Nick Meserve was a police officer. An enforcer of laws. He was a beloved father. A community volunteer. A devoted friend. A helper of strangers. He was, above all else, a human being. And, like human beings everywhere, he was imperfect. A 10-year officer with the Lewiston Police Department, he stole drugs, used drugs and […]
Our View
Posted inOpinion, Our View
It’s just easier for the Mechanic Falls Council to ignore rules
Mechanic Falls Town Manager Zakk Maher either has already been fired or will most certainly be fired. It’s tough to really know what his status is because municipal and state rules have not been — and are not being — followed. It’s like the Town Council views rules set forth in its own charter and […]
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Posted inOpinion, Our View
A city’s plan to turnaround a neighborhood
Lewiston is taking on crushing poverty, and other Maine communities should take notice.
Posted inOpinion, Our View
Setting up a question for failure
Big mistake. Big, big mistake. The Edward Little High School Building Committee’s consensus decision on Tuesday to put the entire school construction project — including the local option to enlarge the auditorium — into a single question is a gesture of unnecessary force. And, given Maine’s history of splitting questions on school construction projects, uncommon […]
Posted inOur View
There is a lack of trust in Auburn
The lack of humility is surprising. Nay. Astonishing. The day after Auburn voters soundly rejected a school budget for a second time, the Auburn School Committee met to map where to go from here. Committee Chairman Tom Kendall laid the blame squarely on the voters, on their lack of understanding of how their votes will […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
There’s truth, then everything else
What is fake news? Here’s the dictionary definition, according to Cambridge: “false stories that appear to be news, spread on the Internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.” But, the term is much more profane than that. It is a poison dart thrown whenever a person doesn’t […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
Anonymity is bad for voters
Let’s be real. Despite claims by the Maine Democratic Party, the Maine Examiner did not single-handedly sink Lewiston mayoral candidate Ben Chin’s campaign last month. The Examiner certainly took a position, and a self-interested one at that, in what has historically been a nonpartisan race. But that is what politics is all about. Winning the seat. […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
Every single student deserves a hopeful, sustainable future
Mountain Valley High School in Rumford is a tough little school situated in a tough town, where plenty of teachers are dedicated to their work with students in class and on the playing fields. Even so, too many students are struggling and could use a little inspiration and more than a little prodding to recognize […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
Be prepared for disaster
The images coming at us from Texas are shocking because the scale of the emergency is inconceivable. It would be easy, from our perspective, to say we’d never suffer similar conditions. But, that’s likely what folks in the greater Houston area said to themselves not so long ago. Do yourselves a favor and establish an […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
Cell phone ban is good for students
When Lewiston Middle School students arrived at school Wednesday, they were subject to a new policy banning the use of cell phones during school hours. Good. The policy is a direct and dutiful response to relentless and often-destructive social media chatter, instituting a necessary break from the noise. It’s not going to be easy to […]