With the recent tragedy in New Zealand, Hollywood elitists approved of the recent enactment of stricter gun control in that country. This from a group of writers, directors and actors that spend their lives in a fantasy world.

Our Canadian neighbors to the north want to sell surplus hydropower through Maine to Massachusetts.

Democrats took control of the US House of Representatives with a consistent and constant focus on issues that matter to voters, namely health care. In Maine’s 2nd Congressional District and the race for governor, health care was the No. 1 issue for voters. And the candidates treated it that way.

Voters in Dover-Foxcroft will have a second chance to weigh in on three proposed land use ordinances (LUO) rejected by the town last November. These ordinances are the result of many years of hard work by the Planning Board (PB) focused on creating a more robust regulatory framework to govern land use within our town.

I am writing to support with enthusiasm Gov. Mills’ work toward 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.

Maine should go after Amazon to build their new headquarters here. Why? Because a massive, modern building would look so much better than a 145-mile transmission line that would supposedly create temporary jobs and destroy acres of forest.

I am doing something these last two weeks I once did all the time, but not much the last several years. For about 30 years I owned a circa 1820 post-and-beam Cape with an El. That house always needed fixing or sprucing. And I was lucky to have neighbors, friends and family I could hire to tackle the tricky stuff (electrical wiring, plumbing), but I wanted to do as much of the home repair as possible. I was curious much more than I was trying to save a buck as a do-it-yourselfer.

I am always energized in the spring. This year, as so often before, I am in awe of the many opportunities we have in our community to grow more inclusive, more engaged, more healthy. So I am writing today about opportunity.

Thanks to the hard work of Maine’s congressional delegation, on March 12, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was permanently reauthorized when a bipartisan public lands package was signed into law. Since 1965, the fund has supported community projects all across the country.

This week, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout signed a new contract that is worth $430 million over the next 12 years, giving him the largest contract in North American professional sports history.

With more than 15 Democrats already running for president in 2020 and more announcing by the day, it might be hard for voters to pick a favorite, especially this far way from November 2020.

Thousands of Mainers take prescription drugs. For many, prescription drugs represent the only defense they have against crippling pain. For others, prescription medications are a lifeline in their fight against serious conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Americans pay the highest prices in the world for their prescription drugs, and the ill effects cannot be overstated.

Most of us know the sound of the 1960s. But very few of us can say we are a sound of the ‘60s. Drummer Hal Blaine, who died a few days ago at age 90, was one of those few. I worked with Hal (1980-83) when I was managing editor of Modern Drummer magazine.

We are fortunate to still have a local newspaper in the Piscataquis Observer. Cities and towns across the U.S. have lost 1,400 newspapers in the last 15 years, and the Observer, like all other Maine papers, has been subject to staff reductions, but at least we still have a source for coverage of board meetings, local events, sports events, etc.

In 2016 the town of Dover-Foxcroft voted to approve our updated comprehensive plan as a tool to guide us in positive economic development, focusing on quality of life and natural resources. With housing sales up and some new investments, the future looks brighter than it has in decades.

When all is said and done, there will probably be more than 15 people running for the Democratic nomination for president. One thing is clear already. In order to win the nomination, Democrats are going to need to speak to the increasingly strident, socialistic, progressive activist segment, and energize them. All the attention, all the energy and all the money is with them.

It’s long past time that the Maine Legislature sends a state Equal Rights Amendment to voters. But a word of caution for the supporters — of which I am one: If LD 433, which would amend the state constitution to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on the sex of an individual, appears on the ballot, we will need to run a real campaign to make sure it passes and to protect against divisive and harmful attacks from opponents.

I did not vote for Eliot Cutler, but I am so happy that he has stood up to David Farmer and his propaganda and far-left liberal views.