Our beautiful country is in turmoil. We are at a turning point. There is so much more that unites us than divides us. But we must remember. I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. I remember my mother teaching me the words in preparation for kindergarten in Sangerville, Maine. “One nation, under God, […]

Jimmy Kimmel’s comments that led to his suspension (“ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely over Kirk remarks”, Sept. 18, 2025) were not about Charlie Kirk.  He spoke about “the MAGA gang” using Kirk’s death “to score political points.” Is this the country we live in now, where the First Amendment and freedom of speech don’t exist, […]

After reading the recent discussion about people being “from away,” I had to respond. I fell in love with the Damariscotta River as a child when I summered at family members’ homes. At 12 years old I made a vow to the river — that I’d return to live there one day. My Aunt Betty […]

I write in support of Referendum Question 2 on this November’s ballot, which asks Mainers to establish an Extreme Risk Protection Order, or “red flag” law. When family members perceive a loved one with a firearm as a threat to themselves or others, we must take that concern as valid and enable them to work […]

Two quotes from the report on Gov. Janet Mills speaking to the Rotary Club in Waterville last week: “She’s in a tough position,” Mills said of (Susan) Collins. “I appreciate everything she is doing.” And: “I hear people all over the state saying the price of coffee is going up.” Is it bold statements like […]

Recently, I spiraled into a severe depression. I sought help at the PARC Unit, a psychiatric facility at Pen Bay Medical Center. Upon admission, I was placed in a windowless room with a bed and TV. A security guard sat outside the room. I felt like I was in jail. The unit offered little in […]

Many thanks to Edith Wacksman for her Sept. 11 letter, “I don’t feel myself to be ‘from away.” My family has been in Maine since the 1700s and when I first moved back to Maine in 1976, after college and my first job, I loudly bragged about my native status. However, I soon realized how […]