When summer heat hits New England, our regional demand for electricity spikes — especially during late afternoons when air conditioners and heat pumps are blasting. This surge is called peak power demand, and it puts a strain on the grid. “Shaving” peak power means reducing electricity use during these critical hours to ease that strain. […]

In his farewell address, Dwight D. Eisenhower famously warned against the “military-industrial complex,” stating, “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” We are now experiencing the results of ignoring that warning. Defense contractors have controlled our foreign policies for decades. We taxpayers reportedly pay more […]

How did we get here? An unconscionable act: the Trump administration incinerating 500 tons of food in a warehouse in Dubai, enough food to feed 1.5 million children for a week, gone up in ash. How does this happen? Why does this happen? Our identity, our character traits of decency, compassion, humility and caring, are […]

Sen. Susan Collins voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services despite her “concerns” about his anti-vaccine policies because, she said, of deference to President Trump’s right to build his own governing team. Sen. Angus King voted against Kennedy’s confirmation, calling him “grossly unqualified” and a “danger” to public […]

In ahem, retirement, I became a cheesemaker, the kind favoring French fromage on which I grew up. It took a while, but once I got the brie and camembert nailed, Fore Street Restaurant’s Sam Hayward welcomed it and I made them tres petit — individually sized in special molds — perfect for a premier restaurant’s […]

Born in Maine, retired in Florida, UMaine (Orono) Class of ’72 and still a “Mainah” at heart, I support Jared Golden for Congress. Paul LePage paints Golden as a left-wing Democrat. Being a left-wing Democrat myself, I can assure voters that he is not. I often disagree with him, but that is to be expected […]

At the protest in front of the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham, where Rep. Laurel Libby was speaking on July 15, one demonstrator held a sign that said “Dialogue, not Doxxing.” Although Rep. Libby likes to say she was censured for speaking her mind on the issue of transgender athletes, she was not censured […]

On a humid July evening in Topsham, two opposing groups gathered outside Mt. Ararat Middle School. Inside, about 120 attended “Justice and Jazz,” an event hosted by Rep. Laurel Libby that focused on free speech and fairness in girls’ sports. Outside, 150 protesters waved Pride flags in support of transgender youth, underscoring a deep cultural […]