Summer is the season that Mainers and visitors enjoy delicious, locally harvested shellfish such as clams, oysters and mussels. Ensuring that everyone can enjoy these Maine delicacies in good health is the responsibility of the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ Public Health Bureau. Following is some important information for folks who buy or harvest Maine […]

As a longtime mentor at the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, l would like you and your readers to be aware of a newsworthy event that occurred at Long Creek recently. Two weeks ago, the American Correctional Association conducted an inspection and evaluation of Long Creek, as it does every three years. […]

There are several things in this life that make me happy. For instance, last week I constructed a raised bed. Admittedly, I’m not handy; however, I derived a joyous self-satisfaction from my work. I then watched a sparrow fly by with a twig in its mouth. I thought, “Who’s happier? That bird is constructing its […]

Maine’s asylum seekers have found themselves in the center of a controversy about welfare reform. Asylum seekers are not illegal immigrants. They are legally in the U.S. and usually come from horrific circumstances involving rape, beatings and murder. They are in a no man’s land – they cannot go back to their home countries and […]

The issue of General Assistance for noncitizens has gotten out of hand. It is time for the state Legislature to enact clear and concise legislation on the matter of GA funds: Only legal American citizens who are residents of the state of Maine shall be eligible for General Assistance and all taxpayer-funded state aid. I […]