Letters to the Editor
Surf's up in York
Dear Independent,As I drove with my son down to Long Sands Beach this weekend, to surf some nice head-high waves, I thought summer must still be here.
All the parking spaces were filled along the beach. The weather and warm water temps couldn't have been better. Looking from one end of the beach to the other, I could see the entire beach open to surfers and bathers, kayakers and body-boarders, all in the water together enjoying the surf and warm water. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun.
We talked with visiting cyclists and all the firemen with their families who were here for the weekend. Many told us how much they loved watching us catching waves out in front of them. Kudos to all who were there.
John J. Clancy
York Beach
P.S. See you in the water this weekend.
AWS says thank you
Dear Independent,The Animal Welfare Society had a huge success with our 12th Annual Morris Insurance Strut Your Mutt on Sunday, Sept. 10. So far, we have raised over $48,000, with more pledges still coming in! The top three pledge-raisers were Michelle Stanley, Stan Barwise and Wendy DeCroteau. The top fundraising team was the Kennebunk Veterinary Hospital Team. Our top volunteer was William Speed. Great job to all! We also had close to 300 four-legged participants and a crowd of between 500-600 walkers. Fifteen shelter dogs made it down to the Strut, along with AWS volunteers and 15 staff members who enjoyed a day out with the dogs. We really did go to the dogs for a great cause!
We want to thank all of our participants who raised money for our Sadie Fund, and thank all the dogs that made the day so enjoyable. Also, our 51 sponsors deserve big thanks for their contributions, including PetSmart, PetCo, Pet Quarters, The Kennel Shop, Wild Kitty Cat Food, Planet Dog Philanthropy, The Colony Hotel, Mann Memorial Vet Clinic and more. We also extend a thank-you to all of our volunteers who helped make the day a success. Without their hard work, the day would not have gone so smoothly. Finally, thank you as well to Morris Insurance, who underwrote our entire event. Their generous help enabled us to put all of the money we raised directly to use in the shelter. Kennebunk Savings Bank was also a big supporter and even had their mascot, KennyBear, stop by for a visit! Finally, Goody from the Goodall Hospital had a fun day of shaking hands and paws.
The funds we raised will be going directly into our Sadie Fund, which provides medical care for animals that are welcomed into our shelter. The AWS spends approximately $90,000-$100,000 a year on needed medical treatment for the sick, injured and aged homeless animals that we take in. The Strut Your Mutt is our largest fundraiser and we are glad to be able to use the funds raised to improve the health of so many animals, with hopes of finding them loving, permanent homes.
The AWS is also grateful for the support and involvement of our honorary co-chair, WGME Channel 13's Kim Block. We were glad for Kim's help in broadcasting and hosting the event. Thank you for such a great job! We also want to thank Coast 93.1 and WPOR 101.9 for inviting us on their morning shows to speak about the Strut.
Once again, our 12th Annual Strut Your Mutt was a huge success. We hope to continue this success in the future, and hopefully enlarge the event to include even more activities and participants. Please look for us next year! Also, stop by the shelter, which is located in West Kennebunk, if you are considering adoption, or if you just want to look around. Call us at 985-3244 or visit our website at www.animalwelfaresociety.org for more information.
Katie Dolloff
AWS Program Coordinator
Ken Lemont for senator
Dear Independent,I am writing in support of Ken Lemont. As his supervisor and colleague, I have had the great pleasure of working with Ken for the past two years and can speak first hand of the tremendous hard work and dedication that he puts into everything he does.
We, here at the shipyard, are sad to see him go, but we understand that York County needs Ken Lemont.
I can only hope that if Ken works as hard in the senate as he has in the shipyard, there will be no limit to the good that he will bring to the people of Maine.
Thank you for your time,
Robert C. Solazzo, Supervisor
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
C4C founder steps down
Dear Independent,"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3
As the director of the non-profit organization, Compassion 4 Children, I believe that the time for me to serve our community in this capacity with this newly formed non-profit organization has come to the end of its "season."
Over the past three and a half years, I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and the triumphs associated with co-creating Compassion 4 Children. I have also found a great amount of personal fulfillment from assisting in the establishment of the York radKIDS program. Aside from raising my own two children, no other experience has ever been more fulfilling to me.
What we, Compassion 4 Children, were able to accomplish over the past three and a half years was a result of teamwork at its best! We succeeded in our goals and our mission because we always had the best interest of our community's children at heart.
There are so many community members, volunteers, local organizations and town departments that collectively enabled us to achieve our vision of piloting the radKIDS Empowerment Safety Education Program for young children.
There just isn't enough room within this section of the newspaper to individually list the names of the many people who were responsible for enabling us to teach, as a free community service, the radKIDS curriculum to over 100 local children. Most especially, without the support of the York Police Department and our numerous volunteers, none of the achieved goals would have been possible.
If interested, a complete list of our sponsors and supporters is listed within the Compassion 4 Children website, www.compassion4children.org.
Also listed within the Compassion 4 Children website are "Volunteer Opportunities" for community members to consider. I urge you to check out the various volunteer opportunities and consider joining our current team.
It was my faith that led me to this journey and it is my faith in this community that will enable me to "pass the ball" to whomever feels the call to continue on with the Compassion 4 Children mission.
In closing, I would like to thank everyone who played a part in our accomplishments to date. Without you and your support, Compassion 4 Children and the York radKIDS program would have been just another idea instead of the reality that it is today.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Suzanne Cyr
York
Thank You, YBFD
Dear Independent,I would like to thank the York Beach Fire Department and Chairman Capt. Mark Gay for an outstanding job as host of the 43rd Annual Maine State Federation of Firefighters Convention. The large parade on Saturday was great and the muster on Sunday was fun for all.
Thank you to all the participants from all over the state of Maine. Some traveled many miles to be here. These men and women share a camaraderie that is very nice to see. York Beach made a perfect location for this event. It looked like everyone was enjoying our beaches, shops, restaurants, motels and campgrounds.
Susanne Moran
York Beach
Vote for Dawn Hill
Dear Independent,We have known Dawn Hill for more than 20 years as a lawyer, dog-whisperer and friend. She is intelligent, insightful and committed and has a wonderful ease in gathering and processing information. From the moment we met her in her professional role as a lawyer many years ago, her ability to truly listen impressed us.
That is still true today as even in friendly conversation, Dawn's attention is focused and thoughtful. We believe she will be a positive and dedicated representative for her district, which includes Cape Neddick and the area of York west of Route 95. Please vote for Dawn Hill in November.
Chris and Alex Davis
York
York's "Big Dig"
Dear Independent,York's Big Dig. The big issue is drainage. I don't how much this study cost the town, but it carries a hefty price tag to implement it: $37 million.
Will we do it or will we have just expended the monies and the time? That remains to be seen. But, as stated by the code enforcement officer and the town planner, one development in particular can't be stopped as it doesn't violate any existing code or ordinance - even though the developer has had an "oops" or two before. Let it be built; the unsuspecting purchasers will find out there is a problem and then come back to the town for a solution.
Thank goodness the little boy put his finger in the dike to stop the flow of water, rather than run to the book and look up the ordinance. Do we not have a responsibility to try to prevent an accident from happening with injury? Isn't that why we use seatbelts? Have we forgotten Pine Hill Road, Saltwater Drive, Winterbrook and, now, Hickory Lane?
The area I'm referring to is an approximately 12-acre site known as 276 Long Sands Road. This area during the Mother's Day storm was running like the Mississippi River during the spring rains. The water from this area will flood onto the high school property and onto Long Sands, as it has done in the past, only more so once the homes and driveways are constructed unless there is a plan in place before construction - not after - so there can't be any "oops."
Howard Koeppel
York
Thanks from the Annis
Dear Independent,Cranberry Hill Lighting & Antiques sends special thanks to Jim Stott and Jonathan King of Stonewall Kitchen headquarters on Route 1 in York for giving us such great press! They will appear on the cover of Cottage Home's November/December issue and have mentioned us in their article.
Thanks to them, Cranberry Hill will be appearing on NECN's New England Dream House on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. and thereafter at 3:30 p.m. on October 2, 5, 10, 13 and 18.
Additional thanks to our manager, Tina Gaulin; Arthur Graves, Nate Emery, Jim Prichard, Dru Chichester, David Newman, Gerry Randall, Lynn Leisentritt, Pam Wallace, Maureen Estes, Mickey Warner, our children, Tony Anni Jr., Eileen Anni Berezni, Amy Anni Powell, Linda Anne, Tony Azccagnino, David Wallace and Pat Gray.
Dottie & Tony Anni
Cape Neddick
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
