The SAD 4 school committee recently met and, as I predicted about a month ago, did not make any effort to reduce the expenses in the budget that it is submitting again to the district citizens. At a previous meeting, I had given the committee members a letter detailing over $100,000 of expenditures that could easily be cut and that would not affect student programming in any way. It continued to be totally ignored. The moral of the story is clear. Once again school committee steadfastly refuses to cut expenses as a way to bring the assessments under control.

The budget referendum election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 8 o'clock in the morning until 8 o'clock in the evening at your local town hall. Be there and vote “no.”

Full disclosure: I am a trustee of the Center Theatre. As such, I am predisposed to think and speak favorably about the theatre’s productions. That said, I am urging readers to take in the currently-running production of ‘Nunsense’: one of the funniest and most entertaining shows “evah!”

Good morning America from the shores of beautiful Moosehead Lake as dawn pieces the night sky and my eyes penetrates through the treetops in search of the sun rising on the horizon and the sounds of nature surrounds the Moosehead Lake region with the grandeur of the Lord’s glory and love engulfing America’s Crown Jewel.

My family spent the first week in August on Moosehead lake in the Rockwood area. Our 13 year old cocker spaniel Zelda accompanied us although we’d observed a noticeable decline in her health in the weeks leading up to our Moosehead vacation. This decline continued while in Rockwood to the point where we needed to get her to a veterinarian.

As you all know my brother Allan Snyder was laid to rest Saturday, July 22. He was a decorated war veteran and past fire chief with both the U.S. Air Force and the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department.

The first regular session of the 128th Maine Legislature has finally come to a close as of Aug. 2. The state budget, with all of its trappings, was the major sticking point.

On behalf of the Moosehead Lake Region I would like to welcome all to our vast region. It is a honor to host you while you explore this great region.

It is not fair, but voting down our school budget is not the right response. We can’t punish our students and staff for a state formula. We need to actively contact our state legislators, and let the governor know that if the state is finally funding schools at the mandated 55 percent, then even SAD 4 students should receive that level of support.

Good morning from the shores of beautiful Moosehead Lake as dawn penetrates the night sky with the Lord’s glory and love engulfing America’s crown jewel that we love and adore with passion.

On Tuesday night (July 18), the SAD 4 budget committee met and applied the additional state money in excess of $200,000 as revenue to the 2018 fiscal year budget. That will help to lower town assessments. At the beginning of the meeting, the committee skipped the time for audience input, but later asked if there were questions, which it tried to answer. However, at no time did the committee solicit recommendations for further cutting of expenses.

The Dover-Foxcroft Homecoming Committee has been very busy planning the “95th Anniversary”-themed parade on Saturday, Aug. 5. They have selected residents celebrating their “90 something birthdays” to participate in the parade in a special way.

I am very concerned about the rising cost of electricity in Maine. Thankfully, the Legislature is taking action to reduce electricity costs for our homes and businesses

I travel the highways of Maine quite frequently. I believe I am a pretty good observer of what lies along the sides of the road concerning debris.

We're being told the economy of the Northern Penobscot region is on the mend thanks to the new national monument. Truth is it's up a little; instead of five visitors a day to a local business, they can expect six now. If we're willing to settle for such a small improvement, let's sign up now.

Most of us believe majority rule is the basis of our democracy. However, in our state, majority doesn’t rule. “Plurality” rules, which means, for races with more than two candidates, the one with the most votes wins.

There is a therapy to be found in the woods. There is a simple, happy way of life as our early ancestors did among the streams and lakes. Maybe you should try this kind of life.

On November 8, 2016, Maine voters overwhelmingly favored a citizens' referendum for Ranked-Choice Voting. Since that exciting moment in the political history of the United States (Maine being the first state to pass a referendum for the ranking of votes for state legislature, governorship and Maine's four congressional delegates), the Judiciary and Senate have done their part to put this bill before our House of Representatives for a two-thirds vote for a constitutional change.