Articles by Renee Ordway
RENEE ORDWAY
Being a parent means bringing up a lot of ‘buts’
The other day my daughter and a friend decided on the spur of a moment to take some kayaks and head to Pushaw Lake for a paddle. It was before this warm weather was upon us. It had been cold. It was breezy. She’s 20, so I can’t really say …
RENEE ORDWAY
Maine Democrats stooped to the governor’s level with TV complaint
My husband would like to have a 46-inch TV. Even my sister, when over for dinner a few weeks ago, commented that we should have a bigger TV. So much for sibling loyalty. I’m happy with the smallish flat screen mounted on the wall. It does the job, in my …
RENEE ORDWAY
Arguments over gun control and abortion will never be settled
Attempts at any legislation that would make it tougher for criminals or the seriously mentally ill to purchase guns, or any law that would limit the sale of certain assault rifles or magazine clips, would surely land government agents on the doorstep of every law-abiding gun owner in the country …
RENEE ORDWAY
Contaminated food stories make me want to eat local
I went to a psychic “party” this week. Before you set about judging me, please note that it was my first time and I went home with a pound of fiddleheads. It is probably safe to say that only in Maine and only in May could you do that. The …
RENEE ORDWAY
We can’t all move to Cape Elizabeth or Bangor’s east side, so what do we do about our schools?
Many years ago a family in our west side neighborhood moved across town to the east side. Other than being sad to see them go I didn’t spend too much time considering the reason. Families do move, after all. But then a couple of other parents mentioned that the family …
RENEE ORDWAY
Bangor animal control officer retiring after rescuing boas, bulls and harbor seals
Pat Pinkham stands about 5 feet tall. She has a pronounced limp that she’s had her entire 63 years of life. Don’t let any of that fool you. By any measure Pat Pinkham is probably one of the toughest folks in town — and also one of the most devoted …
RENEE ORDWAY
Media performances in Boston have ranged from heroic to inexcusable
On a cold January morning back in 1999, shortly after my newspaper was tossed upon my porch, my phone rang. It was Donna Gormley who was working as an anchor and news director at WLBZ CH. 2. She was a good friend, a neighbor and a fierce competitor, and she …
RENEE ORDWAY
The Hermit of North Pond slipped into the woods and never came home for supper
When I was a kid, I had a secret spot I snuck off to on occasion to play or just sit by myself. To get there I simply crossed my quiet, dead-end street, dashed behind the Hendersons’ house to a back field that ran behind the McKays, the Dodges and …
RENEE ORDWAY
Excise tax can be a painful rite of passage
Our daughter learned about excise tax this week. I’m not going to lie, I believe a tear trickled down her cheek. Jacyi turns 20 next week, is a sophomore in college, works hard during the summer, saves her money and made the dean’s list this year. She was able to …
RENEE ORDWAY
It’s time to spread the health when it comes to methadone treatment
Perhaps it’s a good time to ask the question. What has the presence of three methadone clinics in Bangor done for the city? In 2000, when the community was struggling with whether to allow one clinic to open, residents attending crowded community forums were told that a clinic could reduce …
RENEE ORDWAY
Captain’s vengeance backfired in Windham pepper spray incident
I suspect it takes a high degree of self control and character to be spit on and called vile names and not react, at least not overreact. Certainly, police officers and corrections officers face that behavior routinely from people who have done very bad things. I suspect it is not …
Maine appears ready for battle against meth addiction
This state was not prepared when heroin crept across its borders. It was not prepared for the subsequent onslaught of opiate addicts who outwitted doctors who themselves had much to learn about the determination and the level of sickness and desperation of their patients. Since that time in the mid …
RENEE ORDWAY
No matter how vote turns out, town of Byron can’t make residents arm themselves
The selectmen in Byron are fed up with state and federal lawmakers passing unjust laws, failing to enforce the laws already passed and generally interfering with the lives of the residents of their tiny community set along the Swift River on Route 17 in Oxford County. So they are taking …
RENEE ORDWAY
Have sympathy for jurors who endure being watched as they watch sex videos
Someone close to me got her very first jury notice in the mail this week. She didn’t seem terribly excited. I said, “How fun. Take a lot of crossword puzzles, your Kindle and a healthy dose of patience with you and hope you get selected to hear an interesting case.” …
RENEE ORDWAY
Reading online comments requires a strong constitution
Some days one needs a strong constitution to embark down the mean streets of the Bangor Daily News online comment section. Truth be told, for those of us who write the piece being commented on, that is probably most days. Some days I’m emboldened, tough and ready for the onslaught …
RENEE ORDWAY
Beware of tenants who refuse to leave
Jeff Rockwell thought he was doing a friend a favor last fall when he invited him to spend a couple of weeks at his South Portland home while the friend looked for a place to live. Anyone of us might do the same. The spare bedroom was unfinished and not …
RENEE ORDWAY
Boy Scouts still provide a sad snapshot of our times
Have you ever seen the famous photograph by Benedict Fernandez of a small blonde boy standing in the shadow of an older man on a Chicago street in 1959 with a sign that read “who needs [n-words]” with a swastika drawn in the middle? When I see it I always …
RENEE ORDWAY
Here’s to Gov. LePage getting Maine a better liquor deal
Wait just a minute. Did I hear correctly? Right in the middle of a long, dark Maine winter, is there a ray of light? A reason for optimism that could launch us gleefully toward spring? Some officials in Augusta say it could happen — the price of a gallon of …
RENEE ORDWAY
Time to wrap up the investigation of Bangor assistant superintendent
Assistant Superintendent Robert Lucy has been on leave for four of the eight months he has worked for the Bangor school department and the fact that he has been paid $35,605 during those four months smarts just a bit. On top of what the city has paid Lucy for not …
RENEE ORDWAY
Down East jail controversy won’t soon be forgotten
My, my, my such shenanigans in Washington County. Memories are long Down East, and you just know that the story of the former Washington County Jail clerk and the “Santa Baby” novelty plunge bra will endure for at least a generation or two. Perform a Google search on that bra …
Eastern Maine Medical Center facing $7 million shortfall
Ex-UMaine football player accused of stabbing same woman he attacked in Orono in 2012
The Holy Grail in Maine? History Channel researcher’s theory touches off fresh debate about Phippsburg artifacts
Mining metals from Maine landfills? Burgeoning effort is already worth millions
Can LePage’s ‘right-to-work’ plan grow Maine’s economy?
Maine GOP dismisses Medicaid compromise that meets its own demands
Maine’s lobster industry might not last forever. Then what?
Hunger pangs: When groceries are a luxury, and aid groups can’t keep up
Coin jars
Prosecutor explains plea bargain for UMaine football player accused of 2012 domestic violence assault
Bangor stations to televise Maine hockey playoff games on Friday, Saturday nights
UMaine officials defend school’s handling of 2012 incident involving football player now accused of murder
Actor Patrick Dempsey, Jackson Laboratory to receive Maine awards
LePage’s plan to get tough on drug abuse needs to be more than a campaign speech
Forty to one — the symbolism of maple sugaring, finding the richness of life
Happy Birthday to me!
A new baby, a new direction for ‘Counter Culture’, and a desire for simplicity