Throughout the year the Piscataquis County Democratic Committee is holding a series of non-partisan information forums on various issues facing the region. The most recent “Ensuring the Success of Our Youngest Mainers: A Conversation about Children and Families in Piscataquis County” during the afternoon of Aug. 2 at Mayo Regional Hospital examined related challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and barriers in accessing care, and the discussion featured Maine Speaker of the House of Representatives Sara Gideon, D-Freeport.

Members of the Sebec Village Associates were recognized at the start of the annual town meeting on Aug. 7 at the Harland A. Ladd Municipal Building as the organization is the community’s 2017 Spirit of America Award recipient.

The purpose of the meeting is assessing public sentiment regarding six proposed industrial wind projects and CMP’s Maine Clean Power Connection 145-mile high voltage transmission corridor.

The bottom line is this: At a critical time in Maine’s deer recovery the state has ostensibly been without a seasoned, experienced deer research leader for far too long. It’s a typical bureaucratic situation: sudden departure, slow replacement.

My family spent the first week in August on Moosehead lake in the Rockwood area. Our 13 year old cocker spaniel Zelda accompanied us although we’d observed a noticeable decline in her health in the weeks leading up to our Moosehead vacation. This decline continued while in Rockwood to the point where we needed to get her to a veterinarian.

As you all know my brother Allan Snyder was laid to rest Saturday, July 22. He was a decorated war veteran and past fire chief with both the U.S. Air Force and the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department.

The Washington Post boldly declared that it said women were “genetically unsuited for tech jobs." CNN said that it claimed "women are not biologically fit for tech roles." Time Magazine said it was an "anti-diversity tirade. Gizmodo called it a "screed," as did The Atlantic. Vanity Fare went with "anti-diversity manifesto." “It” was the controversial memo drafted by a Google employee, criticizing the company’s internal policies on bias and diversity. A memo that got him fired.

Two weeks later, to my surprise, my boss dropped an open envelope on my desk. The letter inside said, in essence, "I'm not dead." It was written by Maurice Purtill, living only ten miles away.