There are good reasons for those who care about such things to fret about the future sustainability of our American hunting heritage. Recently, in an address to the members of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) – an iconic leader in modern wildlife conservation-- well-known conservationist, Shane Mahoney, talked about the future. Some of his points:

I walk to the St. Augustine, Fla., beach to watch the sun rise on my second day of trying to make sense of whatever principalities of darkness possessed Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock. How frustrating that Mr. Paddock, to avoid capture, killed himself; taking with him, apparently, our best source for knowing the reasons for his wholly unreasonable madness.

On Friday, Sept. 29 the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) hosted the grade 5-6 classes from Piscataquis Community Elementary School (PCES) in Guilford at the district’s Demonstration Forest for a day of natural resource discovery.

The Dover Low Vision Group invites the public to join in the 2017 White Cane Walk on Saturday, Oct. 14 in Dover-Foxcroft. Participants will meet in The Mill parking lot at 10 a.m., head up East Main Street to Rite Aid and then turn back with a meeting at The Mill after to socialize.

Mayo Regional Hospital was recognized for meeting the Gold level in the 2017 Gold Star Standards of Excellence Program for efforts to prohibit smoke and tobacco use on campus and address client tobacco use.

The Maine Warden Service is pleased to announce the hiring of a new pilot to complement the air wing division. Pilot Christopher Hilton, 32, from Brunswick, was sworn in Oct. 5 in Augusta before warden service staff and family. Pilot Hilton will serve in the bureau’s third pilot position and began working as a game warden pilot at the start of the month.

This probably will not surprise you, but having worked as a fish biologist for around 30 years I’ve heard a lot of fish stories. Sometimes I say, “Wow, that’s unbelievable!,” when my inner monologue is really saying, “Ok, now this is just not believable … but I’ll keep smiling.”

Those elected to represent the people of Maine have a responsibility to prioritize the needs of our state. But Maine’s senators do not put Mainers first.

A huge pumpkin grown in Charleston has squashed the record for the heaviest one ever grown in Maine. But breaking the record wasn’t a slam-dunk for Elroy Morgan’s Atlantic Giant pumpkin, which topped the scales at 1,756 pounds.

The following births were recorded recently at Mayo Regional Hospital: