Let's write about how the author Jane Austen was motivated to create her classics

This is a short article is published the in the Fall 2025, Bowdoin College Magazine, (in Brunswick, Maine) by Associate Professor of English Literature Anne Kibbie*. 

I recommend following this seminar for anyone who appreciates a terrific reading group experience with a very scholarly leader. Thanks to Dr. Kibbie for sharing your Jane Austen scholarship. Her Bowdoin College email is at the link to her name above.

Shocking Jane Austen❗ Born on December 16, 1775 in Steventon Hampshire, England, and died on July 18, 1817, in Winchester, Hampshire when she was 41 years old, having written novels like Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. She is buried in the Winchester Cathedral.

In recognition of the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, Associate Professor Ann Kibbie says the great novelist's real message goes beyond the world of love and romance.

During the 205th landmark anniversary for the fans of one of the greatest English language novelists, Jane Austen, who wrote about the lives and loves of the British landed gentry from the female perspective was born on December 16, 1775.

Dr. Ann Kibbie is one of her fans who teaches Austen and whose scholarship includes representations of money and capital in early modern literature.

Dr. Kibbie says her favorite response to Austen's work comes from the twentieth cectury poet W. H. Auden.  "He write that, despite the image of Austen as a prim and proper spinster, 'You could not shock her more than she shocks me'.  What did he consider so shocking❓  Her focus on that forbidden of subjects was not romance, but on money," 💰asserts Kibbe.

(No kidding❓😀😉 Who knew❓😮)

*Dr. Ann Louise Kibbie specializes in British Literature of the long eighteenth century. Her areas of research include representations of money and capital in early modern literature; the eighteenth-century novel; sentimentalism and the gothic; and eighteenth-century property law. Most recently, she has focused on the intersections between literature and medical history in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Her monograph, Transfusion: Blood and Sympathy in the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination, was published by the University of Virginia Press (Fall 2019).

She was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in 2021 for her current project, Fatal Labors: Obstetrics and the Disabled Maternal Body in Nineteenth-Century Great Britain.

Let's write about the difficult subject of slavery acted out in our own communities

An opinion echo essay publised in The Bollard, in Portland Maine by Samuel James, in his column titled "Racism". 

White folks tend to think of racism as someone else's personal problem. Like, it sucks to get called the "N" word or whatever, but them's the breaks. Besides, whatever hurt feelings racism may ro may not cause will eventually be solved when we finally get around to convincing everyone not to judge books by covers.  

Personally, I would be overjoyed if the problems about racism were only hurt felings. Unfortunately, it's about a little more that that.  Racism, as we know it today, can be traced to 1450, Portugal, when Prince Henry was looking for a way to justify his exclusive enslavement of Black Africans. And so, Henry's chonicler, Gomes Eanes de Zurara began writing about Black people as being inferior and deserving of enslavement. 

More than 400 years later those same dipshit ideas spewed from the mouth of Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy.  Weeks before the start of the Civil War, Stephens explained that the new Southern government's "cornerstone rests....upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition".

After the Civil War, tasks established as "slave work" became common jobs but never lost their antebellum  status. This is why many of those jobs- kitchen and wait staff, childcare specialists, farmworkers, laundry laborers, etc.- continue to be the lowest paid in the country.  Yes, COVID showed us that society completely collapses without so called "essentail workers", but racism is a hell of a drug.

The servant class isn't the only one trapped by this history.  The entertainment class is trapped as well- especially musicians.  Performers of American music are often valued much like the enslaved people who originated it.  If you have any doubt, ask a local musician how many times they've been asked to perform for free, and then have a seat, because you'e about to hear a very long list.

This truth is obscured by the pop stars who, like most American success stories, rose to the top by already being there.  Ed Sheeran, Adam Levine Win Butler, Kid Rock, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift comprise just a drop int he bucket of famous musicians born into wealth and privilege.  Performers like this wouldn't be discouraged by the typical recording contract, which involved signing away the rights to your work in perpetuity while receiving an advance to cover touring costs that must be quickly paid back, usually by committing to a grueling touring schedule.  

A business model requiring a perpetual supply of free labor benefitting those not supplying that labor should feel disgustingly familiar to anyone who comleted fifth-grade history. (In other words...."slavery".)

The music industry is built by non-musicians for the benefit of non-musicians like managers and agents and label heads and verius other middlemen. Live Nation, for exampoe, is an international "entertainment company", claiming to be "Artist powered, and "Fan driven".

Since they promote, operate and manage ticket sales, venues and musicians' careers, I guess  that's technically true.  They're also facing various monoply-related lawsuits brought by hundreds of individuals, 39 state attorneys general and teh federal government.  These legal actins allege racketeering price gouging an dviolating anti-trust and consumer protection laws. 

Oh, and this "entertainment compnay' is trying to build a 3,300 seat venue in downtown Portland, Maine.

If Live Nation is successful, Portland can expect to experience the alleged criminality of the "entertainment company" and the loss of its local music scene as Live Nation's invasion of communities frequently leads to the closing of idnependent venues and the exodus of local musicians.  Fortunately, a moratorium has been proposed that would block the venue's construciton, and the Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on in on August 11*.  Unfortunately, its vote could be meaningless, regardless of the outcome.

Portland operates under the Council of Managers form of mucincipal government and anti-democratic, white supremacist system created to subjugate Black people. In this system, the decision-making powers belongs to an unelected city manager, while the mayor is largely a figurehead, and the city council mostly functions as lobbyyists appealing to the city manager.  Portland has operated this way cince 1923, when the Ku Klux Klan, along with their members and collaborators in the Portland Chamber of Commerce and the Portland Press Herald manipulaed an electin gerrymandered city and installed this racist structure.

This is not to say that those opposed to the Live Nation shouldn't flood council chambers (again) this month.  They absolutely should❗ But, they should also manage their expectations of a government designed to choose whose interests it represents based on the decisions of a manager whom no one voted to represent them.

If any or all of this sounds especially bleak, congratulations! You now understant that racism is a little more than someone else's personal problem.  

* Portland City Council Passes 180-Day Moratorium, Pausing Live Nation Venue Project:  Monday, August 11, 2025, the Portland City Council voted 6-3 to pass a 180-day moratorium on the development of large concert venues with a capacity of 2,000 people or more. This decision will temporarily pause the construction of the controversial Portland Music Hall, a proposed 3,300-seat venue backed by Live Nation and Mile Marker Investments. However, the moratorium will not go into effect for 30 days due to the absence of an emergency clause.

What Does the Moratorium Mean? The vote on the moratorium means that the Portland Music Hall project, planned for 244 Cumberland Ave., will be put on hold for at least six months. During this time, the city will study the potential impacts of large-scale venues on traffic, parking, local businesses, and the city’s cultural landscape. The moratorium, which is retroactive to December 1, 2024, will give the city time to consider necessary adjustments to zoning ordinances and other regulations.

The Debate: Why the Moratorium? The proposal has sparked fierce debate within the community. (Published in PortlandOldPort.com)

Opponents of the venue, including the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the Maine Music Alliance, argued that a Live Nation-backed venue could be an “existential threat” to Portland’s independent music scene. Their concerns included the potential loss of jobs, venue closures, and a shift in the cultural landscape of the city, especially considering Live Nation’s involvement in a federal antitrust lawsuit.

Supporters of the venue, on the other hand, highlighted the potential for job creation, economic growth, and a boost to Portland’s tourism. They believe that the venue would serve as a much-needed space for national acts and large-scale events, strengthening Portland’s position as a hub for entertainment in New England.

The author of Racism, Samuel James, is giving an example about how slavery shows up in communities in very cunning ways. Live Nation obviously is looking for an opportunity to monopolize Portland, Maine's entertainment environment.  

Let's write about Ron Turcotte: A memorial tribute

Over the years, I have had the honor to write a lot about Ron Turcotte because of his French-Canadian heritage.  Sadly, I am sharing his obitury here published in Blood Horse, by Byron King. My husband and I met Ron Turcotte several years ago when he spoke to a group in Waterville Maine.  When I wrote about him, I could actually call his home and his lovely wife "Gae" would answer the phone, she was a wealth of information.💗😇  

L'Heureux photo:  Ron Turcotte (b.1941-d.2025 ✝️RIP)  in Waterville Maine 😰

Reported in Blood Horse, by Byron King:

Retired famous jockey Ron Turcotte, remembered for riding Secretariat to win the 1973, Triple Crown during a Hall of Fame career that ended prematurely in 1978, due to a tragic racing injury, died of natural causes Aug. 22, in his Drummond home outside Grand Falls, New Brunswick, in Canada. He was 84. Turcotte's family formally announced his death through Leonard Lusky, his longtime friend and business representative.
"Ron was a great jockey and an inspiration to so many, both within and outside the racing world. While he reached the pinnacle of success in his vocation, it was his abundance of faith, courage, and kindness that was the true measure of his greatness," Lusky said.

Born in French speaking Canada, as the third oldest of 12 children in 1941, in Grand Falls, Turcotte initially supported his family as a teenager as a lumberjack before finding his calling at the racetrack. In the late 1950s, Turcotte connected with E. P. Taylor, the legendary Canadian owner and breeder. Turcotte went to Taylor's farm, hotwalking Thoroughbreds.
Slight in stature, he proved well suited to becoming a jockey and rode his first winner at Fort Erie Racetrack in Ontario in 1962. By the end of the year, he was the leading rider in Canada with 180 wins. In 1963, he again earned riding honors in Canada with 216 wins before leaving in September to ride in Maryland and later New York and Delaware. He would go on to massive success in the United States.

Besides riding Meadow Stable's Hall of Famer Secretariat, Turcotte also was the primary jockey for Meadow Stable champion and Hall of Famer Riva Ridge, winner of the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Lucien Laurin trained both colts.
When Turcotte won the 1973 Derby with Secretariat, he became the first jockey since Jimmy Winkfield in 1902, to win consecutive editions of the race. Turcotte was North America's leading stakes-winning jockey in 1972 and 1973. He was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1973. Only Laffit Pincay Jr. earned more money than Turcotte in 1973, among North American jockeys.

Turcotte also would ride Hall of Famers Arts and Letters, Dahlia, Damascus, Dark Mirage, Fort Marcy, Northern Dancer, and Shuvee in addition to the Meadow Stable stars. He captured his first Triple Crown race with Tom Rolfe in the 1965 Preakness Stakes and won 3,032 races overall.

Ron Turcotte statue in Grand Falls, New Brunswick Canada

Turcotte's riding career was cut short on July 13, 1978, when he was unseated from his mount, Flag of Leyte Gulf, in his final race of the afternoon at Belmont Park. His horse clipped heels and stumbled, tossing Turcotte. The rider broke his neck in the fall and was paralyzed from the waist down.

That year, he was awarded a Sovereign Award as Man of the Year. At the time, the only other men to receive Man of the Year honors were E.P. Taylor and Jack Diamond.

Other honors for Turcotte included Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing's 1978 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award and the Turf Publicists of America's 1978 Big Sport of Turfdom Award. In 1974, Turcotte was inducted into the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor.

Following his retirement from the saddle, Turcotte made appearances at racetracks to raise money and awareness on behalf of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Turcotte married his childhood sweetheart, Gaetane, in 1964. The couple has four daughters: Tina, Ann, Lynn, and Tammy. After his riding career ended, he returned to Drummond to live on his farm.

"The world may remember Ron as the famous jockey of Secretariat, but to us he was a wonderful husband, a loving father, grandfather, and a great horseman," the Turcotte family said in a statement distributed by Lusky.

Turcotte recovered from setbacks during his retirement, including breaking both legs in a driving accident in 2015 when his van flipped after hitting a snowbank in New Brunswick.

Turcotte was the last surviving member of the individuals most closely associated with Secretariat's racing career. Owner Penny Chenery died in 2017, at age 95. Laurin died in 2000.
Secretariat died in 1989, euthanized after developing laminitis.
Secretariat's Triple Crown campaign and Turcotte's association with the Meadow Stable champion were depicted in the 2010 blockbuster film "Secretariat." Turcotte was further the subject of the award-winning documentary "Secretariat's Jockey: Ron Turcotte," as well as several books, including his 1992 biography "The Will to Win" by Bill Heller.

The family requests privacy while plans are formalized for a private funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the PDJF.

Tributes to Turcotte
"Ron Turcotte was a true Canadian icon whose impact on horse racing is immeasurable. From his incredible journey aboard Secretariat to his lifelong commitment to the sport, Ron carried himself with humility, strength, and dignity. His legacy in racing, both here at Woodbine and around the world, will live forever. We mourn his loss and celebrate a life that inspired many."—Jim Lawson, executive chair of Woodbine Entertainment

"The board of directors of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and its recipients mourn the passing of one of our greatest champions and ambassadors. Ron's tireless advocacy and efforts on behalf of his fellow fallen rider is beyond measure.

Although he is appropriately recognized as a member of the Racing Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the saddle, his contributions to the PDJF established him as a giant in the hearts of all associated with this organization. His memory and his impact will live on forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gaetane, their daughters, and his family and friends at this difficult time."—William J. Punk Jr., PDJF chairman


"The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association joins the entire racing community in mourning the passing of Ron Turcotte, one of the sport's most celebrated and beloved jockeys. Best remembered as the rider of Secretariat during the unforgettable 1973 Triple Crown, Ron's place in racing history is secure. Yet beyond the record-breaking victories, he was admired for his humility, courage, and lifelong dedication to Thoroughbred racing. His legacy will forever be intertwined with the greatness of our sport. 

On behalf of horsemen and horsewomen across the country, we extend our deepest condolences to Ron's family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable life."—The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association

"Ron Turcotte was an icon and will forever be fondly remembered as the trusted partner of legendary Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner Secretariat, arguably the most popular Thoroughbred in history. As a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, Ron's many accomplishments on the racetrack and his deep passion for horse racing brought countless fans to the sport. He will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans all over the world."—Churchill Downs racetrack president Mike Anderson

"Ron Turcotte will be forever remembered for guiding Secretariat to Triple Crown glory in 1973. While his courage as a jockey was on full display to a nation of adoring fans during that electrifying time, it was after he faced a life-altering injury that we learned about the true character of Ron Turcotte. By devoting himself to supporting fellow jockeys struggling through similar injuries, Ron Turcotte built a legacy defined by kindness and compassion. NYRA extends our sympathies to Ron Turcotte's family and friends, and we join the horse racing community in mourning his loss."—David O'Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association

Donald Trump and maga Republicans big ugly tax cuts for the rich are causing at least a dozen hospital closures

Echo report by Alan Condon, published in Becker's Hospital Review:

(Maine Writer opinion:  Although some of the hospitals in this report were operating on the edge of bankruptcy for a long time, the budget projections caused by cuts to Medicaid accelerated the inevitable.  The big problem is, some of these hospitals could have endured for a while, but the fiscal projections, given the reality of the reimbursement cuts, hastened their closure decisions.)

A growing number of health systems across the U.S. are making the difficult decision to close hospitals, driven by unsustainable financial pressures, declining patient volumes and widespread reimbursement challenges.

Below are 12 health systems that have closed or announced plans to close hospitals this year, with some pivoting to outpatient care, others consolidating services and many citing the economic realities that make traditional acute care models increasingly unviable:

1. St. Luke’s Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis closed Aug. 1. The hospital cited low patient volumes and mounting financial challenges that make it unsustainable to continue operating St. Luke’s as an acute care facility. St. Luke’s Medical Group practices in the Des Peres medical office buildings will remain open.

2. Rockford, Ill.-based Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton closed after Mercyhealth filed a “temporary suspension of services” with the state, a spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker’s. The hospital building closed at 6 a.m. on July 1, according to NBC affiliate WREX.com. The physician clinic adjacent to the hospital campus will remain open.

3. Heritage Valley Health System closed Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital in Kennedy Township, Pa., on June 30, citing declining patient volumes and reduced reimbursement rates. The health system acquired the hospital in 2019. Following the closure, emergency care, outpatient surgery, and diagnostic services were redirected to the health system’s two other hospital locations in Sewickley and Beaver, Pa.

4. Waterville, Maine-based Northern Light Inland Hospital closed on May 27, marking the end of operations for the facility that has been gradually winding down since the closure was announced earlier this year. Northern Light Health’s decision to close the hospital was made due to “immense pressure of higher operational costs, unsustainably low reimbursement rates and a tight labor market,” the health system said in a news release shared with Becker’s.

5. Moulton, Ala.-based Lawrence Medical Center, an affiliate of Huntsville Hospital Health System, permanently closed its emergency department on May 23. The 98-bed hospital stopped providing inpatient services earlier this year and had been operating as a freestanding emergency department. The closure is part of a strategic shift to convert the hospital into an outpatient-only facility. The move comes ahead of a 40-year lease agreement that will give Huntsville Hospital Health full operational and financial control of Lawrence Medical Center. The longtime affiliates have operated financially independently until now.

6. Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health wound down operations and closed its two remaining hospitals and other care facilities. The health system, which was owned and operated by Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Systems, closed Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland on May 2. Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Pa., closed April 26. Nearly 2,700 employees were laid off as a result of the closures.

7. Mid Coast Medical Center Trinity (Texas) closed April 25. El Campo, Texas-based Mid Coast Health System, which operated the hospital, pointed to “significant financial challenges experienced by hundreds of rural hospitals” that have been made worse by “delays in establishing Medicare and Medicaid billing with commercial health insurance” for the closure,

8. Flint, Mich.-based Insight Health System closed Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital — both in Warren, Ohio — in late March. The health system cited ongoing bankruptcy and financial disruptions from former owner Dallas-based Steward Health Care. Insight has stated its intention to reopen the hospitals, though no specific timeline has been announced.

9. Ascension St. Elizabeth in Chicago closed Feb. 17 before Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare’s acquisition of the facility and eight other Ascension hospitals in Illinois. St. Louis-based Ascension’s application to close the 40-bed hospital and transfer services to St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago was approved in January by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Prime is working with the community and other stakeholders to explore future uses for the hospital, a spokesperson for the health system told Becker’s.

10. New York City-based Mount Sinai’s Beth Israel closed on April 9. Beth Israel had already closed inpatient services and closed its emergency department as the last step in the hospital’s comprehensive closure plan, which began in February. Mount Sinai said it was spending between about $500,000 a day to maintain operations at the hospital and has lost over $1 billion over the last 10 years. Mount Sinai opened an expanded urgent care center two blocks away from Beth Israel following the closure.

11. Irving, Texas-based Christus Health shuttered Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Medical Center in San Antonio on April 25. Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Westover Hills opened a tower in the spring and replaced all inpatient beds occupied at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital.

12. Orlando (Fla.) Health shuttered Rockledge Hospital on April 22. Orlando Health acquired the 298-bed facility from Dallas-based Steward Health Care in October 2024 for $439 million. In late February, the health system shared plans to close the hospital due to “years of neglect” ❓❗😞😠that left the facility unable to meet its patient care standards.

Let's write about how we can help to change the world!

As a proud member of the Rotary club of Portland Maine, I am often asked to lead the weekly meeting' opening "thought for the day". This shared meditation moment is presented after the members stand to recite the Pledge of Alliegience. 

A recent message I delivered in my meditation was to compare the wonderful inspirational message in motivaional speaker Admiral William McRaven's "Ten wasy to change the world", with the Rotary Internaational's tenets about how the Rotarians apply his principles in the Rotarian "Four Way Test".

Admiral William McRaven who over saw the 2011 Navy Seal Ossama Bin Laden operation, is a military leader and a popular motivational speaker. Thankfully, he share the content in some of his speeches, especially when he provides us with a summary of th e ten principles to help change the world.

If any of us have heard his speech on line, you know it is worth listening too again.

I thought how his 10 principles match up with our Rotary four way test and reflect on why we are proud to be Rotarians.

First, his good advice is to begin the day with an accomplishment, even a small one and suggests “Set a positive tone for the day, begin by making your bed!”.

2. Find someone to help you….do not try to do everything alone, teamwork is essential. This principle is reflective in Rotarian five avenues of service.

3. Respect everyone- treat all individuals with dignity and consideration …as in "The four way test 'build better friendships'”.

4. Know that life isn’t fair, be prepared for unfairness and adversity.

5. Don’t be afraid to fail, learn from mistakes and keep moving forward

6. Tale calculated risks, don’t be afraid to pus boundaries and try new things.

7. Face down bullies= confront challenges and those who try to hod you back.

8 Step up when times are toughest, be resilient and preserver through difficult situations – reminds us of our humanitarian relief projects and international service, like in the Dominican Republic with our hearing, clean water and prosthetic hands aid.

9. Give people hope, inspire others and offer support especially when they are struggling, to use a quote from Pope Leo XIV, “hope is a motivator, it does not disappoint”.

10 Never, ever give up, maintain unwavering determination and commitment to your goals.

These ten principles are a great way to help us jump start our new Rotary year! We can apply Admiral McCraven’s principles to our Rotary mission of giving Service Above Self.😇

Let's write about community gardens

Echo report: HARVEST| SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 | Portland Maine Diocese

SCARBOROUGH, Me- Cross over the threshold into the Garden of Eaten in Scarborough, Maine and you will see rows and rows of plants. “We have beautiful onions over there and carrots in abundance. The string beans have been doing very well, and we have kale,” says Paul Chamberlain. 

Add to that cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, snap peas, squash, and more. “My favorite is eggplant. I have three little plots over there, and I have eight eggplants and some tomatoes,” says Madelyn Murphy.

In fact, the Garden of Eaten is a project of St. John Paul II Parish.

It was created eight years ago on the grounds of St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, giving parishioners an opportunity to grow vegetables for themselves and for the South Portland Maine Food Cupboard, which serves individuals and families who are food insecure.

It a raised-bed garden, consisting of eight 10’ x 12’ plots and 47 “kiddie” plots, which are 2’ x 4.’

My family has a history of farming potatoes up in Aroostook County, Maine, so I think I got my love for planting there,” says Kathy Cropley, who has participated in the Garden of Eaten for three years.
“It doesn’t have to be that big of a plot, and you can give vegetables to the food pantry and get some for yourself.”

“It doesn’t have to be that big of a plot, and you can give vegetables to the food pantry and get some for yourself.”

“My father always had gardens growing up, and I used to help him a lot. It is a lot of fun,” says Chamberlain, who chairs the parish’s Garden of Eaten Subcommittee. “And helping people out is a big thing. To give to the food cupboard and to see what goes on over there is amazing.”

Now an independent 501(c)3, non-profit, the cupboard was founded by parishioners from Holy Cross Church in South Portland in 1997, and used to operate out of the former St. John the Evangelist church in South Portland. Since the garden's inception, 6,871 pounds of produce have been donated to the food cupboard, with a record 1,300 pounds donated last year alone. In addition to parishioners donating from their own harvests, one of the garden’s inception, 6,871 pounds of produce have been donated to the food cupboard, with a record 1,300 pounds donated last year alone. 

In addition to parishioners donating from their own harvests, one of the large plots is set aside specifically for the cupboard. The parishioners team up to tend to it.

"I do the beans. Kathy does the carrots. Nancy Irving does the beets. Kath Williams does the peppers. Lynn Mistretta does the eggplant and the Copabianco family does the squash," says Chamberlain.

Tuesday is harvesting day for the cupboard. The herbs and vegetables are collected in a shed, weighed, recorded and then one of the gardeners brings the products to the cupboard, the following morning, where it is a welcome addition to the food that is distributed there.

"Community gardens like the Garden of Eaten play a big role", says Jim Welch, the cupboard's operations manager. "When people come through the line, they see fresh stuff, their eyes light up, they are very happy to see it."

In addition to the produce it donates, Welch says the Garden of Eaten has also benefited the cupboard by inspiring other gardeners to contribute. "It influenced others to give out of their home gardens so in the big scheme of things, it really weighed big," he says.

"They clearly appreciate it and we appreciate it too. Being part of it is a good feeling," says Murphy. "I volunteered at the South Portland Food Cupboard for years and I could see the need for vegetables and all types of food.  The recipients really appreciated receiving fresh vegetables and without exception there is a real need for them. Their number of clients is growing every year, so this is a wonderful thing that we doing here."

The Garden of Eaten was originally created with the help of a $4,000 grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and through the support of community businesses and organizations, including the Knights of Columbus. 

It continues to receive a donation of garden soil each year from Broadway Gardens, and Colonial Tree and Landscaping in Buxton donates wood chips for the fenced-in ground surrounding the plots.

The wooden beds, which parishioners Ron Guibord and Larry Cain rebuilt this year, use a method called “lasagna gardening.” A base is created using materials such as compost, cow manure, newspapers, straw, and stone dust, and then that is topped off with garden soil. “There are seven layers, and then, in the fall, we cover it all with straw and just let it go. In the spring, we come out and pull the straw away, and we can see worms. They really thrive in there,” says Chamberlain. The gardeners mix in some fresh garden soil and then plant whatever crops they wish.

“I try different things. For instance, I have been working with different types of garlic,” says Guibord. “I’ll bring it home, dry it, cut off the ends, and then just bring the bulbs to the food pantry.” Chamberlain says they have never had a problem getting enough people to sign up for the plots, but he says they would welcome new gardeners. “We are full, but the day is going to come when we’re going to need some new blood, so we would love to get some young people in there,” he says.

The gardeners currently participating say they take a lot of satisfaction from it, so much so that they are there just about every day.“I learn a lot from the other gardeners here. During the pandemic, I had just retired from being a nurse, and it was nice to be able to come down here and feel safe outside and to be able to garden with other people,” says Cropley. 

“I think it brightens people’s moods when they are going by and they see a garden.”

“I don’t have any room at my home. I just have a few pots with plants in them, so it gives me an opportunity to come in and plant,” says Guibord, who spent summers on his grandfather’s and uncle’s farm as a child. “I enjoy it. I really enjoy it. It’s a good relief. I enjoy the results of what I get out of the garden at the end of each season.”

Let's write about teaching the Holocaust history in America

The word antisemitism means prejudice against or hatred of Jews. The Holocaust is history’s most extreme example of antisemitism.

AUGUSTA, Maine- This echo essay was written by Erica Nadelhaft the Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center located on the University of Maine Augusta's campus and published in the organization's blog titled "And We Will Hope to Make a Difference":

In May, 2023, The Atlantic published an article by Dara Horn titled “Is Holocaust Education Making Anti-Semitism Worse?” 

Reading the article led to much thought and many conversations both within and outside of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine community. I found myself going back to it numerous times. It is distressing, honest, and, I think, spot on in many places. I have been thinking about it both in relation to my life as a Jewish woman in America and also in relation to my role as the Education Coordinator at the HHRC (although it is not always easy to separate those pieces of myself).

The article opens by talking about the vague sense of dread that exists in many American Jewish communities. Antisemitism is widespread and, if not increasing, certainly becoming more overt and violent over time. Just a few days ago, the FBI arrested a man in Michigan for stockpiling weapons and identifying a date and a synagogue in East Lansing. Big news items like this tend to get media time. But the regular and fairly constant level of antisemitic slurs, harassment, and other indignities suffered by American Jews on an almost daily basis don’t. Horn notes that American Jews seem to feel that they have no right to complain about them. “After all,” she writes, they aren’t “the Holocaust.”

"Juif" is French for "Jew". The English term "Jew" originates in the Biblical Hebrew word Yehudi, meaning "from the Kingdom of Judah" (Wikipedia)

Horn questions how best to respond to contemporary antisemitism and writes that, “The bedrock assumption that has endured for nearly half a century is that learning about the Holocaust inoculates people against antisemitism. But it doesn’t.” Is teaching the Holocaust the best response to antisemitism? I agree with Dara Horn. Teaching about the Holocaust is not the best or the only way to respond to antisemitism. That is not to say that Holocaust education is not critical. It is, for many reasons. You cannot address antisemitism without teaching about the Holocaust, but that on its own is not enough.

At the HHRC, Holocaust education is at the core of much of what we do. We offer six different programs on various aspects of the Holocaust as well as sponsoring exhibits, guest lectures, workshops and teacher training seminars. The Holocaust infuses our building, our work, and our consciousness. It is part of who we are. We believe that the Holocaust should, indeed, must be studied for a number of reasons. First and foremost, simply for its own sake: to acknowledge the event, the victims, the survivors, the trauma and the history. Those who experienced the Holocaust deserve to have their story told. They existed and they were slaughtered and tortured because they were Jews and that is reason enough to learn.

There are also lessons we can learn when we study the Holocaust—in particular what it means to make ethical and moral decisions that carry immense risk; what it means to speak up against hate; and what it means when we choose not. We walk a fine line here, because studying the Holocaust is not a means to an end—the Holocaust did not happen so that we could use it to learn general lessons about humanity and what human beings are capable of. It’s not simply a teaching tool to help us learn about ourselves. It is a singular event that happened to a specific group of people, the Jews, for very specific reasons. We need to acknowledge both the universality of some of the lessons while focusing on the uniqueness of the event.

But why is teaching about the Holocaust not the answer to the increasingly overt, socially acceptable, and violent antisemitism in this country? Because, after all, the Holocaust could not have happened without the two thousand years of antisemitism that led, perhaps inexorably, to it. If the Holocaust is the ultimate expression of antisemitism, why is knowing about it not enough?

As Dara Horn notes in the article, the Holocaust is too often taught in a vacuum. When it is taught without the context of that two thousand year history of antisemitism; when it is taught without the context of thousands of years of vibrant and rich Jewish history; when it is taught without an anchor in history, it is difficult if not impossible for people to connect it with the antisemitism that exists in the world today.

Horn writes of an experience she had at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and hearing the docent talk about how prior to the Holocaust life for Jews in Europe was normal and how “all of a sudden, things changed.” The Jews were living happy, normal, and ordinary lives and suddenly: “things changed.” The problem is that things didn’t just suddenly change. The Holocaust drew upon a two thousand year history of antisemitism. To say otherwise ignores reality and suggests that the Holocaust was an aberration that came out of nowhere.

And was Jewish life normal in the sense that it reflected the norms of non-Jewish European society? (Maine Writer comment- Anti-Semitism was not invented by the Nazis. Life for Jews includes a history of pogroms- displacements and being victimized by violent riots.)

While in a number of European countries Jews were increasingly assimilated, or at least acculturated to the majority society, they often retained differences—in language, dress, religious observance and culture. And the article argues that “teaching children that one shouldn’t hate Jews because Jews are ‘normal,’ only underlines the problem: If someone doesn’t meet your version of ‘normal,’ then it’s fine to hate them.” Rather than teach that Jews are “normal,” we need to teach that Jews are human - and that humans have differences—and that these differences are part of what makes us human.

If we are going to do that, we have to teach about both the unique and the universal in Jewish history and experience. And this is what we are doing, and have been doing for a number of years, at the HHRC. We teach about long, vibrant, and rich Jewish history and what life was like for Jews in Europe and elsewhere before the Holocaust. Six million dead is just a number if one has no understanding of what and who was lost. How do children, and adults, appreciate the significance of the loss if they don’t know who the Jews are? It’s not enough to simply teach how the Jews died. We have to teach how they lived.

Teaching about Jews’ humanity is important, but it is still not enough to combat today’s antisemitism. We also need to take a deep and honest look at the history of antisemitism—where and why it began, how it spread, and how it led almost inevitably to the Holocaust. Then, perhaps most importantly in the fight against antisemitism, we have to teach how antisemitism did not disappear after the Holocaust. One would like to think that it would. But it didn’t. And if the Holocaust was not enough to end antisemitism, teaching solely about the Holocaust won’t end it either. At the HHRC we teach not only about the history of antisemitism, but how antisemitism has continued in both old and new guises into the present day. And that includes tackling uncomfortable and frightening issues—including anti-Zionism and the demonization of Israel.

When we reduce Jewish history to the Holocaust, we minimize Jewish history. And when we reduce our discussion of antisemitism to the Holocaust, we minimize both the antisemitism of the past as well as the antisemitism of the present. And this allows antisemitism to continue to grow and flourish - in our schools, our communities, our political institutions, the media, and many other places.

And so at the HHRC we will continue to confront antisemitism and to teach the Holocaust. We will teach the individual and the communal, the unique and the universal. Our team will continue to do the work with honesty and courage, sadness and joy. 

And we will hope to make a difference.

Let's write about bridges and the people who remember them

Remember Maine writer Glenna Johnson Smith

An echo blog published by the Bangor Daily News by Juliana L'Heureux

ECHOES: Rediscovering Community magazine was a publication created to honor Maine Acadians. An ECHOES Acadian keepsake edition honored the World Acadian Congress in 2014, hosted by Maine and Canadian communities on both sides of the border in the St. John Valley, including Aroostook County. This special edition 2014, is a treasure trove full of excellent articles.

“We wanted to celebrate the international event with an issue that represents the presence of Acadian culture on the pages of Echoes since Issue No. 1 in 1988,” said Kathryn Olmstead, editor. “I think this issue achieves that goal, even though it contains only a fraction of the more than 90 Acadian stories that have appeared over the years.”

One of the articles in this ECHOES attracted my attention because it tells the story about the days before there was a Hancock-Sullivan bridge and after it was built, published in a personal essay titled “A Ferry Tale”, by “Old County Woman”, the late Glenna Johnson Smith. I located the loving obituary published about her life and received permission from her granddaughter Jasmine Rae Smith and her father Melbourne Smith to republish in this blog article. “She was a wonderful grandmother, teacher and human,” wrote Jasmine in her response to my request.

Stories about bridges and ferry crossings draw my attention because the symbolism brings people together. “A Bridge and Its History”, is about the swinging bridge across the Androscoggin River in Brunswick (visit blog here). Another story I wrote is about The International Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, connecting the community of Lubec, Maine in the United States with Campobello Island, in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, across the Lubec Narrows (visit blog here). So, now I am pleased to have contributed a trilogy of articles about Maine’s bridges in this blog. I also added Glenna Johnson Smith’s life story told in her obituary, after the essay.

A Ferry Tale by Glenna Johnson Smith included her own photographs.

I remember reading a story about Charon, a ferryman who transported the souls of the dead across the river Styx, and on the on to the underworld. That ferryman had much in common with the one who carried me across the Taunton Stream from Sullivan to Hancock.

Today, a ride from Sullivan to Ellsworth is short and the roads are good, but back in the 1920s, the ferryman made it an unpredictable journey.

Mama, Papa and I would climb up into the Model T and drive over a dusty road to the riverside. Then we would sit there and wait. The ferryman on the other shore would ignore us until he had a car to bring across. Because there was little traffic back then it could be a long wait.

Sometimes I’d tell Mama I had to go and Papa would say, “You should have thought of that while we were driving through the woods.” Filling stations with restrooms were far into the future. Mama carried spare bloomers, in case of an accident.

At last, Papa would drive the Model T onto the moving scow, which wasn’t much wider than the car, and which didn’t have any railings that I can recall. Just below us, the river erupted into falls, not high ones like Niagara, but still they were rock falls. Mama needed a powerful reason for going to Ellsworth since she was sure some day the ferryman would lose control and we’d go over the falls to our deaths. If Papa had errands in Ellsworth, Mama and I sat in the car and watched the people on the street. Yet, that pleasure was tainted by the fear of the return trip on the ferry.

I may have been seven or eight years old when the new bridge was built. How wonderful to go to Ellsworth without driving on a ferry.

The bridge was hinged, however a piece of it would more to the side to allow a tall-masted schooner to go upstream for a load of Sullivan granite on its way to pave the streets. Only once we had to wait for a schooner to pass. Now that “new” bridge, too narrow for present-day traffic, has been replaced by yet another new bridge. The bridge that would “sing” when a car drove over it is now just a memory. There aren’t many of us left who remember the ferryman or the singing bridge. A ride from Sullivan is now quick and comfortable, smooth roads and cars with windows that roll down or have air conditioning and big tires for a smooth ride.

Yet today’s traveler lacks the suspense and the adventure of the ferry ride over our River Styx.

Gloria Johnson Smith lived and wrote from Presque Isle, after her retirement as a Presque Isle High School English teacher, in 1990. She wrote and directed plays, led elder hostels and classes for senior citizen groups, conducted workshops on writing for schools and volunteered at ECHOES magazine. Her essays and stories have been collected into two books, “Old Maine Woman”, published in 2010, by Islandport Press in Yarmouth Maine and “Return of Old Maine Woman”, released in June 2014.

Obituary from the funeral announcement: Family, friends remember Presque Isle teacher, writer famous for ‘old woman’ tales of the County.

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Glenna Johnson Smith, passed away on Saturday, August 8, 2020, surrounded by her family. She was born in Lincolnville, Maine and grew up in Ashville, Maine, the daughter of Seth and Kathleen Proctor Johnson. She was predeceased by her parents and by her sister-in-law Pauline Smith Kirkpatrick and Pauline’s husband Kenneth of Easton, Maine, her sister-in-law Natalie Smith Henness of Brandon, Florida and her dear friend Louise Findlen of Fort Fairfield, Maine. She attended Sullivan, Maine schools, graduated from the University of Maine in Orono and did graduate work at the University of California @ San Jose, the University of Minnesota and the University of Maine at Orono and Presque Isle.

Glenna married Donald C Smith of Easton, Maine in 1941 and lived on a potato farm in Presque Isle, Maine. The greatest joy of her life was watching her sons Steven, Byron and Melbourne grow up. She is survived by her three sons, Steven’s wife Sylvia, Melbourne’s daughters Jasmine and her fiancé Brian and Hillary and her husband Rick, Melbourne’s step-daughter Ashley and her husband Mark and Melbourne’s step-son Joshua and his wife Bethany. She is also survived by Jasmine’s daughter Ella, and son Calvin, Hillary’s son Kevin, Ashley’s son Tim and daughter Abby, Joshua’s children Meti, Enoch, Tigist, Justice and Erbeka, the four beloved nieces Shirley, Diane, Linda and Lorraine and lifelong friends Kerry and Kent.

“The time has come” the walrus said, “to talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing wax – of cabbages and kings.” * Sullivan High School had only three teachers: the principal taught math and science, one woman taught English and the other woman taught French and Latin. A teacher, Miss Ruth Belknap, encouraged Glenna to learn a dramatic piece each year to present at local, county and state contests. Glenna’s college years were not satisfying. She had been strongly urged to major in home economics and she hated everything about the course. She was invited to join a sorority but did not have the money to do so. She admired at a distance —runner from her window and her friend Sally Culberson introduced her to him — Don Smith, her future husband. Don and Glenna saw each other briefly every night from 6-7:30, when they walked to Orono to have whoopee pies and milk at Pat’s Pizza. Soon after graduation, Don & Glenna married and moved to Easton, where they lived in a farmhouse that had neither running water nor electricity. Glenna had no idea how to be a farm wife and she didn’t fit in with Don’s family. In fact, they made fun of her at Sunday gatherings. After 30 years, he wanted a divorce and she was devastated. However, she soon learned that she was better-off single; she no longer feared his temper and she could make her own choices. When her sister-in-law Polly asked if she’d like to buy Richard Hoyt’s house, she said yes before she ever saw it. She had recently sold her father’s house in Sullivan, so she could afford it. She was tired of being cooped up in her tiny apartment. Ever after, she loved her small house on a quiet street. She loved her trees and her little flower garden. Mary, across the street, was a good friend and neighbor. Glenna was sad when Mary moved away.

Glenna taught school for nearly 40 years in Easton, Fort Fairfield and for most of that time at Presque Isle High School, where she assisted with the drama program. In later years, she wrote seven plays which were produced in Maine and New Hampshire schools as well as community and summer theaters. Two of her plays represented her state at New England drama festivals. She had poems published in Maine Speaks, an anthology of Maine writers, and in a New England anthology and other journals. Some of her essays appeared in Yankee Magazine. She wrote two books: Old Maine Woman and Return of Old Maine Woman, published by Islandport Press. After retiring from public-school teaching, Glenna worked for Northeast Publishing Co. and she taught courses and Elder Hostel classes at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. She wrote a column for Echoes Magazine for 25 years and she belonged to a writing group of friends.

Although her sons and grandchildren were the center of her life, she was thankful for her dear friends and colleagues, for her teaching, writing and theater experiences and for all her days in the changing landscapes and seasons in Northern Maine.

“Oh, Oysters” said the carpenter, “you’ve had a pleasant run. Shall we be trotting home again?”* Lewis Carroll from Through the Looking Glass.

In her long and successful career as a teacher, Glenna Johnson Smith certainly inspired multi-generations of young and not so young Franco-Americans in Northern Maine and beyond.

Let's write about a spiritual connection to Cardinals: Those gorgeous red birds

Indeed, my Italian mother believed in the power of birds to bring spiritual meaning into our souls and that they may even represent the spirits of loved ones who are communicating with the living.

In fact, we often see cardinals in our Maine yard.  We have also been aggravated by a cardinal that insisted on pecking at his reflection in our dining room window; and he began his narcissistic reflexive actions at the crack of dawn. 

Obviously, this echo inspiration published in The Power of Positivity, by Kristen Lawrence, supports the spiritual power of nature expressed to us by birds, particularly the cardinals.  I have taken several photographs of cardinals in our yard and happily include them in this blog.

L'Heureux photograph

No matter how often cardinals visit your backyard, seeing these magnificent birds never gets old. Their vibrant red feathers and sweet, cheerful songs bring happiness to everyone they visit. Luckily, cardinals don’t migrate, so if you live in the eastern U.S., you can enjoy them year-round.

Along with their striking appearance, cardinals captivate many people because of their ties to the spiritual world. Some believe this beloved bird represents a messenger from the heavenly realm or a loved one trying to capture their attention. Other popular interpretations of cardinals include transformation, true love, good luck, or a message from an angel.

In Native American traditions, some tribes believe cardinals comfort those who have recently lost a loved one. The bold red bird also represents monogamy since they mate for life. Therefore, many tribes think that single people who spot one will find love soon. Finally, other Native American tribes like the Pima believe seeing a cardinal means rain will follow shortly.

However, regularly encountering cardinals will mean something different to everyone based on personal beliefs and circumstances. 

L'Heureux photograph

If they appear in your backyard often, they may have an important message to relay. Below, we’ll delve deeper into the symbolism of cardinals and share some interesting facts about them.

Five Common Meanings Of Seeing Cardinals

1. Seeing cardinals could signify a message from a departed loved one.

L'Heureux photograph

Many people feel comforted when they notice a cardinal nearby after losing a family member or friend. Some believe these birds visit grieving family members to offer solace and support. They serve as messengers for departed loved ones who want to assure their families that they’ve arrived at a better place. So, if you notice any of these lovely birds, it could mean someone from the spirit world wants to connect with you.

2. A reminder to not cling to the physical realm.

While these powerful spirit animals want to comfort you after suffering a bereavement, they also have another important message. Cardinals want to remind you not to fear death or become too attached to earthly life. Nothing lasts forever, so you should neither avoid nor cling to the physical realm. These adorable birds want to share the message that our souls are eternal, so death means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Cardinals often visit funerals and cemeteries to support families who have lost a loved one. It’s a sign from beyond that we will reunite with our families and friends who have passed on someday.

3. Cardinals also represent good fortune.

These brilliant red birds also signify good luck and abundance, reminding us to pay attention to all the beauty in the world. Many people, including Native American tribes, consider the cardinal a positive omen. Since they always lay twelve eggs, some tribes believe this also represents a sign of luck. Whether or not you agree with this interpretation, seeing a cardinal is always a sight to behold.

L'Heureux photograph

4. A sign to treasure your relationships and remain open-hearted.

Did you know cardinals mate for life and build a nest in the same place year-round? Because of this, many people associate these vividly colored birds with domestic bliss, family life, and monogamy. If you’re in a relationship, it’s a sign to remain faithful to your partner and fully appreciate them.

Moreover, the red birds also want to remind single people to remain open to love and cherish their other relationships. Some believe the cardinal signifies romance on the horizon for anyone looking for their special someone.

Also, the cardinal can represent friendship since these birds are known for being sociable and chummy. In summary, this feathered friend signifies love in all its forms, reminding us to treasure the people in our lives.

5. The cardinal could indicate the presence of an angel.

Since departed loved ones often communicate through cardinals, it’s not farfetched to believe guardian angels do so as well. Some think seeing these spirit animals means an angel wants to share a message from beyond. Perhaps the heavenly being wants to protect you or offer guidance. Sometimes they have specific messages for you based on circumstances in your life that you have struggled with recently.

If you feel a presence in the room or a chill in the air upon seeing a cardinal, this strongly suggests an angelic or spiritual being is nearby. Try to calm your mind and listen to your intuition — it will give you the message you need to hear.

Interesting Facts About Cardinals

• Seven states have designated the Northern Cardinal as their state bird: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Cardinals, also known as redbirds, represent one of only a few species of North American songbirds whose female sings.
• The redbirds have over 24 songs, and mates often communicate with song phrases during nesting periods. Females often sing while sitting in the nest to let males know when to bring food.
• Male cardinals get their vivid red hue from their diet, consisting mainly of mulberries, hackberries, and blackberries. Eating a diet rich in berries helps males develop brighter feathers, which they use to attract mates.
• Their name comes from the red robes worn by cardinals of the Catholic church.
• Northern Cardinals live mainly in the East, Midwest, and Southwest U.S. They’re spotted in various climates such as swamps, forests, deserts, city parks and backyards.

Final Thoughts on Spiritual Interpretations of Cardinals

The universe often sends messages through spirit animals, such as the beautiful cardinal. In Native American traditions and other cultures, it’s said that the redbird represents love, positivity, and messages from spiritual beings. Many believe angels and departed loved ones share important information from the heavenly realms through cardinals. Others say these birds show up when you need a sign to seize new opportunities or take risks.

Senator Susan Collins "We expect you to listen to us!" Constituent

Senator Collins has supported the right wing cult caucus that votes in lock step with Donald Trump. #taxcutsfortherich #BrettKavanaugh 

Maine resident Erik Mercer placed a second ad this week chastising Senator Susan Collins for ignoring him and his fellow constituents.
Here is the Go Fund Me Link here.

One of Sen. Susan Collins' (R-ME) constituents has placed another full-page ad in a local newspaper, calling her out for refusing to answer his questions during a recent encounter at the airport, and for refusing to respond to his first ad last week.

Maine resident Erik Mercer placed the second full-page ad in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

"Senator Collins, you had an opportunity to answer my questions," the ad read. "I am still waiting — and it turns out I am not the only one."

Mercer originally placed a full-page ad in last week's Portland Press Herald, summarizing an interaction he'd had with the senator at the airport in Washington, D.C., prior to a flight to Portland, Maine. Mercer said he tried to broach several topics with Collins, including foreign interference in U.S. elections and her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, despite several allegations of sexual assault against him.

Collins declined to respond. "We parted agreeing to disagree," Mercer wrote at the time. But, he said, "on the jet bridge, I heard you comment to someone that a constituent had just been very rude to you."

He said it had been his intention to "have a thoughtful discussion across ideological lines," something fellow passengers who witnessed the interaction thanked him for later.

"I am still waiting for answers to my questions. They are still waiting too," he wrote.

For his latest ad, Mercer gave others the opportunity to sign his letter to Collins online. More than 200 people took him up on the offer.

In the new ad, Mercer outlined additional questions for Collins.

"Why haven't you held a town hall in over twenty years?" he wrote. "Are you interested in interacting with the people of Maine or is it only the big money donors who fund your campaigns that have your ear?"

The ad also commented on Collins' voting record.

"You voted for the tax bill that was a giveaway to wealthy people and big corporations. You took votes that threaten health care reform. You voted for judges that put a woman's right to choose at risk," it stated. "We expect you to listen to us, not Mitch McConnell, President Trump, and your wealthy, out of state donors."

On Twitter, Joe Sudbay posted the letter: "Visiting my parents in Portland this weekend so get to see another full page ad in Maine Sunday Telegram from Erik Mercer with questions for
@SenatorCollins. Looks like lots of people want answers"

The new ad claims Collins never responded to the questions he posed in their initial meeting, nor the first ad itself. Neither the Collins campaign nor Collins' senate office replied to repeated requests for comment.

The back-to-back full-page ads come as Collins faces one of the toughest reelection campaigns in her long Senate career. Recent polling in Maine shows Collins with lower approval numbers in the state than Donald Trump, as well as losing to a generic Democrat if the election were held today.

One of Collins' Democratic challengers, Sara Gideon, has also raised more than $1 million more than Collins over the past three months.  (Unfortunaately

Published with permission of The American Independent.