The more I think about it, the more I think we, the nation, need to stop using "free" when describing government programs.

Although Henry David Thoreau’s book about his venture into the Maine north woods is one the well-known books of its genre, “Nine Mile Bridge” by Helen Hamlin has always occupied a special place on my bookshelf. I have read it a number of times.

The boards of directors of Penquis and the Charlotte White Center are pleased to announce that the two organizations have entered into a two-year management agreement under which Penquis Chief Executive Officer Kara Hay and Chief Financial Officer Denice Conary will provide the Charlotte White Center with executive and financial leadership.

For 71 years Rowell’s Garage has been owned by three generations of the Rowell family. In mid-August the dealership was sold by third generation owner Karen Pomeroy to General Manager Scott Moulton, who has been in the position since 2010.

Over the last 16 years more than 2,500 third-grade students from across the region have been given a dictionary thanks to the Valley Grange and the organization’s Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. Dictionaries are being handed out to pupils in four area school districts and on the afternoon of Oct. 26 about 40 students in three classes at Piscataquis Community Elementary School traveled across town to the Grange Hall to receive their dictionaries.

Three pairs of demo lights, of varying degrees, have been installed downtown. After the lights have been up for several weeks, the selectmen are scheduled to meet with representatives from RealTerm Inc. to discuss options moving forward during their next meeting on the evening of Monday, Nov. 13.

Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Rube Goldberg is famous for designing machines or systems to perform simple tasks -- such as pouring breakfast cereal into a bowl -- in the most complicated ways. Each year, Goldberg's estate hosts a "Rube Goldberg Machine Contest," and I think Maine's Ranked Choice Voting would make a perfect entry, except there's nothing funny about it.

Carpe Diem Salon on North Street earned top business honors in the annual Dover-Foxcroft Halloween BooNanza decorating contest with a display inspired by the works of Stephen King.

For many Maine moose hunters lucky enough to get drawn, a moose permit is a once-in-a-lifetime affair. Such was the case with my middle-aged friend Greg Goodman, who has been trying for that permit since he was a young man. Knowing that I had had some experience in the moose woods (and perhaps that I owned a big tent and a chainsaw winch), Greg invited me along as his subpermittee.

For more than a decade Valley Grange Bookworms have been coming to Piscataquis Community Elementary School (and previously at the former Guilford Primary School) to share their love of books with second- and third-graders as the pupils spend time reading a book of their choice to the adult visitors.

With four employees working in two rooms making for cramped quarters, staff of the district attorney’s office have been looking at possible ways to have more space at their location on the first floor of the Piscataquis County Courthouse.

After a fundraising campaign of more than eight years, the first batch of bricks have been placed in front of Central Hall on East Main Street. About 200 bricks at either four by eight inches or eight by eight inches were set or are going to be positioned in the ground next to the walkway leading to the building from the sidewalk.

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 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.

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.

As of the end of last month, Dr. Lesley Fernow of Dover-Foxcroft has retired from the practice of medicine after 38 continuous years in the region. Patients, family members of patients and others are invited to a community reception for Dr. Fernow -- who will be staying in town and said she looks to get more involved in the community in various volunteer capacities -- from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Center Theatre.

For over a decade the JD Foundation has been working as an educational tool across Maine in order to bring suicide prevention and bullying rates down through awareness and education. The organization had previously been based out of the 107 Main Road home of JD Foundation founder Cheryl Morin and her husband Vic, but now a converted carriage house on the Morins’ property will serve as the organization headquarters. The office space was formally opened during a ceremony on Oct. 14.

A father and son in Sangerville plan to be very busy over the next few months, fixing up bicycles to give to children who otherwise may not be able to have a model of their own.