Letters to the Editor
Elect Gregg for Board of Selectmen
Dear Independent,
Women are contributing to many boards and committees in the town of York - except for the selectmen. It's time we elect a woman again to the Board of Selectmen.
Vote for Kinley Gregg!
Sincerely,
Rozanna Patane
York Harbor
Ted Little fills the bill for selectman
Dear Independent,
The role of selectman in York is defined as "Overseer of the Poor." This certainly is an accurate description of Ted Little.
Ted little has been active in this role for the last 12 years and has touched almost every life in this community. Working on the York Ecumenical Advocates Outreach Committee, York Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity, Table of Plenty, the Forum at St. George's Church, AIDS Seacoast Walk and auction, and on his knees in the dirt at the ecumenical garden, Ted has given his fine organizational ability and his effort to make York a better place to live.
Jean and David Lincoln
York
Larger town hall badly needed now
Dear Independent,
Does the town of York need the new proposed town hall? Yes. Does it need to be so large? Is it too large for the growing town considering there is still plenty of land to build on, one way or another?
Let's go back in time many years. There used to be a stage on the second floor of the present town hall. Plays and graduations were held there. These events were stopped because the second floor was sagging and was deemed unsafe. No doubt braces were put up in the downstairs large meeting hall/basketball court.
Then the tax collector and town clerk office was upstairs, and, again because of all the weight from file cabinets and such, that office was moved down to the first floor. Again, some remodeling and more bracing was done.
How many times have changes and bracing taken place with those old, brittle timbers?
I do not want to scare the workers in town hall, but with all the bracing and carrying timbers that have been put in there over the years, if they were not tied in to the outside wall correctly, these walls could as well cave in or they will fall outward.
How much weight is on that second floor now? I went up to see Steve Burns recently, and, my God, there isn't room to even move around! It looked like a chicken crate full of chickens headed to market. Where is the privacy?
I hope at least once a week someone checks the window to the fire escape to make sure it opens or there is a sledge hammer handy. Is the fire escape safe to use? No sprinkler system, no fire doors, and a vault, which holds many town records, that is not fire proof.
Many think the proposed town hall is too big. I talked with the Wells assessor about their town hall, which is fairly new. They went from the old town hall that was 3,400-plus square feet to a new one that is 12,400-plus square feet. This is what they call gross living space; it is two stories and has what they call a finished attic.
I understand a handicapped lady went into the town hall to see the town manager, but she could not do the stairs. The town manager came down, and they discussed her issue on the bench by Rosie Avery's and Tim DeCoteau's counter. How private!
How many have seen where the finance director and town treasurer are expected to do their work? Those cubby holes aren't even big enough for a half bath. Take a good look at the other departments in the town hall. Yes? I took a good look. All I can see is more paperwork, more file cabinets, more people, and if we do not build a new town hall big enough we'll just be in the same cluttered up situation. It has already gone on too long.
It will not be any cheaper down the road to build. Prices never go down, only up.
Keep our small town ambience. Vote yes for a new town hall.
Anna J. Woodward
York
Gregg is independent and listens
Dear Independent,
I'm supporting Kinley Gregg for selectman because she is independent, she has no ties to any particular faction in town and she cares about listening to the citizens.
Please vote for Kinley!
Diane Sweet
York
Vote for Kinley Gregg and Ted Little
Dear Independent,
I write in support of Kinley Gregg and Ted Little for selectpersons in the upcoming May election.
It is rare that a small town will have two people of such high caliber running for spots on the Board of Selectpersons. (I mean no disrespect to the sitting members or those who have gone before them.)
Kinley Gregg is a long-distance rower who regularly rows out to Boon Island or the Isles of Shoals. She also goes the distance when it comes to the various debates in town. Kinley researches every issue that comes before her and understands the laws that pertain to the subject. She served on the Historic District Commission for over 10 years and understands the workings of the Planning Board, Appeals Board and the Code Enforcement Office. She does her homework and will be a very fine representative of her fellow human beings in the town of York.
Ted Little is a man of intelligence, honor and that rare quality in a handsome man, a selflessness and willingness to help others. For those of you who do not know Ted, he is usually at the forefront for Habitat for Humanity, building houses for families without homes. If someone needs a hand, Ted offers his. Ted has served on the committee to review the growth cap and wrote the minority report. The depth of his understanding of the workings of the town will be a great benefit to us all.
I am so pleased that these two people have volunteered to run for selectpersons and loudly and happily give them my full support. Please vote for Kinley Gregg and Ted Little.
Warm wishes,
Helen Rollins Lord
York Harbor
Whatever happened to common sense?
Dear Independent,
Recently, my grandson, a local lobsterman, was driving his girlfriend to work on Route 1 at about 7 a.m., when he was picked up by an Ogunquit police officer. The officer said his front license plate was missing. My grandson explained to the officer that it probably fell off while he was plowing. The officer took his license and registration, and came back and informed my grandson that his truck wasn't registered, that my grandson was getting a summons for court because the truck wasn't registered and he would need to get the truck towed away; he couldn't drive it. My grandson explained there must be a mistake, for he had the plates with the proper stickers, and the registration paper showed the truck was registered in York in November of 2006. The officer also asked to see the license of my grandson's girlfriend, a passenger in the vehicle. In the meantime, another relative, my nephew, also a local lobsterman, saw my grandson stopped by the police, so he stopped to see what was the matter. My grandson and nephew asked the officer to let them go to the York Town Hall and get the matter straightened out, but the officer refused, and even threatened to arrest my nephew for stopping and interfering with the situation. My grandson called a wrecker and paid $85 out of his pocket to have his truck hauled home, about a half mile away.
After getting the summons, my grandson and nephew went to the York Town Hall where it was validated that his registration was legal, but they found out that the state had made an error and not recorded the registration in Augusta. My grandson and nephew went back to the Ogunquit Police Department, where they got another officer to check my grandson's registration, and when it was done this time, it showed his truck as being registered. My grandson then asked to have his summons to court revoked, but the officer said no, as he was not the arresting officer. Eventually, my grandson got his summons taken away, but he is still out $85 for the officer's stubborn refusal to look into the issue before having his truck towed and giving him the ticket.
My point in all of this is that the police officer in Ogunquit should have tried to be reasonable and use a little common sense before jumping the gun and issuing a summons to my grandson. Why not take the time to contact the town of York to see if they had registered the vehicle but forgot to post it? Couldn't my grandson's truck sit on the side of the road or be moved until the matter was looked into? That's too much common sense and reasonableness, I guess. And why did the officer need to see the license of the passenger in the vehicle? This arrest will be recorded on my grandson's records for many years, at no fault of his, and he paid a towing fee for another's mistake. I feel it has damaged my grandson in regards to his feelings about the police now: How can you possibly respect someone who shows no respect for you?
In the good old days, the police knew who paid their salaries. There was a mutual respect between the citizens and the police, and the police were reasonable and used common sense. I thought the police were here to serve the public, not intimidate and abuse their authority. The police need to be trained to respect citizens and not arrest every person they can. My grandson should get his money back and, one would hope, an apology. It hasn't happened, so these days, when the police act like this officer did, it's hard for anyone to respect them. Whatever happened to common sense and reasonableness? Oh, for the good old days!
George H. Yorke, Jr.
Cape Neddick
Library provides a home for the arts
Dear Independent,
The York Public Library on April 13 invited us, Michael Walek and Todd Bezold, to give a lecture on art in society and the directives behind our own paintings. The building blocks of cultural development, whether personal or communal, are rooted in the arts; through the communication of ideas and experiences portrayed through poetry, paintings, acting and public speaking. The York Public Library supports cultural development by bringing together under one roof diverse fields of the arts.
The building itself is a testament to the importance of art as its exterior reproduces Greek Revival details and echoes the influence of a specific architectural style that defined New England in a period of American history around 1850. This Greek temple, like the library of ancient Alexandria, is a center for the dissemination of knowledge. Many libraries house great collections of art. These libraries are of vital importance for America in their support of the visual arts as well as literature. Some of these great institutions include the Boston Athenaeum and Public Library, New York City Library and the Library of Congress. It is a fine example that the York Public Library follows these institutions in recognizing the importance of all the arts and their interdependence.
The foresight of the library has provided the public an opportunity to view art in a familiar setting. Many of us are often too busy to visit galleries and museums. The arts program at the library opens this avenue for the public. The display of artwork can be a teachable event for art educators and as a reference for researching art history. There are endless directions. The comfortable environment of the York Public Library could also be a setting for poetry readings, storytelling, lectures on local history and possibly chamber music.
We hope that many will take the time to visit the York Public Library to view our exhibition and take advantage of the services that the library provides. We thank the York Public Library for this opportunity; our exhibition continues through May 31.
Michael Walek
Ogunquit
Vote for the library on May 19
Dear Independent,
During the recent "Patriot's Day" storm, our house was without power. Needing warmth, company and comfort, we sought refuge at the York Public Library. We were able to use the computers there. We were warm and comfortable. We had lots of reading material at our disposal. We often visit the library, but during this particular week, we were extra grateful to be welcomed.
On May 19, please vote "Yes" on Article 38, which will allow the library to add an additional full-time person to the staff. This is the first full-time position to be requested in the last six years. The library deserves and needs the support of the citizens of York.
Thank you to all the York Library staff for doing a wonderful job.
Bobbie and Brian McGann
York
Thanks for making York Reads a success
Dear Independent,
On behalf of the 2007 York Reads committee, I would like to thank all of those who participated and supported this year's One Book, One Community program. The book, "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, was well received, and the many events related to the book were interesting and well attended.
The gigantic boots displayed around town were beautifully painted by local artists. We would like to thank the following artists: Marianne Bauman, Gail Claes, Milton Davis, Rosalind Fedeli, Gloria Gustafson, Ellen Minnehan and Maureen Maloney's York High School senior art class. These charming boots, displayed at various locations in York, added so much to the program. We would also like to thank Boris Reininghaus for designing the boots, Matt Rovnak for production and Maine Coast Lumber for donating the wood.
In addition, the programs, activities and books would not have been possible without a grant from the Maine Humanities Council. Kittery Trading Post also provided financial support, and the expertise of Charles Ek from the Kittery Trading Post Outdoor Academy was invaluable.
Lastly, a big thank you to all the committee members who worked so hard to make York Reads successful! They are Patricia Burke, Kim DiBernardo, Carrie Eisner, Charlie Ek, Lou Hargan, Jean Lincoln, Anne Poubeau, Liz Reisz, Roberta Sullivan, Mary-Anne Szeniawski, Robert Waldman and Andrea Winslow. This was truly a community event with representation from many organizations and people from all walks of life. Thank you again everyone for your support and participation.
Sincerely,
Polly Ann Stanwood
York Reads Chairwoman
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