Letters

• Thanks for doing the right thing

  Thu, 07/18/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: I would like to thank the person who found my wallet near the footbridge in Boothbay Harbor. This finder returned the wallet to the parking attendant who identified me as owner because of a photo of my dog. The wallet was turned over to the Harbor Police Department who called me and asked, “Did you lose something?” Losing a wallet is a pain - lost money, credit cards, license, etc. - all that stuff! I felt so stupid! Now, instead, I feel thankful to all the folks who made my day...
• letter to the editor

  What service!

  Mon, 07/15/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: Not long ago, my husband and I were overwhelmed at the level of service received when we took our minivan for routine maintenance at Dan’s Auto Repair. Not only was his service person pleasant and courteous, but Dan himself came all the way to Southport searching everywhere for our vehicle after seeing oil spots on the ground where the van had been parked. Wanting to find the source of the problem, he took our van back to the garage. He then fixed it and brought it back to our home...
• letter to the editor

  Right on point

  Mon, 07/15/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: What more needs to be said! Read the letter from Tom Myette in the July 11 edition of this newspaper. It says it all. Written eloquently, intelligently and truthfully, it is “right on point.” We already have a park on the inner harbor (downtown side) and the east side has a gorgeous park, Barrett’s Park. It is away from the bustling crowds, provides fantastic views and this location is a calm and serene place to relax and enjoy. It also needs continued improvement and upkeep. It...
• letter to the editor

  Let's unite as a community

  Mon, 07/15/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: Let's come together as a community to do something that will benefit all of us on the peninsula. Boothbay Harbor has been home to my family and me for decades. I am very proud to be a part of a strong, hard-working, Maine community and I hope that many people for generations to come will be able to enjoy Boothbay Harbor. Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation (BHWP) is endeavoring to ensure a legacy by constructing a waterfront park with public docks, a working waterfront for...
• letter to the editor

  Thank you to the Boothbay region

  Mon, 07/15/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: I want to thank the people of the Boothbay region for the honor and privilege to serve in various municipal capacities and for the last 12 years as the Boothbay Harbor Town Manager. I was fortunate to manage my home town. You have no idea what a gift that is, what pride I took in that responsibility. I have both personal and professional relationships with residents, tax payers and other municipal officials from all four peninsula towns. Many of those friendships go back to when I...
• letter to the editor

  The giving season

  Mon, 07/08/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: Each year in summer our towns welcome people from away who love this place. And in return they give back generously. Two types of organizations are the principle beneficiaries: those that offer a service to paying members and others that promise ‘public good’ in return for tax exemption. There are plenty of good nonprofits that deserve help — but sophisticated donors should be wary of sophisticated pitches. In the cases where a nonprofit provides a service to paying members, donors...
• letter to the editor

  Let’s save Whistler

  Mon, 07/08/2019 - 3:45pm

  

  Dear Editor: In 1939, naval architect Geerd Hendel (1903-1998) was awarded by the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club the design for the much admired 21' Boothbay Harbor One Design. Hendel was a resident of Boothbay Harbor at the time and was employed by Bath Iron Works. For the prior five years, he had been assigned by BIW as a draftsman and design associate to the renowned naval architect W. Starling Burgess. Burgess was then developing the plans for Ranger , the winner of the 1939 America’...
• letter to the editor

  Welcome to economic development

  Mon, 07/08/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: As we watch corporate America dribble in to Coulombe Circle, a new source of litter has emerged. This morning's walk on Knickerbocker Road led to the recovery of a paper cup and plastic lid, branded “DD” … welcome to economic development … "The Way Maine Should Be?" Cyrus C. Lauriat Boothbay
• letter to the editor

  Be still and know that I am

  Mon, 07/08/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: Lately, our culture seems hung up on who we are. Many claim they know what makes us who we are. They use judgment words that divide us, not caring what is truth. Do they do this to take the place of God, or like Moses, are they seeking to know God better? God replied “I am who I am. Tell them I am has sent me.” There are many humans who seem to have forgotten it is not our job to judge the hearts of every child of God. We are not Moses, nor are we gifted without bias to lay out a...
• letter to the editor

  Forever the Fourth

  Mon, 07/08/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: OK, the fireworks and barbecues are over, but what about Trump, Betsy Ross, Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and all the rest? Is our basic heritage really that horrible, so much so that a major American political party is proposing to change everything? OK, for two centuries free market capitalism has allowed western nations to master science, arts, medicine, increased life expectancy, and create an unprecedented legal system that grants more...
• letter to the editor

  Truth wins, conspiracy loses

  Mon, 07/01/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: In 2012 the Sandy Hook shooting occurred. Media published the event, including victim names and families. More than eight newspapers published the story, including New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, The Atlantic, Britannica facts and Timelines, BBC news, and the Guardian, exposing student Adam Lanza as the gunman. Despite the truthful footage, of police on board and many families arriving to find their child had died from the gunman; Alex Jones extended seven years of the pain...
• letter to the editor

  Local schools are ‘strategic’

  Mon, 07/01/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: I just finished watching the June 24 Boothbay Harbor Selectboard meeting where each board member shared their ideas or “strategic goals” for the next year. The list of ideas included extending water and sewer to seasonal residences, building additional parking and commissioning a harbor front master plan. Everyone had their own favorite projects but, unfortunately, no one mentioned our region’s school system as something worth tackling. While earlier this year our schools did...
• letter to the editor

  We deserve to know

  Mon, 07/01/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: I am a parent and alumni of the Boothbay Region school system and I am stunned as well as a lot of the community to the complete disregard for Tricia Campbell not being chosen for the principal position at BRES. Tricia has more love, pride and respect for the elementary school than I have ever seen, besides Mark Tess. When she believes in something, she sees it through, has anyone seen the new playground equipment for Pre-K -2nd grade? And how about the new equipment coming in for...
• letter to the editor

  Route 27 and River Road intersection

  Mon, 07/01/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: Please have the town of Boothbay or any regional planning office to consider placing a stronger pole light or better, a blinking caution light at the intersection of Route 27 and River Road. Please also place signs at this Route 27/River Road intersection so travelers on Route 27 can see a hospital sign to go on to River Road to get to the hospital in the Damariscotta area. This Route 27 intersection is the key link to Damariscotta and needs more lighting to make clear to turn on...
• letter to the editor

  A pit of sadness

  Mon, 07/01/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Mark Tess, our beloved retired principal, wrote last week of his “stunned disbelief” that Tricia Campbell was not hired as the new principal for Boothbay Region Elementary School. I could not agree with him more on this unjust decision. The passion, energy and devotion which Tricia has put into our school community for the past four years could not be more qualifiable, nor more deserving, for this most important position within our school walls. Sadly, our new superintendent knows...
• letter to the editor

  Home and Garden Tour information

  Tue, 06/25/2019 - 8:00am

  Dear Editor: Neighbors and visitors, the Boothbay Region Garden Club has announced, and now shares information about our upcoming annual Home and Garden Tour to be held on July 19, 2019. Since there will be many more visitors to town that day, parking will be available at the High School, then shuttle buses will stop at two designated spots to drop off. There is time to shop, dine, cross our much loved footbridge and take lots of pictures while visiting three lovely Harbor homes. For the first...
• letter to the editor

  Stunned

  Mon, 06/24/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: I was stunned to hear last week that Tricia Campbell was not selected as the new principal at Boothbay Region Elementary School. It is a glaring example of our schools being destroyed from within. Decisions are being made by those that have no connection or commitment to our community. This decision was short-sighted, disrespectful and petty. Tricia knows this community. She has built strong relationships with students, staff and parents. Our school and community can not afford to...
• letter to the editor

  Wowzers!

  Mon, 06/24/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: I want to thank all of you who braved the miserable weather last Thursday to attend my very special surprise 90th birthday celebration at the Southport Town Hall. For fear of leaving someone’s name out, I’m not going to attempt to name all who helped get the hall set up, to those who created such an array of gourmet dishes (appetizers, entrees and dessert), to those who served and cleaned up afterwards. I would be remiss if I don’t recognize some people. First, that shy, retiring...
• letter to the editor

  Maine sanctuaries

  Mon, 06/24/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Maine has become a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants at the invitation of legislators and city officials who are accepting these people at the taxpayers’ expense and in certain cases to the exclusion of actual citizens who need basic services and help with housing and food. Our governor has encouraged the intake of asylum seekers and illegal immigration here in Maine. Maine has become a sanctuary for women who decide they do not want to take responsibility for the baby they...
• letter to the editor

  Caterpillars stripping trees

  Mon, 06/17/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: There has been a terrible thing happening this spring – the green caterpillars have been stripping many trees of their leaves around the areas of Midcoast Maine. They have been eating and stripping the leaves on a lot of oak, poplar, apple and some of the birch trees. It is a disaster here on Van Horn Road across the road from my home. We have to look at bare trees many months throughout the year and with summer just about here, I know I hate seeing bare trees. It is possible that...
• letter to the editor

  Rising above the ashes

  Mon, 06/17/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: November 28, 2018 was one of the worst days of my life. I lost everything to a fire, except my little dog! It was one of my darkest days. Being 79, alone, I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. The Red Cross put me up in a hotel for a couple of days. Friends found me, starting calling others, and soon I was surrounded with help and support like I have never experienced before. Friends took me into their home, dog and all. The next week, it was just a blur! People brought...
• letter to the editor

  Clarifying article’s inaccuracies

  Mon, 06/17/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: After reading the article covering Dr. Jennie Marvelle and her new service to provide alternative medicine, acupuncture, to the local pet population, I felt compelled to respond and clarify a few inaccuracies put forth in the article. From the first sentence, the article portrays Dr. Marvelle and her services incorrectly. Stating that she treats “older patients with it instead of medicine” is a gross misrepresentation of her skills as a trained veterinarian, and her drive to offer...
• letter to the editor

  What is happening in America?

  Mon, 06/17/2019 - 3:30am

  Dear Editor: Did the President invite the Manson family into our homes? There are people who feared the Manson family, and out of fear joined the family to prove to themselves they were not afraid. What is the difference between inviting the Manson family into your home within 60 days of the Helter Skelter killings versus inviting every world enemy into the homes of America? Why would someone with a fear about himself choose to invite killers into his home? Internal fears about yourself often...
• letter to the editor

  Are the GOP claims, they can’t win, accurate?

  Mon, 06/10/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: Some of the strangest statements by the GOP have been made in the last two years. For example the GOP can’t win in an RCV election. In short they can’t win 50% of voters needed not only to win, but be successful. When did the GOP lose faith in what they could accomplish? My husband is a Republican and you have just told him you are unable to win votes needed to get the job done. Why should he, or any other voter, bother if that is what the GOP is saying? Some statements have been...
• letter to the editor

  Gerrymandering

  Mon, 06/10/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: Gerrymandering assures that extremists in one party control primaries and elections — in turn making functional government today nearly impossible. Until gerrymandering is eliminated through non-partisan drawing of electoral districts, I support open primaries. They are our best hope — along with Ranked Choice Voting — of breaking the stranglehold of extremists from both parties on our elections. In both cases — open primaries and RCV — candidates must appeal to a broad range of...
• letter to the editor

  Still time to donate to BRAS

  Mon, 06/10/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: Through the continued support and generosity of the communities we serve, we have raised over $73,000 towards our goal for the new ambulance fund. These funds are all eligible for a matching dollar for dollar donation pledged by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Coulombe. We thank you in advance for your tremendous outpouring of generosity in support of our goal. Your donation has helped in the amazing success of this fund drive. Again, thank you! Your support is invaluable to the success and...
• letter to the editor

  Shedding some light on the issue

  Mon, 06/10/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: I find myself writing another letter to the editor to add historical fact to the nonsensical premise raised in the recent letter to the editor entitled: “Politics and your looking-glass selves.” Putting aside the irony of discussing the hijacking of the Democratic party at a time when the Trump led GOP has lowered its bar to the point of demonstrating its complete inability to govern, my focus is on the inaccuracy of the authors premise that the Democratic party once opposed...
• letter to the editor

  Don’t miss

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor: Memo to Democrats: Heed the maxim of Medieval Royal Politics: if aiming at the king, don't miss. Hamilton Meserve Newagen
• letter to the editor

  Hateful letters don't help

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: These are divisive times, according to the pundits. Yet, every day, as I go about my life here in Boothbay Harbor, I meet people who are gracious, kind, and generous. We are neighbors living together in a small community. Are there political disagreements? Of course -- we are also independent thinkers. But we all share a need for love, understanding, respect, shelter, food, and the ability to provide those things for our families. We agree on more than we disagree. Letters to the...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks for the donations

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: On behalf of Bayview Lodge #196 A.F. & A.M. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those motorists who stopped at our fundraising “toll booth” and donated to the Bayview Scholarship Fund. This fund helps provide scholarships to graduating seniors of BRHS. As this was our first attempt at this type of event, we were not sure what to expect. The weather cooperated and typical of the generosity that exists here in the region we certainly were not disappointed. The...
• letter to the editor

  What if this was your neighbor?

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: Your neighbor just killed 12 people in your town. Joshua Hardy, who always mowed your lawn, gave his life. Your neighbor Joshua was always there to help his neighbors, was a city engineer and seen by many as a deeply religious man. Another neighbor saw him as you did — Joshua was always trying to help people to see hope on the horizon. Joshua knew that hope always traveled with God’s love. which the young poet, Mattie Stepanek, had been trying to share in his poems. What if these...
• letter to the editor

  Rebuilding Together

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: I would like to thank “captain” Joel and his wonderful Rebuilding Together crew. I could not have done it without them. This is an awesome program Elizabeth Balsdon Boothbay Harbor
• letter to the editor

  Something to think about

  Mon, 06/03/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: I am a subscriber of the Island Institute’s Working Waterfront, published monthly. In the June issue is an article entitled, “We ain’t quaint.” I believe this quote published in the same publication was by author Louise Dickinson Rich, famous for her book, “We took to the Woods.” Rich wrote 23 books. Her quote about the Gouldsboro peninsula should reflect what is current on the Boothbay peninsula. Her quote in 1958 should be applied to our current doings (or undoings) on our...
• letter to the editor

  Politics and your looking-glass selves

  Tue, 05/28/2019 - 10:00am

  Dear Editor: Just look at yourselves. The party you hijacked once opposed freedom for slaves, and then perpetrated decades of Jim Crow. Along the way, they tried to undermine our national wealth with their failed New Deal and its endless add-ons, and later their inbred racism was fully revealed when they attempted to block Eisenhower’s landmark Civil Rights Act of 1957. No wonder the sordid past of the party you now own is never taught in the schools you now shamelessly control. It was...
• letter to the editor

  Does life have a purpose?

  Tue, 05/28/2019 - 8:45am

  Dear Editor: Debates aside, there is a long list of observant and curious children who surprised their parents with definitive conclusions of emotional designs that create purpose in their lives. My son, Delmar at age four, is one of those children. He had watched the stars in the sky disappear on our way to preschool and determined that the stars were food for the sun every day so that new stars could be born. While not based on science, it is a scientific theory, used to define cause and...
• letter to the editor

  Right to bear arms

  Tue, 05/28/2019 - 8:00am

  Dear Editor: Just in case you have not recently read it or may have never read it, this defines our right in Maine. Constitution of the State of Maine: Article I. Declaration of Rights. Section 16. To keep and bear arms. Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned. Edward J. Polewarczyk Wiscasset
• letter to the editor

  We are at risk Homo sapiens

  Mon, 05/20/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: When ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel read a UN scientific report about the threat of one million animal and plant species on our planet, he remembered homo sapiens are a species, which means he was also at risk because he and everyone of us are Homo sapiens, a scientific name of humans. Sadly it turns out a large number of people, old and young, when asked the question what if Homo sapiens go extinct, many were unaware of what Homo sapiens were. If you don’t know it is you, then alert systems...
• letter to the editor

  Thankful for food collection

  Mon, 05/20/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: On behalf of the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, I would like to thank Boothbay Harbor's postmaster, Ashley Brown Holloway, for leading the large community effort that successfully encouraged collection of a lot of food for the food pantry on May 11. The amount of food collected and delivered to the food pantry was 827 pounds. The generosity of people in the Boothbay region has become something of a legend hereabouts. You did it again! Thank you. We directors and volunteers of the...
• letter to the editor

  Thank you for electing me

  Mon, 05/20/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Thank you to everyone who voted for me to be the new selectwoman, and thank you to everyone who made phone calls and talked to friends on my behalf. I really appreciate the effort you all put into my campaign. Thank you especially to my mom, Barbara Scorcia. Thank you, too, to everyone who voted for Chuck Cunningham. Coming out to cast your vote is the essence of our democracy, and it matters that you took the time and energy to do it. I want to write about the ballot inspection...
• letter to the editor

  Feed the birds

  Fri, 05/17/2019 - 7:15pm

  Dear Editor: Probably, we’ve never met. But, we might have brushed one another in the produce section at Hannaford’s, totally engrossed in our separate scratched out shopping lists. Lemons, lettuce, yogurt, coffee … So, let me ask a favor of you, my shopping list friend. When you arrive at the Pet Food section, pick up a bag of wild bird seed, or a few of those suet packs covered with seed. When you get home, share your bird seed purchase with our precious feathered friends. They will reward...
• letter to the editor

  Vote in Edgecomb

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor: This is a critical time in Edgecomb with the upcoming election and town meeting on May 18. Due to the complexities of Edgecomb's present status and the issues coming up, your involvement is crucial to determine the tax base now and in the future. There are many issues that will be presented - the school, the fire department, the harbor master, and ordinance, several marijuana questions and the budget that will be elevated this year due to the present economy. I urge you to vote...
• letter to the editor

  When wrongs get righted

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: According to Italian social scientist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), every ruling elite eventually and always gets replaced. In a society affording maximum social mobility and careers open to all, those who are more gifted tend to rightfully comprise the governing elite. However, when too many people gain elite positions based on unearned “assets,” like inherited wealth, family and political connections, or simply being labeled as entitled, things start to go wrong. In sum, when a...
• letter to the editor

  Gratitude

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: I would like to take a moment to thank all those who supported my campaign and voted for me. I am truly humbled by their support and they have my promise that I will do all that is in power to live up to their confidence in me. To those folks that did not support me. I am equally aware that I have to prove myself to you by demonstrating fairness, openness and honesty in my dealings in the town’s business. I have to earn your confidence and trust and I will work hard to do it. It...
• letter to the editor

  A reveal

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: The cover of the Town of Boothbay 2018 Annual Report is so revealing. The back cover displays a lovely, peaceful country scene of open landscape, trees in bloom all over, and mountains and sky in the distance. The front, in contrast, looks like a wannabe center of the concrete life of the cities, except without the cars and shops and people all around to give it life. A sad tale, signifying so much. Rhoda Weyr Boothbay
• letter to the editor

  So much hate still leaves room for love

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: Did you ever wonder where the line was between anger and hate? What causes hate? Does hate of others come from hate of self? Lately our country seems immersed in hate-filled crimes of killing the innocent. The only salvation seems to arrive in time of love with stories like that of a 4-year-old boy, Alex, who made a promise to his dying sister and out of love kept that promise all the way through high school. Often, the birth of hate comes from a lack of love in early life. The...
• letter to the editor

  It has been an honor

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: The recent Boothbay Selectman’s race was a very close one and Boothbay has a new selectman. I have been asked about a possible recount. There is no need to have a recount even tho there was only a five vote separation in the totals. There have been past questions about the accuracy of the voting machine. I can assure you that the machine is very accurate. The results are final and I am comfortable with that fact. It's time to move forward. I would like to congratulate Desiree...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks for the honor

  Mon, 05/13/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: I once asked my wife, Nancy, if I would ever be considered a Mainer. After all, I’d been coming here since I was an infant. Her answer was brief and to the point — “I married you, and that’s as close as you’ll ever get.” I’ve lived here for now nearly 43 years, but I’m married to a decorated real Mainer, and I consider that better than good enough. Nancy was recently given the Rotary Club’s highest honor, the Lifetime Service Award, for her many years of varied service to the...
• letter to the editor

  I am the granddaughter of immigrants

  Mon, 05/06/2019 - 4:45pm

  Dear Editor: When we are born our vision and understanding is less than that of newly arrived immigrants. We barely know that we are alive, but we rely on the joy, warmth and comfort of our smiling parents, grandparents, and often, aunts and uncles. Like the immigrant, we are assimilating into the culture of our family. “One in seven U.S. residents is foreign born.” Young immigrants find friends in school to play with and to learn something about the culture and language. Their...
• letter to the editor

  Confirmed in these pages

  Mon, 05/06/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: At this time and place of horrible divisiveness that is weakening (and could possibly destroy) all the fabric that holds our Republic together, I know how very precious are the ties that keep this community strong and alive. For half of my long life, I lived in an oligarchy where bribery took the place of rule of law and where demagoguery was tolerated as a necessary control where democracy had failed. Forty years ago, my lucky stars led me to this peninsula and I was able to leave...
• letter to the editor

  Collecting shoes

  Mon, 05/06/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: When I started as secretary for The Community Center over a year ago, I knew that I was becoming part of something great. In October I brought a kind of crazy fundraising idea in front of the management team … collecting shoes. I found a fundraiser where if we collected shoes, we would get 40 cents per pound and then these shoes would go over to developing nations through Funds2orgs plus keep them out of the local landfills. They gave me the go ahead and I went to work making boxes...

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