Thumbs down to the continued acrimony between York County commissioners and the York County Budget Committee. Commissioners adopted an ethics policy late last year and are taking issue with the fact budget committee members haven’t signed off on it. So much so, in fact, that commissioners have scheduled a hearing for June 5 and will decide, either then or at a later date, whether to censure (publicly reprimand) committee members.
Budget committee members say this is just one more attempt in a long line of attempts by county commissioners to bring the budget panel to heel. Budget committee members have pointed out they’re already subject to the state’s ethics rules when they’re sworn in as members after they are elected at an annual caucus. The budget committee was established by the Legislature 20 years ago, not by the county. But commissioners insist the budget committee is a county committee and is therefore subject to the county ethics policy. We believe they need to settle this power struggle and find a way to work together: Hold a joint meeting, arrange some chairs in a circle and hash it out.
Thumbs up to the opportunity provided by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program at Sanford Housing Authority, which is connecting students at Sanford Regional Technical Center with buildings that need renovation. Students learning about construction, wiring, drywall, roofing and other home building trades need to have hands-on experience, and sprucing up foreclosed homes for future resale is a perfect marriage. We’re glad to see this program thriving, making the communities brighter by eliminating blight and facilitating education.
Thumbs up to Michael Cantara and the late Camille Bolduc, who were inducted into the Franco-American Hall of Fame in Augusta this past week. For younger people, it’s hard to imagine a time when your French heritage could be a setback, but it was a reality for earlier generations. Despite the prejudice against them, both of these men found a way to not only succeed, but to retain a fierce Franco pride that they conveyed to everyone they met. From Bolduc’s passion for celebrating Franco heritage through the language, food and the La Kermesse festival, to Cantara’s significant accomplishments rising through the ranks of Maine politics and law, these men showed future generations that it’s a point of pride to be Franco-American.
Thumbs down to the apparent theft of the weathervane that had long graced the top of the Goodall mansion in Sanford. The decorative topper, the color of gold and in the shape of a clipper ship, is believed to have been installed on the house when the Goodall family moved there in 1871, making it part of the area’s history. It’s believed to have gone missing in early January, and it’s a shame for it to be lost to a thief after all these years of looking over the town ”“ now a city ”“ and its progress. We trust that Sanford Police and their counterparts throughout the county will be able to track it down and have it returned to the building, which is proposed to become an arts and cultural space.
Thumbs up to the work being done at Perkins Town Commons to create ideal habitat for the New England cottontail rabbit. The Wells Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife are doing important work on the site, which is part of a 288-acre conservation parcel in Wells. Removing trees to allow for young growth and creating shelters for the rabbits will give them a better chance to thrive and hopefully become plentiful enough to be taken off the endangered species list in Maine. Currently, only about 300 of the rabbits remain in Maine, due to loss of habitat. The cottontail needs young, successional forest to thrive, which is scarce in Maine today. We’re glad to see groups stepping up to take responsibility for these creatures.
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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 email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford office.
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