It is almost up to us. Soon enough the issues will be wrested from the lips of the spin doctors, the smooth talking professional lobbyists and the all-too-earnest volunteers and the time will come for each of us to make our own decisions.

The yes on 1 ads seem to be saying that if gay marriage is recognized by the state it will have to be taught in schools. They seem to be trying to scare us that it will create new gay people- mostly young ones- if they are “taught gay marriage” in school.

In considering the November ballot initiative there seems to be confusion regarding “traditional marriage” and its meaning.

Last week the U.S. Census Bureau released its report on poverty, income and access to healthcare. The report is considered to be one of the best pictures available on the financial well- being of ordinary Americans.

We write to publicly express our utmost appreciation to the Emergency Room staff at Miles Hospital for their outstanding skills and care. When Joan awoke one morning this summer in serious distress, we hurried to the ER.

Weather wise, Sept. 11, 2001 was a beautiful day. Even the reports of death and destruction coming out of New York City that morning mentioned the crystal clear skies over Manhattan, intentionally or otherwise contrasting nature’s majestic beauty with the manmade horror on the ground.

I was interested to read about the temporary windmills possibly being placed around Damariscove and Monhegan.

Nationalizing health care has another significant element, not often noted. The new Socialist government in Britain in 1945 lost no time in nationalizing coal, steel, transport, freight, education and health. After hovering near bankruptcy for years all those mistakes were unscrambled with one exception – health.

The ‘right to marry’ has become advertised as a matter of “equality,” as if homosexuality was a viable alternative or substitute for heterosexuality.

You couldn’t help but see the title, “The biggest crisis I see in America right now,” in LCN letters recently, but we have crises everywhere.

It’s a good rule of thumb that the one of the easiest ways to take the temperature of a community is to pick up the local newspaper and scan the editorial page. This being the place where the newspaper usually makes a public statement of its concerns, and where the readers express their opinions; it’s a fairly quick sketch of what people are currently talking about.

This summer the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb has been blessed by a wonderful group of volunteers that helped us with the cleaning, walking of dogs, working with the cats and fundraising.

Remember the good old days, say 2004, when taxpayers could go to a single town meeting, hash and rehash the issues on the floor and settle everything one way or the other with a deciding vote before the gavel came down?

Wiscasset Police Lt. John Allen has apologized for a statement he made during a meeting with his board of selectmen last week.