A bargain

As someone who grew up in Freeport, attended Freeport High School, and is a mother of three children currently in the school system, I am asking you to vote in favor or the Freeport High School Renovation project on June 11.

Why does the school need to be renovated? The main section of the building is over 50 years old, it does not meet the educational needs of our children, it is not ADA compliant, and it does not meet current safety standards. The school is overcrowded now and on pace to have the population increase by 20 percent in 10 years. And last but not least, the athletic fields are inadequate and unsafe.

A Freeport resident paying $4,500 in annual taxes would see an increase of around $212 if the bond passes. This amount seems like a bargain to ensure that our children are safe and receiving a quality education.

This problem is not going away. It will only get worse. Construction and borrowing costs are competitive now. If we continue to allow our school to decline we are hurting our children and we are hurting our community. We will lose our ability to retain families in our towns as well as our ability to attract families to move here which will negatively impact our property values.

An investment in our schools is an investment in our future. Please educate yourself on this issue, and make an informed decision to vote yess on June 11.

Jennifer Maneikis

Freeport

Renovation ‘over the top’

I am very relieved to know that one of the primary reasons for spending $17 million on a high school renovation is that “we” might not miss another track meet! It will also most likely ensure that the next time the state’s schools are graded, whether you agreed with the process from Augusta or not, that Freeport will get an A, not a C. Are English and math classes going to be conducted while doing laps? Too, it is very reassuring to know that now Freeport High School will be on par with Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth. Really?

And last but not least, my property values are going up? My property values are great right where they are and the only thing headed skyward are our property taxes, indiscriminate of whether you are unemployed, on a fixed income or can easily afford it!

Are my arguments inane? No more so than the justifications we’ve seen so far for a poorly timed, over-the-top renovation plan for a building that most likely needs it. Sadly, it’s not presented to the taxpayers in an a la carte fashion that would allow citizens to focus on the true needs of the school system versus the shoot-for-the-moon process we’re faced with. It is also a shame that the values that are being taught to impressionable teens are that you can simply “charge” anything you like because you can always borrow money, even if it sends you into foreclosure when the economy turns sour.

The citizens of Freeport, Pownal and Durham deserve a process that’s more just and more fair to the entire population.

I urge you to vote no and tackle the renovation with a balance of educational needs and fiscal responsibility.

Eric Bowie

Durham

Practical skills lacking

A response to Al Diamon’s column in the Tri-Town Weekly of May 22:

This spring marks 50 years since my high school graduation so it would appear from your comments that we may be in a similar age group.

As to your counselor’s rejection of typing, I had a free period in senior year and was encouraged to take typing since I was going on to college. It turned out to be one of the most useful courses I ever took. It was also one of the most fun, since I was the only boy in a class of 38 girls.

What passes for typing these days is mostly a shorthand made up of as few letters as possible in combination with numbers to get the message across. Ask most young people to write something in real English and they cannot do it.

Some time ago ABC News did an informal survey where they walked a street in New York City and asked people how many books they had read in the past year. The average answer was one.

As far as math goes, ask a high school graduate to solve a simple problem without a calculator. During the ice storm several years ago when power went out, many stores had to close because the cashiers could not add up a bill since the cash registers did not work. They could not total the items with a pencil and paper. Simple addition.

School ranking will change nothing. It only gives everyone an excuse to argue over why their school got a bad rating or brag about the good rating theirs got. No one will find a way to fix the causes.

How about we consider reverting to some of the methods of the 1950s and 1960s before all the “innovation” in teaching and all the special programs, when schools actually had time, resources and discipline to teach.

Donald Rice

Freeport

Modest proposal

Why should you come out on June 11 to vote for the high school renovation bond? If you don’t have children in the school system, you may not feel that it’s important. In fact, not voting, or voting against it, may result in lower taxes. That’s clearly a benefit to you, if you pay property taxes in Durham, Freeport or Pownal.

But that’s a shortsighted position. There are many reasons to get out and vote. Most importantly, by voting yes, you will make a difference in the quality of education of our current and future students, by providing them with modern classrooms, technologically equipped to support their evolving educational needs. You will support our high school teachers and administrators who confront inadequate space every day while doing their jobs. You will continue our towns’ commitment to infrastructure to support the needs of our townspeople, evidenced in recent years by the Freeport Community Library, the Durham Community School and the Community Center. You will raise our property values, attracting newcomers to our towns and supporting a strong economic base.

We are required by law to provide for our students. If we don’t renovate the high school now, this issue won’t disappear. It may take having our students in trailers, dealing with emergency repairs to infrastructure, or other issues to make a vote for renovation happen if the bond doesn’t pass next week. But it will happen. There will be change. Do we want to wait until we’re desperate? Until interest rates rise and contractors become scarce? This is a modest proposal, designed to extend the life of our 50-year-old school at a relatively low cost. Please vote to pass the bond referendum.

And, if you don’t think you have time to visit the polls on June 11, remember that they open early and close late. Or pick up your absentee ballot in your town office and vote now.

Wendy Harlan

Freeport

Share not equal

Just finished reading your latest issue of the Tri-Town Weekly (May 29). I always enjoy getting the issue in the mail. But today, I’m very disturbed with the fact that your letters to the editor section was filled with nothing but pro FHS renovation letters. With the great distaste many Durham and Pownal residents have over this bond issue, I find it greatly hard to believe there were no anti-FHS renovation letters. Are they being left out purposefully? I hope this is not the case. Also, there is a full-page ad for friends of FHS, voting yes.

I do believe in freedom of speech, but it is stuff like this that ends up having dramatic effects on issues. The perception of the paper is everyone is for the renovations. This is eerily reminiscent of the 2012 vote to withdraw. Durham residents were duped out of not withdrawing from the RSU by these same groups sending biased and false info to residents of Durham in the election, which scared residents into staying in the RSU, by stating that our taxes would skyrocket, and that schools wouldn’t take our children. It sickens me that it’s not flyers anymore that they are sending out, but utilizing your publication to push their agenda.

Again, these same groups did these similar scare tactics to get Durham to join the RSU in the first place, then telling us that everything will be fine, the school was in good shape, it could accommodate all the kids, and it would save us money. Donna Church (owner of the Durham Get & Go) stated those similar points that you posted in your main story. And save us money! That’s a joke. My school taxes have gone up $600 in the three years. I guess they meant Freeport would save money.

We are being told it’s only going to cost the average person $200-$250. What they don’t understand is, it’s also $200-$250 extra in taxes to just pass this year’s budget. So we are looking at a $500 tax increase on the average house in Durham alone. This also does not account for what the town is going to increase in taxes for passing the municipal road crew bond. I myself am looking at seeing my taxes this year go from $2,250 to $2,800. It was only $1,600 three years ago.

I went to the RSU meeting at the Durham Community School. Thee committee kept pushing to residents that this needed to be done. When asked to figure out an even pay system for all residents as a means to gain support for the project, they began telling us that the process of figuring up the cost per town is fair, and went into an elaborate means in which Freeport pays more overall, but Durham and Pownal residents pay more individually.

The only thing the town of Durham and Pownal are to Freeport is an ATM.

It is not support for the project that people are against, it’s the fact that we all don’t pay an equal share.

Tim Kieger

Durham

Doing nothing not an option

As a member of Durham’s Budget Committee, it is my obligation to look out for the best interest of Durham taxpayers. I’ve studied the impact of the high school renovation project very closely, and attended many school board meetings on the subject. The Facilities Committee has given strong consideration to the impact on taxpayers and has put forth a responsible plan that addresses what truly needs to be done, while leaving out components that were not essential, in order to keep the cost as low as possible. I am urging Durham voters to support the high school renovation bond.

The need for renovation and expansion of our high school has been well documented. The building is overcrowded and needs to be updated to meet the needs of a 21st century education. The athletic fields are in terrible shape and are unusable for large portions of the school year. Traffic patterns for vehicles and pedestrians present many hazardous situations every day and there is insufficient security at building entrances.

Much has been discussed about the cost of the project and the potential impact to our property taxes. Rightly so; $16.95 million is a lot of money. In Durham, our share of the total bond principal amount over 20 years is $3.6 million. This represents 21.42 percent of the total cost. Freeport’s share will be $11.2 million and Pownal’s will be $2.1 million.

These are big numbers and they can be a little scary. Here’s another way to look at it. According to the Durham Town Office, the median property tax bill in Durham is $2,603. That means half of us pay a bit more than that, and half of us pay less. This project represents a 7.267 percent increase over what our 2012 tax bills were. For the median taxpayer, that equates to $189 per year. Because of the way school bonds work, this cost will go down slightly each year.

While it’s important to fully understand the cost of approving the bond, it’s equally important to consider the cost of not approving the bond. If the bond question fails, the problems listed above do not go away. Additional modular classrooms will need to be purchased. The athletic fields will still need to be repaired, at a cost of nearly $500,000. Without a bond, the entire cost will hit taxpayers in a single year. There are many other examples such as this, all of which would only serve to delay the inevitable. Sooner or later our high school needs to be renovated and the cost will only increase as interest rates rise and construction costs go up.

Many have expressed concern for those who find it difficult to afford any tax increase at all. I share those concerns, but what is the alternative? Doing nothing is not an option and delaying the work will only result in greater hardship down the road as costs rise. All we can do is attempt to find the best balance possible between what needs to be done, and what people can reasonably be asked to support with their tax dollars. This plan does that.

Contrary to what many believe, Durham is no longer a poor rural town. Our median household income ranks in the top 10 percent statewide. Our relative tax burden is below state average and lower than any community we share a border with, according to Maine Revenue Services.

A good school system is important for all of us, whether we have kids in the schools or not. Good schools contribute greatly to increased home values. Even if you never plan to sell your home, the increased value provides equity that can be used to help fund expenses down the road or enable you to leave a bigger nest egg for your children. The total 20-year cost of this project for the median taxpayer in Durham is about $3,700. I am confident that the impact of a strong school system on home values over the 20-year life of the bond will far exceed $3,700, making this project a wise investment that will benefit everyone in town.

Finally, I believe that providing an excellent education for our children is a generational responsibility. Modern technology and global competition have changed the definition of a quality education. The pace of change will only accelerate. Our job is to make sure our kids are well-prepared to face these changes and find success in this world.

Last fall, 73 percent of Durham voters voted to remain part of RSU 5 because we recognized the educational benefits, as well as the financial advantages of being part of a strong, vibrant school system. That is still true today. Nothing has changed. Please go to the polls on June 11 and vote in favor of the High School Renovation bond. It’s a smart investment for the future of our kids, as well as for the taxpayers of Durham.

Kevin Nadeau

Durham

Upgrades needed

The high school renovation bond is the painfully right thing to do. We need to upgrade security, safety, labs, technology and classrooms, etc. However, there is understandable opposition.

Some say RSU 5 should wait for the state to share the expense. As your past legislator, I met with the Maine Department of Education about funding. The next opportunity to compete begins in 2017, with limited funding for high schools.

RSU 5 will compete against schools with rows of portable classrooms, not just one portable, like Freeport. Hoping for relief within the next decade is a long shot at best.

Others oppose the high school playing field; my first reaction, too. However, now, stripped down, eliminating bleachers, lights, sound system, extra buildings, etc., I’ve come around.

Flooding and clay base mean the field needs to be rebuilt with better drainage, whether a natural or turf surface. I learned that a turf field has advantages. There are fewer player injuries on a turf field. It can be used later in the fall and earlier in the spring, and the annual maintenance costs are less, offsetting some of the cost of the turf. Our RSU has a strong track and field emphasis. It makes sense to have usable fields. This proposal seems right sized.

I want to see taxes as low as possible. However, as a taxpayer who has never had a child in school, I believe it is our job to ensure a safe, quality education for every child. I will vote yes.

David Webster

Freeport

Outstanding support

As chair of this year’s American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Brunswick volunteer planning committee, I would like to thank area residents for their generosity and support. Over 70 teams participated in this year’s event and raised more than $112,000 to help the society’s fight for every birthday, threatened by every cancer, here and throughout the world. This outstanding show of support proves that people in the greater Brunswick area stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the American Cancer Society to achieve its mission of saving lives. We were honored to be joined by more than 150 survivors who walked the opening Survivors Lap, officially kicking off this year’s event.

A special thanks to the many Relay For Life volunteers who worked to make this event a success. The Relay For Life committee did an outstanding job of putting the event together: Carrie Barnett, Theresa Barry, Eliza Brooks, Brenda Lane, Olivia LeRoy, Julia Levesque-LeRoy, Wendy McKenney, Kate Menendez, Traci Moeller, Darcie Moore, Dottie Riendeau, Emily Sampson, Bruce Stockford and Ken Stockford.

We also appreciate the generosity of this year’s corporate sponsors: Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, Hannaford, Five County Credit Union, Mid Coast Hospital, Norton Insurance, Bath Savings Institution, Potvin Construction, Sea-Vu Campground, Fox 23, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rewind 100.9, and Carrot Signs. Thank you also to the many local businesses that generously donated products and services.

Volunteers are needed to help plan next year’s Relay For Life; for more information, call 1-800-227-2345.

Irene Dubreuil

2013 Relay For Life Chair

Brunswick