Longtime subscriber here. I love my newspaper but I like having a local, independent newspaper written by local journalists more, and so I understand the changes the Maine Trust is making.

But while they’re looking at things, here’s something I’ve noticed: in the “Today’s Birthdays” section on Page 2, at the bottom of the “Today’s Almanac,” the number of men’s birthdays is greater than the number of women’s. It’s been like this every month, and almost every day … for years.

For example, on Sunday, March 9, there were two women’s and seven men’s birthdays listed. So far, in March, it’s 23 women and 48 men. Last month’s total was 77 women and a whopping 171 men, and for the yearly view, February 2024 was 56 women and 97 men, and February 2023, the total was 47 to 65. When the general population is closer to 50/50 this is pretty unbalanced.

So, here’s my suggestion: If a goal of the Maine Trust is reader engagement, how about using that little piece of real estate for a readers’ poll? A brief topical question prepared by the editorial board, or suggested by readers, with responses posted the following day? Way more engaging than the piece that’s there now.

Beth Goodwin
Wells