My family and I live in the Willard Beach area of South Portland, a short walk from Bug Light Park. We’ve been here for eight years now and two years ago we began the long process of discussing how and what it would take to build a new house because our current one is in disrepair. We had a lot to consider in planning this project, the first being if we should stay in this neighborhood and in the end we just could not envision a place that offered so much: wonderful community, steps from the ocean, over the bridge from Portland and minutes from so many beautiful state parks; it became clear that this is the best place to raise our son and spend our lives together.

Because my husband is the builder and general contractor for our project we took on full responsibility for the design of our new house. We decided to put energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint as the No. 1 priority. We plan to move in by early 2014 and we are completely financially and emotionally invested in our new home, which is 100-percent fossil fuel free!

If the people of South Portland unite to vote FOR the Waterfront Protection Ordinance on November 5, we can do our part to keep this tiny part of the planet safe from further toxic pollution from large oil companies that will greatly compromise the health of our beloved children and our local natural environmental treasures and lastly considerably diminish the value of our properties that we have all put so much into.

Please join us to protect the waterfront and by doing so help protect South Portland, southern Maine and this earth that we owe our lives to.

Pilar Gizzi

South Portland