BETHEL — “Having the wonderful Sunday meals has been an absolute plus in so many ways,” said Marilyn Dupuis, a senior at Sudbury Village. Like other seniors no longer driving, Dupuis depended on the local Age Friendly Neighbor to Neighbor transportation service for grocery needs before the coronavirus hit. Now, it is more difficult to […]
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 inConnections
Guide assists community reuse organizations on reopening
ORONO — A new guide from the Sen. George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine can help community reuse organizations make decisions about how — and whether — to open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brie Berry, a PhD candidate in anthropology at UMaine and member of the Mitchell Center’s Materials […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: Trump is letting down his side
If this is the most important election of our lifetimes, is it too much to ask that the president of the United States act like it? The president’s most devoted backers talk about the election in apocalyptic terms – Michael Anton of Hillsdale College, author of the famous “The Flight 93 Election” essay in 2016, […]
Posted inConnections
New grant to assist USM students in STEM program
PORTLAND — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $2.6 million to the University of Southern Maine’s TRIO program to augment its work with students who have a low income, a disability or are the first in their families to attend college. The just-announced funding — arriving in two, five-year grants — expands […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Suzanne Best: Branch cares about her community
This letter is in support of Katey Branch, who is running for state Senate District 19. I have known Katey for over 25 years. We both had twins; hers were girls and mine boys. Her girls have grown up to be amazing young women. Katey is an amazing woman herself: strong, thoughtful, and intelligent. She […]
Posted inConnections
Franco-American Collection to host history, memory program series
LEWISTON — The Franco-American Collection (FAC) at the University of Southern Maine (USM) will hold a series of online workshops this month exploring personal history and memory. Three introductory programs discuss oral history, genealogy and memoir-writing. The series is part of an ongoing effort by the Franco-American Collection to offer community programs to deepen and […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Judy Baird: Not a ranked-choice voter
I put my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday morning. I refuse to vote ranked-choice, but will mark one circle at a time. How long does it take to count the ballots when one does it that way? A week, sometimes two? I bet it costs more to print them, too. I still think my […]
Posted inConnections
Registration opens for Farmer to Farmer Conference
UNITY — Registration is open for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s (MOFGA’s) Farmer to Farmer Conference, to be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 2, 4 and 6. Early bird registration by Saturday, Oct. 10, is $50. The conference is open to all farmers. Speakers include university faculty, extension educators and other agricultural […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Leonard Pitts Jr.: The Trump show must go on
“Are you not entertained?” — Maximus, in “Gladiator” It helps if you think of it as a show. Certainly, that’s the way the man in the middle of it does. So just consider last weekend the latest bizarre episode in season four of the Donald Trump presidency. Call it “The One With COVID-19.” Granted, it’s […]