Thank God Willis Haviland Carrier invented air conditioning — for the most part. Before air conditioning, the heat drove us outside and brought us together. Friends sought the shade of trees or a refreshing dip in a lake or river. On the hottest nights, whole families brought their blankets and pillows to riverbanks, where it […]

They say when Albert Schweitzer was in Africa and ants would make a path toward a morsel of food he’d accidentally left on his table, he’d move the morsel to redirect, rather than kill the insects. All right Albert! My hero! I too believe in sparing all life — well, except those lives determined to […]

Even during our long-lit summer days, the sun of awareness comes up slowly … sometimes. This has been especially true of our — the public’s — general awareness of our effects on the streams and coastal waters that enrich and define our lands and lives. And yet we are thick on the ground, everywhere, and […]

Going into Joe Biden’s debate with Donald Trump on CNN, the big question was whether Biden could last 90 minutes. We found out he couldn’t last 90 seconds. On Thursday night everyone saw what’s left of the president’s brain and body — and it was not just a disastrous political moment for Joe Biden, it […]

The year: 2001. A 4-year-old boy stood silently by the casket, which contained his mother. She had died of a brain tumor. Visitors filed by to pay their respects. The woman was my niece Linda Favero, my sister Martha’s only child. Linda and Martha were both classroom teachers, which further strengthened their deep bond. During […]

Sign seen last week on the side of a Maine barn: “I stand for the flag. I kneel for God.” While there may be nothing unusual about such sentiments, posting them in letters big enough to be read by passing drivers is a clear public statement. The passer-by may come away thinking the farmer is […]

Recently, a timber harvesting operation in Brunswick on behalf of a landowner/developer has drawn heavy criticism and concern from neighboring residents, as outlined in media coverage including The Times Record’s recent story, “Brunswick logging operation rankles some residents.” As the trade association representing loggers throughout the Northeast, including the logging contractor who performed the work […]