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. …
Dear Editor: The COVID-19 pandemic has put a financial strain on many Mainers, and for some that means struggling to pay rent and utility costs. On Aug. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary eviction ban that was put in place because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Through federal …
Dear Editor: A recent Bangor Daily News story about the Ellsworth confrontation between the School Board and a resident concerned about the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) caught my attention. As a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, I, along with my wife, who is a retired public school teacher, share Ms. Clark’s concerns. Back in …
By Casey Hanson, MD I would like to take this opportunity to describe why I am running for Ellsworth City Council in the upcoming November election. My husband and I moved to Ellsworth when we were beginning our lives together. I was just starting my career as a family physician, and our two children were …
By Ray Graham Internal combustion engines have propelled our transportation industry for 100 years and, with wonderful manufacturing processes, have allowed most consumers the opportunity to engage in their personal transportation system. And while these engines have propelled our society into an era of enjoyment and growth, they have also affected the environment of the …
Dear Editor: We just had the hottest June on Maine record followed by the rainiest July, with several days of smoky skies from a record-breaking fire season out West. The recent floods in the South and along the Mid-Atlantic coast make it all the more clear: we must act on climate now. It is past …
Dear Editor: Here’s a novel idea for business owners, YMCA directors, school superintendents and nursing home and assisted living facility directors: Let’s bring in Afghan refugees, one for each employee who refuses to be vaccinated for COVID-19. If they’ve worked with Americans over the last two decades, they will certainly speak English, probably good English. …
Dear Editor: As The Ellsworth American is honoring law enforcement officers, I wanted to share with your readers my personal interaction with our local, county and state agencies. My experience highlights the fine work officers provide, not only for my family, but our community at large. As most parents can relate, it can be scary …
All’s fair in love and war, but money, it seems, demands a special kind of justice. The Hancock County Commissioners have kicked over a hornets’ nest with their proposal to use some of the $10.6 million the county was awarded under the federal American Rescue Plan to provide hazard pay to first responders and other …
No one is happy with the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration’s new right whale protection plan. That includes Maine’s congressional delegation, governor, 151 Republican, Democratic and independent state legislators, environmentalists and lobstermen. For those fighting to save the critically endangered whales, the measures are too little too late. “Better than nothing” was among the faint praise. …
