October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good reminder that we can make it harder for criminals to steal our personal information or take over our accounts.  

Scam messages often include a link or an attachment that perpetrators use to introduce malware onto your device or send you to a site that will seek to collect login or payment information. 

Protect all online accounts with strong, unique passwords (strongly consider using a password manager) and turn on multi-factor authentication when available. Also, keep your device software updated – the updates often include important security

When you hear the word “Arctic,” what comes to mind?

Is it ice and snow and rocks? Is it polar bears and vast stretches of whiteness?

Do you feel a connection to the Arctic?

Before we go any further, does everyone agree on what geographic place the Arctic references? Some would say that the Arctic is the region of the globe encompassed by the mass at the top of the world above the Arctic Circle—a region essentially defined as the area where the sun never sets on the summer solstice and never rises on the winter solstice. Most ecologists and biogeographers define the Arctic region as the area

National Newspaper Week commences Sunday, Oct. 4. It was established to recognize the service of newspapers and their employees across North America.

First, here are my thoughts about how this newspaper serves our communities. We provide news and advertising to inform our readers, residents and visitors. Without this platform, it would be up to groups and individuals to spread the word about what’s going on in a manner not always available to a larger audience. The newspaper provides a nice package where advertisers, individuals and groups can spread the word on a daily (website) and weekly

This print week alone, meaning from roughly last Tuesday night to Tuesday of this week when we finished the pages, I got to interview the new owner of the old Sarah's Cafe building about why he bought it; one of the uses he anticipates it will have; the warm welcome he and his family have had; and how their new home, the historic customs house, will have aspects that add to the community's experience of community.

Is that not cool enough to think reporting is a job worth considering? How about, the same week, getting to interview the grandson of one of the operators of a steamboat that was a

Time marches on as is reflected by the changing colors of our world. This is when the much awaited and, for me, most enjoyed season begins to evolve. It’s my favorite time of year; wish that it could stay with us a bit longer. It’s a kaleidoscopic motion picture which leads us every year on a journey into whatever nature has in store. And every year is different.

This year’s autumn seems to me a little advanced. Perhaps the dryness we have experienced over the past couple of years has moved the schedule up a notch or two. Hard to say. But, as our scenery moves along, we can be entertained by

Four weeks to go until the mid-term elections. I can’t wait until it's over and we can resume worrying about real stuff, like the price of heating oil, the price of gas, and how to stretch the family budget to include (you can insert the rest).

One of my favorite politicians called this the Slander Season, where the Smart Alec, Know it All consultants are paid big bucks to insult local candidates.

As the talking heads on my TV set burbled away interviewing themselves for the 11th time since breakfast, I turned to a local election observer, an influencer, if you will: Ms. Pigette. You know her

Dear Editor:

I’ve lived in Edgecomb for 20 years, and over the past year that I’ve gotten to know Charlotte Nutt, she has made a huge impression on me. In the time I’ve known her, it’s clear she is a great person who truly cares about this place and is always there to support our town whenever we need her.

While I've known her for a year, Charlotte’s roots here go way back. Her dad, David Nutt, spent years as a local boat builder, and her late mom, Dr. Judy Sandick, took care of so many of us at St. Andrews and Miles Memorial Hospital. Growing up on the peninsula, Charlotte went to local

Dear Editor:

Children.

The most vulnerable folks in our state have no vote in their future. They depend on the “collective wisdom” of their elders to protect them, look out for their well-being, and make certain they receive an education worthy of their future.

Families.

Ongoing cuts to federal programs and rising costs have created unanticipated stress for young families making their way in a tough economy. Parents of young children have enough to worry about—finding safe, suitable, and affordable care for their children while meeting these economic demands shouldn’t be an impossible burden.

Dear Editor:

Many thanks to State Senator Cameron Reny for her leadership on so many fronts—including her work securing Community Action grants that help our towns strengthen energy resilience and emergency preparedness.

Reny recently announced that Whitefield is one of just five towns in the county receiving an award this year. That’s the kind of hands-on work that makes a real difference in our communities.

We’re lucky to have a hardworking, effective senator in our corner—and she’s running for reelection this November.

Join me in supporting Cameron Reny and her continued work for our

Dear Editor:

Too often we are distracted by national headlines and fail to follow and understand what policies are being implemented on a local level in the Maine legislature. Votes cast by the Maine House representative from district 48 and the state senator from district 13 deserve close scrutiny as they drive policy.

In particular, I want to reference LD 1134, a bill that would have barred transgender-identifying males from women’s sports, locker rooms and restrooms. Our reps voted to allow men to compete in women’s sports as did Rick Bennett, an independent running for governor.

LD 660, a

Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to the letter “Farrin voting record: MaineCare payments.” In its conclusion, the writer inaccurately uses the vote to close labor and delivery services at Miles (Lincoln Hospital) in Damariscotta to illustrate the claim that MaineCare is failing to reimburse hospitals on time, forcing them to cut staff and services. The Lincoln Hospital Board and the MaineHealth Board of Trustees have repeatedly stated that their vote to close was not financial but was based instead on difficulty recruiting OB/GYNs and low birth volume.

Since the MaineHealth forums held in

Dear Editor:

LD 38, An Act Requiring Photographic Identification for Voting, was referred to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. This bill requires the presentation of proof of identity in the form of a photograph identification document when voting in person.

On 5/2/25, Harris Van Pate, Policy Analyst for Maine Policy Institute, testified “By requiring photographic identification to vote, these bills ensure that every ballot cast is tied to a verified, eligible voter while preserving voting accessibility for all Maine citizens … Establishing a uniform photographic ID requirement is a

Countless times, we’ve driven past the big, white farmhouse next to the long, red milking barn in the center of our favorite local grassland. But a few days ago, we saw a peculiar sight: a red-tailed hawk perched on the mailbox on the roadside at the end of the driveway to the farmhouse.

A large hawk sitting on top of a four-foot high mailbox beside the road is kind of startling. Many hawks hunt by sitting in places that afford them a great, wide view of the place where their potential prey resides. When they spot the prey, they can drop quickly down to try to plunge their sharp talons in and

This is a note to the suits who quarterback Maine Health.

I know I have been a pain in the tush as I opposed, and will continue to oppose, your decision to close the Miles L & D unit. One of the jobs of a local newspaper is to amplify the wishes of our readers. And, to put it lightly, our readers (who are also your customers) wish you would reverse your edict. You should do it for no other reason than that it is hurting the stellar reputation you have earned through years of dedicated service to Lincoln County.

Believe me, I am a fan of Maine Health and Miles. Not long ago, I danced around the

I flew with Doctor John Andrews and lived to tell the story, or should I say, “Stories.” Still recovering to this day! It wasn’t Air Force One, it was more like “Adams Pond” and hold on!

The Piper “J3” was and still is a great airplane. The yellow bird, when Doc Andrews still flew, could be seen mixing it up with the seagulls frequently over the Boothbay peninsula. I believe the Piper Cub was powered by a Continental engine which made a particular and, to me, quite identifiable sound, especially when powering a gentle glide close to the Earth over local landmarks! Dr. John loved to wave

Dear Editor:

Maine has been completely controlled by Democrats for the last eight years. They own the Governorship, House of Representatives, the Senate, and the three constitutional offices of attorney general, secretary of state, and state treasurer. Elected Republicans could have stayed home, and it would have made no difference

After eight years and thousands of new bills are Mainers better off? How does Maine compare with the other states? Maine is near the bottom in infrastructure at #47. Maine’s economy is #48 and Mainer’s income is #47. It isn’t just Augusta’s business friendly climate

Dear Editor:

I am 86 years old and have lived through 12 presidential administrations but never one such as this. Trump and his supplicants pose a threat not just to us in the United States, but around the world.

It is very important that you vote Democratic in the Nov. 3 mid-term elections, even if you are not crazy about the candidate. We must make it clear that our country does not tolerate mass arrests, unlawful wars, and the pulling apart of our democratic democracy.

Wendy Ross

Wiscasset

Dear Editor:

Wayne Farrin’s record of full participation in his role supporting his constituents at the State House has been stellar. The website My Rep Tracker reports that he has missed only one floor vote during the last session, voting a total of 81 times. A review of his voting record on supporting public schools and our working families has been consistently positive. From the revision of the Funding Formula providing increased fairness in School Funding from the State to LD 1664 An Act to End Discrimination and provide remedies for education discrimination. He cosponsored a Bill to

Dear Editor:

Cameron Reny of Bristol, now running for her third term in the Maine Senate, was new to the state legislature when she was elected in 2022, but colleagues speak of her rapid growth into the role of effectively representing Lincoln County and advancing its interests.

After years of public service as a school counselor and advocate for her community, in the Senate Reny has played prominent roles on the important Senate Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, and the Marine Resources Committee, which serves the interests of working waterfronts and is known for its bipartisan

Students across Maine are back in school, and the fall season is now in full swing for many students, parents and teachers.