On Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Hyde School the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance (MAWA) recognized Rich and Cindy Johnson of Dover-Foxcroft as the MAWA People of the Year for their outstanding dedication and support to the sport of wrestling in Maine.

The Maine Basketball Hall of Fame is following a predictable growth pattern. Its first classes, beginning in 2014, inducted the most obvious influences on the state’s most popular sport. Subsequent classes -- including the fourth edition that was inducted during ceremonies on Aug. 20 at the Cross Insurance Center -- are bridging the divide between more historical figures and standouts from recent eras.

This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Piscataquis Valley Fair, which began in 1887. The 2017 fair will run from Thursday, Aug. 24 to Sunday, Aug. 27 at the fairgrounds located at 77 Fairview Avenue. The four days will feature exhibitions, rides, concerts, and fun for all ages.

History tells us that every generation rewrites history and often repeats it. There are enough statues and counter statues today to warrant leaving them all intact. Strategic relocation of some statues erected by Jim Crow in front of Halls of Justice would be a good compromise by both sides. We don't need to revere or hate the icons of the past.

I enjoyed reading Brett Baber’s column about the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in “The Piscataquis” Observer for Aug. 16. He urged fellow conservatives to resist the efforts of big corporations, government, and some professional bodies to limit or abolish trial by jury in civil cases by imposing dispute resolution by arbitration. As an unabashed liberal lawyer from Massachusetts, I urge my friends and colleagues to resist this trend also.

The SAD 4 school committee recently met and, as I predicted about a month ago, did not make any effort to reduce the expenses in the budget that it is submitting again to the district citizens. At a previous meeting, I had given the committee members a letter detailing over $100,000 of expenditures that could easily be cut and that would not affect student programming in any way. It continued to be totally ignored. The moral of the story is clear. Once again school committee steadfastly refuses to cut expenses as a way to bring the assessments under control.

The budget referendum election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 8 o'clock in the morning until 8 o'clock in the evening at your local town hall. Be there and vote “no.”

Calendar of events for August and September

On Aug. 10 JSI Store Fixtures, Inc. and the Three River Kiwanis Club of Milo and Brownville collected $27,500 through the 13th annual Clayton Johndro Memorial Golf Tournament at the Katahdin Country Club.

The truth is, I'm stumped on the best way to approach this week’s column topic. I am aware of the Charlottesville, Va., protests, the groups involved, the senseless death of a young woman, and of others near her who were seriously injured. But I have not been, nor will I be, digging deep into the Virginia mayhem details.