The speculation has ended. The mystery is solved. The creators of the anonymous website “The Cutler Files” had billed themselves as a group of researchers, writers and journalists. Now, they have been exposed to be nothing more than a couple. One partner was political consultant Dennis Bailey, who advised independent candidate for governor Shawn Moody. […]

I want to thank The Forecaster for its ongoing, informative coverage of the facilities issue in Falmouth. I am interested in this issue because I hope to see the Lunt and Plummer-Motz property kept in civic use. But the issue is complicated and has been in process for so long. I can’t often attend council […]

Please believe me, dear reader, I really do not want to write about Gov. Paul LePage anymore – ever. I’d much rather be writing this week about more interesting topics such as the joys of grandfatherhood or why car dealers appear in their own commercials, but every time the man opens his mouth in public […]

When a proposal is made, there are a few conclusions that need to be drawn. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Does the issue require prompt attention, or can it be set aside? And, finally, will the results benefit those affected? As a citizen of Freeport, I can assure you that the Freeport Field Project […]

As a trustee of the Falmouth Memorial Library, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Town Council for its continued movement forward toward a single referendum question concerning the community facilities project. Although the Town Council is made up of differing perspectives and opinions, its ability reach consensus should be recognized. The referendum […]

I’m afraid I went over the line. You know the one. It could be your neighbor or someone down the street. They are people who know where that invisible line stands – under the snow. You’ve seen results of those lines. A beautifully plowed sidewalk stops just short of a neighbor’s pathway. Is there snow-clearing […]

I did relate to Perry B. Newman’s dispatch from Tel Aviv (“Living on the fault line”). What I’ll call the “Ikea syndrome” occurs in America as well when people seek obliviousness from events of monumental import by taking refuge (or escape) in the relative trivialities of everyday living. I don’t think anyone can predict what […]

Gov. Paul LePage’s default pick for Commissioner of Education is Steve Bowen, a former Maine Heritage Policy Center policy wonk who took the job after more-qualified individuals turned the job down, a problem the governor has been having all over his cabinet. Bowen is a former school teacher, but he has no administrative experience, let […]

Should a town councilor who owns and develops property vote on an ordinance change that could increase the value of a development he has pending before the town? Of course not. That would be a conflict of interest, because the councilor could see a direct financial benefit from the decision. But that’s exactly what happened […]

Last week, an article in The Forecaster suggested that Falmouth Town Councilor Fred Chase had a conflict of interest when he participated in a 4-3 vote to amend the town’s land use ordinance. The article implied that his participation in the vote cast a cloud not only on the proceedings but on any future development […]