I write, as a 50-year subscriber, in response to the March 5 notice of changes to the paper’s delivery and publication policies, which are terribly disappointing. First, relying on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the paper reliably and timely is a fool’s errand. Second, when the National Trust for Local News purchased the paper, […]
Alex Lear
Staff Writer
Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent 25 years in journalism -- the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, then as Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal and now a digital producer with the Maine Trust for Local News. His long-running “Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 9-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Stephen Bien: Gov. Mills follows rule of law with sports
Gov. Janet Mills and President Trump had quite the dust-up the other day, but the headlines and the hot reaction that have followed miss the point. The issue is simply the rule of law, not the rightness or wrongness of transgender people in sports. Although many seem eager to make political hay out of the […]
advertisement
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Diane Jackson: Kudos to Collins for backing Social Security Fairness Act
I want to express my appreciation to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her support and the successful passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset unfairly targets our teachers, public safety workers and state employees. The restoration of full Social Security benefits is a win-win for hardworking Mainers […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Audrey Murphy: ‘We must stand up for our female athletes’
While watching the news recently, I was wondering what happened to all the women who stood up for women’s rights in the 1970s. Why are they not standing up today for the rights of women in sports? I saw a New York Times and a CNN report that says 79% of America, and 67% of […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Robin Hackett: LD 175 tries to fix an unreal problem
Earlier this year Rep. Laurel Libby introduced to the Maine Legislature L.D. 175, which proposes an “Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Ensure That Only Citizens of the United States May Participate in Elections.” Our constitution currently states that “every” citizen of the United States living in Maine has the right to vote. This […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Krista White: ‘What has happened to Maine?’
The other day, I watched my six-year-old granddaughter receive two first-place awards for participating in her school’s Winter Olympics in Florida. As she stood on the center podium, her face radiated her accomplishments. I thought about the war we battle in Maine to protect girls in sports and locker rooms. I later asked my granddaughter […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Lawrence Small: America needs best candidate, regardless of party
For the first time in American history we have a pathological, narcissistic liar and convicted felon in the Oval Office to represent the U.S. I guess the majority of Republican voters feel the need to vote Republican, no matter what. Conversely, I think it’s not any better to vote a straight Democrat ticket no matter […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Edward Harwood: Rep. Libby needs ‘serious self-reflection’
The issues surrounding gender and sports are complex and even confusing. What is neither complex nor confusing is the act of putting a child’s name in the public domain in order to humiliate or disgrace them. That is malicious and vicious. I am regularly struck by the fact that those who most aggressively foreground their […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Lana Hall: Women’s sports should remain female-only
Maine’s female athletes train relentlessly for a fair chance to shine, but allowing biological males in women’s sports tilts the scales. Take the recent girls’ pole vault championship at Greely High School, won by a transgender athlete who competed as a boy last year. This isn’t about inclusion — it’s about fairness. Rep. Laurel Libby […]