Football.

A sport that plays second fiddle to hockey in the Twin Cities.

But not Saturday.

Auburn’s Red Eddies and Lewiston’s Blue Devils will take to Walton Field at 1 p.m., the first time they have ever faced each other in a conference championship. This will be a game to watch.

Football playoffs are relatively new to Maine. For years, the “champion” was determined by points standings. In the late 1980s, elimination rounds were instituted to determine champions. The regular season determines matches, but champs are now determined in high intensity games.

The team that wins Saturday will move forward to compete for the state title, so there’s a lot at stake on both sides of the field.

Watching the action will be an estimated 10,000 fans. If forecasters are right, these fans will need to cart in plenty of blankets and the Boosters will have to brew plenty of hot coffee. It’s going to be a cold, snowy afternoon.

Perfect for football.

Rather than spend the afternoon raking leaves or sitting in front of television, why not drive down to Walton Field and witness what is sure to be a memorable contest in high school athletics?

And you might want to get tickets in advance from either athletic department, Florian’s Market and Gee & Bee Sporting Goods. This is not a game for parents and friends only, but for the greater community of the Twin Cities.


Unhealthy drain
Late Wednesday, the Legislature passed a budget that includes a $8 million cut in the Fund for a Healthy Maine. This, despite overwhelming sentiment from Maine people that the tobacco settlement money should be spent for health-related purposes.

This $8 million, at least, won’t be. It will be moved to the general fund to help meet the state’s operational expenses.

During the recent campaign, all four gubernatorial candidates signed pledges that they would not raid the Fund for a Healthy Maine. Dozens of legislative candidates did the same, but even that didn’t protect the fund because the sitting Legislature doesn’t have a lot of reserve accounts to draw from and even fewer revenue streams to tap.

Members of the Legislature that convenes in January are beholden to a pledge that will make balancing the budget extremely difficult. To ignore that pledge, though, is to shove the health of Mainers aside.


jmeyer@sunjournal.com

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