You may have heard the proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ll feed him for a lifetime of crushing debt after he buys the boat, trailer, tackle, depth finder, trolling motor, etc.” Seriously, though, despite my dad’s best efforts throughout my childhood […]

While the half dozen Republican Senators who supported the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 assault on the U. S. Capitol did so to obtain a more complete understanding of the incident, their colleagues’ opposition was a straightforward political calculation. The strategy, developed by Leader Mitch McConnell, called for blocking the […]

Davies integral to Brunswick clinic The Friday, June 4, 2021, Op-Ed by Oasis Free Clinics Executive Director Anita Ruff was a most effective reminder to our community of the types of positive contributions made by Bowdoin College to our Midcoast area through the school’s emphasis to its students about contributing to our Common Good (“Giving […]

No place for hate in Brunswick One of the joys of living in Brunswick is being part of an inclusive, loving and caring town. Not everyone is of the same political or religious persuasion, but we’re able to maintain a strong sense of togetherness. It has always felt safe here until today. A neighbor on […]

Sunday is D-Day plus 76 years. And on Memorial Day this week we honored and mourned all the men and women who’ve died while serving in our military. So maybe it’s a good time for politicians and pundits from both sides of the aisle to quit pointing fingers at each other for a day and […]

After more than a year of strict COVID mandates, my state has triumphantly reopened. But, some argue, we better think twice before we offer a celebratory handshake. On Memorial Day, Pennsylvania began allowing restaurants, stores, sporting events, schools and other organizations to once again operate at 100% capacity. However, some are telling us it would […]

I have been involved in tobacco prevention and control for at least 30 years, but over the years I have been consistently impressed by the creativity and determination of the tobacco industry to assure the continued use of its products. Filter-tips have been introduced, women have been persuaded to believe that tobacco made them glamourous, […]

First, a disclaimer: our Town Common, though satisfyingly treed and amply berried, has no resident bears, though some of us may hope for the odd transient, who has a mind to summer at the coast. Still, the nuts and berries found there bring on the mindset of a bear, and so, today I am his or her […]

The Democrats are afraid. They hold the presidency and control both houses of Congress. Yet they are afraid. They fear passing their bills over the objections of united Republicans and exercising what history calls the “Tyranny of the Majority.” Some voters, including supposed independents, say they favor compromise. It the parties could agree, the threatened […]