Thumbs up to the volunteers and organizers who helped install a new playground at the C.K. Burns School in Saco earlier this month. A team of about 60 volunteers gave their time and talent to erect the new playground equipment, which is made of metal and plastic. Old equipment that was made of pressure-treated wood was removed to make way for the newer, safer equipment. It’s heartening to see the community come together to get a project like this done that will offer healthy, fun playtime to many children in the area.
Thumbs down to the stalling of the work needed at the intersection of Hill Road and Route 111 in Arundel. Due to the high traffic and poor line of sight there, another accident occurred last week that sent two to the hospital and backed up traffic at rush hour. The intersection sees a lot of traffic as a major commuter route that brings people from the Sanford area to Biddeford and onto the Maine Turnpike. According to the Maine Department of Transportation, the annual average daily traffic count in 2012 at the intersection was 17,280 vehicles eastbound on Route 111, and 13,760 westbound. A project to improve the intersection has been postponed twice. It is now expected to commence next year, and it needs to be done. This is a dangerous, heavily traveled intersection and work needs to be completed here as soon as possible to prevent more accidents and deaths.
Thumbs up to the Town of Wells and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for finally getting started on the dredge of Wells Harbor. Both entities have been working hard for many years to get this process going, and it’s great to finally see that work is set to begin. The harbor has lost many moorings due to shoaling, which impacts revenues to the town, and the town’s beaches have also experienced loss of sand. Some of the sand that is removed from the harbor basin and channel will be redistributed along the beaches to replenish those areas, which means more space and ease of use in the harbor, and more room for beach-goers.
Thumbs up to Logisticare for working to correct the issues it has experienced since taking over the county’s transportation scheduling for non-emergency medical appointments of MaineCare clients. Logisticare’s Senior Vice President of Operations Robert Harrison said the company has improved its service, and within 30 days of its Aug. 1 launch, it had reduced the number of missed trips by 70 percent. We’re pleased to hear that Logisticare purchased more vehicles and is working to better communicate with clients to ensure they get picked up when needed. We hope the company continues to address such issues and improve its service in the area.
Thumbs up to the Town of Dayton for working to increase its recycling rate. The rate is a dismal 8 percent, but Code Enforcement Officer Jim Roberts says he would like to see that increase to at least the state average of 25 percent. Roberts said the town has curbside trash pick-up, but not recycling. If it were to implement curbside recycling, it would need to be aggressive in efforts to promote it in town, to offset some of the added cost, he said. Or it may need to consider pay-as-you-throw trash disposal to incentivize recycling for residents. Dayton residents should not be pleased with their low recycling rate and should support efforts to increase its numbers. Recycling is good for the environment and it saves towns money in tipping fees, which must be paid to dispose of trash.
Thumbs up to all those who supported the Communities Care event, taking place at North Parish Congregational Church in Sanford today. In addition to a “free store,” offering up blankets, underwear, socks, toiletries, First Aid kits and more to those in need, community members and business owners volunteered to give free blood pressure screenings, flu shots, dental health checks, manicures, foot care and haircuts. These services will help those who are struggling to make ends meet during hard times.
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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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