An old friend from the wonderful world of public policy emailed me last week with information about an "important" upcoming U.S. Senate vote on "forced arbitration." And sitting by myself, reading my friend's email, I felt my shoulders droop a little, and I shook my head side-to-side.

The Foxcroft Academy boys cross country team finished in 13th place at the Class B North Championship on Oct. 20 at Troy Howard Middle School. The Ponies’ top five runners combined to score 339 points, besting the 371 accumulated by 14th place Oceanside High School of Rockland.

The East Sangerville Grange was overflowing with local citizens during the Piscataquis County Democrats’ fall dinner on Oct. 14 as well as Democratic candidates for the upcoming 2018 election.

The Ponies (6-2) limited the Lynx to 97 yards of total offense en route to a 40-0 victory that should land coach Danny White’s club No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming Class D North/Little Ten Conference playoffs.

The national firm of Gray & Pape Heritage Management has been hired by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to conduct an architectural survey of Monson. Surveyors Patrick O’Bannon and Kendal Anderson will be documenting houses, stores, churches, cemeteries, etc. built before 1972 in order to identify historic properties or neighborhoods.

Guns don't kill people, bullets do. So if bullets were regulated like prescription drugs, authorities could be notified and the purchaser could be investigated as to why such a large purchase is necessary.

On Oct. 17 Richard M. Brown, Charlotte White Center CEO Emeritus, was the recipient of the Lewis and Clara Lamont Advocacy Award for longstanding commitment, advocacy and support for the Maine brain injury community. The award was also given in recognition for Brown’s 10 years of service on the State Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Council including his current service as co-chair of the council.

It probably should please me that in more than 50 years of upland bird hunting and big game hunting, I have been shot only twice: once, long ago, while duck hunting at Merrymeeting Bay, I took a BB shower from another hunter across the water; later, while fussing with my lawnmower behind my Hampden home in October, a grouse hunter sent some BBs my way from across the brook.

The Emmy Award-winning documentary “Sonic Sea” will be shown at the Center Theatre at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26. The showing will be free thanks to a partnership between the Center Theatre and the Sierra Club Maine.

Question 1 on the ballot this November is not a referendum on funding our schools. It is not about creating new jobs or lowering taxes. Make no mistake: it is about putting a third Maine casino in York County. It’s about gambling, plain and simple.