Michael Boom: Republicans’ ‘Bernie’ no longer relevant

In the classic comedy, “Weekend at Bernie’s,” Bernie dies at the start of the movie, yet Bernie’s friends refused to tell anyone about it. The party continues throughout the rest of the movie. Would someone please tell the blind devotees of a fallen oligarch their hero is dead? Stop propping up the deposed king and […]

Outside Recreation Challenge donates $3,000 to Western Maine food pantries

OXFORD — Local community members recently met the Second Nature Adventure Challenge: to get active outdoors during school vacation week for some healthy fun and to generate $3,000 in cash donations to local food pantries. One hundred seventy-seven people registered their visits to local trails, including winter hikes, walks, cross country ski trips and fat bike […]

Robert Casimiro: Voting bill provisions appear ‘unconstitutional’

I was surprised, more like shocked, to see Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows testifying on Capitol Hill in support of bill H.R. 1, the “For the People Act of 2021 (“Strengthening American Democracy,” U. S. House Administration Committee, Feb. 25).” In her prepared testimony, Secretary Bellows pointed to the “best practices” in Maine, but […]

Bob Mennealy: Stooping to voter suppression

This week FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, refuted two of the GOP’s big lies. First, that the election was stolen and, second, that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol included representatives of Antifa. He stated that there wasn’t any evidence that Antifa was involved. The GOP — after losing the Senate […]

Leonard Pitts Jr.: When facts cease to matter, consequences do, too

When everybody has their own truth, and no two truths look alike, we will become – as we are becoming – a society unable to effectively mobilize itself, even to save its own life.

Cartoon for Friday, March 12

In rebuttal: Virginia Starbird: An opposing view on Trump

I’m writing in response to Bill Van Tassel’s letter, published March 11. Really? Is he serious? I’m not sure what planet he’s living on, but I have watched four and one half years of an evil, hateful man, whose name I don’t even want to utter. What he has tried to do to our American […]

In rebuttal: Sheryl Hughey-Harth: Writer offered ‘flawed’ NECEC assessment

I must challenge claims in Alex Titcomb’s letter published Feb. 24, “NECEC won’t tarnish Maine’s woods.” It appears Alex’s exposure to the proposed corridor zone is limited to Route 201, an existing corridor bisecting the industrial timberlands of Somerset County. Unlike the swath of internationally-shared wilderness NECEC would permanently bisect, these forests are regenerated to […]

Norm Labbe: Thoughts on springing ahead

All the states that take part in Daylight Savings Time should move the clock ahead a half hour, and leave it at that. I believe this to be the better solution than what is done presently. The idea of not turning the clocks back at all in the fall is not feasible. I remember back […]

Bill Van Tassel: ‘Uncivil,’ ‘vengeful’ people lied about Trump

I just finished a reread of “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl — an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher and author. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, writes correctly that there is only one race — the human race. However, he divides humanity into two groups: decent and indecent. In addition to his vast background in psychotherapy, […]