Reading the Local News

Our local newspaper, five days a week, keeps me informed about who has been born and died, what the Town Council's latest befuddlement might be, what's going on in terms of bean suppers, Christmas bazaars, art and theater, and -- something you probably don't get in a larger daily paper -- the local arrests and disposition of court cases.

When we first moved back here, I became rather alarmed at the thought that, apparently, nearly every driver we were likely to encounter on the roads was either operating under the influence or operating with a suspended license. This was because I would see lists of such drivers several times a week in the local paper. But, as we continued to drive without incident, I realized that the proportion of illegal drivers was probably the same in City of Lakes; but there, we would only hear about such a driver if he or she was involved in a fatal accident or a high-speed police chase. Maine actually has a famously low crime rate. But, we still have some miscreants, and some of them are quite intriguing. Today's paper noted a man, old enough to know better certainly, who was in trouble for "engaging in activities while suspended." HMMM! What KIND of activities? And suspended from WHAT? The mind boggles!

The headlines in our local paper are sometimes unintentionally funny (sometimes intentionally, too, for that matter).  Today, I learned that "Bowdoinham Mulls Sludge."  I'd rather mull cider, myself. And Onkel Hankie Pants was distressed to learn that "Supermarket Supports Freeport Elders' Drive to Replace Aging Coach."  He thought this showed insufficient solidarity among senior citizens, until he read further and learned that the "aging coach" was not a soccer or baseball mentor, but a bus used to take the Elders on trips to Reny's, Marden's, and the Christmas Tree Shops (three good places to get real bargains, none of which have outlets in Freeport).  

So, that's the extent of my deep thinking for today. It's turned into a grey, cloudy afternoon, and we are expecting rain.  I think I'll remake the bed with flannel sheets before bedtime.