Thumbs up to Sanford attorney Gregory McCullough who participated in the Boston Marathon last Monday in honor of a fallen soldier, Capt. Ben Keating, who was killed on duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in November 2006. McCullough participated through the non-profit organization called Run for the Fallen, which will also host a 65-kilometer run on Aug. 21 to honor those from Maine who have died in service since Sept. 11, 2001.
Thumbs up to the Town of Kennebunk for re-opening its “swap shop.” Allowing people to leave unwanted items that may be of use to others is a form of recycling, and allows people who may be in need of those items to save some money and reduce trash produced by the town. Having a policy in place to staff the site with volunteers should also ensure people are not taking items for resale or cleaning out the swap shop.
Thumbs up to the University of New England for going green. Its first renewable energy project was presented to the public last week, and officials at the school say more projects are planned to help reach a carbon neutral footprint. The new solar hot water system will provide 50 percent or more of the hot water used at the Campus Center in Biddeford and a monitor will allow the university to see how much energy it is saving.
Thumbs down to the Biddeford City Council for discussing budget cuts behind closed doors. Although further cuts may be warranted, discussing those cuts in executive session and without consulting city staff or residents is not conducive to an open budget process. Police Chief Roger Beaupre says he will be forced to eliminate six positions, and Public Works Director Guy Casavant said his department will lose three to seven positions ”“ for a total of 15 and a half positions on the chopping block citywide. These cuts would impact city services and should be vetted in public with input from both department heads and residents.
Thumbs up to State Rep. Don Pilon of Saco for his proposed bill to help prevent cyber bullying. Pilon’s bill, LD 980, would require school boards to adopt policies regarding cyber bullying and include a procedure to report offensive behavior to authorities. The bill would also make bullying a civil violation. Another thumbs up to Drew Landry, a senior at Thornton Academy, who provided written testimony in support of the bills for a recent public hearing in Augusta. Landry told legislators of how bullying impacted his life saying, “I know from experience that when I was scared and depressed it was impossible to focus on my school work. ”¦ The media plays a large role in our lives. Every day on Facebook I see an open forum for cyber bullying.”
Thumbs up to Bob Bohlmann, the affable and eminently capable outgoing director of the York County Emergency Management Agency. After being at the helm for 17 years and a lengthy career in civil defense, public safety and emergency management prior to his county tenure, Bob will be missed when he officially retires April 30. He has been a solid rock for York County all these years ”“ calm, capable and direct. We wish him well, and know we’ll see him around ”“ he’s staying on for a bit as a special assistant. At the same time, we welcome Kimberley White-Kaiser who will be York County EMA director beginning May 1. She’s been deputy director in Lincoln County for three years and her boss, Lincoln County EMA director Tim Pellerin, says she’s hardworking and meticulous.
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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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