This week's letters to the editor
Academic Decathlon team honored
Editor:
The Scarborough Academic Decathlon team was honored by the Scarborough Town Council this past week with an official proclamation for its state championship and the upcoming representation of Maine state at the USAD championships to be held in Hawaii in April.
The Town Council made a gracious contribution toward the ongoing fundraising effort that is needed to make the long trip this year. Team coach Jonathan York briefly introduced the team, followed by some reflections by member’s parents. The evening included presentations and proclamations for other winter sport teams and individuals, and showed the level of support given to the town and its younger citizens by an appreciative Town Council. The Council should be commended on this support. As the team continues its fund-raising efforts, contributions and inquiries can be made to Treasurer Heather Sirocki at 883-5609, or hsirocki@maine.rr.com.
Leigh Whittemore
Scarborough
Gym Dandies was a great show
Editor:
My friendship with the Andy Beliveau family piqued my interest in watching Elizabeth perform in the children’s circus by the Gym Dandies. I had only seen Elizabeth in parades performing on her cycle.
Friday evening was the most awesome event I’ve enjoyed for a very long time. I learned and saw what it takes to be a “Gym Dandy.”
It’s all about dedication, concentration, hard work, a matter of balance and determination and it showed all of that in their many types of performances they excelled in.
Scarborough’s community should be very proud of all the talent our young people have in many different events they enter. I know I am
Barbara LaPrino
Scarborough
Maine Trails a Benefit to All
Editor:
Trails and greenways create opportunities for people of all ages to bicycle, walk, hike and jog. In providing attractive, safe, accessible, and low-or no-cost places, they make it easier for people to engage in physical activity.
Most Americans are not getting the exercise they need. In Maine, more than half of adults are either overweight or obese. Individuals must choose to exercise, but communities can make that choice easier. Lack of time or convenient access to outlets for healthy transportation and recreation make it harder to make healthy choices. Communities can use trails and greenways to make physical activity more convenient and neighborhoods more exercise friendly. A study of walking behavior in 12 rural counties of Missouri found that 55 percent of new trail users are exercising more now than before they had access to a trail.
The lack of physical activity contributes to illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, but it also impacts all of society through health care costs. In 2000, cardiovascular disease accounted for approximately 29,000 hospitalizations in Maine, which translates into $437 million or one-fourth of all hospital charges
Trails connect residential areas with retail districts, neighborhoods with schools, and homes with workplaces. Trails provide safe and pleasant environments for people to commute to work or school, run errands, or visit friends, while simultaneously enjoying recreational and health benefits. And because rail-trails often lead to town centers, they provide additional incentive for frequenting local businesses. Providing bicycling and walking choices can help alleviate air pollution and traffic congestion by making it easier for children and adults to get around town without getting in a car.
Eighty percent of visitors to Mid-Coast tourist offices ask where the trails are. The most commonly asked question at the Wells Chamber is "Where can I take my family biking?" Except for Maine's highways, the answer too often is Acadia National Park, or nowhere.
Trails for a Healthy Maine is a coalition of trail organizations, trail advocates, and community leaders who support the development of shared-use trails.
Shared-use trails can contribute to the health, economic development, and quality of life in communities across Maine.
At current funding levels, shared-use trails already on the drawing board and approved by Maine Department of Transportation or Maine Department of Conservation will take 100 years to complete. Some shared-use trails that await funding are the Eastern Trail, the Mountain Division Trail, the Dow East Sunrise Trail from Brewer to Calais.
A Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond with a proposed funding level of $10 million will accelerate construction.
Some of the local organizations that support The Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond are Eastern Trail Alliance, Saco Bay Trails, the City of Saco, and the Town of Scarborough. In all, more than 220 organizations have endorsed the Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond including towns from York and Kittery to Van Buren and St. Agatha.
If you wish to show your support by signing an endorsement form, or for more information on this, please call John Andrews at 282-1979, JAndrews@GWI.Net, or by checking the Web site at www.trailsforahealthymaine.org.
John Andrews, President
Eastern Trail Alliance
Editor:
The Scarborough Academic Decathlon team was honored by the Scarborough Town Council this past week with an official proclamation for its state championship and the upcoming representation of Maine state at the USAD championships to be held in Hawaii in April.
The Town Council made a gracious contribution toward the ongoing fundraising effort that is needed to make the long trip this year. Team coach Jonathan York briefly introduced the team, followed by some reflections by member’s parents. The evening included presentations and proclamations for other winter sport teams and individuals, and showed the level of support given to the town and its younger citizens by an appreciative Town Council. The Council should be commended on this support. As the team continues its fund-raising efforts, contributions and inquiries can be made to Treasurer Heather Sirocki at 883-5609, or hsirocki@maine.rr.com.
Leigh Whittemore
Scarborough
Gym Dandies was a great show
Editor:
My friendship with the Andy Beliveau family piqued my interest in watching Elizabeth perform in the children’s circus by the Gym Dandies. I had only seen Elizabeth in parades performing on her cycle.
Friday evening was the most awesome event I’ve enjoyed for a very long time. I learned and saw what it takes to be a “Gym Dandy.”
It’s all about dedication, concentration, hard work, a matter of balance and determination and it showed all of that in their many types of performances they excelled in.
Scarborough’s community should be very proud of all the talent our young people have in many different events they enter. I know I am
Barbara LaPrino
Scarborough
Maine Trails a Benefit to All
Editor:
Trails and greenways create opportunities for people of all ages to bicycle, walk, hike and jog. In providing attractive, safe, accessible, and low-or no-cost places, they make it easier for people to engage in physical activity.
Most Americans are not getting the exercise they need. In Maine, more than half of adults are either overweight or obese. Individuals must choose to exercise, but communities can make that choice easier. Lack of time or convenient access to outlets for healthy transportation and recreation make it harder to make healthy choices. Communities can use trails and greenways to make physical activity more convenient and neighborhoods more exercise friendly. A study of walking behavior in 12 rural counties of Missouri found that 55 percent of new trail users are exercising more now than before they had access to a trail.
The lack of physical activity contributes to illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, but it also impacts all of society through health care costs. In 2000, cardiovascular disease accounted for approximately 29,000 hospitalizations in Maine, which translates into $437 million or one-fourth of all hospital charges
Trails connect residential areas with retail districts, neighborhoods with schools, and homes with workplaces. Trails provide safe and pleasant environments for people to commute to work or school, run errands, or visit friends, while simultaneously enjoying recreational and health benefits. And because rail-trails often lead to town centers, they provide additional incentive for frequenting local businesses. Providing bicycling and walking choices can help alleviate air pollution and traffic congestion by making it easier for children and adults to get around town without getting in a car.
Eighty percent of visitors to Mid-Coast tourist offices ask where the trails are. The most commonly asked question at the Wells Chamber is "Where can I take my family biking?" Except for Maine's highways, the answer too often is Acadia National Park, or nowhere.
Trails for a Healthy Maine is a coalition of trail organizations, trail advocates, and community leaders who support the development of shared-use trails.
Shared-use trails can contribute to the health, economic development, and quality of life in communities across Maine.
At current funding levels, shared-use trails already on the drawing board and approved by Maine Department of Transportation or Maine Department of Conservation will take 100 years to complete. Some shared-use trails that await funding are the Eastern Trail, the Mountain Division Trail, the Dow East Sunrise Trail from Brewer to Calais.
A Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond with a proposed funding level of $10 million will accelerate construction.
Some of the local organizations that support The Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond are Eastern Trail Alliance, Saco Bay Trails, the City of Saco, and the Town of Scarborough. In all, more than 220 organizations have endorsed the Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond including towns from York and Kittery to Van Buren and St. Agatha.
If you wish to show your support by signing an endorsement form, or for more information on this, please call John Andrews at 282-1979, JAndrews@GWI.Net, or by checking the Web site at www.trailsforahealthymaine.org.
John Andrews, President
Eastern Trail Alliance
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