Sure, now it’s old hat — the moon, yeah, been there, done that. But 50 years ago, the very thought, let alone the sight and the sound, of two human beings setting foot onto another celestial rock? Well, that took almost more imagination and more guts and more science than we could get our heads […]

I am sure the Department of Transportation had reason to recently clear-cut the Western Avenue interchange with Interstate 95. I only wish more people knew exactly what it was they were cutting down (“With eye on safety, Maine DOT clearing trees near I-95 exits,” June 21). The Western Avenue interchange was created in the mid-1950s […]

The columnist has kept on with many of his favorite pursuits with a hand from the people around him.

A few years ago, my doctor recommended a routine heart exam. I would be paying for it out of pocket, since I had a high-deductible plan, so naturally I asked what it would cost. After a great deal of effort, I was told the list price was $5,500, and my insurer’s rate was $3,500. But […]

A new Congressional Budget Office analysis of a nationwide minimum wage increase has stirred up lots of debate, since it predicts that an increase would have both good and bad effects. The CBO examines three possible levels for the federal minimum wage – $10, $12, and $15 versus $7.25 an hour now (although some states […]