Now we are in the holiday season filled with the spirit of Christmas let’s unite as one greeting everyone with smiling faces and blessings of Christmas filling their hearts with love throughout the new year.

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) will make elections more fair and democratic. There is a new petition that will force the enactment of RCV (which has been delayed until after 2020 by the legislature) by next year.

Between now and Feb. 4, citizens in communities all over Maine are collecting signatures from registered voters to create a “People's Veto Referendum” for our ranked-choice voting law that was passed by referendum in November 2016 but suppressed by the governor and legislature over this past year.

Between now and Feb. 4, citizens in communities all over Maine are collecting signatures from registered voters to create a “People's Veto Referendum” for our ranked-choice voting law that was passed by referendum in November 2016 but suppressed by the governor and legislature over this past year.

I’m having a hard time understanding why Congress is rushing through tax cuts that will cost $100 billion each year (benefiting few if any of my neighbors here), while denying $800 per year to each of nine million poor kids (many of whom are probably children of my neighbors here).

On behalf of 230,000 AARP members in the state of Maine, I am writing with great concern regarding the latest version of the Senate Tax Bill.

While I agree with Matthew Gagnon’s recent column regarding sexual impropriety in Congress, I found it disingenuous that while he mentioned Al Franken, John Conyers and George H.W. Bush, nothing was said regarding Roy Moore

Last week’s message from the Gov. Paul LePage bemoaned the fiscal irresponsible Medicaid expansion. I for one applaud a governor who espouses fiscal responsibility. But I wonder if this governor’s ideology has clouded his sense of fiscal responsibility.

Global thinking nowadays is complicated by the disparity of environmental, economic and social problems. If they are considered nationally, at least in the U.S., then consensus is impossible to reach because of the divisiveness and intractability of political parties.

Ten ways to raise self-centered children.

In response to Mr. Pooler’s letter on the Oct. 25 page, “Guns don’t kill people, bad people kill people.”

In November, there are four referendum questions on the ballot. Questions 3 and 4 concern borrowing for infrastructure and a revision of state pension rules. I believe these two are favored by the Legislature.

It was April 30, 1945, eight days before the end of World War II in Europe and Harald Simon, an 18-year-old private in the German Army, lay in a hospital bed near Prague. He’d been wounded and lost an eye during a Russian mortar attack.

Guns don't kill people, bullets do. So if bullets were regulated like prescription drugs, authorities could be notified and the purchaser could be investigated as to why such a large purchase is necessary.

I recently came across Matthew Gagnon’s Sept. 21 BDN (and Sept. 27 Piscataquis Observer) column “The future of freedom of speech.” I found it interesting that Gagnon blamed political correctness as the reason college campuses are drifting toward speech codes and regulations on speech.

The Three Rivers Kiwanis of Milo-Brownville extends a very big thank you to the United Bikers of Maine for the bags of toys they donated.

The Piscataquis 4-H Leaders’ Association would like to thank all of the businesses and individuals who participated in its 2017 4-H Silent Auction. This year was the third annual auction in the 4-H Exhibition Hall at the Piscataquis Valley Fair, and it was highly successful raising $1,018 for the scholarship fund.

On behalf of the Moosehead Lake Region I want to thank you for choosing Moosehead Lake as your destination and supporting America’s Crown Jewel. We appreciate it very much.