The Oxford Hills School District has aggressively attacked its energy costs in a way that could serve as a model, not only for other school districts but for businesses and homeowners, as well. The district has worked over the past four years with Siemens Inc. to make energy-saving improvements to its facilities, including solar panels, […]
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Wealth, security evaporating for angry Americans
“I keep waking up on the wrong side of capitalism.” So said a hand-lettered sign held by a protester at one of the “Occupy” rallies being conducted across the country. The original “Occupy Wall Street” movement has spread from large communities to small, including Augusta and Portland. The movement’s goals are foggy, but the basic […]
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Teen drivers at far more risk in first few weeks
It’s heart-wrenching to see the photos of Danielle Ranger, the 16-year-old who died Sunday after crashing her car into a tree the night before. Her bright smile glows from beneath the brim of her firefighter’s helmet in one photo, her dark hair is blowing in another taken outdoors. “Dani” was a junior at Dirigo High […]
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Two deaths suggest larger, hidden problem
The slayings of 22-year-old Christiana Fesmire and another woman in Lewiston this summer reveal an ugly problem that remains largely hidden — violence against women in the sex trade. Lewiston and State Police arrested Buddy Robinson on Friday and charged him with Fesmire’s murder. Her body has not been recovered. While there is no indication […]
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University of Maine System salaries deserve scrutiny
Growth in the payroll for the University of Maine System over the past eight years is a classic example of how publicly funded entities can function wholly out of perspective and, in many cases, with total disregard for the reality most citizens live in. Consider that over the past seven years, according to data recently […]
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A look back at the week’s news
Across Maine this week, firefighters were in classrooms teaching lessons on safety and common sense. Fire departments in Auburn and Lewiston are holding open houses today to talk about fire prevention and safety, too, as we near the end of Fire Prevention Week. It’s an important and timely topic as we prepare for the heating […]
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U.S. needs new system for primaries
OK. It’s finally come to this: New Hampshire voters tromping to the polls before Christmas Day to help select the next president. If that’s what happens, Granite State residents will have no one but themselves to blame. This gets a little complicated, but bear with us, please. Florida again kicked off the one-upmanship by moving […]
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Shriners should consider sending a safety message
It is doubly sad when a person dies in the service of other people, as Shriner Marvin Tarbox Jr. did Saturday during the Damariscotta Pumpkin Festival parade. Tarbox’s go-cart flipped while traveling across a ramp attached to the top of an SUV. He was then struck by several go-carts operated by fellow Shriners from the […]
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Spread of bath salts need not be inevitable
“It’s coming,” a Bangor police detective warned in an ominous newspaper story last week. He was talking about the latest drug scourge, bath salts, and how the epidemic has been centered in Bangor for the past several months. The recent Portland Press Herald story described some of the drug’s frightening effects, including hallucinations and paranoia. […]
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Fighting neglect with love
There is no excuse for abusing or neglecting domestic animals but, unfortunately, that happens with some frequency at the hands of uncaring human beings. In Winthrop, Stephen Smith and his wife, Nancy Lever, work to combat that particular evil by adopting and caring for as many injured, abandoned and alienated animals as possible. Smith and […]