To be perfectly frank and honest, in the early and middle stages of the state's response to COVID-19, I had very little to say in the way of criticism of Mills. However, I began to grow rather uncomfortable with that silence when more time passed. 

Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday outlined a four-stage plan for Maine to gradually reopen businesses in the state. While her plan is to extend the current stay-at-home order through May 31, certain businesses and activities will be allowed to open beginning May 1 if they follow safety protocols developed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

Town buildings and certain facilities remain closed due to COVID-19 but the town’s work carries on.  Our first responders, police and fire are at the ready to answer the call day or night to make sure our community is safe.  The town’s road crew is busy with road work and preparing for summer paving.  If you’re still seeing broken trees or limbs affecting your commute, let us know.

Surely there is now ample evidence that the Penquis region has proven it can adhere to the appropriate guidelines without the need for a full closure of our community enterprises. 

The April 24 letter from Bob Jean made my day. He wrote the letter I didn't get around to writing myself, perhaps better than I could have.

I understand that the drawing for moose permits will be online only as those in charge feel that would be prudent. Many unusual restrictions of gathering and other freedoms have been decreed by the authorities in these troubled times.

Nearly 130 years later, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center stands on that foundation. Our promise remains strong as our physicians, nurses, first responders and other frontline caregivers face the unprecedented challenges and uncertainty presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sunday, I decided to venture out into the vast unknown hellscape now known as "reality" to one of our illustrious essential businesses -- a home improvement store -- in order to acquire the necessary handful of items that I needed to repair said broken thing.

Re-opening businesses while COVID-19 is still circulating is not as simple as turning on a switch or sending an email to employees asking them to show up for work. For much of the state, schools have already been closed for the remainder of the academic year. Many parents will have no option but to stay home or modify their schedules to ensure that their kids have proper supervision.

Gov. Janet Mills’ leadership has kept Maine’s coronavirus infection and death rates among the lowest in the nation.

I’ve been entering information from vital records (birth, marriage, death) into my genealogical software program. When you do the same chore remember that every category on the form can hide a valuable clue. Yes, it takes time and the temptation to skip all that in favor of researching is great, but if you don’t enter everything you take a chance you’ll eventually forget all the details and some of those may be what you need in the future.  

I call for the release of as many jail and prison inmates as possible in light of the threat to inmates of the COVID-19 virus. If anyone going into a locked facility, where inmates and staff have no good option of safe distancing, has the virus, it will be almost impossible to prevent a health and safety crisis.

This week’s address focuses on another event that brings us all together uniquely as Mainers, Patriot’s Day. This year, Patriot’s Day is celebrated on April 20.

Congratulations, dear reader. Using my reality bending power to create alternative universes, I have now conjured a world in which you are reading this column in the Blaine House, and you are the governor of Maine. Everything else is the same. Same history. Same first year in office. Same COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. The only difference is that now you are in the unfortunate position of having to make decisions.

President Donald Trump has made it clear – science or not – that he wants to quickly end the physical distancing requirements that are being used to slow the spread of COVID-19. And that he – alone – has the power to do it. Governors, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills among many others, are taking a much more cautious, science-and-public-health-first approach about ending orders that are keeping people at home

Luckily, all of us can ease the pressure on our planet by filling our grocery bags — whatever they are made of — with delicious, healthy vegan foods. Researchers have found that animal-derived substances have carbon footprints two to 20 times larger than vegan foods.

One thing is certain, we live in this state of Maine, in a county and in a town. However, we also live in a "community.” What makes our community special is the people. Each one of us can share our resources, talents and love with our community.

I want to acknowledge and thank the families, parents and caregivers who are working so hard to support remote learning for our students during this unprecedented emergency situation. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reach across every aspect of our daily lives, and many families are struggling with lost jobs, lack of childcare, and access to even basic provisions. We know that many students have had to assume adult responsibilities -- like supervising younger siblings or taking a job to help support the family, and we know that many adults are arriving home in the evening, exhausted from essential jobs, to support children in different grade levels with remote school work.