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Opinion

A chronological compilation of local columns, letters and editorials from all four editions of The Forecaster, covering 14 Maine cities and towns: Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth, Freeport, North Yarmouth, Chebeague Island, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Bath, Brunswick, Harpswell and Topsham.

Have a Letter to the Editor or a Forecaster Forum op-ed piece to submit? Send them to the editor, Mo Mehlsak, editor@theforecaster.net. Or register on our site and submit your comments online.

Opinion

  • Short Relief: Romney for president

    Feb 07, 2012 8:30 am

    I happened to be in Columbia, S.C., the week before the Republican primary. It was 70 degrees and sunny at noon. I ate all my favorite southern comfort foods: mustard-based barbecue, chicken gumbo, collard greens, grits with shrimp gravy, dirty rice and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

  • Letter: Thanks for Casco's safe return

    Feb 07, 2012 8:10 am

    As many people are aware, I was involved in a serious automobile accident on the evening of Jan. 16 in Falmouth. My two Chesapeake Bay retrievers were kenneled and strapped down securely in the back bed of my truck. Because of the severity of the accident, one kennel was ejected from my truck. I was able to recover one of my dogs unhurt at the accident scene, but my other dog, Casco, ran when her kennel opened. She was missing for six days. During that week without Casco my days and nights were filled with uncertainty and fear. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

  • The Universal Notebook: What I like about funerals

    Feb 06, 2012 10:40 am

    At the risk of sounding glib or ghoulish, I must say I do enjoy a good funeral. And that’s a good thing because, by my own unreliable count, I attended at least eight over the past year.M y father-in-law and one of my brothers-in-law died last year, as did a family friend and five or six members of the church where I serve as a deacon.

  • The View From Away: Let's talk turkey (and fox, and moose ...)

    Feb 06, 2012 10:30 am

    You don’t see a lot of wildlife in New York or Los Angeles.

    Well, a lot of the citizens are pretty feral, like the kid at Macy’s in Manhattan who shoved in between Carol and me to steal watches from the display case where we were standing. When I threw him across the store aisle and told him to get the hell out of the store, all he said was, “You wouldn’t try that if I had my piece!” He may have been a thief, but he was a good judge of character. I hardly ever confront crazed gunmen.

  • Letter: Don't trust the 'D's or the 'R's

    Feb 06, 2012 9:30 am

    Some people still cling to their broken hopes in a candidate who promised change but only gave us more of the same. The continued erosion of our civil liberties (Patriot Act), unconstitutional wars (bypassing Congress), torture, indefinite detention of U.S. citizens, assassination of U.S. citizens (Al-Awlaki), banker bailouts (i.e., the not-so-Federal Reserve). All while masquerading as an icon of hope for the common people.

  • Letter: Political leaders are out of touch

    Feb 06, 2012 9:20 am

    Edgar Allen Beem is in possession of all the foresight that our governor lacks. What is encouraging is that many young people also understand that we have to “do more with less” and work on sharing and sustainability, that maybe people are not just greedy by nature and we’re all in this together. My generation, the aptly named “Xers,” just sort of nodded and went along for the ride. Young people today, from the Occupiers to the local community farmers, are saying “This system is crazy. This isn’t working.” And they are right.

  • Letter: Brunswick needs behaviorial teachers, classes

    Feb 06, 2012 8:50 am

    In response to Emily Guerin’s recent article, "Brunswick school struggles without behavioral program", we implore this community to put proactive programming in place to assist all children from day one, instead of cobbling together service patches when the predictable happens. The budget overruns we have already seen this year are only a fraction of the cost our schools encounter when adequate numbers of trained staff are not provided.

  • Letter: Cumberland Farmers Market appreciates host, customers

    Feb 06, 2012 8:40 am

    On behalf of the Cumberland Farmers Market Association, please consider this a giant thank you to Allen, Sterling & Lothrop Garden Center. This is the third winter their generosity has provided our farmers market a winter home in the greenhouse on Route 1 in Falmouth. Through the long dark days of winter we continue to bring you seasonal and greenhouse-grown vegetables and greens; fresh eggs from free-ranging chickens; meats and poultry; milk; butter; hand-crafted cheeses; maple syrup; baked goodies and breads, and so much more.

  • Letter: A little discussion would go a long way

    Feb 06, 2012 8:30 am

    In the Jan. 5 issue of The Forecaster, Edgar Allen Beem caricatured the opinions that liberals and conservatives have of one another, successfully capturing the prejudices that are contributing to the polarization of our political system. I thought he did a good job, but behind the prejudices are sets of real concerns, and it would be good if we could stop and listen to what these are.

  • Letter: Park at your own financial risk in Portland

    Feb 06, 2012 8:20 am

    Before we know what is really happening, it will be virtually impossible to park in Portland without getting a ticket, a boot, or a tow. It has already hit a high-water mark where it is impossible to keep abreast of all the different ways there are to receive a substantial fine. In these really tough economic times, the residents and visitors in Portland can ill-afford to have their pockets picked by the Parking Division and city government.

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