One thing about Lincoln County, we are all for helping our neighbors. Scarcely a week goes by where we don’t have a bean supper, a silent auction, or some other type of fundraiser for someone or something. Sometime it’s a school or local group fundraiser. Like as not, it is for a family recently burned out of their home, or worse.

We have often thought one of the best testaments to the effectiveness of a politician is when voters from the other party adopt them. Locally, former state Sen. David Trahan had that kind of cache. Former state Sen. Marge Kilkelly had it before him.

Only a spokesman for today’s Republican Party could characterize a vote to protect Maine’s poorest and neediest a “special interest.” (“Sen. Johnson you’ve put your special interest ahead of your constituents,” letter from Jim Carleton, LCN, 2/23/2012, Page 4). Is that a true conservative attitude, Mr. Carleton? I think not.

Newly elected District 20 Senator Chris Johnson wasted no time wading into the thick of things. Within hours of being sworn in as Maine’s newest legislator last Thursday; Johnson cast the deciding vote derailing a hard-fought bi-partisan supplemental budget compromise that addressed a shortfall in MaineCare funding.

We want to thank our new Senator from District 20, Chris Johnson for having the courage to cast a controversial vote as his first vote in the Senate, thereby putting the brakes on the budget agreement hurtling towards approval.

I am hearing about the recent Republican Caucus in Maine. It makes me very uncomfortable.

Now that we are in the heart of the winter season I am reminded daily of what a special place I left behind when I moved to the West Coast.

I’m writing in regards to a Main Street shop that has closed for the winter. On closing last fall, the owner removed their product flag but left the American flag hanging by the door. If I could physically remove it I would, until spring when they return.

The western side of Maine Medical Center in Portland looks out over the expanse of the city. Depending on the season and the room assignment, a patient with a window seat can watch the Sea Dogs in action on Hadlock Field below.

Before tip-off at a recent school basketball game, one of our associates couldn’t help but notice that not everyone stood up during the playing of the National Anthem.

On the Thursday afternoon before Christmas, the staff members of Savory Maine in Damariscotta were delighted to host a holiday sing-along and finger-food-feast to raise money for two very deserving local projects: the Community Housing Improvement Program (C.H.I.P.) winter heating fund, and the Lincoln County Animal Shelter.

While the headline for this story in the Jan. 5 edition of the Lincoln County News noted that many residents of Sheepscot were upset about the killing of domestic geese by a hunter (Page 1), I think the anger goes well beyond Sheepscot as many residents of Lincoln County are extremely dismayed and angry that someone would shoot the geese and claim they were Canada geese. Most people who were aware of the geese knew that they were not Canada geese and that they were really very tame and loved by both residents and visitors to the village.

Mr. Scheiman seems to have a style that mimics shadow boxing an argument without examining in depth the arguments of others.

I cannot believe that Mainers buy into the theory that cutting more programs aiding its citizens is what the people want.