Thumbs up to the Old Orchard Beach Town Council’s decision to keep Interim Town Manager Robert Peabody on board rather than replace him with Assistant Town Manager V. Louise Reid after less than a month in the position. Peabody was hired as a temporary manager for the town on March 26, after the council fired Town Manager Mark Pearson. Reid had been on medical leave during that time and returned to work April 8.
With two recall efforts in town, to recall all seven councilors, and much consternation over Pearson’s firing, the town made the right decision in hiring Peabody to carry it through budget season. It makes no sense to have him serving the town for only a few weeks and would only add to the town’s current image of being mismanaged.
Thumbs up to the young musicians in Rupture the Fish, a rock band based in Biddeford that includes BHS student Ben Nason and KHS student Spencer Teachout. The rock/punk band has made the final round of the MAMM SLAM battle of the bands and will be competing for a $1,000 cash prize, television and radio appearances, performance opportunities, and a professional marketing package. The public helps choose the winner, so we encourage our readers to listen to Rupture the Fish’s music and vote at mainetoday.com/mammslam. We wish them luck as they compete at the Asylum in Portland this weekend and ”“ win or lose ”“ in their music careers going forward.
Thumbs up to Daniel Bastarache, better known as Mr. Dan to the hundreds of Cub Scouts he’s mentored in the past 27 years. Bastarache was recognized for his years of volunteerism during a ceremony on April 14, when he was presented with a plaque and a round of “thank-yous” from Cub Scout Pack 308 in Lyman. Known for leading sing-a-longs and his undying commitment to the scouts, Bastarache is clearly a model volunteer, and we applaud his years of devotion to helping these young boys learn and grow. With his own sons now moving up to Boy Scouts, Bastarache plans to continue volunteering at that level, and York County is lucky to have him.
Thumbs down to the current municipal/school/county budget of $63 million that is now under consideration in Biddeford, which would increase taxes by about 13 percent. We’re glad to hear that Mayor Alan Casavant recognizes that a “double-digit increase is unacceptable” and plans to work with city staff to reduce the impact. Statewide, it’s clear that significant cuts must be made in order for municipal tax rates to remain manageable, and those cuts are undoubtedly going to be felt by everyone. Before voters go to the council to complain about the tough decisions that must be made, they should take the time to consider what services we absolutely need at the current levels and what concessions we can accept. Families and private businesses have been forced to learn to live with budget cuts, and municipalities and schools must do the same. With the state reducing its aid and costs rising, a new way must be found to continue educating students and maintaining the city, and that will mean significant changes. For those who can afford a 13 percent increase on their property taxes, we urge them to think of their neighbors who cannot, and to look for a way to move forward together.
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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 email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford office.
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