I write to encourage your readers to support Paul Davis in the July 14 primary to be the Republican candidate for the Maine Senate for Piscataquis County. When you think about qualities we want in our elected leaders -- integrity, experience, prudence, maturity and pragmatism -- there is no other candidate in this race who can bring those to Augusta on our behalf. Davis’ knowledge of the state’s operations and governance have served us well in his daily work on behalf of his constituents, our neighbors.

I am running to be re-elected to Piscataquis County Commissioner, District 3, which includes Barnard, Ebeemee, Elliotsville, Frenchtown, Greenville-Harfords Point, Katahdin Iron Works, Kineo, Lakeview Plantation, Lily Bay, Milo, Moosehead Jct., Shawtown, Spencer Bay, Williamsburg and all unorganized territories north to Aroostook County.

I am writing this letter to ask the Town of Dover-Foxcroft to consider delaying the downtown road improvement project for several years. The logic for this is simple: Roads and sidewalks throughout the town are in a state of serious disrepair and we should allocate our limited resources towards existing needs instead of spending even more money on new studies to find new problems.

I am writing this letter as an indication of my full support for Adrienne Bennett (for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District). It has taken me some time and consideration, but the differences between her and the other candidates is glaring.

My purpose in writing today is simply to give my whole hearted support to Sen. Paul Davis’ re-election.  Having previously served in the Senate seat that Paul now holds I know how important Paul’s  personal qualities and leadership style are to his constituents.  Paul is a man of great integrity and honesty who has strived mightily and with great success to represent the people of his district without regard to political affiliation or other demographic.

It appears to me that President Donald Trump used his recent trip to Maine for a partisan campaign event rather than for official government business. This could be a violation of federal campaign finance law.

It seems I need to offer a few words of explanation to Doug Thomas as to why I, my own person, view him as a dishonest person. First, let me thank Thomas for his rebuttal to my former letter, which offers a clear case in point to my assertions and beliefs. Let us move forward and step by step dissect the half-truths and downright lies in this rebuttal.

Paul Davis is running for state senator once again and I can’t think of a better candidate for that office. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Paul and his lovely wife for more than 25 years. I’ve admired Paul for his integrity, honesty and hard working ethic.

Maine local governments are still waiting for financial aid assistance from the federal government. Maine state and local budgets will be decreased by many thousands of dollars in the coming months due to decreases in revenue sharing, excise tax revenues, loss of property taxes and the overall economic impact of COVID-19.

I have wonderful neighbors here in Guilford. We don’t always agree about politics. That’s OK. But for me President Donald Trump’s words are personal. I am American, born and raised. My father was not so lucky -- refugees from Hungary, his family came here with nothing but hope. Like many “white” Americans -- Irish, French Canadian, Italian, the list goes on -- we were the “wrong type” of immigrant at the time. Although I consider talking about this with my neighbors, usually I choose not to.

The Maine Republican Party is paying an out-of-state signature collection firm $400,000 to gather 63,067 valid signatures by a June 15 deadline.  They even managed to have paid signature collectors designated as “essential workers” during the coronavirus pandemic.

Think dirty politics happens only at the national level? Think again it’s alive and well right here in rural Maine. I refer to the letter by Andy Torbett published this week on the Piscataquis Observer website. Of course, it’s hard to tell if Torbett wrote the letter or if Sen. Paul Davis wrote it. Since Davis hired Torbett to write letters the last time I ran against him and even reported it on his ethics reports as a campaign expense. This letter is just the latest example of the half-truths and outright falsehoods we have endured for years from the Davis camp.

I have waited for several weeks, in a vain hope against reality, for Doug Thomas to show some modicum of integrity and honesty to clarify just exactly what was meant by the supposed “letter of endorsement” from Gov. LePage.

Everything we need to know about our president is wrapped up in the simple story that all of the swabs produced in Guilford on the day of his visit had to be destroyed. Why? Potentially because our role model in chief decided not to wear a mask.

Here we find ourselves at an historical tipping point under questionable leadership right in the middle of a deadly pandemic. We could be forgiven for burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the light of day. In fact, many people are trying to do just that, however, the noise from the streets is insistent.

While sheltering in place, I have more time to brood over what is causing me so much anxiety and sadness which I feel the need to share. What occupies my mind are concerns about whether the virus will infect family and friends. I find myself thinking about and praying for all the people suffering from the virus and for all those courageous citizens providing services to their neighbors and countrymen/women. But my anxiety and sadness is more deeply rooted.

Loudspeakers kept blasting out Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A” while the crowd screamed the refrain with delirious enthusiasm. What could be more thematic than a “Make America Great” theme song? But how many of you have listened to the lyrics? I

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) would like to thank Aislinn Sarnacki for her recent Act Out article on safely enjoying the Appalachian Trail (AT) this summer and getting the word out to a broader audience. As the management resource for Maine’s section of the AT, we would like to reinforce on a couple of points.