Diana and I had no idea just how lucky we were when 30 plus years ago we moved into this wonderful community. The longer we live here, the more we realize just how fortunate we are to be in this most special place. While it was the Damariscotta estuary of lake, river and ocean that brought us here from other Maine parts, it is certainly the people and community that have made it such an incredible place to live our lives and raise our family.

I would like to urge people to learn about how to care for the Maine we all love. Take part in the Midcoast Steward Program.

When I signed the petition to develop a five member assessors’ board last fall, my only stipulation was that it would not cost anything to do this.

According to Maine Public Radio, our distinguished legislature recently spent an hour plus debating the merits of making the Whoopie pie the state’s official dessert. Do they really have nothing better to do?

Our last fuel oil delivery, on Feb. 1, 2011 cost us $3.25 per gallon, 65 cents higher than the rate exactly a year ago. I am certain most of your readers are having a similar experience. Heating the average Maine home is forecast to cost an estimated $200 more than last winter. Therefore it may be of interest that my fuel consumption for this winter to date (Feb. 1) is 22 percent lower than for the winter 2009/10, as of the same date. This, in spite of the fact that the current winter has been a lot colder so far.

We can’t be the only ones unhappy with the sentence Roxann Berry received in Lincoln County Superior Court last week for her role in the death of Loren St. Cyr.

I was amazed by your story on the Bremen Budget Committee meeting. (“Bremen Budget Committee calls for stricter rules on selectmen,” LCN, Page 10, 1/27/11)

Mr. Schaaf wrote a confusing letter to the editor.

Craig Eliot does a great job exposing the loss of local control in his letter.

I commend Susan Connery and Jane Ross for submitting letters to the LCN that appeared in the Jan. 27 edition expressing their disappointment with Governor LePage’s recent “Kiss my butt” response to a reporter’s question.

We love Nancy Wilson.

Nancy, our long time Bremen correspondent and resident general-purpose curmudgeon at large, is as proud and independent as they come. We were alarmed by news of her first car accident Jan. 28 and even more concerned when we learned she had been in a second crash in Thomaston Feb. 5.

Under our representative democracy, it has been my understanding that people are generally encouraged to contact their elected representatives with concerns about legislative issues. After recently corresponding with (District 51 Rep.) Jonathan McKane, R-Newcastle, to express my opinion of proposed changes to the Maine Public Employees’ Retirement System, I was shocked at his terse and rude response.

Early in the legislative session I co-sponsored a bill that I thought, and was told by the sponsor, Sen. Brian Langley, would have made minor changes to laws necessary to conform with federal law related to regulating restaurants.

President Obama says abortion is a private decision and pledges his continued commitment to pro choice legislation.