Thumbs up to the late E. Armand Talbot, a Sanford citizen who always took the time to speak up and ask questions about municipal projects and state his opinion on the answers he heard. Armand died in a fire at his home a week ago and will be missed ”“ at town council meetings and elsewhere. He was concerned about his fellow citizens, and he was a likable guy who loved to dance and ride his motorcycle and be in the company of others. So if you’re concerned about something going on in your town, or if you have a question about some project, take the lead from a fellow who regularly made it a point to voice his concerns ”“ and ask the question.
Thumbs up to everyone who has gotten involved in the political process this season, whether it be to support or oppose an issue about which they are passionate, run for office, volunteer at the polls or help out a candidate. Democracy depends on the involvement of all citizens and it’s heartening to see people of all ages getting interested in the decisions that will form our future world. The moment of truth for the racino/casino issues, same-day voter registration, many council and school board seats, the Biddeford and Saco mayors’ offices and several local issues is tomorrow. If you haven’t already completed an absentee ballot, don’t forget to get out and vote tomorrow. This year, you can still register to vote at the polls on Election Day, since the law is on hold due to the vote at hand. It’s easy to forget how much it means to have the right to vote, but one only needs to look to third world countries and to our own past to realize its importance. For women and minorities, this right was particularly hard-fought in America, so let’s all honor our forebears and our own citizenship by casting an informed ballot.
Thumbs up to the youth fellowship of the First Parish United Church of Christ in Saco, and its education director Kris Galasyn, for organizing the “human food chain” on Sunday. The effort to break a world record for the largest human food chain was a unique and exciting idea that helped spur people to participate in a much-needed food drive for the Saco Food Pantry. All area pantries are struggling right now, without even considering the demands placed upon them during the holidays, and creativity such as the church’s “food chain” helps them do their work of helping those in need.
Thumbs down to the federal cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program that were recently announced. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing $23 million for this program this winter ”“ a program funded at $55.6 million last year. Such a drastic cut from one year to the next has left low income residents with little warning, and when the increased cost of oil is taken into consideration, local community assistance groups that distribute these funds will simply have less money that will cover less oil. With the number of applicants expected to reach 7,000, it’s clear that many of these families will be turned down for heating aid. Other sources of funding are also strapped, so those in need will have to make some difficult choices this winter in order to stay afloat.
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Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you want to respond, feel free to write to the Readers’ Forum via e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.
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