Letters to the Editor

Candidate will care for all students

To the editor,

Our community will choose its next RSU 21 School Board members on June 13. For me, the one clear choice for Kennebunkport is Susan Holleran.

Susan moved here with her two daughters largely due to the excellent reputation our schools enjoy. But Susan is no stranger. She grew up in New Hampshire, having spent much time over the past 30 years at her parents’ family home in Wells. One can easily sense Susan’s love for and connection to this place.

Some in our community talk about how others in our community are not really “from here.” My question: what does that mean? Is born and bred supposed to infer superior qualification as a candidate or a sort of higher status as a “resident”? Whether third generation, having lived here all our adult life, or newly arrived, if this is where we call home then we are from here. That’s America.

I am uplifted by Susan’s beliefs around helping students to be all that they are – through access to knowledge and skills that will empower them as respectful, inclusive and productive members of society, no matter their history, no matter how they self-identify and no matter if they were born here or have chosen our town as home. We need people like Susan to take on the responsibility of caring for all students including all of the unique histories and journeys that they each carry.

On June 13, support inclusive, accessible, open-minded, respectful and freedom to learn principles. Vote for Susan Holleran.

Sean Driscoll

Kennebunkport

Candidate is data driven

To the editor,

I strongly support Susan Holleran as the RSU 21 School Board candidate from Kennebunkport.

I am an environmental engineer, a former academic at Penn State and MIT, and former administrator of the Landing School in Arundel. From my perspective, when it comes to the design, planning, and management of important things that affect a collective of stakeholders, science matters, facts matter and data matter; feelings, superstitions, loony conspiracy theories and rumors serve no constructive role.

In education there is a place for teaching both science and science fiction, for history and mythology. There is, however, no constructive role for those who confuse or would conflate these topics, for whatever reasons. A school board ecosystem should offer lots of room for spirited debate and good discourse on policy; however, that discourse must be grounded in objective facts. Our school board has made progress – even during the global pandemic and despite local distractions – that serves us well. I will be more confident that this progress will continue if Susan is elected.

My wife and I are family friends with Susan. I am confident she will be a thoughtful and inclusive school board member who is motivated to make informed decisions based on facts and data.

I encourage you to vote for Susan on or before June 13.

Richard Schuhmann

Kennebunkport

Candidate is the clear choice

To the editor,

As a candidate for the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen Marybeth Gilbert is the clear choice.

Aside from being intimately knowledgeable with our town from the many years she has visited and resided here, her local government experience is extensive via volunteer positions on various boards and committees. Marybeth’s work ethic, energy and analytical skills are well suited to this position. Her recent retirement from a successful career in the corporate world provides us with a perfect opportunity to avail ourselves of such a great community asset.

We would be remiss to pass up the chance to add Marybeth and her talents to the board of selectmen. Please vote for Marybeth at our upcoming June election.

Bob McCrillis

Kennebunkport

Candidate brings a new conversation for students

To the editor,

I am supporting Tim Spang as RSU 21 School Board representative from Kennebunkport. Leadership is about guidance and impact and enabling people to work together to accomplish what would be difficult to do alone. It is about what you do – not something you are.

Tim’s business background has given him the opportunity to develop leadership skills that will serve the RSU 21 community well. Just as he looks at short- and long-term visions for his own businesses, he will look for ways to improve student achievement and bring new possibilities for students to consider.

To this end, I was excited to learn of Tim’s acknowledgement of the value of the trades. Offering information to students about the opportunities of the trades as an option after high school is certainly worthwhile. Tim can help to facilitated the appropriate conversation about such opportunities with guidance from the leadership of the board. It is a school’s role to help students make good decisions about their future education after graduation and exposure to trade schools is certainly a viable option.

Every school board member has the academic, social and emotional well-being of students as the core of their reason for serving. One would expect no less. We look to board members who bring unique approaches and added value to the work of dedicated school staff, both committed to the success of students. I believe Tim is such an asset to RSU 21.

Diane Franz

Kennebunkport

Time for Pride

To the editor,

I’m writing to express my appreciation. Thanks to the leadership of our town manager, Heather Balser, and members of the Kennebunk Select Board, the town of Kennebunk is paying visible and formal tribute to Pride Month. The display of pride flags flying on Main Street is an homage to all members of our community, a step in a positive direction, and makes a solid assertion of who we are as a town.

Thank you, let’s celebrate June together.

Marie Louise St. Onge

Kennebunk

Vocational education, not park benches

To the editor,

I am writing to express my support for Tim Spang in his run for Kennebunkport’s seat on the RSU 21 School Board. Mr. Spang is very hard working, family oriented, and has deep roots within the community. In these times, we need a strong listener and interestingly an unheard voice seeking to enhance access to vocational education.

Ideas about improving vocational education are a real breath of fresh air, compared to previous silly discussions about park benches. The town should support families and students over policies by sending Tim to serve on the board.

Susan Boak

Kennebunkport

What uplifts one, uplifts all

To the editor,

As I drove through beautiful downtown Kennebunk, I was moved by the sight of the American and Pride flags flying side by side, lifted by a summer breeze.

There was the American flag, calling us to uphold the founding principle that we are: “one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.” Beside it was the the Pride flag, reminding us that “all” means all people.

My hopes for our community and our nation is that we make space for each other, even as we might hold a very different set of beliefs and opinions. Families need space to decide what is best for their children and should be able to access whatever resources they need to do so. Each of us needs space to decide who we are, who we love, what we believe, and how we present ourselves in public, without being afraid.

The LBGTQ community is being brutally singled out throughout our country. What harms one, harms all. Let us create space in our community and urge others throughout this amazing country of ours to do the same.

Joanne Hulsey

Kennebunk

Surprised to see rainbow flags

To the editor,

I was surprised and delighted this week to see the rainbow flags flying up and down Main Street between our US Flags.

I first saw the one at Water Street adjacent to the Rotary banner, and thought the Rotary had decided to fly it. Then I saw all the others flying colorfully in the breeze.

The rainbow flag to me is about tolerance and welcoming all people. That is what America is all about, “We the people.”

I was very sad to hear that some in our community do not approve of the flags. After all, each person can further our nation’s ideals as long as we hold to the words of our Declaration of Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (1776)

Vicki Adams

Kennebunk

Protect our investment

To the editor,

In May, local RSU 21 citizens approved a budget of $55,817,010 for RSU 21. And yes, there are families who move to one of our three towns to enrich their lives and the lives of their children who attend the top-ranked schools of RSU 21. We are a community of folks – many of us from away – who value the quality of our physical and social environment. The stable quality and excellence of our community schools supports our lives, and let’s not forget, our property values. The investment in our schools is an investment in and protection of those values. Even those of us whose children are grown understand this. So, it is wise to be mindful of the choices we make for local school board seats.

I attended the Candidate Night in Kennebunkport on May 30, and the choice for school board is clear. What none of us need is the anger and drama of regressive thinking on our local school board. Regression means that we become less advanced, less developed; we see this turmoil stirred up elsewhere. Taxpayers lose ground on our reputation and our most valuable investments when school boards waste time, money and lose focus on what matters. Kennebunkport voters will make such a choice between progress and chaos on June 13.

I trust Kennebunkport school board candidate, Susan Holleran to respect and protect our mutual investments. Susan cares about protecting the quality while monitoring the cost of local education for her two children and for all the students in our community. She has both the educational background, professional experience, and personal vision to be a thoughtful, collaborative member of the school board from Kennebunkport. I urge all to vote for Susan’s mature oversight of our mutual investment, and to reject the costly chaos of her opponent’s personal political agenda.

Penelope Gruen

Kennebunkport

Candidate would be excellent board member

To the editor,

I am writing this letter in support of Marybeth Gilbert for the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen.

I first met Marybeth when she was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. She came to her first meeting completely prepared. It was obvious she had thoroughly read all the material for the case. She asked very thoughtful questions to make sure all the facts were brought out before a decision was rendered. I was so impressed at how quickly she became a vital member of the board.

Because I was so impressed with Marybeth, I recommended she be appointed to the Budget Board. The entire budget for the town of Kennebunkport is a large document and fairly complex. Again, Marybeth showed up to the first budget meeting completely prepared. She asked in depth questions and offered productive suggestions.

Marybeth Gilbert will be an excellent member to the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen. She has served on several boards and understands how town government works and, if elected, will be able to hit the ground running. She will come to the meetings prepared. She will participate in thoughtful discussions and she will be considerate when spending any tax dollars. Join me in voting for Marybeth Gilbert.

April Dufoe

Kennebunkport

Support the youth of the community

To the editor,

After reading Jane Evelyn’s letter in this past week’s Post, I wondered, if Jane actually knows any Trans youth or adults? Jane’s approach to opinion regarding RSU 21 recently approving school policy comprehensively supporting transgender youth and their journeys seems steeped in analytics over accessibility and focused on policies (politics?) over people.

For any of us who’ve been blessed with having a transgender person share their hearts and life stories with us, we began our approaches focused on learning and understanding more about the persons – first – before succumbing to fear of the unknown, or maintaining suppositions that we understand others’ life experiences and needs better than they themselves.

I hope Old Town RSU 34 and Oxford Hills MSAD 17 don’t keep their policy reviews tabled too long; while they do, they leave youth in jeopardy regarding healthy, safe school environments. I commend our RSU 21 board and school leaders for supporting principles of “it takes a village” when it comes to nurturing our youth. I’m grateful I had parents who realized they were part of a larger societal fabric when it came to mine and my sisters’ journeys. They mindfully partnered alongside school leaders and health professionals focusing on what was best for me rather than questioning collaborative community care modeling.

A good friend of mine used to be the executive director of a large scouting council in Massachusetts. She’d shared with me that she sometimes got calls from well-intended parents who were chaperoning scout camping trips amongst whom there was a transgender kid. They’d ask, “What are we supposed to do about sleeping and the bathrooms?” My friend would always respond, “Don’t make a big deal about it. Once you’re at the site, the kids and you will figure it out.” What’s that old saying; don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Let’s support our youth, by focusing on them first. Let’s remember, it takes all of us in coming together to best develop and empower our youth of today, for their better tomorrows. If your child doesn’t get access to a village, then they’ll lose out in the end.

Sean Driscoll

Kennebunkport

Proud to be Kennebunk resident

To the editor,

Thank you to the select board and our town manager for the rainbow Pride flags flying on Main Street. It tells me that we aspire to be a caring community for all of our residents. We know that we’ve always had LGBTQ+ residents among us- who were forced to hide who they were. No one should be excluded because of their choice of a life partner or who they love. After all, it’s not like we have so much love in this world that we should outlaw some relationships.

The rainbow flags symbolize our commitment to becoming a stronger community. I am proud to be a resident of Kennebunk.

Susan Walters

Kennebunk

Forum was a great opportunity

To the editor,

It’s great that the town organized the forum and thanks to our award winning librarian Mary-Lou Boucouvalas for moderating.Mary Beth Gilbert is well liked and respected in our neighborhood at Goose Rocks; the forum provided a great opportunity for others to meet her and to begin to appreciate what she will contribute to the board.Those of us who have know Mary Beth would describe her as bright, energetic, creative, clever, personable and hard working. Those who watched her on the budget board have seen she asks thoughtful and helpful questions, takes nothing for granted and is willing to speak up, even as a newish member.

Her 30-plus years as an executive at Zerox has prepared her well for public service, we are all fortunate to have someone of her caliber step up to run for the select board.

Paul Hogan

Goose Rocks

Support for school board candidate

To the editor,

We write to express our support for Tim Spang in his bid to join the RSU 21 board. We’ve known Tim and his family for the better part of three decades, since we adopted Maine as our home. We are not surprised that Tim picked this moment in time to get more involved in public education. Still, it seemed like a good idea to sit down and ask him a few questions.

Why are you pursuing the open seat in the Port? Tim replied that the RSU had proposed a budget a little north of $56 million. Kennebunkport’s share is $11.8 million. Tim explained that for that kind of money, we ought to understand exactly what the district is teaching our kids, ensure that it is meeting their diverse educational needs, and be comfortable that it is providing instruction that reflects community values.

Diverse educational needs? Tim talked about the need to teach basic life skills, self-respect, and respect for others. He also spoke with passion about recognizing that we are not only educating kids who will work as accountants, lawyers, physicians, dentists, scientists – those on the college prep track. Equally important, we need to prepare kids who will make their living in the trades as carpenters, plumbers, electricians – the occupations that most of us recognize are in short supply, and in which a well-trained person can make a handsome living. I told Tim I had heard about 14 kids in southern Michigan who had built a house in their year-long industrial arts class. Tim replied, “We used to do that. We can do that again.”

Community values? Tim lamented that parents used to be responsible for raising their children and imparting their own family and community values. Now, kids seem to be wards of the state, with issues as basic as their gender a private matter between them and the public schools. At one of the most confusing moments in life – puberty – public schools ought not to be encouraging uncertainty or withholding information from parents. The clear focus of our public schools ought to be on teaching kids how to think critically, schooling them with positive messages about our society and our history, and encouraging them to use their talents to build an even brighter future for themselves, their community and their country.

But don’t you think it will be hard to return to the basics and approach public education with common sense and a focus on learning rather than social indoctrination? Tim shrugged, grinned, and said something like, “Not unless you make it hard.”

Bob and Cynthia Domine

Kennebunkport

Focus on important budget issues

To the editor,

There have been several letters published in the Post over the past several weeks regarding the proposed Kennebunk municipal budget. I would urge voters to tune out the static and focus on the three most important issues.

As drafted, the proposed budget will result in an estimated 11 percent property tax increase town wide. Secondly, if the proposed budget is rejected by voters, the town will go to a default budget that equals the amount approved for the current year. Finally, the RSU 21 budget is a separate question. Voters can make a decision on each budget question separately.

Like many voters, in the past I have relied on the select board and budget board’s recommendations when I cast my vote. I would urge residents to think for themselves this year and vote no on Article 3. Now is not the time for a property tax increase of this size.

Mary-Isabel Aromando

Kennebunk

Support for candidate

To the editor,

Kennebunkport is known as a beautiful, inviting and friendly town. It is also recognized as being a well run town with one of the lowest mil rates for property taxes. This is due in great part to having a smooth running board of selectmen and an outstanding town manager. In this year’s election we are fortunate to have George Bentley running for a rare vacancy on the select board. He strongly advocates the same goals and values of having a well run town and keeping the mill rate at a reasonable level that have been the hallmark of the town’s management.

George places a high value on keeping the town’s charm and character at the forefront while also seeing the need be proactive in keeping the downtown and surrounding areas from being adversely affected by future flooding. He believes these efforts are necessary to maintain the appeal of our town for the many seasonal visitors that come here.

An important aspect to keep our town from becoming mainly a seasonal destination is to maintain affordable housing for the work force that maintains the town, its school and emergency services and the many businesses we rely on. George believes in supporting the Kennebunkport Heritage Trust as it seeks to build housing that will also include the needs of our senior citizens as well as members of the broader community.

George Bentley has extensive experience in accounting, finance and management in senior positions in the aviation field. He is a retired US Air Force Reserve colonel and a command pilot with 33,000 flying hours. George has the time, energy and a strong desire to serve Kennebunkport as a selectman. In my nine years as a selectman for Kennebunkport he is the type of person we always looked for to help us manage the town. I ask that you join me in voting for George Bentley to become our selectman in this month’s election.