Follow the Leader: Recent Comments

Comment on Letters to the editor - Oct. 22, 2010

Brad White — 2010-10-25T19:33:41Z

Keep Mike Wood on our Town Council

I am very pleased to see Mike Wood looking to remain on our Town Council. Mike’s many years serving as a member and Chairperson of our Planning Board and on our Town Council have been invaluable to our community. Throughout his years of service his composed and sincere approach when expressing our community values has brought a very good balance to the boards he served on. Mike has a very unique ability to work with people to build a consensus so they can work together for the common good. We need his thoughtful approach on our Town Council.

I have known Mike for a long time and throughout the years I have admired his family values and sense of community. Mike and his family have lived in Scarborough along time with his children going through our school system. He is deeply devoted to giving back to our community and approaches his service in a very responsible way. I was concerned that after so many years of service Mike may decide to take a break, but knowing he is interested in serving on our Town Council I felt I had to write this letter to ask for your help. We need the balance Mike brings to our Town Council.

The Town Council faces many challenges as our community continues to grow. I know Mike’s strong family values will mean a lot when addressing the needs of our senior citizens, our children and the community as a whole. I’m convinced that his Town Council and Planning Board experience and ability to work with people will help us face the challenges ahead. I’m really glad Mike wants to continue to serve us, but he needs your help so he can help all of us. Please take a moment when you go to the polls and vote for Mike Wood. Thank you!

Comment on School’s air quality still a concern - Oct. 1, 2010

Leanne — 2010-10-25T18:32:26Z

We are having mould and asbestos issues at our school and the parents have been fighting since spring for cleanup but money seems to come before the health of our kids and their beloved teachers. Parents need to push really hard and stay vigilant with the school boards it seems in both our countries.

Comment on Parking woes plague beach community - Oct. 8, 2010

Rashie — 2010-10-12T18:44:27Z

How about installing parking meters with a 2 hour limit? That way surfers can have time to surf, the town will make some money, and the residents will know the surfers will be gone in a couple of hours - a win-win-win!

Comment on Parking woes plague beach community - Oct. 8, 2010

Steve Stracqualursi — 2010-10-10T13:43:44Z

On street parking has existed in conjunction with a parking lot at Higgins for decades. Surfing, fishing, dog walking, frisbee playing, rugby practice, school activities and a multitude of other activities are pursued on this and other town beaches. The town of Scarborough already has rules that govern on street parking and the town council should show some backbone and standardize Higgins to be in line with them, rather than further the double standard by limiting or taking away existing rights.

I'm saddened that a few Higgins Beach residents feel that they need to isolate a particular user group in order to get the results they are looking for and I'm very surprised that changing in or out of a wetsuit is being portrayed as lewd and disorderly conduct. Maybe the town council needs a demonstration instead of relying on some isolated pictures that seem to support only one side's view.

With specific regard to Mr. Donovan's comment about seeing things from his living room that he doesn't like, he should have thought about that before buying his home which faces the existing on street parking (town property) and the beach path (maintained by the town). The majority of those people that he's unhappy with are his Scarborough neighbors, adjacent town residents and beach loving visitors.

Steve Stracqualursi
Scarborough resident

Comment on Parking woes plague beach community - Oct. 8, 2010

Rene Braun — 2010-10-09T18:01:13Z

Higgins beach is a public beach. Public, means Scarborough taxpayers, Maine taxpayers and tourists from the Union and abroad. It is a natural treasure, one of many resources that our state government uses to entice tourist dollars in an effort to strengthen Maine's tourist industry. It is an excellent resource to attract surfing dollars, beach going dollars, history buffs seeking Middleton shipwreck dollars, fly fishermen dollars, surf fishermen dollars and a few more that that escape my mind at this moment.

I enjoy visiting this beach about 50 times every year for fishing, surfing, kayaking or just walking. Every time I'm there I marvel at the wide cornucopia of sights from admiring wave riders to talking with surf fishermen about their catch. It is this variety that makes Higgins special. This is why I keep returning, never mind the obstacles and inconveniences of high parking fees, no changing facilities, limited restroom availability. Even the sandwich shop is gone...none of these inconveniences are as disturbing as is dealing with some resident homeowners who make me feel unwelcome. Home owners who do not respond to a greeting, who will tell me to move my car out of their way because I am ruining their ocean view.

Higgins Beach has been available to the public long before I discovered it. Property owners who purchased their lots should have realized they purchased a house next to a public beach. They did not purchase the beach. They did not purchase the view. If there are any issues with the beach visitors, then they should be addressed, but not by limiting access to the public or by appeasing residents who's focus is on their property and not the well being of the public on a public beach. If there are no changing rooms - people will change their clothes the best way they can. If there are no restrooms - people will have to deal with their emergency the best way they can. If there is no parking - people will try to park their cars, especially those who can not walk the distance from the town's parking lot.

It is disingenuous to reduce access to the beach and then complain about people trying to access the beach.

Comment on Parking woes plague beach community - Oct. 8, 2010

pete — 2010-10-09T14:19:56Z

I pay tax dollars to Scarborough to park on PUBLIC streets in Scarborough, including Higgins Beach. How can homeowners restrict parking on PUBLIC streets? If they want private streets, the Town should not provide ANY publicly provided services, period, including snow removal or road maintenance. Higgins is no more special than Ferry Beach, or Pine Point Beach, which all allow seasonal on-street parking.

Comment on School’s air quality still a concern - Oct. 1, 2010

Susan B — 2010-10-03T16:32:21Z

The scenario described in this article is undoubtedly happening, just as described, including the denials of IAQ problems that are making the school occupants very ill being the norm for school districts whose bottom line is financial rather than caring about the health of children and staff. You can be the best parent and send your child to school to lose his/her health and perform poorly, due to hidden (and vigorously denied) environmental toxins. Mold and indoor dampness in schools are rampant in America, estimated by the educational nonprofit, Center for School Mold Help, to be 3/4 of all schools, at minimum, whether the school is old or new, in an upscale neighborhood or a ghetto. This is due to a lack of mandates to legislate healthy schools. Our nation's citizens cycle through unhealthy schools with no protection, yet many of these protections are in place for restaurants and food establishments. No wonder we are one of the sickest of the developed nations. Federal and/or state mandates are the only means to correct this situation. Guidelines are routinely ignored by local school officials, plant managers, and school boards. To add to this problem, although the World Health Organization has issued its WHO Guidelines to Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould (July, 2009), providing lengthy documentation to support a strong connection between indoor dampness and the development of new asthma, other respiratory problems, and immunological disorders in previously healthy people, the CDC has not made physicians aware of this fact, in well over a year's time. Visit www.schoolmoldhelp.org to learn about the health effects and extent of mold and indoor dampness in schools, with over 2,000 articles on the topic. Director, Center for School Mold Help

Comment on Town commitee to consider Higgins Beach parking issue - June 4, 2010

Anonymous — 2010-07-26T00:26:07Z

In addition to the rather expensive lot, there is also a small collection of free public parking spaces in front of the Inn. The Inn may try to tell you that they're private property but if they do, they're lying, according to the police; those are, indeed, public spaces, so don't be swayed by their attempts to mislead you if you visit there. Still, these dozen or so spaces are not nearly enough to meet everyone's needs so the parking ban should be lifted and the parking charge lowered to allow better access. Also, the lot is currently leased by the Inn so a boycott should be implemented until 2011, when the town takes ownership.

Comment on ‘Lyme Runner’ beats crippling disease (Printed July 23, 2010)

Deb — 2010-07-25T23:26:43Z

Thanks for sharing your story. I haven't been able to run since I've had Lyme disease, but I'm going to try again this fall and see what happens. I end up with severe headaches whenever I've tried in the past.
I completed 18 mos of oral antibiotics and 6 weeks of IV antibiotics and I think I finally have beat this debilitating disease.
I need to find out why I get headaches when I try running. My GP says...don't run...walk. Not a good answer when you are a runner. I can't just stop running, I have for the past 6 years and now I want it back.
I had mostly neurological symptoms and seem to be symptom free or at least about 85% symptom free so I'm hoping for the best. Good luck with the marathon, I'd be overjoyed with a mile!

Comment on ‘Lyme Runner’ beats crippling disease (Printed July 23, 2010)

Dolores Claesson — 2010-07-25T22:30:53Z

Congratulations Angela, I am thrilled to hear you have kicked those tick borne diseases and can resume a normal life. I too hope that everyone in my family will be able to do the same. My 17 year old daughter has missed 2 years of high school with this dreadful disease. Others near me have not been as fortunate. Jennifer Pesci a 45 year old woman near me just died of lyme disease and its complications but the Infectious Disease Society is still busy ignoring chronic lyme. All of these deaths are on their heads and one day I hope to live long enough to see them pay dearly for their maliciousness. We need to have more research to figure out these tick borne diseases. It is shameful that America, one of the richest countries in the world is ignoring this epidemic. What are the people at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health and the Red Cross doing about these infections. Our entire blood supply is compromised with the lack of screening for tick borne diseases. I am appalled that our lives mean so little that the government is allowing insurance companies to get away with not paying for much needed IV antibiotics for people suffering miserably with NeuroBorreliosis. Could we be the next Tuskegee airmen study where they are seeing the long term effect of the spirochetal infection, Borrelia or lyme disease. Our government withheld treatment of American Black servicemen to see the long term effects of another spirochetal infection, Syphillis. It is time the American public woke up and fought for justice. Unfortunately the lyme sufferers are too ill to fight back. Thank you Gillian Graham for writing a much needed article to expose this epidemic to the public that our government seems to be suppressing. Good Luck to all with lyme and may we be as healthy as Angela in the very near future.