It was interesting to see the reaction last week when outgoing Commissioner of the Dept. of Education Susan Gendron announced her resignation.

As of this date, it is uncertain whether there will be a National Day of Prayer. Since so much of the population already prays, in churches, synagogues, and mosques, in restaurants before meals, in hospitals, etc., it seems rather unnecessary, and perhaps dreamed up so that both elected officials and clergy might share a lavish breakfast at taxpayers’ expense.

The second winter season of Simply Suppers kicked off Jan. 12. Simply Suppers are a January-April invitation for anyone to come to the Bremen Union Church for a free home-cooked meal. The idea of Simply Suppers began as a way to reach out to those who may feel isolated during the long Maine winters or just like the idea of getting together to eat with others in the community.

There was a time, back before professional wrestling became the ‘roided up, sleazed out spectacle it is today – it was more or less family entertainment. As late as the early 1980s, before the WWE became the 800-lb. gorilla it is today, fathers and sons could still take in a big time wrestling promotion at the local middle school.

In the early 1980s my aunt, the late Cathy Zecchino Farrell, brought something new to the town of Damariscotta: the submarine sandwich. Sure, other shops in town offered sandwiches, but none could compare to the fine quality and tradition that came with a real submarine. Cathy opened Zecchino’s Submarine Sandwiches with 16 subs on the menu. Her hard work paid off and in no time business was booming.

The chief census officer sent me a postcard telling that I had received the 2010 Census form a week earlier.

I had not.

If 9/11 had never happened, it is possible that the last great American nightmare, our last national “remember where you were moment,” would be the school shootings at Columbine High School in April 1999.

First came school consolidation, which was a good idea but then the economy tanked. Now comes a portion of what I have been advocating for years, eg., transfer all 43 students in Somerville to Windsor. Close or even sell this school; find a buyer or a host of other uses for it. It won’t cost more to maintain either way.

I am writing my first letter to the LCN because I am extremely concerned about the upcoming Bristol Town meeting and decisions that will be made there, especially those that greatly impact the children of our town. Many members of the budget committee feel we need to continue to cut teachers and increase class sizes, despite the recommendations of the school committee and administration.

Like a schoolyard bully, the state just keeps picking on the smallest kids on the playground.

I wish I had called the LCN to take a picture of the sea of Dunkin’ Donut cups that were all over the side of the Poor Farm Rd. It is a disgrace to see trash on the sides of our roads.

I would like to thank the men and women for all their hard work over the week-end, with thousands and thousands without electricity, it was only 48 hours that my area was without power. Sometimes we forget how dangerous this job can be, they work hours and hours, with live wires.

Once again we have to take our hat off to our emergency responders, our volunteer firefighters and our county’s paid professionals who were out in the teeth of the storm last week doing what they could to keep us safe.

I am troubled about the effort to discontinue Bristol’s Highway Department and contract those services to an outside vendor. While to some this may seem like a wise, cost-saving move, I believe Town will see little savings, if any at all. I’m also concerned that the quality and availability of those services will drop.