Second chances
In your reading of this week’s edition, you’ve perhaps picked up on the fact that we seem to have a running theme: What’s old is new again.
That’s right. Almost every story in this week’s paper, in its own way, is a sort of “new beginnings” piece. From Jeff Richardson getting back on the Standish Town Council to the second half of the Year-in-Review, this week’s paper is full of second chances. Perhaps, this is an appropriate theme, since this is the first week of the year, and New Year’s resolutions are on most people’s minds.
Life is full of second chances. Take, for example, D&J Excavating, located on Route 302 near the Windham/Westbrook line. It is so good to hear the Vance family is rebuilding their business after fire claimed the structure last year. It’s amazing what a little perseverance can do. The family never gave up, and their example is a good inspiration for the rest of us.
Also, it’s good to see ice fishermen, once again, donning cold weather gear and heading out onto the ice to do some jiggin’ in the Lakes Region. Ice fishing is definitely a popular pastime in Maine and the annual parade of fishing shacks out onto Lower Bay in Standish and Jordan Bay in Raymond is always a welcome sight. These places are still a little sketchy, but many smaller lakes are fishable. Just watch for thin ice. Two to three inches of blue ice is adequate, officials say, but six inches is preferable. Be careful out there.
Another new beginning is Jeffrey Richardson’s appearance back on the Standish Town Council. Certainly no stranger to Standish politics and town issues, many remember Richardson as a longtime member and repeat chairman of the council in the 1990s and early 2000s. While we were sorry to hear of Gerald Spencer’s departure from the board, we wish Richardson good luck as he fulfills his appointment until June elections.
It’s also a week in which we’ve seen the commencement of a very important project at Windham Town Hall. The annex – where many Windham residents have taken part in community meetings, health clinics, Meals on Wheels and numerous other activities over the years – is getting remodeled as Town Hall becomes a better place to work for town employees. Originally the town’s high school, the town hall is on its way to renewal, and that is another welcome sight. It’s good to see the town recycle an important and historic building rather than build new. That’s responsible development, and it’ll ensure the town hall and all its history remain a viable center of activity.
Finally, what’s old is definitely new again this week as we wrap up our Year-in-Review section. It’s amazing to read all the news events that happened last year. While we may think we live in a quiet section of the state, there’s a lot happening here and this section was a good reminder of “all the shaking going on” last year.
We’ll drink to that
At their meeting Tuesday night, the Raymond Board of Selectmen unanimously banned a mini-brew fest that would have introduced alcohol in an officially-sanctioned way at the upcoming Windham Rotary Derby Fest.
While event organizers should be congratulated for thinking of different ways to attract all kinds of participants – and, ultimately, their charitable donations – Raymond selectmen made a wise decision in denying the liquor license for the event.
By banning the event, the board rightly sent a message that the derby should remain a non-alcoholic event, at least officially. To make any other decision would have sent the message that public drinking is acceptable, albeit behind tent walls as was proposed.
Derby Fest is clearly the best thing that ever happened to the Lakes Region. It raises substantial contributions for Camp Sunshine and Maine Children’s Cancer Program, plus many other charities. Plus, it gives everyone something fun to do in the dead of winter. Also, the Windham Rotary Club has done a masterful job of thinking up family-friendly events that all sorts of people can enjoy on a cold winter weekend. Sure, an alcohol-related event would be fine for older folks, but the image it would have sent would not have been the best.
Besides, if past years are any indication, anybody going to the derby doesn’t need alcohol to have a good time. The beautiful and adrenaline-churning assortment of events including ice car racing, acrobatic planes, snowmobile races and, of course, the Polar Ice Dip, is surely enough to make anybody crack a mid-winter smile.
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