The Maine Legislature has a bill before it to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. LD 1215, submitted by Sen. Jill Duson, would potentially be the greatest opportunity to protect the health and safety of our kids from harmful, addictive products that are marketed directly toward their age group. I’ve listened to some of […]
Alex Lear
A Maine native and Colby College graduate, Alex has been covering coastal communities since 2001. He lives in the Portland area with his wife Lauren, 4-year-old daughter Alaina, and 7-year-old bulldog Walter. He has released four CDs of original music and does occasional research work for Marvel Comics' collected editions.
In rebuttal: Rudolph Ziehm: Recalling when honor was traded for peace
I write in rebuttal to Lawrence Everett’s letter (“A past not remembered may be repeated,” March 23). Those who ignore history, as Mr. Everett wrote in his letter, are doomed to repeat it. This I accept as fact. His history is good; had his friend, the Panzer commander, told him about Czechoslovakia in 1938? Does […]
Heidi Dunn: Recalling two sets of twins who fought to live, defying all odds
I was awestruck by an article I read recently, titled “‘0% chance of survival’: World’s most premature twins defy doctors.” Written by the Guinness Book of World Records, the article discussed how twins born 126 days early to a couple in Canada just celebrated their first birthday. During the birth, the parents were told that […]
Cal Thomas: For Trump: Character matters
If Donald Trump had focused as much on building good character as he did on constructing buildings and being famous, he likely would not be in the trouble in which he now finds himself.
Sander VanZandt: Experts issue grim warning on climate change
On March 20 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its latest assessment on climate change, drawing on the findings of hundreds of scientists throughout the world. The assessment details the devastating impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions, including destruction of homes, loss of crops and fragmentation of communities. Animal agriculture is responsible for at […]
Miranda Burdo: Bill to expand legal abortion should be rejected
People will always fight for their highest level of morality. And so we should. However, morality originates from different places in different people. Others and their well-being can be my utmost priority. Or, myself and my own well-being will be my first priority. It cannot be both. It will never be both. And this is […]
In rebuttal: Kenneth Healey: RSU 16 residents should know full picture before budget vote
I would like to offer a different perspective on Mary Beth Taylor’s recent letter about the Regional School Unit 16 budget (“Reasons to oppose RSU 16 budget,” March 30). While it’s true that she expressed opposition to the budget due to concerns about a potential bond payment and unbalanced elementary student-to-teacher ratios, I know there […]
Patrick Eisenhart: Gold, silver sales tax bill should fail
I recently got a letter from Money Metals Exchange asking me to call members of the Maine Joint Taxation Committee and to ask them to support Auburn state Sen. Eric Brakey’s bill, LD 1051. He proposes in this bill to ban Maine sales tax on the sale of gold and silver bullion and coins. I […]
Olivia Ground: ‘Stand against the destruction of lives’
I am a college student, studying to be a vet tech. To me, the correct and ethical treatment of animals is of the utmost importance. I feel the same courtesy and protections should be extended to our own species. Fetuses are human beings in a stage of development. They are no less valuable than a […]