To the editor:The article written by our faithful reporter Mary Grow, was certainly well written! I think that was the best April Fool that I have ever been fooled by. I hate to admit I was completely fooled, then I noticed the continued on page 15. I had to laugh at myself when I read, “If you believed this, you are an April Fool.”
Seriously, Mary, I thank you for your dedicated reporting for The Town Line.
Marilyn Reed
South China
To the editor:An open letter to Governor [Janet] Mills and the Maine legislators. Governor Mills threatened to veto and the legislature’s failure to act to restore sovereignty to the Maine Natives prompts this reply.
Gov. Mills and the legislature should go back to this country’s archives and look up the speech, centuries ago, by a native American chief by the name of Chief Red Jacket, he gave to the Congress. His first words were “my people welcomed you to our country with open arms. Friendship and trust.” He then went on to tell Congress how they have repaid this gesture. The speech is too long to write but I hope Mills and the legislature, who have a conscious, will look it up and read it.
I have not plagiarized any of Chief Red Jackets speech, but ironically, when responding to a cartoon in Time magazine 1990s, ended up expressing my thoughts which resembled Chief Red Jacket’s. I wrote to the editor of Time expressing my disgust at seeing a cartoon depicting two Pilgrims, and one said to the other, “What would the Indians have if not for us Pilgrims?”
The editor allowed me to answer that Pilgrims question as such: The Native Americans would still have their clear, clean skies. The Native Americans would still have their clean unpolluted rivers. The Native Americans would still have an abundance of buffalo for their food, clothes and shelters.
However, due to our forefathers “invasion,” the Native American is now treated as a second class citizen. Imprisoned on reservations located in a country they once owned.
Frank Slason
Somerville
To the Editor,Resilient, sincere, compassionate, and bold. These are the words that came to mind the first time I met Katrina Smith and listened to her speak. If you have not already done so, please take an opportunity to see and listen for yourself especially on her website and Facebook page.
Katrina Smith cares and brings an absolute passion with her in whatever she does. As a 21-year military veteran and a member of veterans organizations, I can see that Katrina cares about veterans, as she and her family recently participated in the Walk for Vets, which brings awareness to veterans’ issues.
Katrina Smith is running for State Representative in District #62 of Maine, which encompasses China, Palermo, Somerville, and Windsor. If you want a conservative representative with the qualities I have mentioned and many more, please know that we will be in good hands with Katrina Smith as state representative. The Primary is June 14. We hope to see you there.
Paul Hunter
Palermo
To the editor:Having known Jen Tuminaro for the last 7 years, I have witnessed many exemplary qualities of a true leader.
We initially became acquainted when Jen organized and began directing a local campus of Classical Conversations – a classical homeschool program designed to support families home educating their children, through an intentional and community-based approach. Being that this Classical Conversations community was a novel campus to the area, there were innumerable responsibilities Jen had to undertake as it came into existence.
Jen took on the role of personally engaging local families who had a common interest in such an academic program. Jen was responsible for hiring tutors to work within our classroom settings – even dedicating time to tutor some of our classes herself. Jen was relationally engaging with our families on such a genuine level that she would offer her time to help in our home projects, make regular phone calls to keep open lines of communication, and even help to fundraise to offset costs for families in need of financial assistance. Her abilities to delegate tasks and be an assertive director of our campus allowed the program to be a smoothly run, academically challenging and rigorous community, that helped our students and parents to learn and grow in ways that pushed and nurtured our gifts and talents.
As the needs and desires of our campus began to change, Jen was attentive and proactive in changes that began to take shape. Stepping away from Classical Conversations allowed us as a community of families to design a more desirable and suitable cooperative setting for the likes of those involved. Jen again did a fantastic job heading up our co-op.
In all of my experiences under Jen’s guidance and direction leading an academic program my family has been part of, I have extremely benefited from her level of precision, authority and organization. She has exceeded my personal expectations of a leader in this avenue, and it has been a blessing to be a part of these programs.
Bonnie Haiss
China
To the editor:To Central Maine Voters,
This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Pam Swift who is running as a Democrat for Maine’s District #62 House of Representative seat in this fall’s election. I was very impressed by her experience in and interest and commitment to areas such as health care, the environment and the welfare of her potential constituents. She struck me as the perfect candidate for this largely rural district consisting of her hometown of Palermo, China, Windsor, Somerville and Hibberts Gore. As a doctor and farmer, she has been exposed to many of the issues that areas like ours face, and is willing to listen to and act for benefit of those citizens who are her neighbors. I feel supremely confident that if she is elected to serve this newly-created district, she will work for the benefit of all of its residents and not just those of her political affiliation. I absolutely encourage the support of Pam Swift’s candidacy for the District #62 position and am confident that our welfare and best interests are her strongest concern.
Bob Bennett
South China, ME
To the editor:I am happy to write to support Katrina Smith for State Representative for District #62 China, Hibberts Gore, Palermo, Somerville and Windsor. Katrina brings a true passion for conservative values to this race with a deep understanding of the issues facing Maine. As the chairman of the Waldo County Republicans she tirelessly worked to engage with constituents and educated them on legislation within the state house. Over the past three years Katrina has spoken often and boldly against the policies that threatened the well-being of the people of Maine.
I’ve worked with Katrina for a few years and when Katrina says she will get things done you can absolutely count on her.
Anne Kurek
Palermo
To the editor:With utility rates skyrocketing, many Mainers are struggling to keep the heat and lights on. Unfortunately, LD 318, “An Act to Provide More Options to Maine Electric Service Customers and Support Maine’s Climate Goals,” passed through the Maine Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee and will be voted on this week. The bill would have dire consequences if the current version passes into law.
LD 318 promises benefits to Maine consumers by opening our arms to third-party retail electric providers. These out-of-state providers will make the utility marketplace more complex and more confusing for ratepayers. Worse still, studies of third-party providers in the marketplace in other states reported both higher bills and higher rates of residential disconnection.
In addition, ample evidence from around the country highlights the abusive sales practices many of these retail providers routinely use. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Connecticut recently fined retail providers after investigations revealed “teaser rates” which quickly expire and are then replaced with variable rates; high cancellation fees and other hidden charges; and variable rates that have no cap and no advance warnings to sudden increases often leading to disconnection.
It is important to note that there is part of LD 318 that would benefit Maine electric customers. The funding set aside to study Maine’s standard offer, or default service, would help the state understand how to avoid future sudden rate increases, such as those we saw this past January. We can improve how Maine purchases electricity in the future, avoid dramatic jumps in rates and make smarter decisions to protect electric utility customers everywhere.
As written, LD 318 doesn’t favor Maine’s ratepayers. It needs consumer protections written by regulators, not the retail electric industry. It needs a study designed to protect low-income customers, eliminate variable rate contracts, and simplify, not complicate, our electric utility billing process.
We hope legislators take the time to improve LD 318 by including these vital consumer protections to this study. Last-minute bills, authored by out-of-state energy marketers, should receive some discussion and debate. Maine electric consumers are depending on that. No matter your political leanings or what part of Maine you call home, we can all agree that driving future electric rates even higher is the last thing ratepayers, particularly older Mainers, can afford.
Carl Bucciantini
AARP Maine Volunteer
State President
To the editor:I’m writing to thank The Town Line and area residents, especially those in China, Windsor, Palermo, and Winslow where I focused my signature gathering efforts for my recent gubernatorial campaign. I especially thank folks who graciously signed my petition and those who invited me into their homes to chat. Meeting and talking with folks, especially those whom I have never met, is the best part of campaigning.
Unfortunately, I was never able to get the volunteer support necessary to collect the required minimum 2,000 signatures. I don’t consider my campaign a failure since my goal was simply to do my best. I did not run to win. I ran to give the people of Maine hope, to give them a choice, and to promote democracy. I believe I achieved all three.
I learned in 2018 when I ran for the Maine Senate that going up against the Democratic Party machine would not be easy. This time around, the Democratic Party violated its own charter by endorsing Gov. [Janet] Mills, in October, eight months before a June primary. The party never made a single mention of my name as a candidate in all of its internal emails to members, yet touted Gov. Mills many times.
At party sponsored petition signing events, my partner and I were often treated as if we were invisible, or as if we had a communicable disease. When I made a day long trip to collect signatures in Aroostook County, the Democratic County Committee chair refused to announce to members or the public that I would be there. While the majority of regular folks I met going door to door were glad to sign my petition, only a small fraction of so-called party loyalists would sign. This was evidence to me that the Democratic Party machine is very out of touch with voters and was very afraid of a primary challenger.
Maine’s government and the two party system are disintegrating before our eyes. My attempt to promote democracy was met with resistance from both the “democratic” party and the mainstream press. The people of Maine and across the nation are feeling disenfranchised because they are disenfranchised by a “system” that puts itself and the special interests before them. I am not a politician. My goal was and is to shift the paradigm away from a government of, by, and for politics and money to a government of, by, and for the people.
I shudder to think of how many Maine children will die of abuse or neglect, of how many thousands of people will die of drug overdoses or will suffer untreated mental illness over the next four years regardless of who is elected governor, because of a government that cares more for itself than for the people. Instead of bribing Maine voters with our money, Gov. Mills should ask us how we want it spent. My vote is to use it to reform Maine government, to create a child welfare system that is the best in the nation, and to help the hundreds of thousands of Maine people who are hurting and in genuine need.
John M. Glowa, Sr.
China
To the editor:It is a privilege to endorse Jennifer Tuminaro in her run for public office.
Whether secular, religious, in school, in church, in business, Jen has given credence to the Biblical passage, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all diligence.” Over and over she has proven to us her limitless capabilities and energy in whatever she puts her hand to.
With determination, dedication and devotion, as a wife and companion, mother, friend, counselor, teacher, organizer, and leader, Jen’s love for life is her ‘crowning glory’.
Appropriately, on the precipice of his presidency, during his inaugural address, JFK spoke these infamous words that still resonate for us today, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Be sure of this, if elected, she will do it.
Pastor & Donna York
Dirigo Road Bible Church
Weeks Mills
To the editor:In the ‘90s, teachers and community volunteers ran wire in Maine’s local schools to connect our students to the world. Technology continued to grow rapidly, but our broadband expansion faltered. We connected our schools, but failed to light up our homes. The pandemic made the impact of this issue painfully acute, and it is an ongoing problem. Many students still can’t submit online assignments, they can’t collaborate on group projects, and they can’t benefit from digital resources offered by larger schools. Our schools have blazing fast internet, but it stops at the parking lot.
Affordable high speed internet access for remote learning, telemedicine, and working from home is still not available for everyone in Maine. And this is not unique to rural areas. I attend online meetings with people in Portland who have unreliable service.
But there is a chance for success. Across the state, even the smallest rural communities are finding ways to make high speed connectivity affordable and equitable. We should look to those regions as models to help us solve our connectivity challenges here in Somerset County. Our first goal should be to engage local communities so that we ensure that the unsolved issues of the last three decades are handled the right way.
A Broadband Planning Report for Somerset County with recommendations has already been completed. We have community leaders with the knowledge and skills to make this happen. Now we need local input. If your town wants to make broadband a priority, they should reach out to the county and ask how they can participate and voice their needs. They can also sign onto the Maine Broadband Coalition guiding values to mark their community as a hotspot for development. Let’s support this work and get connected!
Pamela Partridge
North Anson