Dear Editor:

I have been watching closely the discussions about the closing the picking pile at the dump (transfer station) and I want to voice my opinion on this matter, which is very dear to my heart.

When I came to Boothbay over 30 years ago I had very little “stuff” in terms of furniture and household items. Lucky for me, I found what I needed at the picking pile. My prize possession is my mudroom door, which was just the right size for my door jam – it has beautiful milk glass windows and a brass door knob. I’ve gotten pretty much all my garden tools, bed steads, and even a Family Bible filled with peoples’ names and dates of birth – that is now with the Boothbay Harbor Historical society. I could go on.

What I have realized through the years, is that the picking pile serves the community – for those who want to get rid of a chair and those who just found one; the dump provides things that people need. So what if a table is a little dusty or banged up? It can be cleaned and reused. I got a rejected brass lamp that I polished and now proudly stands in my living room.

In this era of throw away mentality, I look at our dump as a beacon of recycling. Lots of things can be repurposed instead of tossed out. And, it’s free and fun! -- there isn’t much of that going around right now. 

So why not give it a chance? 

As far as it being a danger risk, in last year’s meeting someone asked if there had ever been and accident involving the picking pile and the answer from the board said “no.” If danger is an issue maybe we should look at that giant pile of wood where there are nails and jagged pieces of lumber. But hey, that’s where I find my kindling!  

Liza Maugham 

Boothbay