When I moved to Portland in 1969, the city was on the cusp of a major transformation.
A surge of “urban renewal” would soon cut a swath across the landscape, plowing arrow straight furrows…
Columns
Commentary
In 2006 Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties floated $24.6 million in bonds to build Two Bridges Regional Jail, a state-of-the-art, 120-inmate county jail…
Fish Soup
It's snowing outside. It's April. I'm sitting in front of my computer with a cowboy hat on, in Belfast, Maine. I'm trying to get used to it. The truth is, thanks to eBay, I now own two…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Sen. Susan Collins
Each year, some of Maine's most exceptional students are chosen to attend one of the United States military service academies. One of my greatest honors as a U.S. senator is having the opportunity…
What are fiddleheads? He looked me squarely in the eye, and said, ‘fish’
My 11-year-old son has adopted an annoying new habit. Whenever my wife or I begin to explain something to him, he interrupts with, "I know, I KNOW! I'm not stupid!" Somewhere along the line, he…
From the outdoors
I enjoy traveling to Montana, Alaska, British Columbia and other destinations. At the conclusion of each trip though, I'm eager to return home to Maine. Following is a short list of reasons why I…
Industrial arts
I offer some uninvited ruminations on a few of life's finer things, like community, and spring, and cake, and ice cream — and maybe even snow.
As I write, it is Wednesday morning (April 16…
Web Tech Buzz
Daniel Richman is interested in helping small businesses and start-ups achieve their social media and online marketing goals. Marketing through social media is a great tool if understood and…
From the outdoors
The arrival of baseball's Opening Day makes me nostalgic. Before the modern high school baseball era showcasing aluminum bats and public address systems, rural Maine baseball in the 1960s was…
You know how sometimes when you really anticipate something, when the event happens it’s a little less than what you hoped for? Often the hype and anticipation can create expectations that are…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing…
Financially Speaking
Income tax brackets for 2014 are a little wider. For couples filing jointly, the l5-percent bracket goes up to $73,800; the 25-percent bracket to $148,850 and the 28-percent to $226,850. The 33-…
Down to the sea
There is not much to worry about in Camden for weather, except for a long winter sometimes.
But the yachtsmen do have a concern about hurricanes. They are not yet ready to give up their…
Sen. Susan Collins
Maine has a robust and growing craft brewing industry, which employs more than 1,200 people. Our state is home to nearly 50 breweries producing quality beer from Bangor to Bar Harbor, Portland to…
This is going to be a very special week. Actually all weeks, days, hours are special and we all should appreciate that more. This week I will attend the christening of the USS Zumwalt,…
Financially Speaking
Once you're maxed out what you can contribute to your 401(k)—at least enough to qualify for your employer's match—and you're looking for tax-advantaged savings for the future, see what a Roth IRA…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Tim Sample: Stories I Never Told You
When my cell phone rang the other day, I was driving, so I let it go to voicemail. I’ll admit that I felt a brief spike of panic a few minutes later when I glanced at the caller ID and noticed…
Opinion
When my friend Gary Barnes, in Colorado, posted this picture, it just looked like a funny pic. The more I thought about it, the more life situations I could see. Two scenarios came to mind.
…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Financially Speaking
When a new business seems to be successful, it’s tempting to want to make it grow. Whoa! Plan carefully so that you will have enough cash to cover the expansion. When the time comes to borrow from…
Down to the sea
CAMDEN — Curtis Island Light has been shining since 1835, when it was built on “Negro Island” by George Galt, of Massachusetts. The light kept many vessels passing by on their course and off the…
Tim Sample: Stories I Never Told You
You know it’s been a harsh Maine winter when you find yourself sitting around daydreaming about mud season. Even the crustiest Maine weather curmudgeons will agree the one we’ve just slogged…
Sen. Angus King
In recent weeks my office has received numerous inquiries from students and families who are considering traveling abroad during their spring and summer vacations, but are concerned about the cost…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Financially Speaking
Retirement no longer comes on a fixed schedule. It's not necessarily 65 and goodbye. Some quit earlier, some go on for years, perhaps in a second—or third—career.
The first question: what do…
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree: Commentary
When one big company merges with another big company, it’s usually great for shareholders and top executives, but not so good for consumers. That’s why I think the proposed merger of two of the…
Tim Sample: Stories I Never Told You
Novelists occasionally employ a technique known as dramatic foreshadowing as a means of introducing characters or locations early in a narrative, the significance of which may only be revealed…
Financially Speaking
Home improvements can be costly. Adding a room, updating a kitchen, even turning an attic into a bedroom can run to $50,000 or more. So the question often comes up: can I deduct those expenses on…
Industrial Arts
“Asteroid misses earth; no baby bunnies were harmed.” Yes, I know. It’s illegal to incorrectly placard a truck, unlawful to misrepresent one’s credentials, dangerous to…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Tim Sample: Stories I Never Told You
I’ve always been at best a sporadic TV watcher, far more likely to be found curled up with a good book than zoned out in front of the tube. Back in the ’80s when I hosted the weekly quiz show “So…
Where would YOU go if your wife told you to fish your way home from California?
Help. Help is a funny thing when it comes to fishing. If I’m doing the Sunday crossword puzzle I don’t turn to the answer page first and then just go fill in the puzzle. There would be no…
opinion
Career and Technical Education (CTE) trains students for employment and prepares them for higher education based on Maine Department of Labor projections of what is needed for the…
Financially Speaking
Health Savings Accounts, available to those with high-deductible health-insurance plans, still offer worthwhile advantages. The accounts can be tapped for out-of-pocket medical expenses. What's…
Ask too many questions, you miss opportunities
Feb. 18: Dear Diary,
Flew out of Owls Head today for Washington, D.C. Going to connect with a group of Trekkers on their “Ride…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Not long ago I stood in my kitchen on Matinicus Island and called up one of our friendly neighborhood Rockland lumberyards and ordered some two-by-fours. The man on the phone was happy to talk to…
Financially Speaking
For a long time, the Internal Revenue Service has been chasing after firms that misclassify employees as independent contractors. Despite sequestration and government closure, the service has…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
A chilly Carnival with our northern neighbors
QUEBEC CITY—It’s a long road up to Jackman. North of Skowhegan, Route 201 follows the weaving Kennebec River upstream into a prickling sea of dark spruce trees. At The Forks, the road hops across…
When you try to run everything, you are in over your head and The Universe or whatever will smack you for that
I was chatting with someone the other day and the conversation turned to some of the goals that I’ve set and things that I wanted to happen. After a few minutes of back and forth, the other…
Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he…
Financially Speaking
The general answer is "Don't." You're cutting into your retirement assets; the amount borrowed is not appreciating with the rest of your account; and if you leave the job without paying it back,…
Down to the Sea
Captain Phil Raynes is no longer seen in his boat, the Bog Onion. An important part of Camden Harbor is missing. He was a lobsterman for…
Tim Sample: Stories I Never Told You
Assuming that everything goes according to schedule, by the time you read this I will have just celebrated one of those “landmark” birthdays that come around every few years. I won’t mention the…
Industrial Arts
A hiker or a hunter doesn’t show up at camp for supper and friends begin to worry. An elderly person, perhaps suffering from dementia, goes for a walk and doesn…
Financially Speaking
Claiming your young children as dependents usually does not raise any issues with Uncle Sam. It is assumed that they live with you, are United States citizens, and don't have too much income to…
