Global climate change is a serious issue that deserves a serious response.While the world was meeting in Montreal earlier this month to talk about what happens in 2013 after the dictates of the Kyoto Protocol expires, the United States instead insisted on a path of distraction.Unfortunately, the Northeast, once a model for how regional cooperation […]

An impromptu meeting with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has tarnished a successful trade mission by Gov. John Baldacci.Before the governor left for the Caribbean nation, the Sun Journal asked his office if the trip included a visit with Castro. The answer was a solid no. A copy of the official agenda for the trip also […]

When we heard about a moose that was poached in Byron, we weren’t optimistic about state game wardens identifying a suspect. Now, two people have been charged.The odds seemed stacked against the wardens. The moose was found by a hunter Dec. 1 on West Branch Road. One of the 600-pound animal’s antlers had been sawed […]

Mainers are pretty healthy.Fat. But healthy.The state improved to the eighth healthiest in the country, up from the 10th spot in 2004, in America’s Health Rankings, a report issued by the United Health Foundation.Maine has a low crime rate, a low percentage of the population without health insurance, provides good prenatal care and has a […]

Last week, a representative of the state American Legion stood before the SAD 36 Board of Directors and chastised three members for not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance.Veterans made strong arguments that those who fought for and fight for this country are due the show of respect demonstrated by citizens standing in honor of […]

Most teens use Web-based journals responsibly. They use the sites to chat with existing friends and meet new ones. However, they don’t always see danger online as clearly as they might see a stranger lurking down the street, and they don’t always realize that their innermost thoughts and precise addresses are published in the public […]

Attention bargain hunters looking for high culture.Before heading to Portland’s Merrill Auditorium for the Portland Ballet’s “Victorian Nutcracker,” consider seeing the show at Bates College’s Schaeffer Theatre.Tickets for the Lewiston show are $20. They go up to $21.50 to $50 for the Portland show. The dancers are the same and the story is the same, […]

Teachers just can’t go around slapping kids.There’s really not much more to it than that.Perhaps, in days past, society tolerated teachers who threatened students with large pieces of lumber, complete with form-fitted handles and holes bored through to reduce wind drag and add to the sting, wielding threats to “bring out the wood” to restore […]

The duality of Maine’s treatment of its university system is perplexing.The Legislature can’t find the resources to adequately fund the University of Maine System. Granted, the state’s economic circumstances have put many worthwhile programs on a steady diet of flat or reduced funding, but over and over again we hear decision-makers bemoaning the lack of […]

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife needs to hold a public hearing before it gets too far into changing the rules for who is eligible to become a Registered Maine Guide.Last week, DIF&W opened a 30-day comment period on a proposal that could have far-reaching implications for men and women who scratch out a […]