Dear Editor:

This morning as I stood at my easel painting a memory of Silver Cove (Lobster Cove) my wonderful wife Judy approached me with a smile and a copy of the April 24th Register. I should have known something was up as we don't get our copy until a week or two after its publication.

When I turned the page and saw this unbelievable birthday card I sat down and cried. Hallmark couldn't begin to match this extraordinary outpouring of good wishes from old friends and family. I've had many articles written about my life as a painter of Maine and the Southwest, but nothing compares to this living tribute from those I dearly care about.

For those of you who helped Judy and the Register put together this very special birthday wish, many thanks for your clandestine co-operation. I had no inkling that this was all being planned by email and telephone as I don't spend time on the computer and never look at the phone bills.

Perhaps the joy of reaching 80 allows me to skip the details of everyday commerce (Judy handles all of that) and frees me up to try and paint the definitive masterpiece which we artists all hope to achieve. While I paint images of the Southwest and all its brilliant color, I still follow my heart and paint my everlasting memories of Maine. Thanks again to all of you who sent their greetings and wishing YOU many happy returns of the day.

Lonny Sisson

Dear Editor:

Last call for the Class of 1988! The reunion planning for Boothbay Region High School, Class of '88 is complete and we are set to celebrate our 20 th reunion the weekend of July 11, 12, and 13. Invitations will be mailed by May 10 and we don't want to leave anyone out! Here are the people we are still trying to track down with a current mailing address:

Eric Barter, Teresa Bell, Patrice Conelley, Lisa Cunningham, Aimee Curtis, Michelle (Coosard) Peaco, Ernie Gamage, Claire Giles, Kellie Greenleaf, Colleen Griffin, Daniel Harris, Jonathon Holbrook, Brendan Kane, Arelitsa Kazakos, Adam Lucas, Lynne Manson, Adam McPhee, Julie Nolon (Denise (Reed) Berger, Nancy Reed, Tim Rollins, Davis Sirois, Hilary Smith and Jacob Stevens.

If you still keep in touch with any of these people or have even the foggiest notion where they might be, please encourage them to get in touch by passing on the following e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers - we would really like everyone that graduated in 1988 to celebrate with us this summer!

E-mails: wineoutlet@gwi,net, or sanfranlynda@yahoo.com.

Phone: 633-7796

Thank you for your help!

Luanne (Bradley) Clifford

Lynda (Fugitt) España

Dear Editor:

This coming Saturday the registered voters of the Town of Boothbay Harbor will be asked to vote to "greatly exceed the LD1 limit." Our Town Manager "hopes that voters will agree that LD1 is not a reasonable goal this year ." Using the Town Managers' revised budget figures for the last few years, our town managers and our selectmen, who approve the final budget for voter consideration, have not met LD1 targets since it was passed in 2005 (we have gone over LD1 guidelines 4.9% in 05-06 ($118,000), over 10.2% in 06-07 ($259,000), over 7.1% in 07-08 ($190,000 projected), and over 6.7% in 08-09 ($236,000). Apparently it is never a reasonable goal in Boothbay Harbor.

As a member of the Town Budget Advisory Committee for the last two years, I know that not all of us who are involved with proposing a budget for the Town voters agree and this year is no exception. LD1 matters because it is designed to control the cost of local government, to keep the growth of the local tax burden rate in line with the average personal income growth rate and population growth. In other words, LD1 guidelines for Boothbay Harbor focus on our Town's controllable costs (i.e., it excludes the local costs for schools, county, refuge disposal, etc.) and we are failing miserably at controlling those controllable costs.

LD1 matters to the 57% of Maine's towns that meet LD1 guidelines; LD1 matters to the Boothbay Harbor town voters who thought they were voting last year to come in under the LD1 target; LD1 matters to those who are having trouble staying in their homes because the contribution to our property taxes that the Town controls go up faster than our average personal income growth, and it matters to me.

Why haven't we been able to come in under the LD1 guidelines? There are a number of reasons, but the bottom line is that the voters have been unwilling to cut the cost of personnel, the bulk of the costs for any town budget. That is why I support the closing of the communication center (a luxury that the voters will have to decide we can afford in a separate vote), a freeze on all hiring and discretionary spending on August 13, 2007 after being alerted that we were not going to be able to honor the wishes of Town voters to come in under LD1, and the reduction of the Town's contributions to the health and retirement benefit package we offer to our employees.

With votes on the communication center, the budget, and the selectmen this year, voters will have to decide whether or not they want to continue to have our local government grow faster that our average personnel income growth. Please vote.

Ted Repa

West Boothbay Harbor