MCS essay contest announced

The Margaret Chase Smith Library announced the topic of its 21st annual essay contest – drug abuse. As far back as 1951, Senator Smith warned that “one of the great threats to our country today is the preying of narcotic peddlers upon our children.” Since the 1980s, the nation has waged a war on drugs with mixed results. The Margaret Chase Smith Library invites Maine high school seniors to propose how they would address the current lethal drug epidemic.

Entries are due by April 1, 2017, and decisions will be announced on May 1. Prizes are $50 for five honorable mentions, $250 for third place, $500 for second place, and $1,000 for first place. For more information, visit the Library’s website (http://www.mcslibrary.org/program/edu/essay.htm) or contact John Taylor at 474-7133.

Located in Skowhegan, Maine, the library is owned by the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation and operated under its auspices by the University of Maine. The Margaret Chase Smith Library is an archive, museum, educational facility, and public policy center devoted to preserving the legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, promoting research into American political history, advancing the ideals of public service, and exploring issues of civic engagement.