Letters to the Editor

Election letters

To the editor,

Bradley “Scott” Ducharme is running for the Maine Senate and I’m strongly supporting him. I really hope that others do, too. Scott works hard, works with members of both parties, and is very engaged in the community. He was on the Kennebunk Power and Light board and voted repeatedly to lower energy costs.

Let’s face it, we need change. Things in Augusta aren’t working right now.

These are some of my reasons for supporting Scott Ducharme. He will do a great job in the state senate. Please join me in supporting him this fall.

Elizabeth Jordan will be an excellent choice as state representative. She is committed to doing her very best to fight for the issues that affect the people in Kennebunkport as well as coastal Biddeford and coastal Kennebunk.

She has spent hours talking with local people to determine the issues that are most important to them and will bring these points of view with her to Augusta. I am voting for Elizabeth. I hope that you will, too.

Jane Evelyn

Kennebunkport

To the editor,

As a former 1988 elected official to the Sanford School Board and hardworking Republican over the past 30 years active in various leadership positions within local, county and state government, I am urging Democrats, Republicans and Independents to vote for Sheriff Bill King.

It is in the best interest of fellow citizens to continue with the leadership of a man who has been loyal to his constituents of York County for the past eight years. During his past 40-year extensive career he has worked with leadership throughout the US and various areas of law enforcement having a master’s degree in management, a graduate of FBI National Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

When it comes to such a high level York County management position we need to vote for the man who is experienced and qualified with true leadership experience not vote for the party because the public safety depends on it, as well as our own taxpayer pocketbooks. Please join me and re-elect Sheriff Bill King.

Donna Flanagan

Springvale

To the editor,

When Dan Sayre is elected, his effort and interest will be to represent all of us. I first met Dan several years ago and I’ve since come to understand and witness firsthand his commitment to full inclusion. He is a strong LGBTQ+ ally and he understands that rights for one are rights for all. He is an effective contributor in local diversity discussions, municipal government, and is liaison between the Kennebunk Budget Board and RSU 21.

As a resident and taxpayer, I want someone who knows my community to represent it in Augusta. Dan Sayre knows this community because he participates in this community. As contrasted with Maine Republican candidates and their party platform, Dan will ensure that the rights we have will remain protected. Dan will work to preserve reproductive rights and
abortion here in Maine, and he will uphold our right to love and marry who we want. He will support the rights of all people to have safe medical care whether their pronoun is she, he, or they.

Dan also understands that public education is at its best when all students are provided with the tools and resources that support their learning and prepares them to be active, informed citizens. He respects parents’ rights to guide their children’s upbringing, and he respects that education professionals should manage public schools.

When Dan goes to Augusta, he will amplify every voice and assemble a choir that we may all sing in. Vote Tuesday, Nov. 8, be a part of protecting democracy.

Marie Louise St. Onge

Kennebunk

To the editor,

As the November election approaches, I want to encourage my fellow citizens to vote. In the past it was easy to say that state races didn’t really matter much. What did our representatives up in Augusta really do? It was hard to see their impact on our busy lives.

However, now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, it falls to state legislatures to decide what limits, if any, are imposed on a woman’s ability to make decisions about her healthcare. In this free country of ours, every individual should have the autonomy to make their own medical decisions without fear. The only way to make sure that Maine women remain in charge of their bodies and their health is to vote for candidates who have stated that they will protect our rights.

Please exercise your right to vote on Nov. 8.

Mary-Isabel Aromando

Kennebunk

To the editor,

Since 2016, Stand Up Women of Arundel and the Kennebunks has worked to keep the full range of women’s reproductive health care, including safe, legal abortions, in the state of Maine.

This November election is important both locally and nationally to all of us who care about preserving this right for women and their families. With the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it is now up to each state to protect this right.

We urge you to join us in our effort to elect the following local candidates for the Maine legislature who have publicly expressed their commitment to women’s health and well being:

Dan Sayre (House District 135), Joe Rafferty (Senate District 34), Traci Gere (House District 9) and Henry Ingwersen (Senate District 32).

Louise Sandmeyer Jacqueline Peters

Stand Up Women of Arundel and the Kennebunks

To the editor,

I am urging everyone to re-elect Traci Gere as state representative for District 134. Traci has been hard at work putting Mainers first for the past two years in the legislature.

We hear a lot lately about the need to lower taxes and energy costs. Traci voted to increase the Property Tax Fairness Credit to help more seniors stay in their homes, cosponsored and passed a bill to promote energy-efficient housing, and worked to strengthen Maine’s Home Energy Assistance program.

People say we need to invest in our schools and our young people. Traci earned the endorsement of the Maine Education Association for supporting teachers, worked to bolster the Maine apprenticeship program, and supported the investment of $20 million in our Career and Technical Education centers. She voted to make school lunch free for all students and to freeze in-state college tuition in the University of Maine System.

Our businesses need workers, and to be able to work here, people must be able to afford a place to live. From her career in business, Traci knows economic growth is tied to attracting and keeping workers. On the Labor and Housing Committee, she was an active champion of housing opportunities for working people. She collaborated with town planners across Maine to pass laws aimed at lowering the cost of housing and supporting the creation of attainable housing.

Actions speak louder than words, and results speak louder than rhetoric.

Please join me in voting to send Traci Gere back to Augusta so she can continue to put Mainers first.

Connie Dykstra

Kennebunkport

To the editor,

I’m writing to express my support for Dan Sayre who’s running for Maine House District 135, which covers most of Kennebunk. This is (essentially) the district in which Chris Babbidge has served and done a great job for many years, but has now been termed out.

Dan is hard-working and committed to doing whatever he can to strengthen future opportunities for Maine workers and families. He’s forward-thinking, and two of his key areas of concern are good jobs and affordable housing.

Dan also has a combination of qualities that, in my experience, is somewhat unusual. Too often I encounter people who demonstrate one of these skills, but not both, and both are needed to be an effective representative: he not only has a strong voice and can effectively push for change, but he is also someone who really listens and wants to hear what people have to say and what really matters to them.

I urge you to vote for Dan Sayre for House District 135 on Nov. 8 (or sooner). He will work hard for all of us.

Bill Grabin

Kennebunk

Skatepark comment ‘off the mark’

To the editor,

I don’t believe that Sky Brown or Tony Hawks are planning a visit to our skateboard park any time soon. One thing that Mr. Trentalange is correct in saying is that concrete should have been used rather than asphalt and all skateboarders say the same.

But, the comment about the sidewalk is off the mark. The sidewalk does lead somewhere and not only that, but it provides a safe space for those who choose to walk. Apparently, Mr. Trentalange didn’t walk Factory Pasture Lane prior to the sidewalk so how would he know and appreciate it.