Columnists
09/28/2026 · Skowhegan
The Three Words That Give Your Day Back
“Let me check” is not evasive, rude, or a sign that you’re bad at being helpful. It’s a small pause that keeps other people’s urgency from becoming your schedule.
Shakespeare’s Secret: How One Poem Turns Summer Into a Promise
Shakespeare begins with a question about summer and ends by claiming that a poem can outlive time itself. The astonishing part is not the boast—it’s how carefully the sonnet earns it.
09/27/2026
The Trouble With the Future Is That It Hasn’t Happened Yet
Seneca’s ancient advice for modern catastrophizers is less “think positive” than “stop giving your imagination documentary status.”
09/27/2026
The National Ear: Washington Sells Certainty, America Buys Confusion
The country’s biggest arguments all point to the same problem: leaders keep promising control over systems they cannot steer. Meanwhile, families, courts, and small employers keep paying the bill.
09/27/2026
The Immersive Van Gogh Industrial Complex Must Be Stopped
I have seen “Starry Night” projected onto a warehouse wall, and I survived. But somewhere between the swelling soundtrack and the $38 tote bag, we stopped looking at art and started being gently processed by it.
09/27/2026
Good News With Receipts: Tools, Donors, Condors, and Plastic-Eating Enzymes
The best good news rarely arrives with fireworks. People keep improving ordinary systems, helping strangers, protecting endangered birds, and teaching chemistry to clean up our messes.
09/28/2026
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Announcements
View allRoute 113 Daytime Closures
Route 113 Daytime Closures 8/29/2025 MAINE/NEW HAMPSHIRE - From September 8 to November 14, the Maine Department of Transportation will close Route 113 through the White Mountain National Forest to all vehicles from 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. on weekdays for a cable guardrail replacement project. The project area begins just south of the Spruce Hill Trail parking area and extends south to the Brickett Place. This project is expected to be completed by this fall. Bicyclists and pedestrians may continue to use the entirety of Route 113. Bikers and pedestrians will need to use caution when approaching a work zone and follow the flagger’s instructions. Onsite signage will be updated regularly to show which sections of Route 113 are closed to vehicles. All through traffic intending to use Route 113 should seek an alternate route between the hours of 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. Maine drivers should use Route 5 and New Hampshire drivers should use Routes 16 and 302 as an alternative route. The contractor on this project is CA Newcomb & Sons of Carmel, Maine. The contract amount is $1,412,910.00. MaineDOT will provide updates on the project as needed via our website.
Spurwink Bridge Work in Cape Elizabeth
Spurwink Bridge Work in Cape Elizabeth 8/29/2025 CAPE ELIZABETH - The Maine Department of Transportation will begin work on the Spurwink Bridge for a bridge wearing surface replacement project starting on September 2. Work is expected to be completed by the end of October 2025. The bridge and adjacent approach roadway will be reduced to one 12’ wide lane. Drivers should expect one-way alternating traffic that will be controlled with temporary traffic signals. The contractor on this project is Wyman & Simpson of Richmond, Maine. The contract amount for this project is $320,000.
Mitchell Bridge Closure in Scarborough
Mitchell Bridge Closure in Scarborough | Maine Department of Transportation Home Skip to top navigation Skip to side navigation Skip to content Skip to footer Mitchell Bridge Closure in Scarborough 8/26/2025 SCARBOROUGH – The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the Mitchell Bridge on Mitchell Hill Road at the town line between Gorham & Scarborough on September 2 for up to 45 days for a culvert replacement project. There will be signage along the detour route. The detour uses Holmes Road, Beech Ridge Road, County Road/Route 22, and Burnham Rd. The anticipated completion date for this project is October 24. The contractor on this project is T. Buck Construction, Inc. of Turner, Maine. The contract amount is $940,000.
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