Archive for ‘Opinion’

  • Ring in the New Year with Good Sense

    By State Senator Bill Diamond The holiday season for many people is a joyous time filled with fun, family and friends, and I hope you are all enjoying it. I wish for everyone a New Year’s Day filled with good times, enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family. For many people, part of the […]

  • Missing the American Chestnut

    By Price Hutchins I used to be so St. Francis about mice and chipmunks and squirrels, but 20-plus years of residing in western Maine and dealing with ruined gardens, tornscreens, chewed up wiring, sharing the contents of our pantry, and midnight scrabbling over our bed, I have morphed into a real mouse Nazi. For a […]

  • Labor Committee controversy much ado about nothing

    By Rep. Rich Cebra When Maine voters elected Republican majorities in the House and Senate on Nov. 2, they sent a clear message. They want action on jobs and the state’s economy. For too long, we have watched as our young people leave here because they see greater career opportunities in other states. For too […]

  • Home with a cold

    For the past few days, I have had a cold, and the advice to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and stay warm has given me an excuse to relax in a big comfy chair, read, and look out the window. At six o’clock this morning, I was in our darkened living room […]

  • Much more than a jar of sand

    This is the time of year for proclamations: zero percent financing, no payments until spring, doors open at 5 a.m., the sales event of the year, buy one get one free, the year’s hottest gift idea, some assembly required, only nine shopping days left. And so goes the spirit of a typical American Christmas — […]

  • Dealing With the Bushmaster Closure

    By State Senator Bill Diamond The recent news that the Bushmaster plant in Windham would soon be closing has hit the area hard. The loss of 73 good paying jobs will have a serious ripple effect on the local economy, and the timing, so close to the holidays, seemed to emphasize the impact of the […]

  • Labor Committee flap much ado about nothing

    By Rich Cebra State Representative When Maine voters elected Republican majorities in the House and Senate last month, they sent a clear message. They want action on jobs and the state’s economy. For too long, we have watched as our young people leave here because they see greater career opportunities in other states. For too […]

  • Winter Solstice

    By Bridie McGreavy As gravitational forces propel our lovely planet on its yearly migration around the sun, I find myself once again welcoming my favorite season. On Dec. 21, the yearly solstice, we will experience the longest night of the year. In my new home in Bangor, we already have about six inches of snow […]

  • Sign of Winter

    Yesterday morning, the house felt chilly, so to warm up I decided to go outside and walk around the yard. I knew a bit of exercise would warm me up, and that after being out in the cold air the house would feel toasty by comparison. As I walked toward the lake I glanced over […]

  • The New Legislature Begins

    By State Senator Bill Diamond The Maine Legislature officially began its 125th Session on Dec. 1. While some things, like committee assignments, have yet to be determined, things are coming together at the State House. Maine’s Legislature operates on a two-year cycle. The first year is the “long session,” and it will run until June […]