All across Maine, small businesses are at the heart of our communities and downtowns. Local shops and restaurants give Maine towns the character our state is famous for. But amidst the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, small business owners and their employees are facing hardship and uncertainty. I can’t tell you when things will go […]

In addition to the truly grave aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a first-world problem that parents all over America are facing – along with looking for a creative and non-abrasive substitute for toilet paper – is how to keep their children wholesomely occupied while schools are closed. This can be especially challenging for parents already […]

One of my many bosses in TV news once told me the media’s job is to reassure the public. I can’t remember the context, though I do remember dutifully nodding my head. What did I know? I was 22 and reassurance sounded like a good thing. Today, I’m not sure if reassurance is or has […]

On March 11, I learned that I would not be returning to Bowdoin’s campus to finish the semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the days since, I have been reminded constantly of the vast inequalities that exist in this country, and even within a student population of Bowdoin’s size. I have friends who are […]

Corona struggle nothing new I couldn’t help being a little bemused by the recent opinion piece from Jonathan Crimmins (“Life in the time of Coronoa,” The Times Record, March 20.)  The gist of his commentary, apparently, was to give advice to us all with regard to our current Coronavirus pandemic.  While his words were obviously […]

Amidst much challenging news over the last few weeks, there is a bright story to share about an innovative group of projects being undertaken by teachers at Brunswick’s public schools. The Brunswick Community Education Foundation (BCEF), an independent non-profit organization committed to supporting preK-12 students and teachers in Brunswick, recently announced the recipients of its […]

In just a week’s time, coronavirus seems to have changed everything. In Maine, as in most other states, it prompted the nearly unprecedented shutdown of the legislative session just as lawmakers were attending to their major business. While Gov. Janet Mills has pledged she will recall legislators as soon as possible, no one knows when […]

Friends, the challenges created by the coronavirus epidemic are unlike anything that we’ve seen in the last 100 years. The situation is changing rapidly, but this much is clear: we all need to change our behaviors and adopt new approaches to protect ourselves and our loved ones. As I push for a number of policies […]

The coronavirus pandemic is illustrating a basic truth about the U.S. We are poor at long-term preparing and better at short-term reacting. The country was unprepared for dealing with a worldwide public health crisis. Even if other countries were similarly unready, that’s no excuse for a country that considers itself and is widely considered by […]