Dear Editor:

Last Friday sometime a single man decided to attack Iran. On Thursday we were negotiating with that country. On Friday night, we attacked.

No matter how deep your misgivings are about the hard line Iranian regime, you might well have even deeper misgivings about the ability of one man to commit our country to war without so much as a whit of deference to the Constitution, with no credible explanation as to why, and no credible explanation of what the destruction, the risks, and the costs would accomplish. 

Despite  the White House propaganda machine, our intelligence community

Dear Editor: 

Two years ago, it was easily predicted that the growth of the Edgecomb school budgetwas unsustainable.  Few listened, particularly the school board.  Simply put, that prediction was based upon the simple mathematics referred to as Compound Annual Growth Rate (referred to by the acronymCAGR).  It’s the phenomenon that leads to great wealth if someone reliably saves a small amount every week for many years or to great poverty if one doesn’tpay-off their credit cards each month.  In each case, the compounding of the interest acceleratesthe growth of the funds (or debts).  As an

Dear Editor:

The historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (69 CE - 122 CE) is best known for his Lives of the Caesars, short biographies of Julius Caesar and the next eleven Roman emperors. It makes for fascinating reading, not least because he salts his otherwise conventional narratives with salacious and deeply disturbing details of his subjects’ lives and reigns. His work has taken on new meaning and urgency during our own “golden age” (as the White House website calls it), when our imperious president is acting more and more like a deranged Roman potentate.

Tiberius became the second emperor

Dear Editor:

I am flattered that John Fossett would read and comment on my letters. Newspapers across the country, from the big national dailies to small local weeklies, publish letters from their readers who opine on a broad range of topics. I am grateful to the publishers of this newspaper for maintaining that proud American tradition.

The quaint idea that we should discuss our political opinions over coffee has some merit. Our founding fathers met in public houses to discuss the politics of the day. Until a few decades ago, public discussions of politics were grounded in honest disagreement

Dear Editor:

The article about a recent talk by Nat Wilson, a local sailmaker of international renown, was a delight to read. Kudos to Fritz Freudenberger for his excellent coverage!

Nat, who largely specialized in sails for historic ships and yachts, has been retired for a few years but the loft continues. It is gratifying that it’s a Southport native who apprenticed there, Sherman S. Brewer, who has taken over the business of building sails for traditional and historic ships in East Boothbay.

As an apprentice in Nat Wilson’s loft, Sherman Brewer built a full set of sails for the Ernestina-

We have arrived at the first day of a new month, this one is said to come in as a lamb or a lion and leaves on the opposite note, well, I gather from the snow flurries and the roar of the wind that its entry is that of the lion. Repeatedly this week I have heard that many find this month to be the most difficult of the cold months. Some cite the wind, others the continued frigidness, dampness, or just their fatigue with all things winter, snow, ice, and while longer days are here, there is still plenty time spent in darkness, so, let’s try to be someone’s light each day, and let us see if some

Last year the New England Aquarium in Boston announced that over half of their African penguins have reached senior penguin status. Six of the penguins are over 29, very senior indeed! The aquarium has risen to the challenge of caring for their older penguins by making modifications to their habitat, allowing these senior penguins to “age in place” in their birdie community.  

Aging in place refers to not only living but to thriving in our homes as we age. For some this could mean making adaptations in their homes to accommodate changing physical needs. For others it means moving to smaller

Once again, the squeak of sneakers pivoting on the court, the dribble of basketballs, and the shrill sound of whistles filled the air in the Russell Gymnasium at the Boothbay Region YMCA. It was the welcome return of organized youth basketball to the Y, with the inaugural “Annual I.J. Pinkham Classic Basketball Tournament,” held Friday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 22. 

The tournament was the brainchild of a group of folks led by Tim Pinkham, youngest son of the late local legendary basketball coach I.J. Pinkham. The weekend featured 19 youth teams,girls and boys, plus one co-ed team

This is the sixth installment in a limited series on Maine’s “quaint holdover,” the annual town meeting. This week we turn on the Wayback Machine and head up to the country about the time rock and roll was being invented … the 1950s.

We’re not exactly sure when this particular event took place, sometime in the 1950s. The precise date is lost to antiquity (or the town’s embarrassment).

Back in the day, sardine fishing was a big deal in Lubec. In fact, Lubec was one of the centers of the sardine canning industry in Maine, New England, and perhaps even the world. Disputes over fishing rights

The Boothbay Region Lions Club has long been proud to serve our local communities with dedication, compassion, and a strong spirit of volunteerism. As part of Lions Clubs International, our club is committed to the mission of “We Serve.” Locally, that means supporting neighbors in need, assisting with vision and hearing initiatives, funding scholarships, contributing to community improvement projects, and helping wherever we are needed most throughout the Boothbay region.

Our Lions Club relies on fundraisers to support our initiatives. Throughout the year you will see us at the Fall Foliage

In illustrator and humorist Rosemary Mosco’s new book, “The bird●ing Dictionary,” she defines a seabird as “A bird that gazed upon the sea with its violent storms, endless roiling waves, lack of shelter, and extreme temperatures—plus sharks, colossal squids, deadly jellyfish, and other assorted horrors of the deep—and said, This seems like a nice place to live.’”

While we have to wonder if Mosco is much of a sailor, her characterization of the challenges of living a life on the open ocean seems fair. For seabirds of the winter seas of northern oceans, perhaps especially so.

We are writing

I recently called Ms.Pigette to see how she was doing, as she, and the rest of us, are buried in a new batch of snow.

“We live on the Maine coast. It is winter. What do you expect, Bozo, tropical breezes, some creamy French cheese, and a nice, cool gin and tonic? Are you thinking about getting out your Speedo, nut job? Geeze, that would be a sight,” she said.

“Of course it is cold, the snow is over my bum, again. The guy down the way had to call the plow guy over so he could get the snow blower out of the garage. In case you don’t get my point, I am damn tired of winter, period, paragraph.”

We

Awaiting a winter storm is like watching bread rise: You know it will happen, but when exactly depends on the ingredients. For me, my bread formula (which is actually passed down from my Irish grandmother) generally behaves better in a warm kitchen. The dough rises, gets kneaded, then rises again. Patience is paramount,  just like waiting to see what shows up in a winter storm. All preparations don’t guarantee results. In both cases, with bread and storms, the finished product is the final measure. Sometimes my bread takes forever to rise and sometimes storms arrive when they are good and

Looking for good company and a warm welcome these cold winter days? Stop by the Community Center any weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for puzzles, games, coffee, tea, and sweet treats! Bring your ideas, share a few laughs, and help us enjoy our snacks – without overindulging! We love welcoming new faces and hope to see you soon.   

Do you have a few extra hours? Want to help your friends and neighbors who can't drive? Our People Helping People program helps those who can't drive by taking them shopping and to appointments. Volunteer as your time permits - once a week, once every two weeks or a

Dear Editor: 

Last week I called Senator Susan Collin’s office in Augusta. I got through to one of her assistants. I asked the assistant if it is true that the Senator proposes to vote in favor of the SAVE act which is currently under discussion in the Senate. The staffer said, “Yes.” 

I pointed out, as a constituent of Susan Collins, that a little over three months ago Mainers voted overwhelmingly against similar measures in Referendum 1.A vote for the SAVE act and similar measures would fly directly in the clearly expressed face of the wishes of Susan Collin’s own constituents. The staffer

Dear Editor:

Last week, a letter writer offered an encomium to the Trump administration and an invidious comparison to the Biden presidency. Both of these were riddled with exaggerations and errors.

First, his judgment about America’s fiscal health in 2024: “Our economy was shattered.” Without going into the weeds, the following report in The Economist, a preeminent journal supporting conservative, market-driven policies, refutes this claim. Published on Oct. 24, 2024 (less than two weeks before Trump’s reelection), its headline reads, “The American Economy Has Left Other Rich Countries in the

Dear Editor:

Flock, the domestic surveillance company, is aggressively marketing its spy systems to law enforcement agencies here in Maine. The marketing process is hidden from public scrutiny, there are no public hearings or comment periods. Flock cameras have been installed in Lewiston, Auburn and Sanford, and are being considered in Portland, Falmouth, York, South Portland, Brunswick, Freeport, Kittery, Ogunquit and Saco according to the Maine ACLU.

There is a reason why these deals are being made behind the public’s back, they are a clear and direct threat to our Fourth Amendment rights

Dear Editor:

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the Edgecomb School Board’s proposed budget increase of $621,000 - a 20% increase over this year’s budget! This is not a minor adjustment; it is an enormous, unsustainable leap that would likely trigger another substantial tax hike for every homeowner and business in Edgecomb: REMEMBER the 32% tax increase we faced just two years ago?

While we all fully support our students and recognize that taxpayers are the pillars of the solid education at Edgecomb Eddy School, we must also demand fiscal prudence from our School Board. At a

Dear Editor:

I am a life-long reader of the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper. The coverage of the peninsula is excellent. I see photos and news of the region, the comings and goings of friends and family, as well as my favorite sections. It’s a great newspaper.

I subscribe to several print newspapers, some online resources and a few magazines. My wife and I travel a bit, so I buy local newspapers wherever I go. The Letters to the Editor section of the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper is unique, containing elements unlike any other Letters sections I’ve read anywhere else.

Th