I attended my fourth naturalization ceremony on Jan. 15 and was witness to another student’s big step into U.S. citizenship. It is truly an honor to witness these events; I never tire of them and I never say no. I am typically the only person there for that particular student, and although it is sad […]

I’m not sure what all the fuss is about when it comes to Gary Brown’s failure to be renominated to the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. He has admitted he told Sen. Stan Gerzofsky he would resign from the MRRA should he become town manager. So why does he now say he is “disappointed” to not […]

I would like to publicly compliment Morse High School Principal Peter Kahl on his efforts to promote awareness and action in dealing with our regional substance abuse problem. When Mr. Kahl received this years Drug and Alcohol Survey report, he realized that in spite of the many efforts being undertaken by the school and community […]

I want to thank the members of the Cumberland community who helped my family survive 2009. On March 3, my husband lost his job. The overwhelming stress and bitterness of this eventually gave way to many blessings. I have come home to a full freezer of donated food. A pile of donated wood was left […]

I read that Les Otten, a wealthy guy, longs to become governor of our fair state. The state is in the hole big-time, over $400 million, because of the Great Recession. How does he propose to deal with the deficit? He’s a wealthy guy, so of course he would not raise taxes. He calls on […]

Jamie Broder’s story of man vs. squirrel is one that, on the surface, appears to be a folksy and lighthearted telling of a frequent suburban conflict. Yet I find it a chilling one because it shows quite eloquently how humans can intellectualize the act of killing into a humorous event. It becomes eerily transparent how […]

In response to Jamie Broder’s “Man versus squirrel, with a little help from the crows,” you set the bait, wait for them to come, become angry when the wildlife you don’t want to see come to this buffet, and start shooting the undesirables. This is a “win-win” situation? There are many alternatives to slaughtering the […]

In addition to other issues with Jamie Broder’s squirrel shooting, there is the matter of health risks he has created for his “crow allies.” Carcasses containing spent lead ammunition are a hazard to scavengers, which acquire lead poisoning from consuming ammunition fragments along with the flesh of the dead animal. If Mr. Broder is using […]

I should have known from the first line of Jamie Broder’s essay that his story was going to end badly. Instead, I enjoyed the first few paragraphs, only to be surprised and sickened by the essay’s end. It’s nice that Mr. Broder enjoys feeding the birds, and it’s nice that he gives the wild turkeys […]

One of the most endearing and ridiculous traits of human beings is the desire (endearing) and pretense (ridiculous) to be able to see into the future. No one can, of course, but that doesn’t keep a lot of crackpots from trying. Astrologers chart the motion of the stars. Psychics consult their psyches. Fortune-tellers examine palm […]