Dear Editor:

This week I attended the March 10 Boothbay Harbor selectmen's meeting. Every time I see a meeting in person, on TV or read about a meeting in the Register, I am taken back by the negative, ugly attitudes of the three selectmen who have obviously joined together to take control of the board. I'm speaking of Bruce Engert, Robert Splaine and Brian Schutrumpf.

I'm in my ninth year as a resident of Boothbay Harbor. I have always respected those who are willing to serve on the board of selectmen. I may not always agree with what they do, but I've always felt they had the good of the town at heart. I usually felt they tried their best to represent the desires of the residents.

I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of residents want a police department, dispatch center and fire department in this town. I believe they want a well-funded police and fire department. That means they have whatever they need to do their jobs, without breaking the bank.

The anti-police, fire department and dispatch slant of the above mentioned selectmen are obvious. It is apparent they want to close down both the police department and dispatch. A lot of residents saw Mr. Engert on Channel 7 suggest the fire department, as a cost-saving measure, let structure fires burn as insurance would pay to rebuild them!

I hate paying property taxes like everybody else and I hate seeing them rise. But it is not the town portion of our taxes that are killing us.

The local taxes are about us, Boothbay Harbor, and what we want our community to be.

I know I want police and fire protection, public works to take care of snow removal and road repairs, a dispatch center that takes care of so much more than emergency calls, and a town office that takes care of everything else.

I have volunteered at the police department for over seven years putting in a minimum 500 hours a year. I even helped a few hours in the town office. I've seen everybody work hard and try to do their best to serve the residents of Boothbay Harbor. These fine folks deserve our support.

I can tell the work environment for town employees has changed, what with the constant executive sessions during selectmen's meetings. Who knows who'll next be selected for condemnation. Those executive sessions are an embarrassment and just show what bullies these selectmen are. Why can't they just go to the town manager, report a problem and let him deal with it.

Speaking of the town manager, in Tom Woodin we now have a manager who's willing to listen to residents. He's obviously doing a good job of cleaning up the town's financial mess he inherited. The three selectmen appear to give him no deserved support or respect, and attack him every chance they get.

I can't be the only person who feels that these selectmen have gone too far.

Susan Morris

Boothbay Harbor

Dear Editor:

This community has shown our family just how wonderful, caring, and full of compassion you all are. We have been held in prayer wrapped in love and we have been provided with much nourishment. The food, cards, donations, flowers, expression of love - They all mean so much to us. Thank you to all who have reached out and supported us.

What happened to our parents was not fair. Anyone who wants to make a difference and have their deaths not be in vain will take personal responsibility and will not ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle impaired and put innocent people in danger.

The impact of this tragedy spreads across two families - two families who are inter-connected in so many ways. We live on a peninsula protected from many of the cruelties of outside life. Drinking and driving has proven to be deadly. It was an unnecessary act, an act that has in one single moment changed our family forever.

Our family could be bitter and angry, however, there is no purpose that would serve. This tragedy has to find a way to be positive in a message. We have to find a way to reach people and we need to take the keys away from people who can't make good decisions. When you get behind the wheel of a car impaired, you might as well consider it a loaded gun.

We can't bring our loved ones back so we must go forward. We will treasure our times with our parents. They gave us the fabric of life to be strong, independent, intuitive and determined. We all will go forward. We will strive to bring something good out of something so bad.

The people of the world who remain bitter will only spread bitterness. The people of the world who stand tall and go forward will spread hope, faith and love.

The Farnham Family

Dear Editor:

What a happy, happy surprise when I opened the puzzle page and found it enlarged! I never thought it would happen.

I'm eighty two and now I can throw away the magnifying glass.

Thank you, thank you

Cheeky Draper

Yarmouth

Dear Editor:

Yesterday [March 11] I attended the weekly meeting of the Coastal Club at the YMCA, where we were entertained by all the children from the Southport School. The kids reflected the great enthusiasm of their music teacher, Barbara Prose. It was one of the best concerts by children I have ever heard! They sang in two and three parts, they sang a cappella, they sang in foreign language, and they sang accompanied by three percussionists who were members of the student body! These kids very obviously love music and were delighted to perform. They even did some dancing. They managed to so some difficult music with great aplomb!

Following the wonderful concert, the kids ate their lunches sitting on the floor in small groups where they demonstrated wonderful manners and great school spirit. I know the staff of the Southport School must be extremely proud of the student body. They are a real credit to the community! My hat is off to Barbara Prose for the wonderful work she does with the kids. Her dedication to her profession is really superb.

Thank you for a very wonderful and fun performance!

Eleanor Yesmentes

(driver, school bus #4)