Editorials - The County

Editorials

Collaboration

To paraphrase Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” to collaborate or not to collaborate, that is your option. As a genealogist you may choose to work on your own or with someone else researching the same family.

The struggle

I compare the foliage that we see from afar to a finely crafted quilt, one that tells a timeless tale. On this cool, sparkling Saturday morning, Kent and I were heading toward Allagash via Route 161 and then on to Fort Kent and the Allagash.

What to do with all those leaves?

It is getting close to that time of the year when the leaves are turning color and finding their way to the ground. The good news is that it is a beautiful time of the year. The bad news is that many of us are raking leaves because there are too many to leave on the lawn.

The therapy journey continues

The chamber therapy, along with the pleasure of watching “Grey’s Anatomy” during the session, gives me ample time for deep, clear-headed thinking. I am surrounded each day by competent professionals who soothe and lessen my anxiety every moment I am in their care.

Increasing safety and efficiency of Route 1 in northern Maine

When large trucks travel down Main Street in Presque Isle, they currently must pass by 147 commercial or residential driveways, 25 street intersections, 12 crosswalks, nine stoplights, and one railroad crossing.

Blood of Vikings

My husband and I recently re-watched a BBC production called “Blood of the Vikings.” No, it’s not the latest Stephen King horror movie, but a report of the archaeological and DNA search for traces of the Viking presence in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Lessons learned with Dexter

I thought I knew a lot about dogs until I adopted Dexter, our husky/shepherd mix last fall. One of the many lessons I learned was having your dog wear a seatbelt in the vehicle is a great idea! I did not know seatbelts for dogs even existed until our dog trainer, Tyler, suggested I purchase one.

In the pressure chamber

So many members of my family and friends ask me the question, “What is it like to go into the hyperbaric chamber? Do you get nervous or are you claustrophobic?” These are expected and perfectly appropriate questions, my friends. And my answer is no. I do not allow my mind to go down that particular path because every session is vital toward healing.

Star City ‘Renaissance man’

As seems to be the case, many of our community’s early settlers were what I would refer to as “Renaissance men.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a “Renaissance man” is someone who is well educated and sophisticated and who has talent and knowledge in many different fields of study.

Your Welsh ancestors

Do you have Welsh ancestry? Many who do haven’t tried to do much research in Welsh records. The Welsh are a proud people, descendants of Celts. My own Welsh heritage stems from the Merrick/Meyrick line from the Isle of Anglesey, now Anglesey County. For about 20 years it was part of Gwynedd County, but after 1996 was reestablished as an independent county.

Sharing a new journey

My friends, I must apologize to you for my long absence. I am in the midst of a journey like no other; one I did not choose, yet one that has changed my life in unimaginable ways. As for the lessons learned, they are far too numerous to categorize or list.

Honoring first responders on the 9/11 anniversary

Twenty-one years ago, I was working in the woods, out of cell phone range and miles away from the closest television. It seems like a lifetime ago — I had just graduated from the University of Maine at Fort Kent, celebrated my 29th birthday and had never stepped foot in the Statehouse as an elected official.

Remembering the one-room schools

It is now officially September and schools everywhere are back in session. It’s interesting to look at the history of schools in this community and how they differed from today.

Age Friendly Houlton: Seasons are changing

Our days are getting a little shorter and our leaves a little oranger…and pumpkin spice is popping up all over! It’s hard to imagine that kids are back in school and our wonderful Maine summer is drawing to a close.

Animal Encounters

The first day my son Wyatt and I met our husky/shepherd dog Dexter at the Houlton Humane Society, the shelter manager told us that he was infamous for running away from home for miles, venturing into people’s yards, and killing small animals.

The gift of Apollo, 53 years later

I am aging and eroding anxiously and rapidly, but the lunar timelessness of Tranquility Base remains inviolate. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin trod across that timelessness and brought back to planet Earth the “Year Zero”, the reality of greatness within everyday American life and every American heart.

Mining company not to be trusted

To the editor: Since time immemorial the Penobscot and Maliseet have shared an inherent connection to the environment. We have a responsibility, passed down from our ancestors, to care for the land, water, air, and all life that depends upon a healthy ecosystem to thrive.

Strengthening opioid treatment resources for Maine seniors

The opioid epidemic continues to claim the lives of far too many people, with record numbers of both Mainers and Americans lost in 2021. While many perceive the face of opioid addiction as young, the epidemic harms older adults as well. In Maine, more than 10 percent of drug overdose deaths last year were among residents 60 and older.

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