Emma Joyce is — in fact — a mistress of influence and her Dec. 12 op-ed, “I may not have what it takes to be an influencer,” is pure Yankee philosophy. Hopefully the decision makers at this newspaper will force her into a weekly column. This paper has a history of bringing its readers quirky, cranky and endearing […]

I wish to respond to the Nov. 28 op-ed by Jeffrey Evangelos (“Graham Platner has a Blackwater problem”). I suggest Mr. Evangelos read the Dec. 5 article in Politico magazine by Michael Kruse. It’s an in-depth look at Platner, and shows him to be extremely intelligent, thoughtful and not easy to decipher.  Platner did not […]

Douglas Rooks’ recent column on school construction finance (“Time for a much bigger vision for Maine’s public schools,” Dec. 4) made an unsupported assumption. He said that improving finance for new construction would improve outcomes and reduce costs. While new construction might be more cost-effective, it has no demonstrated relationship to outcomes. In general, history […]

The Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald recently printed an op-ed by a writer claiming she favors enthusiasm over experience in her picks for employment. She extends her logic to include picking the completely inexperienced  Graham Platner over experienced Sen. Susan Collins for Senate. Heck’s practice in employment choices may seem to make perfect sense, but […]

I want to express my sincere appreciation for Sen. Susan Collins’ leadership in securing $38 million in federal home heating assistance for Maine families in need. As temperatures drop and energy costs continue to rise, this support is essential for seniors, low-income households and the many Mainers who rely on LIHEAP to keep their homes […]

The Budget Reconciliation Act (the “big, beautiful bill”), passed in July, called for some changes in health care educational student loan programs that will adversely affect the number of health care professionals in certain fields, some of which are already very short staffed, such as nursing.  It calls for the removal of a number of professions from […]