By Robert E. Macdonald

Mayor of Lewiston

Here comes Suzie Snowflake, dressed in a snow-white gown, tap, tap, tapping at your windowpane to tell you she’s around.

As a kid in the 1950s, she was a welcome visitor. Her appearance signaled sledding, tobogganing and skiing. If you were a hockey player, it meant a bit of shoveling on a pond. Your labor was rewarded by the creation of a defined area in which to play.

Kids built sturdy snow forts—forts that stood up to neighborhood marauding youths. They were such great places to hang out, your parents had to come and drag you home.

Television was in its infant stage. There were no computers or Xboxes. The absence of these things enabled kids in the 1950s to develop not only social skills, but also imagination. Suzie’s arrival signaled freedom from being cooped up in the house all day with little to do.

Things change. Little Suzie Snowflake matured into a bitter, spiteful woman. Gone were her childlike traits. Suzie traded her snow-white gown for curlers and an oversized housecoat, becoming Mother Nature.

I don’t know what the progressive liberals did to upset Mother Nature, but I hope they don’t do it again. We can handle only a few more 24-inch-plus snowstorms. This may be Maine, but a few more of these storms will make us look like Massachusetts and New York.

The severity of the storm had federal, state, city and town officials closing offices and advising non-essential personnel to stay at home. This certified what many of us have known for years—the Maine State Legislature is a non-essential entity.

This shutdown did not go unnoticed by Governor Paul LePage. Even though Marden’s was closed, he surely assembled his cabinet looking for ways to provide tax relief for Mainers by using the revenue gained from disbanding the legislature (hum, hum, this could be the solution that will enable the funding of revenue sharing for cities and towns).

Yes, this is Maine. But we can all concede that this storm was a bit bigger than usual. Although the Governor did not restrict vehicle operation in the state, common-sense Mainers stayed off the roads and allowed public works crews to do their job.

Within a few hours after the storm, Maine was back to normal. Contrast this to our neighboring states that will take days to get things back running again.

Police, fire, ambulance and hospital personnel remained on the job, ready to handle any emergency that might arise. It is comforting to know that there are dedicated people ready to help their neighbors in times of need.

Lastly, we have the unsung heroes that work in our local coffee shops, providing emergency workers with a place to take a break and get warm. Thank you for your sacrifice to our public employees.

Maine is a great to state to live, and Lewiston-Auburn is the best place to live in Maine.

Sadly, last week the customer base at the Lewiston Tim Horton’s was reduced by two with the passing of Bob Begin Sr. and Louis Nadeau.

Bob’s infectious smile and cheery attitude resulted in morning coffee being a positive start to each day. Louis was a cigar-smoking prankster who led credence to the theory that as some get older, their actions revert back to their childhood. But Louis will be forever remembered for the great employee pools he ran while the head janitor at City Hall.

Rest in peace.