Maine needs to attract and retain young working families. The future of our economy depends upon it. As an early childhood educator, I am thrilled to see an understanding by our state leaders that this requires access to quality, affordable early care and education.

So where are all the small government, deregulate and keep the state out of their life proponents now?

Italy is the epicenter in Europe of the COVID-19 epidemic. They are doing everything possible to strangle the spread of the virus, including closure of everything except essential services. You are not allowed to go next door to visit your neighbor. You cannot travel by car or train without a very good reason. In spite of the difficulties, my Italian friends say everyone is cooperating. Everyone is pulling together, as Americans will also do.

The BDN’s March 13 editorial called President Trump’s urgency “welcome.” Give me a break! Welcome? This urgency should have been displayed months ago when President Trump was first briefed on COVID-19 and downplayed it! 

As we sit right now, we own the building, no debt. The only thing at cost at present is the utilities cost and the insurance cost for the building. We do need to talk about needed maintenance cost.  And where to go from here.

Help is available for them at Project Rachel, The Post-Abortion Healing Ministry of The Catholic Church. Project Rachel, who is open to anyone regardless of their religion, has a network of specially trained clergy, spiritual directors and therapists who provide compassionate “one-on-one care” to those who are struggling with the aftermath of abortion. 

The question is, does it need to remain in a 120-year-old theater or do taxpayers deserve a more practical and efficient use of their money? The selectboard has added a discussion article to the town warrant so that we, the residents of Sangerville, can talk about the issue. 

Many readers have suggested that U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has lost touch with Maine. What surprises me is how out of touch she seems to be with Washington. How could any observer of Washington politicians have thought that the president was going to amend his ways after his impeachment? People don't change, especially when they believe their behavior got them to where they are.

We are at a crossroads about the future of the Sangerville Town Hall Building. Some factions have the opinion the town hall costs too much to keep in use. Options I’ve heard include to “mothball”, sell or demo it. None of which keep it as a good identity for Sangerville. 

During recent meetings, the select board of Sangerville has discussed the possibility of giving up on the historic town hall in favor of building a new, smaller facility for town government. It seems that the present town hall is in need of extensive repairs which will be costly for the residents. While the board is to be complimented on their efforts to save money for the citizens of Sangerville, the bottom dollar should not always be the driving force behind a decision of this magnitude. There are other perspectives about the town hall and its future that should be explored.

Donald Trump talked big about lowering the price of prescription drugs, but instead about the only thing he’s done is take big money. Trump promised nearly 80 times to lower drug prices or claimed he already had -- yet, in the first six months of 2019, 3,400 drugs increased their prices at a rate five times higher than inflation. We need a president who won’t sell us out, and who can take real action to lower drug prices. Mike Bloomberg will be that president.

Over the past six years serving in the Maine Legislature we have debated and acted upon many, many government programs. One that has really caught my attention is the Medicare Advantage Plan Program.

Maine stands at the crossroads again of individual liberty and choice or government control and subjugation. Will we choose liberty or bend to out-of-state interests again? For the sake of freedom, let Maine's independence rise up and vote yes on Question 1!

We are in the middle of the misinformation age. The latest is the recent effort by a people’s veto group Reject Big Pharma to use the ploy of claiming that Big Pharma is behind the new law requiring vaccinations. I am writing to set the record straight. I have many beefs with Big Pharma, but they are not driving the law to require vaccination of children. Science is.

Question 1 would allow those who oppose vaccines for non-medical personal reasons to send their unvaccinated children to school. Those personal beliefs would expose other children -children who then carry the virus home and into the community. This puts us all at risk, especially the vulnerable, aged, infants and pregnant women.  

Did you know that patients fighting cancer need more blood than patients fighting any other disease? Cancer patients use nearly one-quarter of the nation’s blood supply. In fact, five units of blood are needed every minute to help someone going through cancer treatment. Yet, only 3 percent of people in the U.S. give blood.

Ignorance or arrogance -- I haven't quite figured out which one it is that drives people to blatantly ignore the law, or (at the very least) fail to exercise common courtesy. I live in Corinth and travel Route 15 to and from Bangor quite frequently. I don't mind saying that it has become a very disturbing drive. 

Matthew Gagnon's column praising Tulsi Gabbard for doing the "human thing" toward those with differing opinions and refraining from celebrating in others' misfortunes or tragedy is well received. It's a powerful approach when seen from a U.S. representative.