I am writing to you today on the proposed new municipal services facility on Highland Avenue. I am a 34-year retired South Portland public works employee and I would like to urge the voters of South Portland to please vote yes for this new facility.

I have seen first hand how very much needed this facility is. The buildings are old and have outlived their useful life, some are in total disrepair. The bays where the mechanics work have no ventilation at all and the doors have to be kept open year-round along with ceiling fans to help clear the air of all fumes.

Presently, the city does not have adequate space to properly store, or care for the very expensive equipment needed to maintain our beautiful city. The proposed facility is affordable and will pay for itself in the long run with the idea that the life of the equipment will be extended and therefore will not have to be replaced as often.

The new facility will be a much safer place for the employees to work and for the citizens to visit. This is a need, not a want. The South Portland voters have always showed their support on needed projects in the past and I am asking for their support now. Please vote yes for the new municipal services facility.

Russ Lunt

South Portland

What’s ‘our’ stand for?

As with all pronouns, possessive pronouns require a referent, too. Ever wonder about the pronoun “Our” in all those “Save Our Working Waterfront” and “Don’t Sink Our Port” signs all around South Portland? In the absence of any clear referent, one might rightly assume that the “our” refers to those who are paying for the signs and similar full-page newspaper ads. That would be the Maine Energy Marketers Association, ExxonMobil, and other interests of Big Oil. Guess they think it’s their waterfront. South Portland voters, if you think it’s our and our children’s waterfront, vote to Protect Our Waterfront. Vote for the WPO. Don’t be misled by Big Money with Big Signs.

Dennis Biggie

South Portland