Letters to the Editor
Food Pantry needs your help
Dear Independent,The York Community Food Pantry is in need just like our clients. Our funds are at an all-time low point and we appeal to you, our Greater York community, to help us continue to assist our families.
Summertime and the pleasures of our vacation-town focus attention on the joy and beauty of the Yorks. No one could fault that! Gas prices have nipped into everyone's budget. So many other needy charitable requests over the past year have taxed pocketbooks. Perhaps these reasons are why the York Community Food Pantry is needing support right now.
The pantry helps about 30 families at this time of year. It's a lower number than in the colder months, though the necessity of food remains exactly the same. The pantry runs on a team of all volunteers. About 36 volunteers give their time either once a month or once a week to keep the York Community Food Pantry up and running. There is no pay for anyone except the reward of lending a hand to our neighbors.
There is no certain income at the pantry to buy monthly groceries from Maine's Good Shepherd Food Bank or the weekly groceries from Hannaford Supermarket to provide fill-in necessities. There is no certain money to pay our monthly rent; or to up-keep our van, or to pay for gas for essential monthly trips to Sanford to pick up our shipment from Good Shepherd or our weekly trips to Hannaford. Our 1996 van is currently in need of major repair right now to legally remain on the road.
There is confidence that you care as we do.
Can you help? On the weekend of Sept. 17, many of the churches in town will appeal for donations for The York Community Food Pantry. In addition, York's Hannaford Supermarket has a kiosk for our benefit at the front of the store that will be active for the next two weeks.
Any amount you can contribute would be so appreciated. Thank you for your help.
Our address is: York Community Food Pantry, PO Box 243, York, ME 03909.
Frances Koerschner and Marianne Quinn
Co-Directors of York Community Food Pantry
Look closely at housing needs
Dear Independent,If someone needs help buying housing earning $80,000 a year, then we are all in trouble!
What about all of those that graduated York High School over the years who never could afford to live in the town of York? What about the people living in York today, making $20,000 to $50,000 a year? What about retired people in their 70s and 80-plus age group who have lived most of their lives or all of the lives here? What about those that were born and raised in York? What about the people who scrimped and saved so they could have a decent home and decent life and then they hit their 70s and 80s and beyond and find they are being squeezed out of the very town they love because the taxes go higher and higher?
Why do you want to shove out the people who are the fabric of York?
If you want to find ways to help people in the community, find ways to help people making an income in the $20,000 to $50,000 bracket who live in town and want to stay there. Find ways to help those in the 70-plus bracket on a fixed income. You may find that you do not have to search as far away as Bangor for public service workers if you could make it affordable for the people to stay in York.
Maybe the town of York needs to revamp their budget and learn to live within their means, rather than increase someone's taxes $100,000 because there is a creek somewhere on their property or increasing someone's land value by 59 percent because someone in the neighborhood sold their property at a good price. That person who sold the property made the profit but the people being punished are those all around him who continue to live there because their tax rate increases.
Sixty-nine percent of the taxes in York support the schools. Why not nurture those who graduate York High School to be able to live in town and become public service workers? How many who graduate York High School cannot afford to live in York after high school and college? You want to make a preference to those who do not live in York for this housing. Why not take a closer look at your community and see who lives there, now, who could be qualified for public service and nurture those people and make it affordable, for them, to stay in York?
Norma Carter
Eliot
Thanks to Kennebunk Savings
Dear Independent,I would like to say a sincere "thanks" to Kennebunk Savings Bank for their generous donation to the Herne Schools in York through the Community Investment Ballot.
We are a nonprofit alternative educational organization in York, serving the needs of over 65 families and 80 students. Our mission is to provide high quality academics, individualized curriculum to accommodate all learning styles and paces, and to mix with it a love of our natural world. We emphasize outdoor exploration, community awareness and involvement through beach cleanups, visits to senior homes, community art projects and collections for those less fortunate and in greater need, as well as animal protection and conservation.
We could not do all of this without the very generous donations of KSB and its support of our school and mission. We have a local branch just up the street from us on Woodbridge Road and the staff there is always friendly, courteous and helpful to our little nonprofit. They truly exemplify a "neighbor" to us and, as a result, we encourage our families to think of KSB as a banking partner.
KSB's vision for the community and their support of others, who hope to make York County a great place to live and work, is admirable. Thank you, again, KSB; please accept our sincere and heartfelt gratitude.
Doug Bowie
Herne Schools Board Chairman
Preserve York's Wild Kingdom
Dear Independent,Recently, I took my grandchildren to the York's Wild Kingdom. It had been many years since I visited the "kingdom" and remember it as a less-than-desirable petting zoo. On this visit, I was truly blown away by the positive changes in the area: parking that is more than adequate, a friendly staff, a pristine facility and animals that are active and healthy. Two young tigers were playing with a stick and a monkey family was having a childcare problem! Every cage was occupied and all were attractive, clean and well suited to its birds, reptiles, and mammals.
The York's Wild Kingdom is now an educational treasure and brings hundreds of young families into our area throughout the summer season. This can only be a huge boost for local businesses and it adds a truly unique attraction to southern Maine.
I just learned a developer has rights to that land and it makes me very concerned and worried about the future of this operation. Is there a way for York to prevent the demise of this facility? Will we see yet another developer destroy something that is a real asset to the York community? What can we all do to keep York's Wild Kingdom alive and well for our great-grandchildren?
Caroline Southall
Longtime York summer resident
Dawn Hill for District 149
Dear Independent,During the last couple of months, I have had the good fortune to meet many residents in District 149, which presently is comprised of Ogunquit, and parts of York, Kittery and Moody/Wells. Thank you for your ideas, comments and questions, which you have shared with me as I campaign to earn your vote on Nov. 7.
We live in such a special area of Maine. And, while I recognize the uniqueness of each of your respective towns, one common theme keeps emerging as I meet you: You are glad to know that someone cares and is taking the time to listen to you directly to learn about the matters that most impact you. I promise to keep listening.
I have heard from families that are pleased to learn about the possibility of receiving property tax relief from the Circuit Breaker refund program and didn't realize the program was even available to them.
As a small business owner, and board of directors member for a growing Maine insurance company, I understand why many of you have commented on how important it is to promote, protect and create quality jobs in Maine. Several residents have shared with me the difficulties of navigating through the complicated healthcare issues and, in particular, concerns over the federal Medicare Part D program.
For others, protecting the environment, road safety and repair and providing your children with the best education are of utmost concern.
On the Issues page of my website, www.dawnhill.org, I briefly address some of these key issues and, in the coming weeks, I plan to elaborate on additional issues of priority for District 149.
As your Representative Elect, I would consider an important part of my job as:
1.) Going to Augusta with your messages in mind; not that of any special interest. 2.) Persevering in the delivery of those messages and the results sought. 3.) Offering effective, active and responsive independent leadership. 4.) Seeking bi-partisan support for measures designed to help the district.
Your concerns do matter to me and it is important that they matter to the Legislature. You have a distinct advantage for that to happen here in Maine. With just over a million year-round residents in Maine, your voice matters more on a percentage basis than in almost any other state in the nation. I intend to make use of that percentage basis to your advantage and make sure your voice is heard loud and clear in Augusta.
Dawn Hill
Candidate for House of Representatives District 149
363-7594 or 337-3689
dawn@dawnhill.org
Food for Thought a success
Dear Independent,For the second year, York citizens have made Food for Thought a success.
This past Aug. 17, 20 restaurants generously gave a percentage of their proceeds for that day to the library. As a result, more thought has been added to the library! The proceeds will be used to buy new books and DVDs for the entire community.
This is a thank you to all the restaurants and all those who enjoyed those restaurants on that day. Enormous appreciation is extended to:
421 Bakery & Café, Copper Top Bistro, Food & Co., Greenleaves Chinese Restaurant, Maude Hutchins, Tre Ragazze, Stolen Menu, Stonewall Kitchen Café, Village Scoop, Inn on the Blues, Panda & Sakura, Wicked Good Ice Cream, On the Marsh, Flo's, Lucia's Kitchen, Talpey's Tavern, Chapman Cottage, Dockside Restaurant, Lobster Cove and York Harbor Inn.
Special recognition goes to Stonewall Kitchen, our major sponsor and backer, and to our graphic artist friend, Elissa Von Letkemann, who contributed her time and talent for the cards and posters. We want to recognize Infinite Imaging who donated the printing of the large posters.
We want the community to be aware of the fact that a major portion of new book purchases and special programs is made possible through these fundraising campaigns. These campaigns are run for York's benefit and are successful because York citizens are so committed to the wellbeing of their community. A vote of thanks for being the caring citizens you are.
Cynthia Raymond and Jean Lincoln
Co-chairs of Food for Thought
Beware developer's promises
Dear Independent,Dear Friends, Neighbors, Those Who Know Me, Those Who Don't Know Me and Those Who Know Me and Don't Like Me - have I covered everyone?
Don't be deceived by the Mr. Plotkins of the world. If a developer could make money putting in parks, bike paths, open spaces and town roads, I think I would have become a developer.
Developers build and develop for profit. They do go to great expense to realize these profits and that's why in this economy bigger is better, if you know what I mean. We might realize a road, a sidewalk, but again, remember; we also get the increased expense of maintenance, policing and fire protection.
Based on Mr. Plotkin's sales pitch, Kittery streets should be lined with gold, but they are not. I thought we have or had a Route One study committee a few years back that had in place, if not a restriction, but suggestions for the Route One corridor.
Mr. Plotkin reminded us that this is America and he can do what he wants with his land. Well, I would like to remind him that also holds true for the people of York who voted for the zoning laws as they stand and the ordinances and the Comprehensive Plan. I don't appreciate him telling me I didn't know what I was doing or what I was thinking at the time I voted for those ordinances.
If Mr. Plotkin wants to build within those constraints, more power to him. Why all the smoke and mirror act? Bring in your plan. Save the "I want to be your buddy" stuff. A development of this size will impact a lot of people in both the private and business sectors. The most pressing question I have of any development in this area, regardless of who or what it is, is the never-ending problem of drainage. In its natural state, the land could not handle the Mother's Day rains flooding out York Beach. Imagine what it will be like after all the impervious surface created by development.
Howard Koeppel
York
Send your letters to the Editor at PO Box 6, York, ME 03909 or via email to editor@yorkindependent.net. Deadline for publication is 12:00 noon on the Monday prior to that week's publication
