So, I've been a bit hard on the new liberal regime in Augusta recently. I've been giving Gov. Janet Mills and her allies in the Legislature unsolicited advice, telling them to do things that I am well aware they will never have any intention of doing. Things like controlling spending, lowering taxes and continuing to guard Maine's fiscal health.

Dear America, remember Maine! Not “Remember the Maine,” which maybe you read in a history book. Rather remember the last eight years of politics in Maine.

With few places in the world still relatively untouched by development, Maine’s 10.5 million acres of North Woods are a disappearing resource. These woods rejuvenate us: They provide opportunities for hunting, fishing and recreation, and serve as vital habitat for plants and animals.

Hope springs eternal or so the poets say But nothing seems poetic in Washington today Battle on the wind, stalemate all a'grind The blame, The game as who can best opine

Film Director Peter Jackson’s new World War I documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” is a powerful story told using 100-year-old film and advanced computer technology.

I am constantly told that the ancient fossils in Congress need to be thrown out in favor of younger generations, because they will provide a "breath of fresh air" and offer "new ideas" about this country's future.

In a major victory for sound public policy over naked politics, Gov. Janet Mills continued her efforts to expand access to health care to Maine people. This time, she bucked the Trump administration and former Gov. Paul LePage by rejecting a change to the state’s Medicaid program, which would have erected unnecessary barriers to health insurance for low-income families.

The cure at the southern border is to identify the problem first. The number one problem is illegal drugs. The greatest percentage of illegal drugs cross the border by legal points of entry. We need more inspectors and electronic equipment to get this under control.

The latest journalistic debacle of BuzzFeed proportions has shown the spotlight again on a once revered institution devoid of any integrity. The nation has in many ways become numb to it, even at times accepting this as the new normal. Despite this, the next station in the march of relativism should leave even the most morally callous appalled.

Last week my computer locked up in the middle of an update. My computer is my right hand. It holds over 40 years of genealogical research, the chapters I’ve written on the book I’m doing for the Maine State DAR, all my columns, a photo collection and my online banking, among other things.

The woman on the phone wanted to know if I could get rid of a rock rising up from a section of her lawn. She was responding to my classified newspaper ad offering to do “odd jobs.” At age 15 or 16, my mom suggested the “odd jobs” ad as a way for me to earn money.

I am writing to thank Gov. Mills for acting so quickly to release the senior housing bond. Her leadership on this critical issue will enable more Mainers to age in place through the building of new, affordable, accessible and safe homes for older Mainers. Additionally, funds will be dedicated to home repair and weatherization of existing homes, some of which are the oldest in the country.

Over the past few years I have become familiar with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) which is a national, non-partisan group that is organized on the grassroots level. It has a practical plan to cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent over the next 12 years.

Spend, spend, spend. Tax, tax, tax. You heard a lot of flowery talk about responsibly leading Maine. You heard about discipline and "investments" that would make the state better. "No, we won't raise your taxes," they said, "we'll just reprioritize state government and we'll use money we already have to do a few things responsibly."

I grew up and went to school deep in Appalachia, in far Southwest Virginia, near the Tennessee line. While the region is trying to reinvent itself, it still suffers the hangover of the decline of coal and manufacturing, and depopulation.

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 recently received the birth record of a distant cousin’s spouse. I’d been having trouble locating his parents and the record revealed why. His birth record said he was illegitimate.