellness, delivering outstanding healthcare, and enhancing quality of life. Mid Coast–Parkview Health is more than a healthcare organization; it is an institution deeply rooted in the lives of our patients and community members. […]

Woolwich is about to embark on a Town Meeting like no other. On Aug. 22, we will convene outdoors to do the town’s business at 9 a.m. This year, it means attendees will be under two tents, each holding 50 socially distanced people, and another group of 50 partially shaded under tents. The remaining folks […]

Supporting Kopp When I think about supporting candidates for office, I look for thoughtful, smart, and authentic individuals who are willing to roll up their sleeves to get Maine back to work. Those words came to mind as I read through Holly Kopp’s recent op-ed, “What it means to be bipartisan” (The Times Record, Aug. […]