Letters

• letter to the editor

  I will miss you Coach

  Tue, 10/15/2019 - 7:45am

  Dear Editor: There are special people in life who cross your path and make a lasting impression. Dave Landry was one of them for me. He was my French teacher and basketball coach at Boothbay Region High School. Under his guidance I learned the meaning of hard work, dedication to team, and that there was a world beyond our cozy peninsula (made two trips to Quebec with the French Club). I never ran so much in my life as I did when I played for Coach Landry and he is the only person on earth that...
• letter to the editor

  Thank you, Colby & Gale

  Mon, 10/14/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor This past Saturday was our annual American Legion Dinner with an expected turn out of over 80 members, their families, and special guests. The kitchen crew, led by the Auxiliary and supported by the Sons and members of the Post, were busy at work in the kitchen starting early in the morning. The team was preparing the vegetables, the salads, and chicken for a chicken Parmesan dish. At about 1 p.m., time to turn on the ovens … but nothing happened! After checking to be sure all the...
• letter to the editor

  Perfidious Albion

  Mon, 10/14/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: Memo to President Trump: Ever heard of “Perfidious Albion?” Ham Meserve Newagen
• letter to the editor

  Labeling perpetuates stigmatization

  Mon, 10/14/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: Joe Gelarden, in his article "Good Cops Meet a Bad Dude,” labels John Kaula, a 44-year-old man arrested in Brunswick for methamphetamine possession, as a "bad dude." In the article, we learn nothing about what may have led Mr. Kaula to the moment described - nothing of a possible history of trauma, mental illness, or addiction, a disease that drives behaviors abhorrent even to those who carry them out. Yet he is proclaimed to be a “bad dude.” My daughter, Elisif, died of an...
• letter to the editor

  Misdirected good will?

  Mon, 10/14/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: I have just finished listening (Thursday, Oct. 10) to Maine Public Radio’s program, Maine Calling, whose topic was the new March on Poverty. The program made no mention whatever about the endemic racism that prevails in rural Maine. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was just as viral here as in the deep South. Even now, I have relatives who sound exactly like neighbors I've had in Miami and Houston. Chilling, just how offhand, taken for granted, are these obnoxious sentiments and...
• letter to the editor

  Gratitude from the Fresh Air Fund

  Sat, 10/12/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Fresh Air host families and volunteer leaders the Midcoast region of Maine. Because of their dedication and commitment, thousands of children from New York City’s low-income communities participated in our Friendly Towns volunteer host family program this summer. I am inspired by the heartfelt stories shared by hosts who welcome our children into their homes and community, and the joy and growth it brings to everyone. For over 140...
• letter to the editor

  Hurray for Rebuilding Together

  Mon, 10/07/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: On Saturday, Sept. 21, a band of angels descended on my home in Boothbay — volunteers from Rebuilding Together. They were quite a diverse group — male, female, young and older. Some have lived here all their lives and others were new arrivals. They got quickly to work — raking, tidying, scraping and painting, ripping and repairing. By the end of the day, my house had a new lease on life. Me too! I feel so blessed and grateful to live in such a caring community where people I’d...
• letter to the editor

  Looking for the right church

  Mon, 10/07/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: My wife and I have recently moved into the area, and are searching for a church. Specifically, we're looking for a Bible preaching church with a contemporary music program. We enjoy singing in church the songs we listen to on the radio, but have been unable to locate a church like this in the area. We love to make a joyful noise! Unfortunately the blurbs provided to the Register don't provide enough information to help us here. We willing to drive a bit if we can find the right...
• letter to the editor

  Business has moved

  Mon, 10/07/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Oct. 1, we moved our store Coastal Shipping to 679 Boothbay Road in Edgecomb. Dear friends it is never easy to make a leap of faith like this and we thank you for your support! The first week has been successful beyond my expectations. We truly enjoyed our time at Todd Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. Unfortunately due to reasons beyond our control relocating was our only option to keep the doors open and grow our company. No suitable location was available in the harbor at this time. My...
• letter to the editor

  Donate to Waterfront Preservation project

  Tue, 10/01/2019 - 7:45am

  Dear Editor: There was a beautiful service at the Congregational Church and a helluva good party at the Thistle on Sept. 14 to celebrate the life of my husband, Connie Evanofski. Thanks to all who helped us make arrangements and for all who joined us in person or in spirit. A special thanks to the “Hill Gang,” Mike Hall, Sarah Foulger, Ira and Connie Machon and Anya and Dick Reid. Connie loved Boothbay Harbor. He brought me here in the fall after we were married 36 years ago and we’ve come...
• letter to the editor

  Grateful for Skipdompha staff

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: The Board of Directors of the Parent Program of Mid-Coast Maine, Inc. would like to extend their gratitude to Kelsey Gibbs, Matthew Graff and all of their co-workers at the Skidompha Public Library. The members of the Skidompha Public Library helped support our 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization by offering their space to hold our third annual silent auction fundraising event held Sept. 9-21. PPMM would also like to thank all of the participating businesses, restaurants and artists...
• letter to the editor

  Nice opportunity for area students

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 4:45pm

  Dear Editor: I want to commend the organizers of last week's visit to Boothbay Harbor by the replica ship Nao Santa Maria . Over 150 students from Southport, Edgecomb and Boothbay/Boothbay Harbor, visited the ship to learn about its unique history. I also want to thank the classroom teachers and principals for making a visit to the ship a priority and for providing their learners an important hands-on learning opportunity. Seeing and delving into the history of the ship and the era...
• letter to the editor

  Farmers Market at BRV

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: The last few Thursdays has been a breath of fresh air going to the Farmers Market at the Boothbay Railway Village. What a great venue. Lots of space to meander and plenty of parking. A treat for all ages. I hope it is moved there permanently. Oh yeah, nice to free up traffic around the Common as well. Enjoy the fall! Mark Gimbel Boothbay Harbor
• letter to the editor

  Visit, contribute to Legion anniversary website

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: I wish to encourage the community to view Post 36’s historical website. The 100th anniversary website committee has been at work with this project for quite some time. It’s Maine’s Post 36 Boothbay’s contribution toward the celebration of the American Legion’s 100th birthday. The website has in it many, many items from our history. It covers pretty much the years 1942 to 2019. Photos and lots of other types of information are broken down into topic galleries. Of course, there is a...
• letter to the editor

  Changing Aging kudos

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: I’m writing to express thanks and gratitude for all who were a part of the first Changing Aging at the Boothbay YMCA on Sept. 22. The planners, the keynote presenters, the pharmacist available to answer questions, the hairstylists and the flu clinic workers helped make the day a success. Many of the area’s nonprofits were well-represented and offered information to those who visited their booths. Planning an event like this is not an easy task, and the support from volunteers...
• letter to the editor

  56, 56, 212

  Mon, 09/30/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: In reference to your editorial “What is causing the madness?” dated 08/14/2019. We have now entered the apathetic phase concerning the last mass murder event covered by the national media. I write this hoping to maintaining a focus on potential solutions. Since your editorial, I have engaged with the BBR community in discussions on possible solutions. What follows are my observations and a shortlist of topics I hope we could use to promote further discussions. Observations on the...
• letter to the editor

  Quick response

  Mon, 09/23/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: A word of thanks to the Boothbay Fire Department for a very fast response to a mishap here at 870 Ocean Point Rd. Minutes after the 911 call, Mr. Pinkham and crew were in my driveway and things were taken care of. Job well done and much thanks to Boothbay Fire & Rescue. Rusty Court East Boothbay
• letter to the editor

  Soaking up the contractors

  Mon, 09/23/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: In their efforts to buy up the whole town, have the handful of big money second home owners also soaked up all the contractors? The simple resident, single home owner cannot get anything done around here because the small jobs are being ignored. I cannot even get a carpenter or electrician to return my phone calls. Maybe, offering a signed check for $15,000 to $20,000 as a retainer is the only way to get some attention. It has always been a private club-contractor situation in...
• letter to the editor

  Hometown Heroes

  Mon, 09/23/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: We would like to thank everyone who attended the 2019 Hometown Heroes dinner to honor our hometown heroes and first responders. It was a great success. Our speaker, Tom Judge from LifeFlight, was awesome. Thank you to all of the first responders, Rotarians and the public for attending the dinner. Most of all, thank you to Spruce Point Inn and their employees for all of their help. A special thank you goes to SPI’s Jeff Broaden for donating the proceeds from the dinner to the...
• letter to the editor

  We need more transparency from AOS 98 superintendent

  Mon, 09/23/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: I think our school superintendent may have forgotten his stated goal to “be transparent about finances, meetings and initiatives.” He has most recently neglected to keep the public, the media, and our school board informed about the trustees’ commissioning and bid process of his “Master Plan,” something that could potentially shape the future of Boothbay Region’s schools through at least 2035. This comes after his clumsy navigation through last spring’s budget process, during which...
• letter to the editor

  Those who won’t pay

  Mon, 09/23/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Most of us received LincolnHealth’s “Community Connection” in the mail lately. Some items in this lavishly printed report to the community of LincolnHealth’s raison d'être piqued my curiosity. Of particular interest is the line in the Financials on page 26 of the report captioned: “Care Provided for Those Who Won’t Pay.” The amount on this line is $5.4 million dollars. What makes this line so curious is the use of the word “won’t.” Won’t, a contraction of will not, and will being a...
• letter to the editor

  There are better options than voting for Sen. Collins next year

  Mon, 09/16/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: In 1996, Susan Collins promised that if she was elected, she would only run for just two terms. She also promised to work on legislation to repair the disconnect between Social Security and Maine’s retirement program. I believe that I voted for her that year. Twenty-two years later, Susan is still our Senator and Maine’s retired state workers still cannot receive Social Security survivor benefits. Because of this, we have teachers, and other state employees routinely working into...
• letter to the editor

  Re: Blood on our hands

  Mon, 09/16/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: The latest David Howarth letter contained some shocking statistics and should be an eye opener for any rational American. The statistics he presented were so purposely misleading anyone capable of thinking for themselves should see through it. I suspect his statistics come from the Gun Violence Archives, or at least a place that uses their material. The similarities are too close to be a coincidence. This group uses a much different criteria for their information and try to portray...
• letter to the editor

  Farewell to BRCRC executive director

  Wed, 09/11/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: Over the past 18 months here at Boothbay Region Community Resource Council (BRCRC) we have been grateful for the service that our Executive Director Katie White has brought to our organization. Katie helped implement a number of new practices and helped build on the strength of the structure to our mission: to assist persons in need on the Boothbay peninsula by providing information, referrals, resources and programs. It was with regret that we saw the departure of our executive...
• letter to the editor

  Blood on our hands

  Mon, 09/09/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: Since your last editorial (08/14/2019) on mass murder, there have been 25 mass shootings resulting in 148 people being killed or wounded. Since the beginning of 2019, there have been 297 mass shootings resulting in 1,219 people being killed or wounded. Of these events, seven occurred in schools and two in places of worship. Despite overwhelming public support for sensible gun laws, there has been no action from the government. In fact, many states continue to make it easier to...
• letter to the editor

  Good Samaritans

  Mon, 09/02/2019 - 6:30pm

  Dear Editor: Recently, we were vacationing in Boothbay and unfortunately, I had a mishap with my car. Out of the blue, an employee (owner) of Coastal Car Wash Detail Center, came to my rescue. He, along with a person from Southport (who was cleaning his rugs at the car wash) worked tirelessly for at least 30 minutes to free up my car. They were amazing! My car was not damaged at all and we were able to drive away with no problems. I was so mad at myself about what had happened and so...
• letter to the editor

  Re: ‘Keep staying healthy’

  Mon, 09/02/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: I am writing in reference to your column, “Keep staying healthy,” (Aug. 22 issue) and specifically to your request “help find a solution to this problem.” As the population crosses the 65 age barrier, we must consider how to maintain independent living, good quality of life at an affordable cost. A cornerstone of solutions that addresses these points is technology in the form of “sensors” attached to and or in the body. A simple example of a type of sensor in use today is glucose...
• letter to the editor

  Opportunities at the American Legion Auxiliary

  Mon, 09/02/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: As a new resident to Boothbay, one of the women of the American Legion Auxiliary invited me to visit one of their meetings and, once I did, I knew I wanted to become a part of helping our veterans in any way possible. These men and women (along with their families) selflessly give/gave of their life and time to protect our freedoms here in our country, to which I benefit every single day of my life by having the freedom to speak, to worship, to work, to live. I am so glad to be...
• letter to the editor

  St. Andrews Free Bed Fund

  Mon, 09/02/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: For over 80 years, we have helped worthy local residents pay their bills at St. Andrews Hospital. More recently, we have also been able to help local patients of other non-profit healthcare providers, like the new Boothbay Region Health Center. Many local people get overwhelmed by the rising cost of healthcare because of circumstances beyond their control, like an injury or sudden illness. Even those fortunate enough to afford health insurance typically have extremely high...
• letter to the editor

  Congratulations to Thistle Inn

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: Very disappointed to note the omission by the Register of the recognition extended to the Thistle Inn’s restaurant, having been voted number four amongst restaurants nominated on USA Today’s Top Ten listing in the category Best Hotel Restaurant in the country. This is a significant accomplishment that should not have been overlooked by your reporting staff. Dick and Anya as well as dedicated Thistle employees have worked hard to achieve such a standing. Shame on you for missing...
• letter to the editor

  Nuclear power is safe and necessary

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 4:45pm

  Dear Editor: I believe nuclear energy is a safe and necessary energy source; here's why it's so powerful and, if misused, dangerous. When we burn any fossil fuel, we are breaking chemical bonds that are of the order of 1 eV (electron Volt; we jokingly call this 1 mosquito sneeze). When we break a nuclear bond (fission), the energy release is roughly 200 million mosquito sneezes. Fission is 200 million times more energetic than fossil fuels; thus, the power of nuclear weapons and reactors. The...
• letter to the editor

  Getting my life back

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor: In 2010, I badly injured my knees climbing the stairs of our very tall, beautiful home in Boothbay Harbor. For several years after that, I was unable to climb stairs at all, which has been quite limiting, and forced me to stop doing many of the things I love. I saw a number of orthopedists and physical therapists with no significant improvement. Three years ago, I began to work with Mary Baudo and slowly but steadily made improvement. She made astute observations, a key being...
• letter to the editor

  We need to heed some wise words from the past

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: With every passing day I yearn more desperately for a president who could, and would even want to, embody and broadcast the conception of liberty so brilliantly spelled out in a 1944 address to new citizens by Judge Learned Hand, Chief Judge of the U. S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals for many decades. Judge Hand is recognized as one of the wisest judges in the history of American jurisprudence. These words had immediate and wide-spread influence near the end of World War II; I...
• letter to the editor

  Working with DEP

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: Following the publication of the article “West Harbor Pond siphon in jeopardy” in the Aug. 1 issue of the Boothbay Register, there have been related letters on the editorial page in the newspaper. These letters both support and question the siphon technology that has been put into place under the leadership of the West Harbor Pond Watershed Association (WHPWA). The purpose of the siphon is to remove the deoxygenated salt water from the lower levels of West Harbor Pond. In the long...
• letter to the editor

  Revisiting ‘No torpedoes’

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: After my letter captioned “No torpedoes” appeared in the Aug.15 edition of the Boothbay Register, my cousin, John Gould, read it and replied with a related tale. His father, Gardner “Bill” Gould, spent his youth sailing the summer waters of the Boothbay region. During World War II, Bill joined the U.S. Navy and trained as a pilot at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida. One of the stories he told son John was about the end of the war when he had to fly a German U-boat commander...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks Joe

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: I'd like to thank Joe Gelarden for his article on Lea Wait (Joe’s Journal, 8/22). I enjoyed her writing and, more importantly, I enjoyed her as a person. When Maine's First Ship organized a ceremonial “laying of the keel” for Virginia in 2001 — Virginia is being built on the downtown Bath waterfront and is a reconstruction of a ship originally built in 1607 at the mouth of the Kennebec — someone invited Lea to speak. Then I was handed the responsibility for...
• letter to the editor

  Collins’ website email and Washington office unavailable

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: What is going on with Senator Susan Collins? You can't email her through her website because when you try you get the message "An illegal choice has been detected. Please contact the site administrator." This has happened before and was supposed to be fixed. When you call the D.C office you never get a person but a long message referring you to leave a message. When you try to leave your name, address, phone and email you get disconnected. What is going on? We should be able to...
• letter to the editor

  A community of gracious givers

  Mon, 08/26/2019 - 2:45pm

  Dear Editor: Without you — our community of churches and businesses and everyone on and off the peninsula — the 2019 Set For Success at the Boothbay Region YMCA would not have been possible. It clearly was our biggest yet! To all who have given money donations and school supply donations and cheerful support, we thank you. To the many, many volunteers from everywhere … wowza … you were life savers lugging and tugging and stacking boxes and boxes of school supplies, setting up tables, hair salon...
• letter to the editor

  Where have all the Christians gone?

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: Our country has been devastated by violent mass shootings and the devaluation of the sanctity of life. “Times they are a-changing.” Hasn't it been evident that the more Christians hide their Christianity, stop teaching values, morals, and the Bible to children that practices disappear and the conditioning of the violence in videos and television desensitize them to the promotion of such? Christians allow the schools to stop prayer and even the mention of Christ in Christmas carols...
• letter to the editor

  Bigelow book a good read

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 4:45pm

  Dear Editor: We recently acquired and read “Searching for Systems in the Ever-Changing Sea; A history of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences 1974-2016” compiled by Boothbay Harbor’s own Spencer Apollonio. The book outlines how Bigelow labs came to be, from its first location at McKown Point to its current state of the art facility in East Boothbay. The research conducted at Bigelow Labs over the years is nicely summarized and includes a glossary of terms for lay people like us. The photos of...
• letter to the editor

  Donate to Waterfront Preservation project

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor: We have each been in business in the area for many years and are now pleased to be involved with the Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation purchase of the Fish property on Atlantic Avenue. As advisory board members, we have been able to observe, first hand, the hard work which has been done to bring the project forward. Now, more work must be done. We, along with many others, are ready and willing to lend a hand. Alice’s father, a boat builder, and her mother owned this property...
• letter to the editor

  Re: ‘What is causing the madness’

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 4:15pm

  Dear Editor: This is the stage we all state how we are shocked about the mass murder that has taken place, lots of public chest-beating but there will be no action by the government to put in place any solutions to deter any further occurrence. You raised a number of points as to the cause of these mass murders, the only one specific to the United States is “the lack of laws.” All other western countries have all the other issues, yet do not have a daily mass shooting. The NRA and the gun lobby...
• letter to the editor

  Living a purposeful life in Boothbay

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 4:00pm

  Dear Editor: I worked at the Rotary Auction as a friend of the Rotary. Although I am not a Rotarian, I have been involved for at least 10 years. I am always amazed at the army of volunteers who work all day to transform the lawn at the high school into various booths and a live auction tent. Working on Saturday, I met a man who wore a hat marked “Woodchucks.” I had read about these guys who donate and chop wood for those who need it. Later I met the leader of the “Set for Success” initiative,...
• letter to the editor

  Block the regulation change

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 3:45pm

  Dear Editor: Being a recreational lobsterman with five traps hauled by hand from my late father-in-law’s handmade, 50-year-old, 15-foot flat bottom skiff, I am very concerned about the proposed new regulations and what that could mean to the small lobsterman. I am a CPA desk jockey at Bowdoin College and hauling traps has been my summer passion for over ten years. I worry that if allowed only one buoy for five traps, this will cause a very restrictive and dangerous situation to all small...
• letter to the editor

  Animal hospital staff is excellent

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 3:30pm

  Dear Editor: Several weeks ago our beloved dog Zack suddenly became acutely ill. As we are summer residents and had no contact with a vet here, we rushed him to Boothbay Animal Hospital. Although the staff there had never seen us before and seemed very busy, we immediately had doctors, nurses and support staff caring for Zack and for us, too. Although he could not be saved, the staff spent a considerable amount of time with us, assuring us that there were no symptoms that could have been seen...
• letter to the editor

  Many acts of kindness

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 3:15pm

  Dear Editor: Gullrun, our home of 28 years, was destroyed by fire and smoke on July 16. Our eyes still fill with tears when we think back to that day. We were fortunate to escape with our cat, Sushi. Firefighters from Southport, Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Edgecomb, Newcastle and Wiscasset, along with Lincoln County’s Mutual Aid Strike Team, arrived to address the situation. We are profoundly grateful to the volunteer firefighters and the emergency responders that came from near and far to fight...
• letter to the editor

  Re: Kenniston Hill Inn

  Mon, 08/19/2019 - 3:00pm

  Dear Editor: I can’t begin to show how thrilled I am concerning my dear friend Jane Carpenter’s article concerning “Plans announced for Kenniston Hill Inn.” The use of this historic founding family’s home adapted to a community use — what a unique concept. ElderCare’s adaptive use would showcase not only a local piece of history but save an endangered building. There is a “preservation God” and shows how a community can get it done. Good work! At one time, this handsome building was the pride...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks for a great auction

  Mon, 08/12/2019 - 5:00pm

  Dear Editor: A couple from New Jersey plan their vacation around the Rotary Auction, Massachusetts friends make the trip to Maine at Auction time every year, people from all over New England make the Auction part of their vacation plans on a regular basis. The reach of the Rotary Auction is quite remarkable and it seems to grow each year. Everyone had a great time this year, and it was the most successful Auction yet. The weather was perfect and the crowd was huge. Lots of people walked away...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks for the new look

  Mon, 08/12/2019 - 4:45pm

  Dear Editor: The Boothbay Region Information Center would like to thank Pat Farrin & Sons along with their crew for planting the gorgeous flowers and topping off with mulch, along with Barrett Fuller of Fuller Landscaping for mowing the lawn and maintaining the grounds. The removal of a bamboo forest around the building is greatly appreciated! The flower boxes from the Garden Club are just lovely! We appreciate our volunteers and business members who contribute in helping to make a warm and...
• letter to the editor

  Thanks for shutting down the siphon

  Mon, 08/12/2019 - 4:30pm

  Dear Editor: Ironically legal action taken by Oak Grove Condominiums to shut down the new siphon may have been as good for West Harbor Pond as for the Inner Harbor. The amount of foul-smelling water upwelling from the siphon outlet this spring, indicated flow through the 6" pipe was unchecked; likely1000+ gallons at dead low tide. Emphasis has been given to the saltwater content of degraded water in the lower depths of the Pond, but the obvious slow rate of mixing of the dark floating plume,...

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