In response to the Sept. 9 op-ed regarding prostate cancer, “Prostate cancer numbers have increased. Are you vulnerable?,” I would like to mention that one of the many factors that should be considered is exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants used during the Vietnam war. The Veterans Administration (VA) has determined that anyone who […]

Regarding the Sept. 4 report, “West Gardiner’s clerk broke Maine election law, and the state can’t do anything”— as a resident of West Gardiner for almost 20 years, I find this revelation disturbing. Were it not for the spectacular hubris of West Gardiner town councilors and staff, this egregious error wouldn’t have occurred. But why […]

Politics aside, I’m taking a more worldly view of President Donald Trump. Noticing that he is pictured rarely, if ever, smiling, I’m convinced that he has never experienced true joy. That, despite holding a very powerful position, he is a sad and lonely man — possibly, like many of us, frightened at times. His friends […]

Here is my response to Canadians who are threatening to no longer visit Maine: Don’t. I’ve noticed that our beaches are cleaner and more free of cigarette butts since fewer Canadians are visiting Maine beaches. The few dollars they spend here will not break any business in Maine. Joseph J. Valecko, Jr.Lewiston

I am writing in astonishment about a Sept. 6 post on social media by President Trump, featuring a picture as if he were Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore from the 1979 film “Apocalypse Now,” stating the following: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning … Chicago about to find out why it’s called the […]

What on earth is happening to the United States of America? Every day we are bombarded with another missile from President Trump. It’s hard to keep up (I am sure that is by design). I would say that the scariest thing that Trump (and, as his proxy, Stephen Miller) is doing is unleashing ICE on […]

Even before the Lewiston tragedy, people in my community told me they were deeply concerned about the seemingly endless mass shootings in our country. I encourage everyone who wants to take a positive step toward curbing the epidemic of gun violence to vote “Yes” this November on Question 2. Question 2 would create an Extreme […]

 Recently, I saw the headline “Democratic lawmaker from Blue Hill charged with election interference” (Sept. 5). Before I opened the article, my mind conjured all of the instances of election interference we’ve seen across the country in recent years. Piqued, I opened the article. I was astonished to read that, with scant evidence, the representative […]