I am writing to support with enthusiasm Gov. Mills’ proposal in making preschool available to all children in Maine. As a teacher of English and communication, I have had the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of students from middle school through college. Based on years of observation and experience in various settings, I realize the vital role of early exposure to a rich learning environment -- it is an essential contributing factor to positive outcomes in future formal academic expectations.

It is the traverse in the woods of ideology. The divergence in paths once aligned. It is here where the “one nation” meets its impassable chasm, a void too deep and too far to bridge.

I have a New Year’s resolution that will benefit everyone, “treat others as you want to be treated.” If we all did that, you will not have hate, jealousy, and understand that life is not all about me, myself, and I.

I am a fully certified ski professional PSIA Alpine Level III and have been involved with the ski industry in varying capacities for over 50 years. I learned to ski at Squaw in 1964 and taught there for several years in the 1970s the mountain before the transfer back to the state (a land swap between Scott Paper and the state) I have been watching and researching issues and solutions at Squaw for the last five years.

A system of checks and balances. This is our Republic. A government for the people, by the people. While the musical strands of “Schoolhouse Rock” dance through our memories, it’s easy to forget that all the participants within the Republic are subject to these checks and balances, including the people by and for which the government derives its power. Yes, even the citizen cannot have liberty without responsibility.

Disappointment is the understated term of choice at the news that Bruce Poliquin will not continue his challenge to the travesty of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). If need be, the voters of the 2nd Congressional District (CD2), who voted in a strong majority against the RCV, were keen to have their interests represented, to its fruition, at the highest levels of court in our Nation. This is not to be.

I had a stroke during the early hours of Feb. 14, 2018. I couldn't get off the bed without falling. My speech was extremely slurred and I was throwing up. To say the least, I was in trouble. My wife called 911 and the ambulance came from Milo and picked me up and transported me to Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft. The EMTs were extremely professional and caring.

Oh Lord, thank you for the Christmas of my youth. The Christmases were so beautiful and heartwarming. Thank you Dad and Mom, Gramps and Grams, brother and sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins for making my childhood Christmases so special and the memories so bright.

Bruce Poliquin will, and must, continue his challenge to the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system and the constitutionality of the results. He will, because it is his choice as a citizen of this Republic and he has the freedom to do so. He must, because he is a Representative of the voters in the 2nd Congressional District (CD2) who, 20,000 strong, voted against the RCV and feel disenfranchised by the results of the new voting system.

We've come some distance from where we started. The destination has none of the trappings advertised and, it seems, we are nowhere near the place we were promised to be. This was not in the brochure.

In his Dec. 5 column, Matthew Gagnon makes a flawed argument against ranked choice voting. He claims that with ranked choice voting we cannot evaluate the top two candidates for round two of against one another because we do not know in advance who they will be. However, with ranked-choice voting, we have effectively evaluated the top two against one another for a possible second round, no matter who they are, precisely because we’ve already evaluated and ranked all the candidates, including the final top two, in round one.

Maneuvering has begun in Washington among the Democrats to choose the next speaker of the House. I am not a big fan of Rep. Nancy Pelosi and neither is our Rep.-elect Jared Golden. He indicated during the campaign his intention to try to vote for an alternative candidate for speaker.

After the Thanksgiving weekend and having just returned from a more urban environment, I feel grateful for my community and the people and organizations that I depend on every day.

The holiday season is upon us again, which means here in the Moosehead Region we do our best to spread holiday cheer all around! To do this, the Moosehead Lake Kiwanis Club will be placing wish trees out in our community very soon.

Bruce Poliquin has won reelection to Congress to represent CD 2 by 2,000 votes. In the realms of sanity and fairness, that would be the headline, but once again, forces from outside CD 2 have conspired to work against the wishes of the voters in this District. The cycle of southern liberal arrogance continues.

Dear friends and neighbors, I want to congratulate Paul Davis for retaining Senate District 4. Despite the toxic environment on both sides of the aisle at the state and national level, I believe we treated each other with respect and civility. I wish Paul the best as you continue to serve the people in our district and want to assure you that I will work at your side to promote the issues raised by so many local residents -- healthcare access and costs, property taxes, the quality of our educational system, and economic growth and sustainability for our large rural region.

While scrolling through my photos of past trips to Baxter State Park, I realized that in years past every trip included a photo of a moose. This year, I made a half-dozen multi-day trips to the park to both the north and south ends, and not only did I not see a moose, but it was only outside the park that I even saw evidence of moose.

I would like to thank every person in Maine House District 119 that exercised their right to vote in the recent elections. I would also like to recognize my opponents, Mr. Adkins of Monson and Mr. Deertrack of Abbot for the way that they conducted their campaigns; it takes a great commitment to throw your hat into the ring in an effort to serve the public. They are to be commended.