Attend or watch candidate forums

To the editor,

I’m writing to call attention to two important candidate forums for residents of South Portland. Everyone is encouraged to attend or watch these forums, presented by the non-partisan League of Women Voters in conjunction with volunteers from our city.

South Portland Board of Education candidates are set to meet in the first forum on Monday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. in the South Portland City Hall council chambers, 25 Cottage Road. Candidates for city council will participate in the second forum the following Monday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m., also at city hall.

The public is invited to attend both forums in-person or watch them on television. It’s our chance to learn more about the people who are seeking to represent us on the school board and on city council and where they stand on important issues.

For your convenience, you can watch the forums live on SPC-TV, channel 2 and 1301 and SPPA-TV, channel 3 and 1302. They will also be replayed several times prior to Election Day on those Spectrum cable channels. You can also watch them at your convenience with video on demand via the SPC-TV website and on Vimeo.

Matthew Beck

​South Portland

Bug Light Park is a treasure

To the editor,

Recently I walked to Bug Light Park. The afternoon was sunny with the 4:30 sun shining from the west and lighting the amazing collection of cars being displayed on the grounds of the park. What a beautiful open space the park provides for such events and for sitting on a bench and looking out over the water.

At the same time I couldn’t help having a very disturbing thought: what if this special space and the late afternoon sun were to be blocked by the construction of four 18-story buildings as proposed by Yard South, part of Northpoint Corporation based in California. Such tall buildings would take away the wonderful feeling of wide open space with it’s sense of getting away from the bustle of every day life. My feeling of refuge would be completely gone.

I am also deeply concerned about the proposed location of a busy bus terminal next to the park and how frequent buses would affect the quiet of the park. On sunny summer days the parking lot for boat trailers for the boat ramp is full.

To lessen traffic on Broadway, frequent buses to Mill Creek have been designed into the plan. Where is the bus terminal to shuttle these carless occupants of Yard South’s high rises going to be located and will it diminish the parking available for boaters?

Bug Light Park is a treasure just the way it is and should not be ruined by over-development next door.

Charles Higgins

South Portland

Elections more important than ever

To the editor,

Upcoming elections for school board are more important than ever, given the challenges to public education. And public education is more important than ever, given the challenges facing our communities, and the importance of educated and informed community members to meet them.

A forum for candidates running to serve on the South Portland School Board will take place on Monday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers at South Portland City Hall, sponsored and organized by the League of Women Voters, a respected, non-partisan voter advocacy organization.

The public is invited and urged to attend, or to watch the forum on SPC-TV.

Andrea Thompson McCall

South Portland

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