Letters to the Editor

Heritage Day exceeds expectations

To the editor,

The eighth annual Heritage Day was held Sept. 17 at the North Chapel Common in Arundel. It was hosted by the Arundel Historical Society and turned out to be a well-attended event exceeding our expectations and surpassing past attendance records.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and contributors: Arundel Ford, Beal’s Little Acres, Bentley’s Saloon, Champion Auto Body, Champion Auto Sales, Coca-Cola, Inc., Douston Construction, Inc., Ed’s Grove, Inc., Generations Dentistry, Infinity Credit Union, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Linda Labbe, The Lobster Company, Michael Lux Painting Company, Sharon Arnold Lux School of Dance, Mann Memorial Veterinary Clinic, Neil’s Motors, Inc., Wayne Parry(lobsterman), Pottys-R-Us, Saco Biddeford Savings, Shields Meats, Staples, Weirs Motor Sales, M. Welch and Sons, Inc.

Our sincere thanks to all of these businesses and individuals for their support and generous donations of cash, food, materials, raffle prizes, and/or services. We ask that you keep these businesses in mind when shopping for goods and services as they are the backbone of our local economy and deserve our support. We would also like to thank all our volunteers whose help and assistance made our event so successful. Without the support of these businesses and volunteers this event would not be possible. For this we are truly grateful.

Arundel Historical Society

Board of Directors

Town hall goes off the rails

To the editor,

Kennebunk totally missed the mark, again. This time sticking us with a huge liability. Mike Pardue and Chris Osterrieder had all the information they needed to make the town and nice skate park. For five years the ad hoc skate park committee gave them recommendation after recommendation and what did we get? We got the same thing the kids got 30 years ago. A skate boarding area that is unsafe for beginners and by next spring’s thaw will be unsafe for even regular riders.

Why do I say that? We gave them three must recommendations. First simple one, concrete, concrete, concrete. You can’t build a skatepark in New England with two different materials. Pavement is meant for cars and trucks. Last time I looked, the wheels of a skate board are smaller than even a Prius. Chris and Mike in their infinite wisdom used pavement to connect all the features rendering the whole park useless after one winter.

Second recommendation is another simple one. Have the company that designs skate parks do the design, and build the park. Why does this matter. Safety, safety and safety. What they built was a skate boarding area that has no flow and no area for beginners to be safe to learn without getting in the way of the more experienced riders. When you build a baseball field you don’t build a square, there are ways to build a skate park properly. They made every mistake in the book.

Third recommendation is another simple one. Location, location, location. Mike and Chris gave the skate park committee 10 different locations for a skate park. Factory Pasture was always the last choice. Why did that location never make the even the top five locations? Easy, money. There was no sidewalk and no parking. What did Chris and Mike do about that? They spent our town’s money on a sidewalk to nowhere. We don’t even have a sidewalk to the school at Sea Road, and they built a sidewalk on Factory Pasture? That road also has a big hill and trucks burn around it. Great place to have kids running around, don’t you think? Skate parks in towns are always built into the existing town parks system and they are out in the open. Is Factory Pasture out in the open? No, no and no.

So, what did we get for our money? We got a way overpriced 30-year-old parking lot with a culvert on one side and a half of a culvert on the other side. What did the ad hoc skate park committee get for their five years of work? We all got a slap in the face. Shame on you Mike Pardue, Chris Osterrieder and the last select board that allowed it to happen.

Jim Trentalange

Kennebunk

Let’s come together, right now

To the editor,

I just caught up with reading the Kennebunk Post of Sept. 16, and I was a bit confused by Mr. Cressey’s letter, because he doesn’t name the president he is criticizing. He refers to a banner at his home, but I have not seen it. After reading all of his points, I concluded that he must have been writing about former President Donald Trump.

I’m sure Mr. Cressey is aware that it was Trump’s order that led to the end of the war in Afghanistan and began the exodus that ended the 20-year conflict. But of course, several other presidents preceded Mr. Trump during that 20 years. The conflict was started during President George W. Bush’s tenure starting in 2001 after the attack on 9/11. It continued under President Barack Obama beginning in 2009, and then President Trump in 2017.

Following Mr. Trump’s lead, our current president, Joe Biden, completed the pull-out under extremely difficult circumstances. Things are never smooth at the end of a war.

Mr. Cressey also mentions immigration. Illegal aliens have long been a problem in our country, and Congress has failed to create laws to control it. A president is limited in what he/she can do. However, Biden, of course, did not order the transport of aliens by buses, planes and trains to cities that were not prepared to receive them. It was the governor of Florida and others who did this and who may be brought to court.

Sex trafficking, of course, has never been allowed by any president. This is a political conspiracy story that should have ended after an incident in Washington. A man armed with an AR-15 believing the story approached a pizza restaurant ready to shoot the innocent people there. Luckily the police arrived in time to avert a mass shooting.

The opioid crisis has been brewing for many years, and our border police and police throughout the country are on the front lines. The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying job losses led many people to the desperation of seeking such drugs, increasing the crisis. Congress and also state governments are the ones who make laws to prevent drug trafficking, not presidents. Neither of our recent presidents enabled it. And it is charitable organizations helping people on the streets that we must thank the most.

Yes, inflation is high now, largely because of the war in Ukraine and again the pandemic and its many ill effects. Yes, money was spent by the federal government – it was done to help the American people and businesses worst hit by the pandemic. I’m wondering why Mr. Cressey didn’t also mention the excellent job reports that have been issued this year, and the lowest unemployment statistics in many years.

Indeed, countries all over the world as well as the United States are trying to find their balance after the disruptions of the last few years. Let’s work together rather than trying to find someone to blame.

Victoria Adams

Kennebunk

Candidate works with both parties

To the editor,

I see a great need for both sides to work together for the common good. That’s why I am voting for Henry Ingwersen for
the Maine Senate. I believe that Henry is a strong leader to help us work through our current difficulties and make our system work for everyone. He has the experience of working up in Augusta, in the House of Representatives. He is willing to work with both parties to get the job done. He has worked on many local committees in his community.

Henry cares very much about Maine families and how they can live and work in our community. He loves the outdoors and
wants to work to protect Maine natural beauty and the environment. He is a strong supporter of women’s rights and women’s reproductive freedom.

I believe that Henry will help get things done in a good way in Augusta. These are reasons why I am voting for Henry Ingwersen for Maine Senate. I believe that we each need to make our political system work, we all need to vote. Please get out and vote.

Dennis Andersen
Lyman

Candidate is collaborative leader

To the editor,

I am writing to support Henry Ingwersen for Maine Senate District 32. My reasons for supporting Henry are numerous. These reasons boil down to the care and compassion Henry has for individuals and for his community.

My daughter was one of Henry’s students and Henry was one of the best teachers she ever had. Henry was a fabulous educator dedicated to making sure all children believed they could succeed. My daughter knew that Henry cared not only for her, but for all his students. She believed she could excel because Henry believed she could excel. He met his students where they were and brought out the best in them.

Henry has shown this same care and compassion for his community. He is a collaborative leader who will bring out the best in his colleagues, just as he brought out the best in his students. Henry knows that by working together, everyone can make a difference. I am proud to support Henry and look forward to calling him my state senator.

Robin Hewitt Bibber

Arundel

First Amendment rights depend on geography?

To the editor,

To the flag bearer on Gooch’s Beach. I’m assuming you’re some kind of constitutional scholar either by education or self infliction. I’d call upon you to come and defend my First Amendment rights if I took it upon myself to raise a similar flag with the same sentiment as yours at Walker’s Point aimed at the Bushes, Trump and the American oily-garchs driving the price of energy and subsequent inflation. It would be interesting to see how their portfolios are impacted by the price of oil.

Unlike Gooch’s Beach where you can park all day, there’s a 15-minute limit at Walker’s Point. I wonder how many minutes it would take before some authority would be talking to me. I’ve asked the Kennebunk police to talk to you about your public display of profanity. They say you have rights. I asked if I had the right to stand on the beach screaming profanities and making obscene gestures expressing a political point of view. They said no. I’m confused about the difference. Perhaps you can help me out. I’m wondering if my rights are different on one side of the river or the other.

The season is changing. Your audience is diminished. I see you have Florida plates. It’s time to pack your flag and head back to the land of Benito DeSantis. He’ll be happy to embrace your hate. It has no place here.

Leo Ojala

Kennebunk

To the editor,

I look for logic in political discussions. I do not believe one can support the police and at the same time applaud Jan. 6 where insurrectionists beat the police in support of a lie. I do not believe that our democracy is served by limited access to voting. Neither is logical or honest.

Elizabeth Jordan, Republican candidate for House District 134, stated in her interview published in last week’s Kennebunk Post: “We who serve in the government should be representing their (Mainer’s) interests, not be interfering in their lives or mandating their daily decisions.”

I then watched her interview with the Christian Civic Union of Maine. In it, she talks about her political roots as a passionate supporter of the Right to Life movement in Virginia where she lived for 40 years. She cut her political teeth through her involvement and commitment to the Right to Life movement there. How can she be anti-abortion and talk about keeping government out of lives and mandating their daily decisions? Again, this is neither logical nor honest.

Representative Traci Gere, tells us exactly where she stands on the issue of abortion in last week’s interview in the Post. Let’s keep Maine a place where women choose and know best what they need. Please vote on Nov 8 to re-elect Traci Gere to the Maine House.