Gov. Janet Mills is facing many challenges, with a surging pandemic and its economic devastation at the top of the list. The arduous process of choosing hundreds of appointees to staff state agencies to manage these crises, is on-going. As president of the Maine Association of Nurse Anesthetists, I would entreat Gov. Mills to consider […]

Pundits and politicians have been quick to point fingers over the debacle in Texas that left millions without power or clean water during February’s deep freeze. Many have blamed the state’s deregulated electricity market, arguing that Texas prioritized cheap power over reliability. But climate extremes are wreaking increasing havoc on energy systems across the U.S., […]

Following Black History Month, I urge us to reflect on where we are with respect to racism today. One of the interesting issues African Americans often face is white people calling themselves colorblind, meaning it as a compliment to black people. But most resent it, because, by not admitting that we can see color, whites […]

Hopes of getting an increase to the piteously low federal minimum wage were dealt a serious blow last week when the Senate’s Parliamentarian ruled that it couldn’t be included in the massive COVID-19 relief package now moving through Congress. The announcement was widely expected, and the ruling from the strenuously nonpartisan arbiter threw a major […]

The Gathering Place is approaching its 10th anniversary, having first opened its door on Feb. 7, 2011, offering shelter, friendship and hope. I had attended a training class for volunteers but wasn’t assigned during the first week. But I showed up for week two and was a regular volunteer for the next nine years until […]