Channel 2's Oct. 8 2nd Congressional District Candidate Debate made one point perfectly clear. Will Hoar, Tiffany Bond, and Jared Golden understand what life for the middle and working classes is like in rural Maine. Bruce Poliquin seems to only understand how to use name calling and crowing about alleged successes for our welfare. Despite low unemployment statistics, residents I meet are still struggling due to insufficient salaries and wages.

I have had the privilege of working with Sue Mackey Andrews as a member of Helping Hands with Heart. I have seen first hand her commitment to families and children. She has worked tirelessly to bring awareness and education on topics that directly impact our area including poverty and childhood trauma.

In the upcoming elections, Maine will again make history by using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives races. RCV is simply a runoff voting system for races with more than two candidates done through one efficient ballot. It is completely non-partisan, and it is one person, one ranked-choice vote. RCV further empowers voters and gives us winners who better reflect the will of the people.

Here's a fun fact. I live in Maine's 1st Congressional District, yet I have not seen a single television ad for the campaigns of Chellie Pingree, Marty Grohman, or Mark Holbrook, the three aspirants to the southern Maine congressional seat. In contrast, I have seen what I can only assume is several thousand ads for Jared Golden and Bruce Poliquin, who are of course running in Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

In a meticulously reported and lengthy examination of President Donald Trump and his family’s financial empire, The New York Times has uncovered significant evidence of fraud and busted the mythology -- pushed by Trump himself -- of a self-made man.

I’d like to correct the record and assure every voter in Senate District 4 that I support ALL of the 26 Amendments to our Constitution, including the 2nd Amendment, our right to keep and bear arms. I have no interest in taking anyone else’s guns; we have our own. If you know me, you know that this is true.

There it is again. A Facebook post from someone announcing they’ve not smoked a cigarette in 365 days. We see or hear more precise variations on that theme, such as, “I haven’t had a cigarette in 10 months, 20 days, 13 hours.” Whenever I see or hear such declarations from smokers I think about helium balloons.

I am writing in support of Sue Mackey Andrews for State Senate District 4. I am known to wear “many hats” in the community, but Sue has me beat by a long shot!

Last night Oct. 1, the residents and travelers on West Main Street and other locales were treated to a peaceful softly lit streetscape, stars could be seen, and a new ambience was created. It was relaxing and a nice way to end a day. What was different than the previous day? The new street lights were installed and ignited.

After great consideration I am supporting Jared Golden, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress.

Serendipity sometimes happens as you research. Serendipity means the discovery of something beneficial or wonderful that happens out of the blue. This leads to the question, are you a lucky genealogist? I know several who are and I confess to envy and frustration when I hear of their moments when luck opened doors for them.

For 45 years the federal Endangered Species Act has been the vehicle that has prevented scores of species of rare plants and animals from becoming extinct. At the same time, it has provided an opportunity for additional species struggling to maintain their numbers to not slip into the endangered category.

I have known Paul Davis for many years. I have worked with him in the law enforcement field during both of our careers. Paul is a fair and honest man and I am proud to call him my friend.

Sue Mackey Andrews has a keen ability to listen to people. She connects with people from all walks of life, of all ages, and of many opinions. As a senator for District 4, Piscataquis County, Sue will take the worth hearing stories of local folks to Augusta where educating and feeding healthy children and grandchildren are to be promoted for making policies.

In 2010 I toured The Boat School in Eastport, Maine. Modest looking from the outside, inside, the wooden boats in varied building and repair stages were impressive. Even non-woodworkers would appreciate the blend of craftsmanship and practicality of this Maine continuing tradition of building work boats to use on the ocean.

Sue Mackey Andrews vs. Paul Davis. I have known Sue Mackey Andrews for many years. She is a hard worker, and I believe she cares deeply for the people of our community. Unfortunately, she was in favor of the gun bill that Bloomberg tried to ram through the last election

I have lived in Piscataquis County for 28 years. In this length of time I have seen the county regress, not prosper. Guilford, the town I live in, is not in good shape. Almost half the houses are vacant or in need of repair.

The Democrats have sworn an oath and probably just plain swore ... a lot, in light of the economic rebirth of the state of Maine and its even brighter future on the horizon. They have vowed to undo all of the policies of Gov. LePage and return Maine to Democrat policies, which are debt, poverty, and unemployment. Janet Mills has the plan to obstruct any forward motion this state has toward independence and turn us back to the perpetual state of dependency.