February 2012
Reining in Big Brother
Big Brother is, indeed, watching you, whether it’s Facebook tracing which sites you visit, the federal government inspecting your shoelaces at airports or the Capital Region Chiefs of Police Association, compiling a data base of more than 3.1 million scans, including 2.1 million license plates that were read in 2011 by machines mounted on the […]
Should the U.S. join OPEC?
An email came in the other day with a subject line that I couldn’t ignore. It was from the oil economist Phil Verleger, and it read: “ Should the United States join OPEC?” That I had to open. Verleger’s basic message was that the knee-jerk debate we’re again having over who is responsible for higher […]
Schools’ lasting value
To the editor: After hearing about the large estimated decline in the state’s contribution to Brunswick’s school budget, I thought it important to learn why. I now know that it is a “perfect storm” of steeply declining enrollments, significant decreases in the town’s nonproperty tax revenue and a steady increase in the state’s valuation of […]
Hail to the band
To the editor: I send accolades to the Brunswick High School band. It has been such a pleasure to see and hear them perform at the boys and girls home basketball games this season. Their rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” is the best, and sends chills up my spine. Also, their playing of “Sweet […]
John F. Rakestraw
LEWISTON — John F. Rakestraw, age 98, passed away to his heavenly home on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at D’Youville Pavilion in Lewiston, ME with his family by his side. He was born July 19, 1913, the son of Freeman and Nellie Davis Rakestraw, the 12th of 13 children, in Havana, IL. He was the […]
Saphira Sue Rich
BATH — Saphira Sue Rich, 7 months old, died unexpectedly Tuesday, February 21, 2012 in Patten, Maine. She was born July 13, 2011 in Brunswick and resided with her parents, Andrew D. Rich and Oshiana L Caldwell in Bath. Saphira laughed and smiled throughout her 7mos; bringing joy and happiness to everyone she touched. She […]
Bernard Frederick Theriault
TOPSHAM — Bernard “Fred” Frederick Theriault, 85, passed away on Friday, February 24 at Mid Coast Hospital, with his family by his side. He was born in Old Town, Maine on August 8, 1926 the son of Frederick and Addie (Loubier) Theriault. He grew up in Old Town and attended Old Town Schools. At the […]
Rev. Kenneth B. Wentzel
BRUNSWICK — The Reverend Kenneth Wentzel died unexpectedly on February 21, 2012 in Brunswick, Maine at the age of 88. A huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut, Benny Goodman, donkeys, Portland SeaDogs Baseball, and chocolate chip cookies, Ken resided in Topsham, Maine with his wife of 35 years, Ruth ( Hendrick) Wentzel, and two corgis. The […]
Berenstain Bears co-creator dies
PHILADELPHIA ( AP) — Jan Berenstain, who with her husband, Stan, wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers and their parents for 50 years, has died. She was 88. Berenstain, a longtime resident of Solebury in southeastern Pennsylvania, suffered a severe stroke on Thursday and died Friday without regaining consciousness, her […]