I feel so sorry for our veterans who gave their lives for people like Michael Jackson. He received so much glory when he died. I guess being a drug addict and some of the other things he was accused of doing made him more important than the brave men and women who have given their lives in the defense of our country.

As a member of the Edgecomb Fire Department and current Asst. Chief I am the one used to responding to people in need of help but in the early hours of Fri., July 3, I found myself in need of help.

If we were in a boxing match, it would have been stopped by now.

If the State of Maine were in the ring with all-time champ Mother Nature, by now the ref would have pulled her off of us as we hang helpless on the ropes; wrapping his arms around us to keep us from falling and muttering into our ear, “It’s not your night, kid. It’s not your night.”

This is written in response to last week’s letter by Gearry Ranger which called Carl Scheiman to task for his earlier letter on these pages.

Things are pretty quiet down on Rutherford Island on a holiday. So it was as my other half was at work on July 4. I was home alone, in the garden and wishing I had gone to the parade.

On Thursday, June 18 at 1:30 p.m. while driving on Main St. toward Newcastle I stopped at a crosswalk by Renys to allow pedestrians to cross.

What would our Founding Fathers think if they could see us now?

Our Founders deserve a lot of credit and rightly so for creating a form of government that, for the first time in history, recognized the rights of all (free, white) men, and gave all (free, white) men a say in their form of government.

The Maine State Senate has defeated a bill, LD 1438, which would have approved allowing charter schools to operate in Maine, as 40 other states already do.

Charter Schools are public and do not add to the tax burden of either the state or local governments. Not all parents approve of their local public school for their child and charter schools offer another educational choice.

Let’s see, we have all conserved on our driving and gas use and the state now has to raise the gas tax. Otherwise our roads will crumble and bridges will collapse.

What the heck will happen when we all get 45 miles to the gallon or drive electric cars? Less tax collected means less money for our elected folks to spend.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors, organizations, parade participants, and the committee members who contributed in many ways to Waldoboro Day this year.

The Alna Volunteer Fire Department would like to encourage all Alna residents to attend the Public Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, at the Alna Meeting House at 7 p.m.

It’s about time someone stood up and told the state where the bear went through the buckwheat.

Prompt any local official; any selectmen, or school board member, any firefighter or Code Enforcement Officer, and they will likely wax poetic about the burden of un-funded mandates rolling down from above.

I would like to thank those who voted for me in the June 9 election. I am aware of the responsibilities I am facing and the trust you have shown in me. I am looking forward to working with you all for the next three years.

It was Winston Churchill who said, “The best argument against Democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”