This week's letters
Support Question #2
Editor:
On June 12, Maine voters will be asked whether they support Question #2, an $18.3 million environmental bond package. The state bond funds are required in order to take advantage of federal matching funds. If Question 2 passes, the state will leverage $49,500,000 in other funds.
There are two primary uses for these funds. About 80 percent of the funds will be used to construct and upgrade large water pollution control projects. A portion of these funds ($2.9 million) will be used to secure $14.5 million in federal funds that will allow low-interest loans to qualified treatment facilities. This is an offer of five federal dollars for each state dollar provided. A portion of the bond funds ($12 million) will be used to leverage an additional $18 million of other federal funds to assist other qualified treatment facilities seeking to improve the water quality of the state’s water bodies. The total estimated state-wide cost for needed waste water projects is estimated to be $315 million over the next five years.
Without these funds, Maine’s water bodies will continue to be at risk of receiving untreated or only partially treated sewage, especially during heavy rain events. When waste water treatment plants receive more rain water than they can handle, they sometimes “overflow” mixed sewage and rain water into our rivers and bays. These funds help separate rain water from sewerage that goes to the treatment plants, thereby lessening the likelihood of the overflow incidents, and ensuring sewage gets fully treated.
The remaining $3.4 million will secure $17 million in federal funds that will be used to support drinking water system improvements. Many drinking water systems are over 100 years old and need upgrades to ensure that the public has safe drinking water.
This bond package has received strong bi-partisan endorsement of the Maine Legislature as well as support from groups such as Environment Maine and the Maine Water Utilities Association. This type of infrastructure bond is also a source of good-paying construction jobs for Mainers which is part of the reason this bond and the Transportation bond are being voted on early in the construction season.
We urge you to vote “Yes” on Question 2. Vote “Yes” to make much-needed investments in Maine’s environmental infrastructure so that we can continue to improve the quality of all our water in Maine.
Paul Rodriguez,
Scarborough
Maine Waste Water Control Association
Thank you from the Shellfish Committee
Editor:
As many of you may know, clam diggers are getting organized in an effort to rescue the industry from regulatory changes being imposed by the Department of Marine Resources. Clam Diggers, municipalities, and individuals through out the state rallied to acquire funding to support a bill [LD 1318]. LD 1318 is a bill to conduct an independent review of Department of Marine Resources, public health division. Due to the generosity of many, a sufficient amount of funds were collected, and the audit has a deadline for completion of December 1, 2007. The Scarborough Shellfish Committee would like to say Thank You to all whom helped in achieving this bill and its funding.
Edward Blanchard and
The Scarborough Shellfish Committee
In support of traffic calming program
Editor:
It is very encouraging that municipal officials are considering the creation of a formal traffic calming program for Scarborough. Councilor Sylvia Most deserves kudos for her leadership on this important initiative. Traffic calming techniques have proven to reduce speed and decrease traffic volumes in residential neighborhoods and also lower collision frequency and severity.
The speed and volume of traffic in the Green Acres neighborhood (Maple, Sunset, Elmwood, First Street, etc.) is destructive, unsafe and having negative impact on the livability of the neighborhood. The primary source of the problem has been, and continues to be, the heavy volume and speed of non-local, cut-thru traffic. The Green Acres neighborhood was established and developed as a residential community, the streets in this residential area have never been designated as either arterial or collector roads. Perhaps in the years prior to the construction of several new housing developments in this part of town, traffic in the neighborhood may have been more manageable. Although the increase in local residential traffic may still fall within acceptable limits, the heavy volume and speed of non-local, cut-thru traffic needs to be addressed.
I agree with Councilor Rancourt that narrowing roadways can reduce traffic speeds. Numerous traffic studies prove that motorists will drive faster when given the perceived ‘safety cushion’ of a wide road with greater sight distances. Since Maple Avenue is slated for major road construction (drainage project) curing the summer of 2008, the town has a unique opportunity to permanently address the cut-thru traffic problem by constructing a new narrower road and adding a sidewalk. I believe this could be done using the existing roadway as a template, without any need to encroach on landowners. While it may be true that the town has engineering standards that govern design of roadways, local elected officials and citizens can request design modifications where a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
Since residential neighborhoods are, first and foremost, places where people live, it’s important to keep automobile traffic in check. Traffic calming must be seen as a neighborhood-wide and, preferably, a community wide program. I encourage residents to contact members of the Town Council and voice your support for a formal traffic calming program for Scarborough.
Gregg Allen,
Scarborough
Encourage younger generations to join veterans’ organizations
Editor:
Yesterday, I sat in the last Maine Veterans Coalition Committee (MVCC) meeting prior to the summer break, and noticed that the attendees are dwindling; perhaps due to the advent of spring; perhaps due to old age and illness. This extremely dedicated and loyal group of veterans represents virtually every Veteran Service Organization in Maine. Attendees are members of the Marine Corps League, AMVETS, VFW, DAV, Jewish War Vets, Viet Nam Veterans of America, American Legion, Korean War Veterans, Women Veterans, and others. The major goal of this organization is to establish one united voice in their advocacy for the men and women serving in the military today. It suddenly dawned on me that the benefits that I receive today as a career-retired veteran, was due to the advocacy of the veterans that served before me. My VA benefits, my healthcare benefits, pay increases, pension benefits, PX and Commissary privileges, use of military lodging, free use of military fitness centers all came from veteran service organizations like the ones I mentioned earlier.
It is a disappointing reality that people my age and younger, are not joining these organizations in the numbers of our parents and grandparents. I fear that lesser numbers will result in less advocacy. National Guard and Reserve Commanders, I urge you to encourage your service members to join any or all the veteran service organization to which they are eligible so that they can continue to advocate on behalf of present and future veterans.
Ray Nagel, LTC (Ret)
CEO Main Veterans Homes
Augusta
Editor:
On June 12, Maine voters will be asked whether they support Question #2, an $18.3 million environmental bond package. The state bond funds are required in order to take advantage of federal matching funds. If Question 2 passes, the state will leverage $49,500,000 in other funds.
There are two primary uses for these funds. About 80 percent of the funds will be used to construct and upgrade large water pollution control projects. A portion of these funds ($2.9 million) will be used to secure $14.5 million in federal funds that will allow low-interest loans to qualified treatment facilities. This is an offer of five federal dollars for each state dollar provided. A portion of the bond funds ($12 million) will be used to leverage an additional $18 million of other federal funds to assist other qualified treatment facilities seeking to improve the water quality of the state’s water bodies. The total estimated state-wide cost for needed waste water projects is estimated to be $315 million over the next five years.
Without these funds, Maine’s water bodies will continue to be at risk of receiving untreated or only partially treated sewage, especially during heavy rain events. When waste water treatment plants receive more rain water than they can handle, they sometimes “overflow” mixed sewage and rain water into our rivers and bays. These funds help separate rain water from sewerage that goes to the treatment plants, thereby lessening the likelihood of the overflow incidents, and ensuring sewage gets fully treated.
The remaining $3.4 million will secure $17 million in federal funds that will be used to support drinking water system improvements. Many drinking water systems are over 100 years old and need upgrades to ensure that the public has safe drinking water.
This bond package has received strong bi-partisan endorsement of the Maine Legislature as well as support from groups such as Environment Maine and the Maine Water Utilities Association. This type of infrastructure bond is also a source of good-paying construction jobs for Mainers which is part of the reason this bond and the Transportation bond are being voted on early in the construction season.
We urge you to vote “Yes” on Question 2. Vote “Yes” to make much-needed investments in Maine’s environmental infrastructure so that we can continue to improve the quality of all our water in Maine.
Paul Rodriguez,
Scarborough
Maine Waste Water Control Association
Thank you from the Shellfish Committee
Editor:
As many of you may know, clam diggers are getting organized in an effort to rescue the industry from regulatory changes being imposed by the Department of Marine Resources. Clam Diggers, municipalities, and individuals through out the state rallied to acquire funding to support a bill [LD 1318]. LD 1318 is a bill to conduct an independent review of Department of Marine Resources, public health division. Due to the generosity of many, a sufficient amount of funds were collected, and the audit has a deadline for completion of December 1, 2007. The Scarborough Shellfish Committee would like to say Thank You to all whom helped in achieving this bill and its funding.
Edward Blanchard and
The Scarborough Shellfish Committee
In support of traffic calming program
Editor:
It is very encouraging that municipal officials are considering the creation of a formal traffic calming program for Scarborough. Councilor Sylvia Most deserves kudos for her leadership on this important initiative. Traffic calming techniques have proven to reduce speed and decrease traffic volumes in residential neighborhoods and also lower collision frequency and severity.
The speed and volume of traffic in the Green Acres neighborhood (Maple, Sunset, Elmwood, First Street, etc.) is destructive, unsafe and having negative impact on the livability of the neighborhood. The primary source of the problem has been, and continues to be, the heavy volume and speed of non-local, cut-thru traffic. The Green Acres neighborhood was established and developed as a residential community, the streets in this residential area have never been designated as either arterial or collector roads. Perhaps in the years prior to the construction of several new housing developments in this part of town, traffic in the neighborhood may have been more manageable. Although the increase in local residential traffic may still fall within acceptable limits, the heavy volume and speed of non-local, cut-thru traffic needs to be addressed.
I agree with Councilor Rancourt that narrowing roadways can reduce traffic speeds. Numerous traffic studies prove that motorists will drive faster when given the perceived ‘safety cushion’ of a wide road with greater sight distances. Since Maple Avenue is slated for major road construction (drainage project) curing the summer of 2008, the town has a unique opportunity to permanently address the cut-thru traffic problem by constructing a new narrower road and adding a sidewalk. I believe this could be done using the existing roadway as a template, without any need to encroach on landowners. While it may be true that the town has engineering standards that govern design of roadways, local elected officials and citizens can request design modifications where a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
Since residential neighborhoods are, first and foremost, places where people live, it’s important to keep automobile traffic in check. Traffic calming must be seen as a neighborhood-wide and, preferably, a community wide program. I encourage residents to contact members of the Town Council and voice your support for a formal traffic calming program for Scarborough.
Gregg Allen,
Scarborough
Encourage younger generations to join veterans’ organizations
Editor:
Yesterday, I sat in the last Maine Veterans Coalition Committee (MVCC) meeting prior to the summer break, and noticed that the attendees are dwindling; perhaps due to the advent of spring; perhaps due to old age and illness. This extremely dedicated and loyal group of veterans represents virtually every Veteran Service Organization in Maine. Attendees are members of the Marine Corps League, AMVETS, VFW, DAV, Jewish War Vets, Viet Nam Veterans of America, American Legion, Korean War Veterans, Women Veterans, and others. The major goal of this organization is to establish one united voice in their advocacy for the men and women serving in the military today. It suddenly dawned on me that the benefits that I receive today as a career-retired veteran, was due to the advocacy of the veterans that served before me. My VA benefits, my healthcare benefits, pay increases, pension benefits, PX and Commissary privileges, use of military lodging, free use of military fitness centers all came from veteran service organizations like the ones I mentioned earlier.
It is a disappointing reality that people my age and younger, are not joining these organizations in the numbers of our parents and grandparents. I fear that lesser numbers will result in less advocacy. National Guard and Reserve Commanders, I urge you to encourage your service members to join any or all the veteran service organization to which they are eligible so that they can continue to advocate on behalf of present and future veterans.
Ray Nagel, LTC (Ret)
CEO Main Veterans Homes
Augusta
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