To the Editor: Recently Chief Bender of the Mount Desert Fire Department made the Islander with a report on the combining or regionalization of local fire departments citing a lack of personnell to respond especially during working hours, also listing the reasons as cost of living, housing and good paying year round employment on the …
To the Editor: Apparently, a majority of the Charter Commission still believes that the problem with its proposed radical re-write of our charter is one of style, not substance. A majority of the commission is looking for ways to tweak their radical re-write in order to better sell it to Bar Harbor voters. Chair Gurtler …
To the Editor: I rarely feel compelled to write a letter to the editor but after this week I feel as if it is most important to voice my opinion. Leaving the three-plus hour long Charter Commission meeting on Monday night was discouraging at best. The commission has done a fantastic job putting together their …
To the Editor: On Oct. 30, our Congressional Representative Jared Golden released a statement regarding his upcoming yes vote to proceed with the public phase of the House impeachment inquiry. In that statement he said that he would “refuse to prejudge the outcome” and would “remain committed to the work the people of my state …
To the Editor: You may not be hearing much news out of the State House these days, but that doesn’t mean that all is quiet in Augusta. Many of us are serving on commissions studying complex issues to make the best of our off-session time. I know I’ll be interested to hear the findings of …
To the Editor: There was no need for the scare quotes around climate emergency in the front page headline in last week’s Islander. Scare quotes are typically used to imply doubt. There is no doubt about the reality of the climate emergency. Thank you to the young people who are taking the lead on this. …
To the Editor: Not long ago, I attended a panel discussion sponsored by the League of Women Voters on the importance of local newspapers in maintaining responsive, democratic local governments. Evidence was presented that in communities where the local newspaper had gone out of business, towns and cities became markedly less responsive to their citizens. …
To the Editor: Recently I went to medicare.gov to compare next year’s Part D plans for myself and my husband. After registering, listing my prescriptions and the drugstore I use, the website showed a list of available plans with their total costs (drugs plus premiums). Clicking for detailed information about one of the less expensive …
To the Editor: Unless the internet suddenly disappears (and I hate to think how that might happen), it’s safe to assume that we all will become more and more dependent on it. So, given its importance, why don’t we have universal broadband in our homes and businesses? Taiwan, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and many others have …
To the Editor: Maine’s prosperity depends on welcoming new families. Below are my remarks from a Nov. 12 press conference on immigration reform to mark the Supreme Court hearing on DACA and immigration legislation that is now stalled in the US Senate. As in many other parts of the state, businesses in my district face …
