Welcome to another edition of Boos and Bravos, the occasional, quick-hit, catchall column of “Here’s Something,” where we heap praise or criticism on a range of current topics.

BRAVO to Sen. Susan Collins on her 8,000th roll-call vote in the U.S. Senate, where she has served since January 1997.

The Republican has honored Maine with her diligent voting record and proven herself to be an Iron Lady in the mold of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Perfect attendance may not seem like a big deal, but it goes to the heart of Collins’ hard-working, northern Maine-forged identity. In a phrase, she’s there to serve, not to be served. I wish the same could be said for all elected representatives, many of whom seem to only want the title, not the job.

Collins is an Iron Lady not only for her perfect record, but for her key votes during tense times. Her well-reasoned and thoughtful vote for embattled Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh three years ago is a prime example. Bitter progressives vowed to defeat her in 2020 as a result, but our Iron Lady survived their breathless taunts. Maine is lucky to have Collins, as is the country.

According to govtrack.org, Maine’s junior senator, Angus King, an independent who really should give up the act and call himself a Democrat, could learn a thing or two from Collins in the voting department. He’s missed 18 votes from January 2013 to October 2021. That’s not too shabby but, per usual, the laptop-loving, Joshua Chamberlain look-alike who failed to defend Collins’ honor during the Kavanaugh debacle can’t hold a candle to our senior senator.

BOO to Julie Kukenberger, the former Scarborough schools superintendent who made national news last week after banning Halloween festivities at her new school district in Melrose, Massachusetts.

Kukenberger was forced out of Scarborough in 2019 after, as the Portland Press Herald described it, she became “a lightning rod for critics of school policies and administration.”

Kukenberger came under criticism for revised school start times, her support of proficiency-based education and, especially, for getting rid of a popular high school principal who opposed her policies.

It seems Kukenberger is hard to work for and with, as parents in Melrose are finding out. They took great umbrage to her dismantling Halloween celebrations in their school community.

In an email to Melrose parents, Kukenberger said she wanted to “de-emphasize” Halloween and instead encourage fall-themed activities, which she argued are more “inclusive.”

“We pride ourselves on being, ‘One community, open to all.’ For this to be true, we must live this mantra in all that we do. This includes school celebrations,” Kukenberger wrote.

The backlash has been swift. Even ABC late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel got in on the act saying, “Sounds to me like maybe Julie Kukenberger couldn’t think of a fun costume so she ruined it for everyone …  . All I know for sure is there are about to be a lot of eggs thrown at the Kukenberger house.”

I don’t want any eggs tossed Kukenberger’s way, just criticism of her silly politics. What woke progressives like her don’t seem to understand is that banning something is exclusive, not inclusive. Hopefully, kooky Kukenberger has finally learned her lesson and is willing to include Halloween fun, not exclude it.

Another loud BOO must go to our governor, Janet Mills, for her continued insanity when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus.

After requiring all health care workers to be immunized against COVID-19 by Oct. 30, she’s now embarking on a $14 million recruitment effort to increase health care staffing.

If I understand this correctly, first Mills essentially fires a bunch of fully trained heath care staff who don’t want the vaccine and now she’s trying to recruit their scab replacements. She is definitely making the cure worse than the disease.

The new recruitment program will spend $4 million on attracting prospective hires and another $8.5 million for additional training for those already employed in the system. The government will also spend $1.5 million for marketing and $600,000 to launch Maine’s Health Care Career Navigators, a job placement service.

The idiocy and irony is staggering when it comes to Mills’ stubbornness. She should swallow her humongous pride and lift the un-American vaccine mandate and watch as hundreds of vaccine-fearing, freedom-loving health care heroes who don’t want the government making choices for their bodies quickly fill those staff shortages.

This is a point not lost on still-sane Republicans, who should be salivating for the 2022 gubernatorial campaign.

“This plan is a partial long-term solution at best,” Republican State Rep. Joshua Morris of Turner said of Mills’ recruitment plan. “My constituents are facing less access to health care right this second, and this announcement does nothing to address that … . We have people qualified and ready to work now, and her mandate is the only thing that stands in the way. She needs to put her partisan ideology aside and get back to thinking about the scared Mainers trying to access health care across this state.”

Well said, Mr. Morris. Too bad Gov. Janet lacks the humility and belief in the fundamental American concept of individual freedom to accept your sage advice.

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