Thumbs up to Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, for sponsoring LD 662 along with area school resource officers. The bill would address penalties for sexting, the practice of sending nude or semi-nude photos of one’s self via cellphone, and would particularly focus on one issue: Currently, young people who send photos of themselves to each other can be penalized under the law, which was written with adult sex offenders in mind. This means they could be branded sex offenders for life because they are technically sending child pornography, even though they’re children themselves.
The bill is still being worked out, but would seek to discourage sexting by minors, and provide educators and other adults with tools to prevent sexting and to punish minors without treating them as sexual predators. This is a step in the right direction to make the law address the actual problem, and education is key to help young people understand that sending sexual photos of themselves to anyone, especially before age 18, is a very bad idea.
Thumbs down to the proposal put forth by businessman Rafi Jacobi to open a beach chair and umbrella rental business on the sands of Old Orchard Beach. Jacobi is proposing to place 10 stations along the beach, each offering 50 chairs and umbrellas for rental. He’s offering the town $10,000 and 10 percent of his profits for use of the beach. Jacobi’s plan is certainly entrepreneurial, as he said he came up with the idea when he had a need for more chairs while enjoying the beach last summer, but we feel the town should not be in the business of renting out beach space for business purposes. Plenty of businesses currently exist beachside that offer rentals without encroaching on the beach itself. The actual sands are prime real estate, and if the town allows Jacobi to undertake this venture, many others will seek beach space for their business ideas. Not only will this hurt the existing businesses, it will also significantly alter the nature of the actual beach. The council needs to consider this very carefully and look at the long-term implications.
Thumbs up to the York County Emergency Management Agency’s institution of the new Code Red system. This program sends automated messages to not only landlines but also to cellphones, to alert residents of emergency situations ”“ from flooding to terrorist threats. The capability to add cellphones to this notification system means that people will be aware of the situation at home, even if they’re away. For those with seasonal properties or who travel for work or other purposes, this program is invaluable. By receiving notice, even if you’re away from home, property owners can arrange for mitigation efforts or at least know what to expect upon their return. While about 87,000 phone numbers have been added to the system, we encourage all York County residents to make sure their contact information is on the list, and add their cellphone, so they’ll be notified in the case of any area emergencies. Perhaps the best part is that the system allows emergency management staff to send out notices only to affected areas, so users won’t be getting alerts they don’t need. Visit www.yorkcountyme.gov or call 324-1578 to join the call list.
Thumbs up to the change in policing in York County, which has Maine State Police and the York County Sheriff’s Office splitting up patrols of the rural towns. Previously, the two entities would switch off coverage each month of the county’s three patrol zones. This arrangement caused confusion among some residents as to which agency had primary responsibility for the area that month, and did not allow for officers to build as much familiarity with the area or rapport with locals. By splitting up the beats, officers from both agencies will now be better positioned to embrace a community policing model, which focuses on building relationships and leads to better crime solving and crime prevention. The two agencies will still work together and respond together for big incidents, but the new arrangement means their day-to-day service is likely to improve and residents will be more clear on who to call if they have a concern. Emergency calls, as always, still go to 911, regardless.
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