Siobhan Brett

1 week ago | centralmaine.com | Siobhan Brett

Our newest federal holiday, now celebrated annually on June 19, marks a critical moment: the end of slavery in the United States. That jubilation, though, is tempered by the reality of the generations of slavery that preceded it — and the hardships that followed in the wake of freedom. There is no civic tradition stretching back to the 1860s to help people in Maine and elsewhere mark the day.

2 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Siobhan Brett

Since last fall, our opinion section has been in receipt of many more letters and op-eds than a small staff can get around to. It’s a privilege to have a readership, and a contributor base, that is so engaged. In 2025, not every publication is so fortunate. Pronounced political change brought about by a new presidential administration has resulted in an outpouring of public concern, praise, scorn, hope, noticing and querying.

2 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Siobhan Brett

One of America’s most important women spent many of her quieter days on the banks of the Damariscotta River in Newcastle, at a saltwater farm that had been in her family since colonial times. For Frances Perkins, a labor leader who helped create Social Security, the 57 acres of field and forest were a place to escape the rush of public business that normally consumed her.

2 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Siobhan Brett

Some of the art on display at the U.S. Capitol as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection that features up to two statues per state. Many of the most admirable representatives in the U.S. Capitol today are made of marble or bronze. The statues mostly depict long-dead white men — including two from Maine — but there are surprises, too, including likenesses of singer Johnny Cash, pilot Amelia Earhart and writer Willa Cather.

3 weeks ago | sunjournal.com | Steve Collins |Siobhan Brett

I have something to confess: Until he announced his candidacy for governor last month, I had no idea Angus King III existed. According to the results of a political poll just released, I might be in the minority. About 80% of Maine’s Democrats said they would consider supporting the son of three-term U.S. Sen. Angus King for governor. Just one in 10 of those polled said they’d never heard of him.