While travelling in a very poor country I had a real need for some assistance from the US Embassy or Consulate there. All I needed was advice on how to find a reputable attorney. This is no easy task considering the country I was visiting is known to have groups of lawyers working together to convey fraudulent property titles.

Last Thursday Lincoln County Healthcare officially announced that the St. Andrews Hospital Emergency Department will become an Urgent Care Center in April.

I just read The Lincoln County News online and was shocked to read about the Damariscotta Police Department.

Lincoln County Healthcare’s plan to shutter the emergency department at St. Andrews Hospital in Boothbay Harbor may make financial sense, but it doesn’t feel good.

As my children grow up, I see what a positive impact sports have had on their lives. They’ve learned things such as determination, teamwork, cooperation, and perseverance. To give that experience, many people of the community need to be involved in supporting youth athletics.

Ever since Chris Johnson was elected to the Maine Senate, he has been unfairly criticized by people who refuse to understand his approach to governance. Almost weekly, there are inappropriate, inaccurate, and over the top attacks on Senator Johnson.

I am responding to Donald Kelly’s letter to the Editor “To spend or not to spend” in the Aug. 16 edition of the News. Mr. Kelly says “this is the only question one need answer before voting this November.” I disagree.

I know first-hand how hard it can be to keep up with expenses every month. The cost of living, the price of just about everything, and a shaky economy can be tough to handle.

Last week in his piece “Tax Cuts Favor the Rich?” David Trahan, in an attempt to “educate us” about taxes, asserts that Maine’s wealthiest individuals actually pay the lion’s share of income taxes in the state of Maine, and uses this as a justification for the tax cuts to the top 20 percent earners in the state.

It is sad to learn that an effort is being made by two groups to encourage same-sex marriage. The Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Religious Coalition Against Discrimination, are collaborating to legalize same-sex marriage.

A friend has a sticker on her car that reads “Do Good Often.” Well, someone certainly did a good deed on July 9 in Waldoboro. While running errands, I managed to lose my purse. Someone spotted it and put it in a safe place. I am truly grateful for this act of honesty and kindness.

Former Senator Trahan’s passion for tax policy is impressive but I was surprised to see him make a whole column out of one line in Senator Johnson’s column from July 5. (“Tax cuts benefit all,” LCN, Page 4, 7/12/12)

Someone educate me: I’ve lived here most of my life. I think I know a thing or two, maybe even three on some days. I do not know much about lobstering, but I am open to learning.

In recent years, the question at the center of the Great American Debate concerns the role of government. What kind of government do we want?