Does the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program help Maine?

The voters of Maine have spoken about funding education, not once, but twice. In 2004, they first made it law in Maine that the state fund 55 percent of basic education, statewide.

Memorial Day, says the VA, is a “federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people (some 1 million) who died while serving in the country’s armed services.”

Unaccustomed as I am to reading the headline of a column as an actual part of the column itself, especially since the entire Twain quote was not there, and not in quotation marks, it took me a moment to figure out how Mark Twain related to the agitated screed that Ken Frederic treated us to in his “Another View” column, LCN of May 11. So, I guess the point of his emotionally charged article is denial. But denial by whom, and of what?

This coming July, we will be celebrating the 241st anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. Before that date, it might be necessary to read that document once again. I wish to recommend this in light of some recent developments, since they are related to objections initially stated in the Declaration. Keep in mind their list began with: “let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”

John Kerry said they were gone, and Susan Rice reported a few months ago that all chemical weapons had been removed from the Syrian bases.

As this is being written, the anniversary of Patriot’s Day – April 19, 1775 – is rapidly approaching. The holiday has nothing to do with the football team of the same name, but considering how little some people know about its origin, it might as well, and would not be out of place in our spectator sports culture. For others, it is just another three-day weekend or an excuse for yet another sale to buy even more things that they probably don’t need and are not really sure they want.

American towns and cities once believed that the formal schooling of our youth was one, if not the most, important responsibility of its citizens, along with its elected local, regional, and state legislators. Sadly, this seems no longer to be the case.

When the basketball team wins a championship, it’s front-page news, and it should be. The members of the team worked long and hard to become champs and it paid off. The LCN has a part of the cover section devoted to local sports. I look forward each week to reading about all the local sports activities.

Please tell your local representatives to support Rep. Seth Berry’s bill that will set us on the right path to a sunny and “bright” future with renewable solar energy.

As a former resident and business owner in Damariscotta, I was quite troubled by the news of pending Dollar General and Sherwin-Williams stores near the heart of town.