Thumbs down to the circumstances that led to the phone lines and Internet service of XATel/XPress America customers going dead during the company’s billing dispute with FairPoint Communications. While it is not our place to comment on the ongoing billing dispute, XATel owners have admitted that they chose not to notify customers of the possible disconnection because they did not want to lose them to another provider. This move was against state law, which requires notification of customers when their lines are going to be down.
Later, the Maine Public Utilities Commission allowed for the disconnection to go forward because of the money XATel allegedly owes FairPoint. Lost in all of this are the company’s customers, who have been dealing with interrupted service and disconnections. They should not be caught in the middle of this disputed bill. It’s up to the PUC to have some sort of plan in place to keep these customers connected while the issue is sorted out, since phones can be a life-saving necessity, particularly for the infirm or elderly.
Thumbs up to the Old Orchard Beach Comprehensive Plan committee for its efforts to reach out to young people in town for their input on the 10-year plan that will guide OOB’s development. A survey was mailed out to each taxpayer, but the response has been overwhelmingly from older residents. While their opinions are obviously very important, it’s ideal to get a cross-section of the community when forming one of its guiding documents. We urge younger people to get more involved in the community ”“ and start by sending back their survey or completing it online. It’s commendable for the committee to seek out the 35 and younger set, but ultimately it’s up to those residents to make the effort to share their opinions about the town’s future.
Thumbs up to the students of Biddeford High School and Thornton Academy, who have agreed to a friendly competition this week to collect food for local pantries, “United at The Bridge: Students Against Hunger.” BHS will be taking donations for Stone Stoup Food Pantry, while TA will be accepting items for the Saco Food Pantry. The need for supplemental food is high in both communities, and it’s nice to see young people taking the initiative to help out. We encourage our readers to support them in this effort by dropping off a few non-perishables. While it’s no Battle of the Bridge, it’d still be nice competition to win ”“ and arguably even more important.
Thumbs up to local residents Urbain Collin of Lyman and Beatrice Boucher of Arundel for being strong enough to speak out about their experiences in the hopes of helping others. For Collin, who has familial hypercholesterolemia, the message is to encourage blood testing, particularly for fellow Franco-Americans who may have the same disease. The condition of excessively high cholesterol runs in French Canadian families, and Collin didn’t find out about it until after he’d had a heart attack and two bypasses ”“ something he hopes he can help others avoid by speaking out about it. For Boucher, she was the victim of a telephone lottery scam based in Jamaica with manipulative operatives to whom she sent $80,000, with the promise of a lottery payout. Many people don’t have the courage to talk about such a scam after they’ve fallen victim, but Boucher has stepped up to put a human face on this issue and share her story. By showing people that these types of things happen to their neighbors, others will be aware and can better protect themselves. Kudos to both of these upstanding citizens.
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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 or Sanford offices.
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