Dear Editor: What if American Aquafarms didn’t come to town, like a giant, fouling our precious bay and crushing the livelihoods of our self-employed, small-scale, independent fisheries? What if our precious bay remained as it is, a home to the animals that live within it, like the harbor porpoise and minke whale that rise from …
Dear Editor: The enlivening qualities of the Downeast spirit are self-reliance, sheer determination, fortitude, grit and an abiding hope bordering on assuredness. This moment finds the Downeast spirit in a struggle for its very existence. The very notion of entertaining a fish farm, the kind of “thing” shunned above all else, betrays the severity of …
Dear Editor: A couple of years ago, there was a full-page ad in the paper featuring a smiling woman touting more money for schools. But Mainers figured out that she was a model for an agent of an out-of-state gambling operation aiming to siphon big bucks from Mainers’ wallets — and rejected the proposal by …
Dear Editor: As two seniors who graduated in 2021, we’re in the honeymoon phase of remembering our time at George Stevens Academy. We loved our clubs, our friends and going to classes taught by teachers we respect. GSA let us explore our ideas and passions. However, there was a different side that concerned us. In …
Dear Editor: I suspect that all Deer Isle and Stonington as well as Reach community residents have been in a state of shock and disbelief since the announcement that the Island Nursing Home (INH) will close on Oct. 26 because of a shortage of staff. Even though we have been warned for several years that …
By David MacDonald For more than a century, landowners, community members and park partners have worked together to preserve the lands and waters that define Acadia National Park. We are blessed by their foresight, and we experience their gifts daily — dramatic coastal scenery, clean drinking water, recreation on the historic trails and carriage roads, …
Dear Editor: Affordable housing is such an important issue, particularly for low-income seniors in Maine. Here in Washington County, 26 percent of the population is 62 years of age or older, and nearly a quarter of them live at or below the federal poverty level. Food insecurity for this age group is rampant. That’s why …
Dear Editor: Casey Hanson is running for City Council as a committed citizen of Ellsworth so she can give her efforts and talents to the community that she loves. She seeks to bring in a spirit of collaboration in city politics as well as to guide the city toward a comprehensive strategic plan bringing thoughtful …
Dear Editor: We are new owners of a piece of “poor man’s oceanfront,” tidal frontage in Sullivan. Having owned property just two months, I am amazed at how unsafe it is to pull back on Route 1 into 45 mph traffic. Access is at Simpson Cemetery Road, however DOT sanctioned safe sight distance on this …
Dear Editor: The hazy skies and red afternoon sun over Maine lately bring to mind the saying, “We all live downwind.” The horrible fires on the West Coast are brought home to us three thousand miles to the east, with yet another reminder that climate change is here. Deniers have grown quiet, as almost every …
Dear Editor: Allowing optional discretion regarding students’ wearing of masks demonstrates little more than a dearth of responsibility and leadership from the [RSU 24] School Board and the superintendent of schools. Rather than take a stand to ensure the safety of all involved, this mandate will pit students against students, teachers against teachers, and create …
Dear Editor: A few quick responses to your Opinion section of Sept. 9: Congratulations to Jill Goldthwait for her brilliant summary of the current situation of “burned-out Mainers” (indeed of all Americans) as we “brace for the unknown.” I haven’t seen anywhere a better statement of what all of us are dealing with right now. …
