Columns

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #Clarry Hill, #Midcoast Conservancy, #birds, #maine, #jeff and allison wells

Maine is famous for its blueberries. Those small, deep-blue spheres have a sweet, rich, and earthy taste that seems to somehow capture the deep history of where they come from: barren lands taken…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #BP oil spill, #jeff and allison wells, #boothbay register, #maine, #birds

In April of 2010, the unthinkable happened. An oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana exploded. The operation, called Deepwater Horizon and operated by international corporate…

#bird-column, #woodcock, #boothbay register, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #birds, #Maine

Last Friday, a friend told us that he had heard his first American woodcock of the year the night before. Woodcock are birds that are more often heard then seen, at least by most people. Those who…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #jeff and allison, #boothbay register, #birds, #maine, #surf scoters

A recent Maine-based magazine ran a feature about winter surfing in Maine. That article was highlighting people who enjoy the thrill of grabbing their boards and catching waves in the middle of  …

#bird-column, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #boothbay Register, #maine, #birds, #bald eagle

These warm days of late, even if interspersed with colder, more seasonal temperatures and occasional snow, have predictably made many of us humans think of spring. Birds seem to be feeling it, too…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #boothbay register, #jeff and allison wells, #birds, #maine, #northern cardinal

It was winter the way we expect it here in Maine. The sun was shining and the sky blue, but the morning cold was intense, making the slightest breeze feel sharp and painful on any uncovered part…

All crimes that seek to steal money or sensitive information through deception are loathsome. But perhaps the most pernicious involve crimes of the heart. Online romance fraud is rampant and…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #steller’s sea-eagle, #boothbay register, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #Maine, #birds

The Steller’s sea-eagle is back! We have to assume that, unless you live under a rock, you well remember the flurry of excitement last winter when one of the largest flying birds in the world made…

One way to protect yourself from identity thieves is by opting into two-factor authentication. This means that to log in to a given site, you enter your password, and then are prompted to enter an…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #boothbay register, #ring-necked ducks, #kennebec river, #climate change

There have been lots of warnings in the news about the lack of ice on lakes and rivers in Maine this winter. Many traditionally frozen lakes and rivers have either frozen only for a short time or…

Bill Packard commentary

In the current environment of almost everyone being angry, I cannot get excited about having a conversation about current events. But, I thought people might find it interesting to hear what truck…

Community of Hope

Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and their children in the United States.…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #Boothbay Register, #birds, #winter finch, #maine, #pine grosbeak

The arrival of finches from the north has always been an event that birders here…

A Bird’s Tale
#bird-column, #Jeff and Allison Wells, #birds, #boothbay register, #maine, #sage thrasher,

Some have called it the “mountain mockingbird” or the “mockingbird of the sagebrush” but its official name is the sage thrasher. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t feel bad. It’s not a bird we…

From the Maine Senate

As your voice in Augusta, I take my responsibility to pass laws that make a real and positive impact on the lives of people in our community very seriously. I’ve done my best to be as accessible…

From the Maine Senate

Summer in Maine can be a fun and relaxing time – especially if you’re a student on school break. The summers I spent exploring our great outdoors when I was a kid are some of my most cherished…

From the Maine Senate

Soaring gas prices are hitting us and so many of our friends and neighbors hard. The fact is, most of us rely on gas to power our cars, and we rely on our cars to get us where we need to go.…

From the U.S. House of Representatives

Last week, …

Like many in our community, the leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade filled me with sadness and fear. Though the news didn’t come as a total surprise, it did…

From the Maine Senate

As I speak with families across Lincoln County about the challenges they’re facing, one thing I’m hearing time and again is the difficulty of…

The numbers are in. The Federal Trade Commission released its annual compendium of fraud reports from last year, and the news is shocking. Over the past three years,…

From the Maine Senate

If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you’ve likely heard a lot of talk about PFAS. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of chemicals found in many products…

From the Maine Senate

It’s important to me to know what folks in our community are struggling with, so late last year I sent out a survey to every household in my district asking you to let me know what challenges you’…

opinion

Making the decision to start a business is often the hardest part about starting one. After you make the decision to go for it, don’t wait to get started. Many…

Opinion, Bill Packard

The most important thing we all have is time.  If you read this to the end, you will never get that time back. Whether my words are worth your time or…

On Monday, Jan. 17, Mainers celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on what would have been the Reverend’s 93rd birthday. Dr. King’s legacy is one of fighting for human and…

I write today with bittersweet news. I have decided not to seek re-election to the State Senate for our beloved District 13 in 2022.…

It’s New Year’s Resolution time. Time to make a commitment to be fraud aware in 2022. For the next 52 weeks, like clockwork, scammers will be on the prowl looking to steal our money or sensitive…

12 tips to start 2022 on sound financial footing

As 2021 comes to a close, 2022 beckons right around the corner. For many, the beginning of each year is marked with an ambitious New Year’s Resolution that fails to materialize.

Start the…

opinion

Well.  I’m back. Did you miss me?  That rascally Covid thing messed some things up, but here we are.…

From the Maine Senate

The holidays are here once again. After a difficult two years, I find myself appreciating even more deeply all that this season has to offer. The…

As the temperatures dip below freezing and the last leaves fall off the trees, winter creeps up again on Mainers each November.

Winter in Maine covers nearly five months of the year and…

From the Maine Senate

For many, this time of year means gathering with family and friends for a special meal or an exchange of meaningful gifts. But putting food on the table or presents under the tree can be a…

opinion

Whether you sold something recently, have money lying in a bank account, received unexpected income, or have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket this article will try to inform you of a few…

From the Maine Senate

With the leaves changing, it’s clear that fall is in full swing – even if some days it still feels like summer. I hope you and your family are enjoying one of Maine’s most beautiful seasons and…

opinion

Since the 1980s, American retirees have needed to rely more on their own investments for retirement, rather than employer pensions or social security income. While pension plans still exist they…

I was 18 years old when the U.S. Supreme Court guaranteed a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions in Roe v. Wade. If you’ve only known an America where abortion was safe and legal,…

From the Maine Senate

Mainers take our duty to participate in our democracy seriously. Maine consistently…

opinion

So why should you bother with investing? For centuries, investing in businesses has been the primary driver of wealth for individuals and families.

Investing is a tool to help individuals…

How do we slow down this aging process?

Have you asked yourself, 

From the Senate

Dear Community,

My name is Chloe Maxmin, and I am the new State Senator representing almost all of Lincoln County, plus the towns of Washington and Windsor in the Maine Senate. I spent the…

Eva Murray

Well, it has happened: after two decades of writing about this place, and seeing people still react as though life on an unbridged, offshore island is indeed peculiar, and that full-time island…

Consider this my Christmas gift to you

I think the COVID thing might be getting to me.  Not that I was ever right, but now I feel like I’m on the fringe more than ever.

Since I don’t…

Pausing throughout your day creates space and time for reflection

Pause to Thrive

Pause to welcome the day.

Pause during your day to gain clarity.

opinionated at any speed

The action in pickup trucks these days seems to be in the bed, with tougher liners, 5th-wheel trailer hookups, tie-downs, storage boxes, lights, power outlets and tailgates that open gently…

Penobscot Falco

Classic road trips do not begin as classics. It’s not as if two guys look at each other one morning and say, “You in the mood for a classic road run?” And the other guy nods, “Sure, why not?”…

Two years ago, in 2018, I was in a movie.  I thought the film would be for the memory of my dead father Marshall Green, for my need to have the world see the truth of who he had been, what he had…

The Penobscot Falcon

“Dude, come on, we’ll mop up,” said Steve Black with his signature smile.

“I’m not so sure.”—my only sensible words.

Steve Black was a burly, friendly local pool hustler and con…

Bill Packard

It was very strange.  Watching the NASCAR race, I had the scanner on in the background and heard the call. Something inside of me said, “This is…

How to Break Through Our Self-Induced Barriers

 

My cup is half full.

I am a victim.

I don’t deserve it.

I’m not good enough.

Do any of these statements resonate with you? Our thoughts are influential. They…