Have you been watching the World Cup? I have. I have no idea who is actually going to win in terms of the tournament itself, but I do know who has already won everyone’s hearts: Japan. It started with a picture of the locker room that went viral. The usual post-game locker scene is a […]
Forecaster Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Making sense of home for the holidays
Holiday ads on TV showcase beautifully decorated homes and at least a subtle message that it’s good to be “home for the holidays.” Yet “home” does not equal safety for all of us, for those raised in chaos or trauma. How do we make sense of “home,” whatever it meant or now means to us? […]
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Posted inForecaster Opinion
RSU 5 Superintendent’s Notebook: Bus drivers, the ambassadors for our schools
Before the sun rises during the school year in Freeport, Durham and Pownal, members of the RSU 5 Transportation Department are preparing to pick up our most precious cargo, our students, to transport them to school. Our team carefully completes required bus safety checks and ensures engines start, even on the coldest days of the […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: Soccer crosses barriers and can connect all Americans
Soccer or, as the rest of the world calls it, football, can bring us together as Americans. The World Cup has proved this. If you watched this year’s U.S. performance in Qatar you must have felt proud of your country, the flag and the national anthem. The one sport that I understand well is soccer. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Bob Cratchit would have loved a four-day workweek
Recently, when I was writing about the rescue horses returned to the wild, I referenced the classic tale “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Unavoidable really. From now until the new year, good luck navigating your day without encountering it on radio, in film and on stage, both in the original and in numerous modern […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Forum: Unplug the ‘need machine’ of Christmas consumerism
We have all heard the adage, “No matter how much you have, someone always has more.” However, we sometimes fail to realize the opposite is also true. No matter how much – or little – you have, someone always has less. The Forecaster recently reported “Tree shortage leaves some nonprofits out on a limb.” While […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: True generosity sometimes looks a little different
The temperatures have dropped, we’ve seen our first (admittedly brief) snow flurries, and Thanksgiving is behind us. It’s official, We are now well within the designated holiday season. Thanks to Charles Dickens and his brilliant wordsmithing, we will all have the chance to delight once again in the lessons of human kindness and charity. Much […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Gratitude lists grow habit of giving to others
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I watched 8-year-old and 7-year-old sisters arrive late to breakfast because they had stayed in their beds to start their Christmas lists. On plain white sheets of paper, they scrawled “a new soccer ball, another stuffed animal, pink snow pants.” They showed the lists to their mom, who smiled and […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Brunswick Superintendent’s Notebook: Student council fosters youth leadership
The Brunswick School Department this year re-established the Superintendent’s Student Leadership Advisory Council. Comprising 12-15 students in grades 9-12 at Brunswick High School, the council gives students the opportunity to interact with school district leadership, including the superintendent, building administration, and central office administration. Perhaps most important, the leadership gets to hear directly from students. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: A happy ending to 2022 for Maine’s immigrants
A Somali proverb goes, “Be a mountain or lean on one.” This is what was ringing in my mind as text messages came in after the midterm elections. People felt inspired and both those we have elected and those of us who elected feel proud and partnered in the joys and hopes of others. No […]