Well, here we are at the beginning of June. Maine has one of the oldest populations per capita in the country. Many of Maine’s elderly are on a fixed income. Many elderly retirees in Maine heat their homes with heating oil. This group does not want and cannot afford an electric vehicle. The thing they […]
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.
Paul Robinson: Candidate Cloutier offers dedication, insight, responsibility
Endorsing Kristen Cloutier’s bid to represent District 94 of the Maine House of Representatives is a pleasure. Serving with Kristen on the Lewiston Auburn Railroad Committee has given me first-hand observation into the dedication, insight and responsibility she brings to her commitments. Her outlook and input reflect her approach to benefit the community she serves. […]
Rebekah Lynch: Hydropower is answer to Maine’s energy future
This past winter was a long, cold, and costly one characterized by unaffordable electric rate increases. As ISO New England reported in March, “colder weather, higher demand, and spiking natural gas prices converged in January to push New England wholesale electricity prices to their highest levels since February 2014.” Maine needs real, sustainable solutions for […]
Lou Giard: Mass shootings, racism must be addressed
I am very concerned about the mass shootings that happen almost every day in this country. I believe in the right to self-defense, but I don’t need a military-style weapon. Why are these available to anyone? To me they should be against the law. Only the military and our police force should have those. I […]
Lee and Stephen Smith: Make it more difficult to acquire automatic weapons
There are people who want to use guns to kill many; we consider them evil or mentally ill. We will never be able to identify and affect all these people. There are people who want to kill others because of the color of their skin, and there are media stars who encourage this hatred. We […]
Rich Lowry: The blowhard-in-chief
If the country thought that it was getting a buttoned-up, by-the-books communicator after four wildly undisciplined years of Donald Trump, it knew nothing about Joseph R. Biden’s long career as Washington’s standout long-winded, seat-of-the-pants, poorly informed, and misleading talker.
Armand Cyr: Energy price hikes particularly concerning for seniors
I hear a lot of news on the price of gas that is way too high, due to the Biden administration. This concerns our senior citizens greatly, being on a fixed income. Maine is a really cold-weather state, and so are many other states. My heating bill last year was $2,450, and this year it […]
Linda Serafin: Brakey listens to old and young, tall and small
Eric Brakey listens to his constituents, even the youngest ones. When in the Maine Senate, Eric was famous for visiting classrooms to teach kids how Augusta works. During each lesson, Brakey would appoint students “legislators for the day,” take their ideas for new laws, and walk them through the full legislative process: from committee to […]
Michael Boom: Join forces, stop bullying by rogue nations
The boundaries between human and humane are surely being tested in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Mass graves are being created in order to cover up genocide underway. Blackmail is the retaliation of choice for the evil-doers who are guilty as sin. These people are numb from the shoulders up when suffering is at […]