The Vassalboro Friends Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers) has been, like many faith communities, holding prayer and offering support for people who are stressed by the U.S. government’s behaviors toward immigrants and foreign countries. Our trust in the goodness of God tells us that it is our moral and and spiritual responsibility to adhere […]

The Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic Development is effectively increasing our county property taxes — collected through our community’s property tax system — to fund a state housing program. Many expected the Taxation Committee to handle this, since it understands the unintended consequences of shifting costs between state and local taxes. Instead, […]

I would like to say many thanks for the wonderful “In the Field” columns from Ron Joseph. He has become my favorite writer in your paper. I just finished his recent piece about bunking with Quebecois loggers near Clayton Lake. It brought back memories from my youth, as one summer I had three camp counselors […]

In the Portland Press Herald’s lead article on Jan. 22, Homeland Security said it was targeting the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” In that same issue, just below the lead article, a mother said her son, a student at USM, had no criminal record but was detained. Below that, an article about local […]

Moose are the center of our world in the North Woods. They are elegant, awkward, majestic creatures and they are the No. 1 reason tourists go out of their way to explore the Moosehead Lake region. And, they are at risk. Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is the organization that is charged with […]

Early last year, Canadians and Americans were equally shocked by President Trump’s suggestion that Canada join our nation as its 51st state. In the months to follow, another possibility now appeals to many of my fellow citizens: Let us secede and join Canada as its 11th province, or fourth territory. The advantages are clear: No […]

Bravery is often disclaimed. I expect Cumberland County’s Sheriff Kevin Joyce would say he was just doing his job to protect our community when he recently called out how an egregious ICE detention was carried out (“bush league policing”).  I want to offer thanks to Sheriff Joyce for his bravery as a small counter to […]