Thumbs up to volunteers from the Good Shepherd food truck and the Friends of Community Food Action food pantry in Biddeford for organizing a trip by the food truck the pantry’s Elm Street location. The giant truck, with large bays on both sides of the trailer, was stocked with many food items, and drew crowds of people in need. Volunteers handed out fruits, vegetables, boxed foods, bread and more. Many turned out to make the trip a success and many more were helped by their neighbors in a time of need.
Thumbs up the Old Orchard Beach Town Council and Paul Golzbein, owner of The Pier, for supporting the local skate park project. The council approved a measure last week to allow all money collected this summer in the water fountain in the town square to go toward the skate park. A committee working on the plans has about $36,000 to use for a new park. Allowing the committee use of the funds will support the project for area youth without costing taxpayers. Golzbein also said he will match any funds collected in the fountain. It is encouraging to see support for local youth and area business owners getting involved to help and give back to the community.
Thumbs up the Old Orchard Beach committee planning flag-raising ceremonies to be held every evening this summer in honor of those who have served the country. The evening ceremonies will be held at Veteran’s Memorial Park every night at 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The idea came from a man in New Jersey who has been raising a flag on the beach there every night for 38 years in honor of deceased veterans. Now, there is a local effort to honor fallen soldiers from Maine and loved ones lost by area residents. Anyone interested in reserving an evening for a friend or loved one may call Gold Star mother and committee volunteer Nancy Kelley at 934-2360.
Thumbs up to the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen for allocating funds to install a new sidewalk or fisherman perch on the Route 9 bridge over the Mousam River. The $220,000 allocation will allow pedestrians safe passage and makes sense to do as construction on the 70-year-old bridge is expected to begin in the summer of 2012. The Maine Department of Transportation is funding the $3 million project to replace the bridge, and plans include a five-foot-wide sidewalk. Funding for a sidewalk facing down river, however, needs to come from the town. Making improvements when state or federal projects are in the works is typically a good time to do so due to savings in construction costs. Kennebunk is taking advantage of the project schedule and adding improvements at an opportune time.
Thumbs up to all who rallied around the little boy who was found dead in South Berwick and remained unidentified for five days. Residents in South Berwick arranged two vigils for the little boy, now identified as 6-year-old Camden Pierce Hughes of Irving, Texas. Maine State Police also worked long hours to try and find any information about the boy. Thumbs up as well to the keen-eyed caller who spotted the suspect Toyota Tacoma at a rest stop in Chelmsford, Mass. on Wednesday and called police, and to law enforcement authorities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for their work. The boy’s mother, Julianne McCrery, is now facing second degree murder charges in connection with his death.
Ӣ Ӣ Ӣ
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.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
