This week's letters
Don’t let Benjamin Farm go unnoticed
Editor:
I am writing to support Roger Doiron in his letter addressing the potential sale of the 126-acre Benjamin Farm. There is a tremendous sense of loss when a community is faced with the transition of farmland to development. We experience the agricultural, historical, cultural, educational, aesthetic, and ecological consequences.... all of these are prime contributors to our quality of life, and define this town.
An article in the April 15 Sunday Telegram entitled, “Don’t Leave Your Town’s Natural Heritage to Chance” offers information about the “Beginning with Habitat” program at www.beginningwithhabitat.org. The author describes Maine’s wildlife habitat as a “patchwork quilt” with “433 towns and 22 cities making relatively independent decisions as to what sections of the interconnected fabric can be removed or altered based solely on the “block of the quilt” over which they have jurisdiction.....The “quilt” can still be a “quilt” with holes here and there, but remove too much and you’re left with taters.”
Those of us who have been watching the acclaimed “Planet Earth” can easily apply this image of the intricate, fragile and life-affirming connectedness of a species to its required habitat; irreversible damage can be done when we proceed to drastically alter our “block” in this way, with minimal thought or care. Therefore, in addition to addressing planning concerns - such as everyone’s need for housing, and its impact on schools, traffic, and town services - we must also holistically grasp and incorporate the needs of our town’s native eco-systems and species, and acknowledge our need for them.......before they are reduced to dysfunctional or even non-existent levels. Often times, the token “visual breather”, buffer, or wildlife corridor tucked along side a development, can fall short. To augment these, the acquisition, preservation and retention of our ever-dwindling, large, connected parcels is key; our dedicated land trust, conservation commission, and other volunteers continue to shoulder this heavy workload.
Perhaps it is time for the rest of us to ask questions. What are the consequences of losing our remaining farms and open spaces? Is there a way to satisfy sellers and yet still leave a legacy for our children? In what capacity could citizens get involved? Join the land trust, the conservation commission, or related group. Lacking time? Then write a letter. Call your representative. Relay your concerns.
But it must be now, before opportunities are bulldozed away.... before we find too many parts of our “favorite quilt” in unrecognizable taters.
Terri Candelmo Eddy,
Scarborough
Please observe barricades in the future
Editor:
During the peak of our recent spring storm, the Town of Scarborough had nearly 45 road closures. It would be almost impossible for us to man all of those locations so we had to mark the hazards with signs, cones and other barricades. We recognize the frustration that the public had with their attempts to get home or to work during these times but the fact of the matter is that the roads were closed for safety precautions. There were trees down, live power lines down and road flooding. The depth of the water wasn’t always our concern; there are other things like the power of the current and the possibility that the base of the road was washed away.
This being said, our patrols were constantly replacing barricades that were moved by motorists that decided that they could make it through. This is not only illegal but it is unsafe for the others who might have stopped at this barricade and end up unknowingly in a danger zone. At least two motorists had to be rescued from these barricaded areas during the storm because they disregarded the traffic control devices, fortunately no one was injured.
In the future we ask that motorists recognize that these road closures and traffic control points are there for your safety and we request you obey them.
Officer Joe Giacomantonio,
Community Resource Officer
Scarborough Police Department
New bins needed a second look
Editor:
I received my new trash containers yesterday. What would have been nice was some sort of list attached to them of what is considered a recyclable item and what items are considered trash. I went to the City Hall’s Web site and could not find that information. These things are big and bulky, and are hard enough for me to move. I can only imagine what it will be like for an elderly person to move these out to the curb by themselves, especially in the winter time when there is snow on the ground. Was that taken into consideration when the council decided to implement this program?
Jonathan Carr,
Scarborough
A few tips for the new bins
Editor:
How sad, how embarrassing that a Scarborough family of four or five has too much trash for a 64 gallon cart! My husband and myself, and our two cats, have a hard time filling up our 20-gallon container. Sometimes we skip a week or two before putting it out. But I ride around Scarborough and see trash containers overflowing with pizza boxes and electronics boxes and other items that can be so easily recycled. Here’s how we do it:
Buy wisely. Pre-packaged food is not only full of chemicals and fat but is also over packaged. Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy and don’t require cardboard and Styrofoam and plastic. Eat better and generate less trash.
Compost. The town of Scarborough has offered garden composters for a mere $30 apiece. Instead of adding biodegradable matter to the garbage, compost it. Use the compost for your lawn and garden. Hey, maybe Scarborough should start a community compost project.
Recycle. This remains the best way to decrease your garbage size. Packaging from processed foods can be recycled, as can most of the paper that we generate. Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cereal boxes, plastic milk containers, cat food cans, and more can be dropped into one of the silver bullets strategically placed around Scarborough. The new curbside program will make it even easier to recycle rather than to throw away.
Joan Steinberg,
Scarborough
Editor:
I am writing to support Roger Doiron in his letter addressing the potential sale of the 126-acre Benjamin Farm. There is a tremendous sense of loss when a community is faced with the transition of farmland to development. We experience the agricultural, historical, cultural, educational, aesthetic, and ecological consequences.... all of these are prime contributors to our quality of life, and define this town.
An article in the April 15 Sunday Telegram entitled, “Don’t Leave Your Town’s Natural Heritage to Chance” offers information about the “Beginning with Habitat” program at www.beginningwithhabitat.org. The author describes Maine’s wildlife habitat as a “patchwork quilt” with “433 towns and 22 cities making relatively independent decisions as to what sections of the interconnected fabric can be removed or altered based solely on the “block of the quilt” over which they have jurisdiction.....The “quilt” can still be a “quilt” with holes here and there, but remove too much and you’re left with taters.”
Those of us who have been watching the acclaimed “Planet Earth” can easily apply this image of the intricate, fragile and life-affirming connectedness of a species to its required habitat; irreversible damage can be done when we proceed to drastically alter our “block” in this way, with minimal thought or care. Therefore, in addition to addressing planning concerns - such as everyone’s need for housing, and its impact on schools, traffic, and town services - we must also holistically grasp and incorporate the needs of our town’s native eco-systems and species, and acknowledge our need for them.......before they are reduced to dysfunctional or even non-existent levels. Often times, the token “visual breather”, buffer, or wildlife corridor tucked along side a development, can fall short. To augment these, the acquisition, preservation and retention of our ever-dwindling, large, connected parcels is key; our dedicated land trust, conservation commission, and other volunteers continue to shoulder this heavy workload.
Perhaps it is time for the rest of us to ask questions. What are the consequences of losing our remaining farms and open spaces? Is there a way to satisfy sellers and yet still leave a legacy for our children? In what capacity could citizens get involved? Join the land trust, the conservation commission, or related group. Lacking time? Then write a letter. Call your representative. Relay your concerns.
But it must be now, before opportunities are bulldozed away.... before we find too many parts of our “favorite quilt” in unrecognizable taters.
Terri Candelmo Eddy,
Scarborough
Please observe barricades in the future
Editor:
During the peak of our recent spring storm, the Town of Scarborough had nearly 45 road closures. It would be almost impossible for us to man all of those locations so we had to mark the hazards with signs, cones and other barricades. We recognize the frustration that the public had with their attempts to get home or to work during these times but the fact of the matter is that the roads were closed for safety precautions. There were trees down, live power lines down and road flooding. The depth of the water wasn’t always our concern; there are other things like the power of the current and the possibility that the base of the road was washed away.
This being said, our patrols were constantly replacing barricades that were moved by motorists that decided that they could make it through. This is not only illegal but it is unsafe for the others who might have stopped at this barricade and end up unknowingly in a danger zone. At least two motorists had to be rescued from these barricaded areas during the storm because they disregarded the traffic control devices, fortunately no one was injured.
In the future we ask that motorists recognize that these road closures and traffic control points are there for your safety and we request you obey them.
Officer Joe Giacomantonio,
Community Resource Officer
Scarborough Police Department
New bins needed a second look
Editor:
I received my new trash containers yesterday. What would have been nice was some sort of list attached to them of what is considered a recyclable item and what items are considered trash. I went to the City Hall’s Web site and could not find that information. These things are big and bulky, and are hard enough for me to move. I can only imagine what it will be like for an elderly person to move these out to the curb by themselves, especially in the winter time when there is snow on the ground. Was that taken into consideration when the council decided to implement this program?
Jonathan Carr,
Scarborough
A few tips for the new bins
Editor:
How sad, how embarrassing that a Scarborough family of four or five has too much trash for a 64 gallon cart! My husband and myself, and our two cats, have a hard time filling up our 20-gallon container. Sometimes we skip a week or two before putting it out. But I ride around Scarborough and see trash containers overflowing with pizza boxes and electronics boxes and other items that can be so easily recycled. Here’s how we do it:
Buy wisely. Pre-packaged food is not only full of chemicals and fat but is also over packaged. Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy and don’t require cardboard and Styrofoam and plastic. Eat better and generate less trash.
Compost. The town of Scarborough has offered garden composters for a mere $30 apiece. Instead of adding biodegradable matter to the garbage, compost it. Use the compost for your lawn and garden. Hey, maybe Scarborough should start a community compost project.
Recycle. This remains the best way to decrease your garbage size. Packaging from processed foods can be recycled, as can most of the paper that we generate. Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cereal boxes, plastic milk containers, cat food cans, and more can be dropped into one of the silver bullets strategically placed around Scarborough. The new curbside program will make it even easier to recycle rather than to throw away.
Joan Steinberg,
Scarborough
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