Maine cannot afford higher taxes and reckless government spending and neither can our country. Washington’s fiscal irresponsibility and poor economic policy has not worked.

This is a familiar refrain, isn’t it? In light of $8 billion in the operating losses last year, the United States Postal Service is considering closing some 3600 locations across the country.

A grandmother’s love comes in many shapes and forms. It comes with laughter, love and lots of smiles. My grandmother Sandra Lane, is retiring from driving the school bus after 43 years. That right there is love. It is compassion, dedication and most of all respect.

I have been told that Form Based or SmartCodes have been around for about 30 years. I thought they started with Leavittown, Long Island after WWII. I do know a little about the history of FBC’s in Damariscotta as I was the chair of DPAC for more than two years.

The next fork in Damariscotta’s road comes up for a vote next Tuesday. Damariscotta’s proposed SmartCode is a watershed moment, both for the town and the citizens of Lincoln County who rely on Damariscotta for its services.

Here are some important facts to be considered when discussing the question of continuing law enforcement coverage with the Damariscotta Police Dept. or replacing the department with coverage by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Dateline – Wiscasset, Jan. 20, 2014 – A senior town maintenance worker survived a dunking in the frigid Sheepscot River today when the old commercial pier there finally gave way while he was backing out and dumping a load of snow from this past weekend’s record snow fall.

This letter is in response to Mr. Schaff’s letter that was recently printed in The Lincoln County News. (“Rolling ‘barbarians at the gate’,” 5/19/11, Page 4.)

This week Lincoln County has the dubious pleasure of losing not one but two long serving lawmen.

I am responding to the letter from Eden Spear in the May 26 issue. (“Gateway 1-when is a vote not a vote?” LCN, Page 4)

I’ve spent the last few days reading the proposed “Smart Code.” I am not impressed. The rush to install a new ordinance was started not by the citizens of Damariscotta, but by a nameless, faceless gentleman from away who paid the town to hire a drafter to create a new ordinance that would allow the development of the so called Piper Village.

If a little girl was tortured and murdered in Maine today would the state’s response be very different from that which followed the 1988 murder of Sarah Cherry?

I am of two minds about President Obama’s proposed return of our troops in Afghanistan. Naturally, I am overjoyed and relieved that at least one-third of our brave young combatants will no longer be in harm’s way, but what are they coming back to?

Here in Lincoln County we are fortunate to have the town clerks and poll workers know most of us by name when we go to vote which makes voter fraud all but impossible. The state also has a database in place which is highly effective at preventing it, while same day registration makes Maine one of the top states in the country for voter participation.