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.
Anne Ceplikas: Auburn should ‘shelter and assist those in need’
Auburn and Lewiston are the Twin Cities. The Lewiston City Council (in disregard of citizens’ wishes) has approved a moratorium on creating homeless shelters. Must Auburn be an identical twin? By turning a blind eye to the homeless/needy people? Aren’t they God’s children, too? The safety of our water supply would surely be jeopardized by […]
Wanda Sprague: Lake development would bring damage, diminished appeal
Areas of exceptional natural beauty add to the quality of life for residents, especially when those areas are preserved and accessible to everyone. Since Lake Auburn is one of those places and replicating it in a new location is not feasible, its primary value to the community as a place of recreation and renewal must […]
Mary Ann Norcross: Development seems more important than watershed
As a lifelong resident of Auburn, development worries me. I decided to attend meetings. At the February Planning Board meeting the city presented, the board asked questions, the public spoke, the mayor-appointed board voted unanimously to rezone Gracelawn Road from Agriculture and Resource Protection to Commercial Development, plus move the watershed boundary. At the Feb. […]
Cynthia Stancioff: Congress must act to ensure planet’s livable future
I appreciate the AP science writer’s article about allergy seasons getting longer due to the warming climate (“Climate change to make allergy season nastier,” March 16). It is disturbing to know that even with moderate cuts in our greenhouse gas emissions (less car exhaust, fewer coal power plants, more heat pumps perhaps) we will still […]
Lynn Ouellette: Court confirmation hearings needed more respect
Respect. Speaking respectfully with another person without interruptions, raised voice, sarcastic comments, and badgering is easy and more productive. What should have been a respectful process in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings this week of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s experience and credentials became a spectacle among some senators to challenge, to discredit, to belittle, to […]
Holly Lasagna: Sheats offers ‘extraordinary set of skills’ to state Senate
I am so pleased to write this letter in support of Bettyann Sheats’ candidacy for Senate District 20. Bettyann has admirably served her community in many ways. As a two-term state representative she was a thoughtful dedicated public servant who listened carefully to her constituents and considered all sides of an issue. She found common […]
Steve Fairbanks: ‘Let’s come together and put America first’
I ask all my American brothers and sisters: What happened to patriotism? Our forefathers fought and died to ensure our freedom, but today that’s far removed from the minds of so many Americans who fail to appreciate this sacrifice, thus weakening America with dissension from within. The tenets of a democracy are fragile, but both […]
Shawn Yardley: Support bill, protect Maine kids’ oral health
At Community Concepts we work with families who face significant barriers to getting basic services for their children, and we see first-hand how these barriers prevent children from getting dental care. There are few dental practices taking new MaineCare patients, and those that do are often so far away that getting children to dental checkups […]
Allison Long: ‘Appalled’ by senator’s statements on clean water bill
I’m appalled at the behavior of Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Senate District 18, during the Judiciary Committee work sessions on a bill intended to provide clean drinking water to the Passamaquoddy reservation at Sipayik. Clean drinking water is a human right. For more than 40 years, the Passamaquoddy at Sipayik, in Washington County, have been living […]