A full two years after the Ice Storm of 1998, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has finally provided funding to cover part of the disaster-recovery costs. To add a touch of whimsy to the occasion, the check came encased in a block of ice and Gov. King, the congressional delegation and a host of other dignitaries gathered at the State House Friday to retrieve it with hammers and chisels. If the feds had taken any longer, they would have needed those tiny little picks and brushes fossil hunters use.

Billionaire Ted Turner and celebrity wife Jane Fonda are separating after eight years of wedded bliss. In a prepared statement, the pair announced that “While we continue to be commited to the long-term success of our marriage, we find ourselves at a juncture where we must each take some personal time for ourselves.” Note to non-billionaire/celebrity couples: Don’t try this level of commitment at home.

Another famous couple famous for their marital integrity, the Clintons, moved into their new home in a swank New York suburb this week. It took two trucks to do the job — one for furniture, clothing and household items, the other for all those FBI files that had been cluttering up the White House.

The Bath-Woolwich Bridge, designed to keep traffic moving through that oft-congested region, is one of the largest transportation projects in Maine history. Now that the $74-million span is nearly complete, Bath wants the state to lower the Route 1 speed limit from 55 to 35. Oh well, it’s still one of the largest transportation projects in Maine history, which is what really counts.

When a school-district budget referendum fails at the polls, the current practice is for it to be revised and presented for approval at a district-wide public meeting. A group of municipal officials is urging the state to change the process to referendum only, with one calling the district meeting “a back-room vote.” It’s a good point. What, after all, could more undemocratic than a gymnasium full of citizens engaged in open debate?