It’s always a pleasure to write to you after a blood drive, thanking you for your support. We truly appreciate your announcing this three-times-a-year event and without a doubt, the publicity we receive in your newspaper makes a difference.

We have no control of where and to whom we are born; it is an accident of nature. Some are born into better situations than others. Some fall into the trappings of assumed preferential entitlement because of their wealth and others drop into the abyss of self-pity entitlement because of their poverty.

Many people have asked who are the Concerned Citizens of Waldoboro? We are a group of concerned citizens advocating for the improvement of our town by identifying issues of concern to all citizens, fact-finding and suggesting potential solutions.

Though their descendents still live in the area, Wilbur Bearce, Robert Woodward, and Frank Wells are probably best recalled, if at all, as names on a plaque on the wall at the South Bristol Town Hall.

A recent letter criticized Senator Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, for not doing volunteer work. The writer was badly informed.

We are told we are making extraordinary progress in technology, the sciences, education, and in general our standard of living. So what is happening to the American spirit and our national pride?

To begin with, we need to understand what makes a good manager and a strong leader.

If you have been anywhere near a television this week, you are probably familiar with the story of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, whose domestic violence case is currently shaking the National Football League to its very foundation.

Jefferson is in the midst of a debate over the best way to educate our kids. We have heard from a number of people who think the school committee has broken a promise to voters about hiring certain teachers.

Even though I have lived in Manhattan for over a half a century, I still observe the “rule of the road” that I learned growing up in rural upstate New York some 70-odd years ago: “If you are walking on the road, walk to the left, facing the on-coming traffic.”

I will admit that organizing the community baby shower for Jada and Ryan was not totally altruistic.

The Wells-Hussey American Legion Post in Damariscotta would like to thank all the people that stopped and donated to the toll booth last Saturday in front of the post. The fundraising effort was a success.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to the voters of Jefferson. At the Aug. 19 school board meeting, two things of vital importance to Jefferson were destroyed. One was the possibility of having viable programs in art, music and physical education for the students of Jefferson.

I came home from the special meeting of the Jefferson School Committee on Aug. 19 angry and puzzled by the committee’s vote to confirm their denial of increasing the art, music and physical education positions from .5 to .8 days per week. By the raising of only three hands, the 242 votes cast in good faith by residents who favored the increase of these programs were discarded as unimportant and irrelevant.