Columns

The American people are fortunate to have the most abundant and affordable food supply in the world.  This bounty is the result of the hard work and initiative of our nation's family farmers.

Twenty-five pounds.

That’s how much fat I’ve gained since falling off the resolution bandwagon sometime in early February of this year.

It’s the entire 15 pounds I managed to lose in 2012 plus an extra 10 – just for the heck of it.

ALLAGASH WILDERNESS WATERWAY - One of the most beautiful spots on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) is Long Lake Dam. The actual dam is long gone, having washed out many years ago but the remnants still remain.

Wednesday was Franco-American day at the State House. Father Jacques Lapointe from Madawaska gave the opening prayer, and the day was filled with French music and French food, including ployes from Bouchard Family Farm! I was also honored to speak about the late Leon Albert Guimond of Frenchville, who was posthumously inducted into the Franco-American Hall of Fame.

It was a classic counterexample, a moment in time that I swore I would never foist off on my own children. I had just earned my learner's permit to drive, my father met me at the school, and he made me drive home. It turned out to be one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life.

ST. JOHN VALLEY- Business fraud is everywhere. It can range from employees pilfering small items from the office to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Crimes may be committed by anyone from the lowest-paid clerk to a long-time officer. All too often, business owners are oblivious to wrongdoings, or they simply refuse to acknowledge the possibilities – until it’s too late.

I've learned a lesson from the way plants grow, feeding both their roots and shoots to thrive. I once found meaning in the knowledge that chickadees work and eat all throughout the day just to survive the long, cold night. I'm still trying to figure out if it means anything that a luna moth only lives for one week because it doesn't have a mouth.

I grew up in northern Maine, where responsible gun ownership is part of the heritage of many families.  Upholding this heritage is why, throughout my Senate service, I have defended our Second Amendment rights.

Senate Votes to Increase Minimum Wage