What a refreshing surprise to pick up the Sept. 11 Maine Sunday Telegram to find not a single Page 1 mention of this year’s presidential candidates.

Yes, per usual, much ink was spilt over Donald Trump’s surrogate in the Blaine House, but, really, what more can be said about either Trump or Hillary Clinton?

Instead, you gave us an insightful article about a true Maine hall-of-famer, lobsterman Bob Williams. Kudos, Penelope Overton!

Further delights awaited in the pages of Source, where Mary Pols introduced us to another Mainer we can all be proud of: farmer Grace Pease, a shining example of the enormous potential Maine’s young people bring to our economy. Indeed, Grace carries on in the tradition of the “intrepid” Kate Furbish, also featured, who, without fanfare or fame, “would alter Maine environmental history.” Kudos, Mary Pols!

And then there’s Richard C. Dillihunt’s wonderful observation of a solitary urban milkweed growing in a Portland traffic island, perhaps to attract a now-rare monarch butterfly to our fair city. Echoes of E.B. White. Dillihunt should be given a weekly column to brighten all our days.

Throughout these articles, I sensed an implicit theme that we’d do well to remember during this time of dissension and gloom across the land: Maine continues to be home to many great people of commitment, accomplishment, humility and skill, which is worth celebrating in every way possible, especially now. Thanks, Sunday Telegram, for showing us one way to do it.

John C. O’Brien

Waterford


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