Here’s a trend no one predicted: pregnancy. Stand in a grocery checkout line and see the headlines about which celebrity is pregnant; which one has a new baby.

To the Editor:

A livable wage is the level that is estimated for a household to maintain a basic needs budget and be self-sufficient from any benefits or assistance.

Please print the following as an open letter to our four representatives to the Congress;

Dear Sir/Madam,

All four of you should be embarrassed that you voted for the pork-bloated joke masquerading as a “stimulus” bill. The Congressional Budget Office says that it will not do what Congress proclaims it will. The president changes his tune almost daily as to how many jobs it will create. It is a waste of taxpayers and borrowers money.

This is an open letter to the citizens of Alna. The reason for this letter is to introduce myself and tell you I am running for the Third Selectmen’s position in our town.

To the Editor:

Perhaps someone of my generation will enjoy my thoughts.

On Sat., Jan. 10 while dropping wood at a friend’s house, I discovered a second level deck door open about two feet. Thinking the owners could possible be at camp, it was either blown open when left unlatched or it could have been a break-in… which, as I thought later, could still have been in progress!

As the Legislature prepares to act on the Fiscal Year 2009 supplemental budget and begins serious deliberations on the next biennial budget, it is a good time to think about how some of the proposed budget reductions will affect health care in our community.

To the Editor:

On Jan. 27, in accordance with the School Consolidation Law proposed by Governor Baldacci and passed by the Legislature, the voters of School Union 74, along with the voters of School Union 49, and the Town of Jefferson will go to the polls to vote on whether or not they wish their school district to become part of a combined Alternative Organizational Structure.

After attending another meeting by the Newcastle Land Use Ordinance Committee, to see the proposed changes to the ordinance it is obvious that the townspeople and landowners do not want this, as written. However, I feel our voice is falling on deaf ears.

Too much of what was being debated was simply one person imposing his or her values and interests over someone else’s values and interests.

Eivend Boe makes a case for a National Health Service, paid for by taxation and administered by the Government. However one or two points seem to have escaped his notice.

To the Editor:

The year 2008 has gone and it is a time to reflect on the 118 animals that were seized or released to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter. All now have new and loving homes. Robert Todte, of Target in Topsham, Mark Gimbel of Gimbel’s in Boothbay Harbor, and Simpson’s Fish Market in Wiscasset, all helped to provide financial assistance for the care of the Shelter animals.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to the Rotary and Lions clubs for their recent recognition of my volunteer work. While I accept this recognition with gratitude, I also would like to accept it on behalf of those hundreds of volunteers who work tirelessly in anonymity to serve Lincoln County residents.

On Jan. 27, voters in the towns that comprise School Union 49 (Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Southport), School Union 74 (Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Nobleboro, South Bristol) and Jefferson will go to their polls to vote on the question of whether or not their Town should consolidate with the other towns to form the Central Lincoln County School System.

To the Editor:

This is a letter about print journalism. Editor Olin’s recent editorial about the direction and survival of this medium is properly of great concern. In a time when the free press is being gobbled up by corporate entities only to have its freedom destroyed, its integrity enslaved to the corporate interests and ultimately rot out of existence in lieu of more favored information bearers like the internet and company-controlled television, a newspaper like The Lincoln County News becomes so much more valuable to people’s daily life.