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:

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

To the editor:

Thank you for the kind article, we were honored and humbled.. We are blessed and very aware and thankful for so many things….our family, our church family, the community, and….each other. China, Maine is truly a special place.

When we came to Maine 38 years ago we had no idea what we were going to be doing, but we felt we needed to leave the big city and find a better place to raise our children. We had no idea what God had in store for us. Living in this beautiful place with so many wonderful people, whom we’ve truly come to love as family. Some might think we have not had a lot nor done a lot of things by the world’s standards, but we have been richly blessed.

We have learned to enjoy the simple things and not expect perfection. Living life together and dealing with adversity can make a relationship stronger, if one chooses to commit to the long haul. We believe God brought us together 58 years ago.

Pastor Ron and Linda Morrell
China

To the editor:

As we keep adding wind and solar power to remove carbons at bay, we are overlooking one important fact, and that is, in my opinion, we are trying to play catch up at too late a time. It won’t matter how much we augment fossil fuels for electric generation because if [all] goes according to plan, in the next decades we will all be driving EV (electric vehicles), and this is just one of the inevitable loads we will be adding to the electric grid. Also, scientists are saying we will need to build new homes with total electric amenities, i.e., heat, air conditioning, and a host of other electric needs. It should be noted that resistive electric heat base board or space heaters all are 100 percent efficient. In other words, for every dollar spent on electric heat you get a dollar’s worth of heat. No other system can make that claim.

So, in summation, if we don’t go to nuclear power all the solar and wind in the world will never catch up to our electrical demands. I should add [that] once EVs are made mandatory most homes will have to upgrade their electrical systems as most 100 or less ampere services will not carry two (2) EV cars if both drivers have to charge their vehicles at the same time.

I was laughed at when we moved to Maine in 1999 and built an all electric home. Can’t understand so many people’s aversion to electric heat. Most say it’s too expensive, but if the home is built for it, it is not only reasonable but quiet, safe and clean.

Frank Slason
Somerville