Thumbs down to Kennebunk Selectman Richard Morin for his irrational opposition to the skatepark proposal submitted by resident Tom Noble. Morin’s comment that the town is “not in the entertainment business” lends one to believe that he also opposes other parks ”“ perhaps those with any playground equipment ”“ as well as a Parks and Recreation program that provides “entertainment” opportunities for children and adults alike. Of course, he is probably not against such wholesome facilities and activities, but rather, fears that an active skatepark would be an unwelcome addition to the town.
Morin is right to express concern over liability and cost for the town ”“ those should be concerns with any project ”“ but his particular bias against skateboarders was woefully on display during his rejection of the skatepark plan last week. It’s time for Morin to become more open-minded and realize that the town is already in the entertainment business ”“ and the recreational activity of choice varies for everyone.
Thumbs up to Regional School Unit 23 board members for urging parents not to divulge students’ Social Security numbers for tracking of student enrollment history and achievement data for studies. The RSU is the latest district ”“ joining Biddeford and several others ”“ to oppose the measure. Since students already have numbers issued to them through the Maine Education Data Management System, there is no need to use such an important number for this tracking. Social Security numbers should be highly guarded to prevent identity theft and should not be used so lightly when there is another number available. Hopefully the legislature will take this cue from RSU 23 and rethink this law.
Thumbs down to the Biddeford Athletic Association for moving the Biddeford High School Victory Bell without consulting the school district. After years of working with the schools, the BAA should know better than to take action without at least notifying the school board or superintendent. Whether the bell belongs to the BAA or the district ”“ that’s apparently up for debate ”“ both parties have an interest in it and the superintendent should not have been put in a position to panic when the bell turned up missing from storage due to the BAA’s decision to move it. A temporary location for the bell should have been discussed months ago, when the BHS construction project plans were underway. We agree with the BAA that it needs to be available to students, but would remind them that a little communication goes a long way.
Thumbs up to the Biddeford City Council for its decision to close Bradbury Street Extension to through-traffic. Studies have shown that the road was used as a major throughway by a high amount of vehicles, many of which traveled at excessive rates of speed, making the area unsafe for children. As well, residents are concerned about the road’s steep hill, which has a dangerous blind spot and has also caused cars to careen into homes. The road is clearly a special case and will not set any sort of “precedent” for shutting down streets, as opponents of the closure fear. It’s been closed for a year already, results have been good, and it’s time to make it permanent before a real tragedy happens there.
— Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you would like to respond, please write the Reader’s Forum via e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.
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