I was puzzled by the city manager stating that Portland taxpayers must deal with increased demand from indigent asylum seekers. Why? Tax-exempt religious organizations take people from poor and violent countries and bring them here because they have suffered trauma and abuse. This qualifies them for mental health and social services. A host of tax-exempt […]

Americans love violence. We love stock car races and their inevitable crashes. We love football and its inevitable big hits. We love hunting and hockey and fights, guns, murders, and wars. Of course, most of us don’t take part in this mayhem. We are just spectators, remote yet riveted. Our own lives are not violent, […]

Now that my son Bobby has one foot and most of his body out the door, I feel a great urgency to impart all my wisdom. What a joke. A letter full of my wisdom? A postcard, maybe. Plus, he’s already years ahead of me at his age, so he probably sits there reading the […]

Portland’s public schools are unique in Maine for having such a wide variety of cultures represented by our students and staff. Thirty percent of our students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken. Few school districts of our size anywhere in the United States can compare to Portland, where students speak close […]

One of my favorite things about Falmouth is that residents benefit from Metro’s Falmouth Flyer bus service, and spring is one of my favorite times for riding the Flyer. Two years ago, I wrote a Forecaster Forum about how the simple experience of adding several bus trips on the Flyer into my weekly schedule enhanced […]

As a community we have a shared interest in seeking the best possible outcomes for our children. School psychologists work to achieve positive outcomes by consulting with parents and educators to assess and identify appropriate interventions for students with academic, behavioral, cultural, social or emotional needs. Maine is fortunate to have an excellent doctoral-level training […]

Property values in the Town Landing area of Falmouth depend on water views. All residents pay for them, in home prices and in property taxes. The neighborhood is a diverse community of fishermen and professionals. Some have been here for decades, and some are new arrivals. When one moves into the neighborhood and attempts to […]

I am a retiree who has lived in Brunswick for the past 11 years. I live in a neighborhood of young families who have high regard for the education their children receive in Brunswick. A number of teachers also live in my neighborhood, teachers who are concerned about doing the best for their students as […]