Historical society appreciates community support
To the editor,
The Arundel Historical Society hosted a baked bean and pasta supper at the Seashore Trolley Museum on April 30. The turnout exceeded our expectations, and it was a very successful event for a variety of reasons, among them being the wonderful venue and a free trolley ride as part of the supper ticket. Many of our regular attendees, as well as new friends, joined us on a beautiful spring evening, with some diners eating outside on the plaza.
The Arundel Historical Society directors would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who made the event a success.
Katie Orlando, the museum’s executive director, reached out to us this past winter and offered the museum as a venue for our event. She and the museum’s volunteers were generous and accommodating and helped to make the event possible, pleasant, and successful. Thanks to all at the trolley museum.
Bentley’s Saloon has been a longstanding supporter of the historical society with the donation of some of the supplies necessary to make our suppers happen. We can’t thank Bentley Warren enough. His generosity has been invaluable.
Finally, a huge thank you to all our volunteers, servers, bakers, and others behind the scene. Participation by community members is important and rewarding and we can’t do what we do without you.
As part of our mission, we work at building community which is why we host these suppers and other events. The community support we receive shows that people care for their community, enjoy each other’s company, and help when they can. Thank you all.
Arundel Historical Society
Board of Directors
To the editor,
I was very pleased to watch the Kennebunk Select Board’s Candidates Night. Two candidates, Miriam Whitehouse and Leslie Trentalange, gave me a sense of hope that the era of our board’s often collective adversarial and defensive comportment may finally be over.
The moderated event gave candidates the opportunity to opine on such topics as communication style, affordable housing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, budget realities, their code of ethics, and the upcoming town manager hiring process.
Regrettably, even at this forum, Blake Baldwin could not resist lobbing petty digs in Whitehouse’s direction. Perhaps he learned this communication style from previous selectmen, but it is jarring and old and a reminder of what needs to end.
With a changing of the guard, finally the select board can move forward to bring knowledge, a willingness to listen and learn, accountability, and a true dedication to their code of ethics. Hopefully and importantly, even the most bashful resident can look forward to speaking before the board during the public comment period, etc., to get answers to concerns without being ignored, dismissed or humiliated.
Blake, I most sincerely thank you for your service to our community. But change is going to come.
Vote Miriam Whitehouse and Leslie Trentalange for Kennebunk Select Board.
Susan Bloomfield
West Kennebunk
The challenges of transparency
To the editor,
“The illusion of transparency” is an attention grabbing phrase I heard recently on MPBN. The discussion explored the dynamic between a group that believes it is transparent and a group challenging that perspective.
Not an uncommon dynamic in the world or here in Kennebunk. So how do both groups find their way to the middle ground of mutually accepted transparency?
Statements of ”just trust us” or “we don’t trust you” do not generate movement toward middle ground.
Additionally, solidified distrust should not replace honest skepticism and skepticism should not be met with anger and injured retorts.
The aspiration is a working, transparent democracy in the town of Kennebunk. But, let’s acknowledge it is hard work.
To achieve this aspiration requires a commitment to civil and courageous discourse. The process should expect and welcome pushback. We are seeking the often uncomfortable middle ground where everyone is heard and multiple perspectives are aired.
It is on this middle ground that a transparent democracy is built. We are not there yet in Kennebunk.
Our town is preparing for change in the upcoming months. We will be hiring a new town manager. We have an important election day on June 14 with open select board seats and consequential ballot questions.
This is not the time to cede the middle ground. Please stay engaged. Get educated on the issues. Speak up. Vote. We can do this.
Patricia Sass Perry
Kennebunk
Candidate is a ‘caretaker of the earth’
To the editor,
We often have no choice in matters of great importance … but on June 14, 2022, we do.
Your vote for Robin Phillips for selectwoman will be a huge step toward maintaining clean water at our shorelines and mindful stewardship of our precious land.
I have known Robin for over 35 years. She is a Kennebunkport native, a horticulturist, and a lifelong caretaker of the earth. The landscape of our community is rapidly changing. Many building and land decisions are made by a handful of votes, and are often not reversible.
Robin will work to preserve the beauty and safety we all treasure. She will listen to your concerns, attend meetings and take action. Your vote is the best assurance we have for the next generations to experience the beauty and uniqueness of our small town on the coast of Maine.
If you can’t make it to the polls on June 14, it’s easy to pick up an absentee ballot at town hall.
No excuses.
Berri Kramer
Kennebunkport
Town should lower carbon footprint
To the editor,
Why do the taxpayers need to spend $13.7 million, plus interest, on a public works facility? We voted in 2017 to meet the town’s request to renovate the existing facility for $2.7 million. Now the town wants another $11 million? For what? Larger offices, additional offices and more storage space. Why? Why do we need to spend over $100,000 for the Treasure Chest??
When asked, the town admits there will be higher operating expenses every year. How much they don’t know. Well, we all know when you build more space, everything will go up. Higher electric costs, fuel costs, cleaning costs, water costs, sewer costs, staff cost, all paid by the taxpayers.
The town of Kennebunk should be setting an example and lowering its carbon footprint, not increasing it. Instead they want to add more access to Sea Road and kill more trees, wildlife and lay down more asphalt. More fossil fuels will be needed just to run this facility and to keep these large offices and space heated, etc.
This facility sets a bad precedent. There is a town facility study that will add additional tens of millions of dollars of more debt onto the taxpayers. Isn’t high inflation, a possible recession and a bear market enough?
This proposed facility is too expensive especially when other towns are upgrading at a lower cost and lower carbon footprint.
Vote no on Article 7: Referendum Question E.
Cindi and Lionel Menard
Kennebunk
Candidate ‘listens … solves problems’
To the editor,
We are supporting Jon Dykstra for Kennebunkport selectman. We met Jon shortly after he moved to town and we were struck by his love and enthusiasm for our community. While this is a good start for any selectman candidate, Jon has moved beyond these core attributes.
Like many of us, Jon was bothered when recycling stopped here in town. The difference is that he stepped up to chair the Solid Waste/Recycling Committee, gathered input from the town and successfully restored the program. We have seen this attitude and approach with the conservation trust and the Beach Advisory Committee as well as in the many other volunteer positions in which Jon is involved. Jon listens, uses all input to formulate a plan and solves problems.
In addition, Jon’s scientific education and work experience give him a solid background from which to address issues the town currently faces, for example, climate change and sea level rise.
On a personal level, we have gotten to know Jon and recognize the qualities he would bring to the table as a selectman – honesty, consensus building and a positive work ethic.
With all that we have seen, we believe Jon Dykstra will be a valuable addition to the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen.
Bill and Pat Dugan
Kennebunkport
Supporting select board candidates
To the editor,
As a voter/taxpayer/parent/physician, I support candidates who hold themselves accountable to their word. Since I met Leslie Trentalange years ago, she has repeatedly impressed me by setting, often, daunting goals and bringing them to fruition, like working as an actor, volunteering at York county’s COVID clinic, and maintaining access to her family’s local dental practice during the pandemic.
When she announced she would bridge the widened gap of division in our community; help our seniors; increase community monies by updating the town charter to avoid costly, and unnecessary legal battles; attract younger families to our town, and support our public servants and first responders, I had no doubt that she will accomplish all those things.
Miriam Whitehouse has served our community for longer than most of us have lived here, by volunteering at the schools, parent groups, music boosters, working with town committees to promote economic development and volunteering to promote access to treatment for substance use disorder. Miriam brings a breath of knowledge and institutional memory that is critical during these and the challenging times to come.
This is why I am supporting both Leslie Trentalange and Miriam Whitehouse for Kennebunk Select Board.
Brian E. Kaufman
Kennebunk
Board chair ‘ignores ongoing partnership’
To the editor,
Kennebunk Select Board chair Blake Baldwin made disappointing statements at candidates’ night on May 19. In the publicly available recording, Baldwin says the RSU 21 school board is “inward facing,” “insular” and has “not indicated any interest in working with the town.”
Baldwin ignores the ongoing partnership between the school district and the town for the town’s wonderful recreation programs held in school buildings. The school district brought the successful Department of Justice Community SPIRIT program to town hall to support diversity, equity and inclusion. More recently, Kennebunk Town Manager Mike Pardue canceled a meeting with the school superintendent last November and has yet to reschedule. Baldwin also ignores the fact that the superintendent is serving on a town leadership hiring committee as he speaks. The superintendent has served on other town hiring committees, too. None of these examples seem very insular to me.
Baldwin was a no-show at the important RSU 21 budget meeting on May 16, where he was eligible to vote on the new high school athletic complex and other warrants. Baldwin set a disappointing example, as not a single Kennebunk Select Board member was in attendance. In contrast, Arundel Select Board vice-chair, Dan Dubois, attended and is seen and heard at most school board meetings. The town spends roughly 75 cents of every taxpayer dollar on the school district, so when town leaders can’t be bothered to vote on important multi million-dollar budget items, it’s time for a change in leadership.
Over my three years on the board, I can’t recall seeing Baldwin speak at a public school board meeting, school committee meeting, nor have I received a request to join a meeting or conversation with the select board chair. In another disservice to voters, the town scheduled its candidate night on the same night as the school board’s, well after RSU 21 had published its meeting date. It’s time for new leadership of the Kennebunk Select Board.
Tim Stentiford
Kennebunk
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
