We both would like to share some joyful bird news. On Dec. 17, we both were setting at the kitchen table working on a future article and looking out our double kitchen windows at the birdfeeders, when we saw a lot of action.

As a very concerned resident of South Bristol, and the person who owns the property directly on the Gut, adjacent to the proposed construction of a new swing bridge, I am writing to voice my concern that this project has become a boondoggle and a waste of the scarce resources and revenue available to Maine DOT and the state in general.

Drinking and driving is very dangerous, sometimes deadly. About three in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. Dying or killing someone because of alcohol or drugs is a preventable tragedy. If you don’t want to add to these numbers, don’t drink and drive.

The Christmas story is much more than a message about the birth of Jesus. Christmas is more than sleigh bells and mistletoe. It is a story whose center is Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The apparent mess at the Bristol/South Bristol Transfer Station, which we report in this issue, is a particularly unusual situation, because, generally speaking, things run pretty smoothly in those two towns.

Recently a friend of mine asked me a question about my religion and my faith. I answered it as honestly as I could, but when I expressed the sheer joy at knowing that God sent his son to save the lives of every man, woman and child in the world, she was taken aback and denounced this act as an “unfair act.”

Maine’s problem with Medicaid isn’t one that can be fixed by raising taxes or demanding other state agencies make up the $221 million dollar difference.

On Dec. 13, the National Transportation Safety Board came out with its strongest statement yet against the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. The NTSB has recommended all 50 states adopt laws banning the use of such devices by drivers.

When I saw the picture and article on the newly proposed up-date on the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder, my heart was crushed.

The lights are on, the sign is lit and vehicles are filling the parking lot. Hilltop is once again open for business. I have to give tremendous credit to new owners Gary and Jane Gravel for their investment and commitment to bringing back and carrying-on the great offerings of Arthur House and David Page at Hilltop.

The Bridge House, the old store and dance hall, is an important piece of history in the village of South Bristol for both local and summer residents.

One of our more disturbing stories this week is the allegation that a Damariscotta man may have bilked an elderly Bristol woman out of more than $200,000 while representing himself as a fundraiser for a charitable organization.

Herman Cain came from a poor family. He grew up in Atlanta, Ga. His mother and father had a very strong work ethic and sent him to college. He graduated from Morehouse College with a BS in mathematics. He went on to Purdue and got his master’s in computer science.

Like troops across the country, Lincoln County Boy Scouts participated in the organization’s annual Scouting for Food drive this past weekend.