Two recent editorials in the Sun Journal unfairly place the entire blame of Lewiston having become the ""home of the Somali rally"" on the shoulders of Mayor Larry Raymond. Saying his letter to the Somali community is responsible for all this turmoil is like blaming darkness on the sun for refusing to shine 24 hours a day.

The real cause of the situation Lewiston is faced with can be traced back to the Tara administration and her alliance with Catholic Charities Maine in Portland.

Having grown up on the coast of Maine, I was surprised at your rendition of "Nor'easter" for Northeaster (Jan. 5)!

My grandfather was a lobsterman and my uncle owned the local lobster pound. We had more than one sea captain in the family and I never heard any of them call a Northeast storm a "Nor'easter."

The only place that I have heard anything close to this was on some Hollywood movie in which someone was trying to sound like a Mainer.

A few weeks ago, it showed up that Bates College in Lewiston was one of the ""top 100 coolest colleges"" to go to, along with Harvard, Yale, etc. It caught my eye because, living in the area, I thought it was a great way to get noticed.

A few Bates students didn't think it was that cool and would just forget about it. I would like to say to these students (who probably aren't from the area), it's an advantage to get noticed about the good, which is a change since we are talking about Lewiston/Auburn.

A petition concerning discussion of a town manager form of government for Fryeburg was circulated recently and 170 registered voters signed it in just 10 days. That shows interest to discuss the need for a town manager in Fryeburg.

Our government, as it is operating at present, finds itself in crisis mode much of the time.

We have three selectmen who meet as a group every other week and many times are getting their information and reading material required for a decision the night they meet.

Coverage in your Jan 8 issue had some glaring problems. In the Associated Press story on the Bush economic stimulus plan, it was stated "Bush offered the nation a massive, $674 billion prescription for better fiscal health ". It didn't state that Bush's plan is over 10 years or that it will not stimulate the economy until 2004.

I hope that representatives of the major TV networks and various newspapers and newsmagazines were in Lewiston on Jan. 11. They were here in force last fall, willing to condemn citizens of Lewiston and surrounding areas and Maine in general when news of the mayor's letter to the Somali residents reached them.

Were they here on the 11th? Will they be reporting on the enormous turnout at the Many and One Coalition meeting where thousands of people showed their support for all citizens in an orderly and impressive manner?

On Jan. 7, I read with great interest the article on plowing.

Public Works Director Bob Belz of Auburn stated that they plow all the sidewalks in Auburn. I can tell you, we have lived on 8 Cliff St. in Auburn for 43 years and never once have they plowed out the sidewalk. We have been plowed in several times as in the last two storms, but never plowed out.

We are a dead-end street but we still have a sidewalk in Auburn.

We have a brand new year ahead of us, and I think it's important to start 2003 off with some well-deserved words of praise.

I really admired Mark Griffin's interview with the talented young artist Josana Blue (Dec. 27). I think it's tremendous that Ms. Blue is making imaginative and positive contributions to our culture, and also giving something back to the local community that first encouraged her.

I would like to address the zero tolerance policy in school.

As a parent of children who attend the local school system, I am outraged by the ridiculousness of some of the rules. I understand the policy was adopted, nationwide, after the school shootings and the terrorism and, as a parent, I am greatly concerned about my children's safety and the safety of others. School should be a place for children to feel safe while receiving an education, but being there should not feel like a prison sentence.

I see Mr. Bush has opened yet another can of worms. I wished he would think twice before he spoke. Calling a friend, supposedly, an ""axis of evil"" was a little bit testy. Did he have to say that?

Between Mr. Cheney and Mr. Powell, and Mr. Bush they are beating the war drums, and who pays for that? Many innocent people, and our fighting men and women. Is he really looking out for our country or is he trying to please his father?

We did our time and fought the wars to make this country and government strong. But now we have to fight another battle. The battle to get the benefits we were promised (Jan. 7).

The military wonders why the youth of today avoid joining up. Besides the fear of war, they have vets as relatives and friends who are fighting for their benefits. Why join something that can't come through with the promises that it makes?

And now, once again, our government is dishonoring the people that made it strong.

Tuesday, Dec. 31, I watched on C-SPAN as President Clinton discussed his presidential papers and access to them during an interview and a tour of the site of his presidential library. He said that he is hopeful that his papers will be available earlier than the mandated date, 2006.

He said, ""George Bush has sealed all of his records as governor and placed them in his father's presidential library."" Dick Cheney refused to allow release of his records of energy policy discussed with the oil cartel, and the courts supported that decision.

"The ultimate question is whether a foxless, hawkless, owlless countryside is a good countryside to live in." So said famed conservationist Aldo Leopold some 50 years ago.

It's a question we in central Maine should be asking ourselves today. The "bedroom" communities of our region are growing in leaps and bounds thanks, in part, to affordable new home prices and to a lack of land use planning and regulation.

Litchfield, where I live, recently voted to reject a land use ordinance.

The Sun Journal and its reporters need to be commended for exposing violations by Maine towns of Maine's Freedom of Access law!

Perhaps other Maine towns' citizens have felt the heat of hostility and intimidation as a few citizens of the town of Industry have, those who challenged our recent town reassessment.

Don't ask! Don't tell, and just get with the program and play our game has been all we have for an answer.

Not long ago, my friend was pulled over by a policeman. When asked if she had done anything illegal, the policeman admitted she had not but he decided to ""run"" her license plate because he now has that option under the Homeland Security Act.

Our government and law enforcement agencies are no longer answerable to us; we are no longer free residents of our country. Why is the only superpower remaining allowed to bully the entire world to conform to its ""standards"" and to terrorize its own citizens?

Here are my predictions for 2003:

1. Maine's sales tax will increase to 6 percent.

2. Maine's gas tax will increase 3 percent.

3. Called ""tax reform,"" the legislative Democrats will expand the sales tax to nearly all goods and services.

4. Lewiston's property tax rate will rise above 30 mils.

5. Lewiston's general assistance budget will increase.

6.

We, the members of Poland Community Church, wish to express our support for all members of the Somali community who have moved to Lewiston as refugees in the hope of finding a peaceful place to raise their families and live their lives.

The past year has been a very stressful time in Lewiston and many hurtful words were written and spoken that cannot be retracted, only apologized for.

The letter written on Jan. 4 titled ""Manipulation"" by William Culter has hurt me deeply. It hurt my heart when he said Rev. Doug Taylor ""holds no office and has no position of great influence in the city,"" and his work is not ""newsworthy.""

I used to be a horrible person. I used to lie, steal and hurt others. I was selfish and filled with hate. I wasn't even 10 years old by the time I had a record for theft and breaking and entering.

Then one day I looked up and saw a sign that read, ""The Jesus Party."" I meet Brother Doug at that time.

Whites are not the only ones who have the right to be free. What gives us the right to take over the land of Native Americans and think it's OK, but we cannot have other cultures and religions coming into our community?

That's just plain selfish!

Even though they are different on the outside, that doesn't mean that on the inside they are different. So what if they talk different, dress different and even act different? We are all the same.

Somalis fled a country full of violence and unsafe living conditions.

Recently I returned from a trip to my native state of Virginia. As I drove over the Appalachian Mountains, just as the sun was touching the landscape for the first time that day, I saw an incredible sight. Multiple colors of yellow, red, blue and purple rising gently, yet boldly, over the Blue Ridge peaks just west of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. It was a moving experience to see God's handiwork.

Some 15 hours later, I arrived in Lewiston, where I have been a resident for nearly 5 years.

Five years ago, when we were literally struck powerless, our strength came shining through.

Before Lewiston became an opportunity for national media to make money and national "hate" and "anti-hate" groups to promote themselves, our city faced hardships that were real, not man-made. Hardships that could not be ignored. Hardships that affected people's homes, jobs and lives.

Do you remember January of 1998?

Wouldn't it be nice if Mayor Laurier Raymond of Lewiston, my own hometown, took the time to write an open letter to East Peoria, Ill. (Matthew Hale's home town), asking them not to send any more of their World Church of the Creator friends to Lewiston?

Growing up in Lewiston, I was brought up with a strong oral tradition of stories told to me by my Franco-American family. Much of what was told to me were stories of religious persecution, prejudices based on language barriers, denial of employment and property ownership based on ethnicity.

I was told of how ""Yankee"" landowners did not want to sell land to the Catholic church in Sabattus, and that Irish Catholics turned French-speaking Catholics away when trying to attend Mass. City government denied employment to French-Canadians and Franco-Americans.

To make an accurate assessment of Matt Hale and his misguided followers of the World Church of the Creator you need to look no further than their agenda and motive. This is an organization that feeds on racial unease to quench its hunger for notoriety.

All of this media coverage resulting from our community tension is exactly what Hale desires. It seems to me that the once fine line between church and cult is wearing thin in this age of political correctness.

It is my sincere hope that Mr.