This week, families across our state will gather to share turkey and stuffing and (hopefully) a Maine blueberry pie – but we all know the food won’t be the star of the show. No, what makes Thanksgiving truly special are the people gathered around the table, and the opportunity this day gives each of us reflect upon the things we are thankful for.

Which would lead a neutral observer to ask a simple question: Why? How can a man accused of such things survive politically, and even potentially win?

Veterans Day is one of the most sacred days on our national calendar. This year, it was a special pleasure to spend that day of remembrance and gratitude in Freedom, a town whose very name celebrates the great gift we have been given by our veterans and those who serve today.

In September 1988, a month before the annual six-day moose hunt, I was forewarned by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officials in Augusta that crowd control would be my greatest challenge as lead biologist of the Greenville moose hunter check station, the busiest in Maine.

It took a lot of work to balance Maine’s budget, bring fiscal responsibility to state government and restore our rainy day fund. Expanding Medicaid must maintain a balanced budget, protect our reserves and not raise taxes on hard-working Mainers.

A rejection of Donald Trump! A rejection of the establishment Republicans! A validation of Obamacare! A harbinger of a coming wave election! Speaker Nancy Pelosi! The revenge of the Democrats! An election that means so much! An election that means nothing!

This November marks National Home Care and Hospice Month and gives our state the opportunity to recognize the incredible contributions of those who work in these fields.

In 1865, President Lincoln asked Americans to remember soldiers and veterans. He urged them, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” I take his words to heart.

One of the pieces of legislation that generated much attention in the media and elsewhere, at the end of this past session, was LD 1170 “An Act To Reduce Youth Access to Tobacco Products” which raised the age in which individuals can purchase tobacco products in the state of Maine to 21.

A couple weeks ago, I took a look at the Republicans looking to succeed Gov. Paul LePage in next year's gubernatorial election. The Democratic primary is, in many ways, a much more difficult one to handicap.

With the holiday season approaching, I know that many of us are starting to shop for friends and family. But I want to highlight another type of shopping that could have a profound impact on your wellbeing: healthcare.

It’s getting cold out there. It’s afternoon as I’m writing this, the drive on which I usually take a daily stroll is shady. That means it’s cold out there.

Looking back, they seem like hazy years that I barely remember. Quaint, almost, in retrospect. I was younger, I actually had hair, and I didn't really understand everything that I saw. But still, I remember. A different man occupied the White House, but so much of the rhetoric about him sounded the same.

The Red County Caucus wishes to interject a healthy dose of common sense into the debate concerning the ballot initiatives facing Maine voters this coming November. Both Question 1 and Question 2 have far reaching implications to future welfare of this great state. Voters should take the time to look past the rose colored rhetoric, over-used and tired political jargon. Investigate these questions through the eyes of common sense and the answers become clear.

The Maine people are being told that if Medicaid is not expanded, children and the elderly will suffer. Folks, it’s not true -- it’s just the opposite.

Shortly after President George W.

Sen. Susan Collins has now ended months of speculation, and decided not to seek election to become Maine's next governor. Remaining in the U.S. Senate means that the die is more or less cast in both parties, and the race to replace Gov. Paul LePage can truly begin.

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.