Dancing4Fun gives thanks

Midcoast Dancing4Fun’s Saturday Dance Group wishes to thank its many co-sponsors who helped make the Sept. 8 Tracy’s Night! Dancing 4 a Dancer benefit at Watts Hall a heartening success. Thanks to those who came forward with dance assistance, food donations and silent auction items — and to dance — the evening raised more than $1,500 for Tracy Rescigno’s medical and living expenses; she was able to attend as well, adding to the joy of the event.

Thanks go to One 4 All & All 4 One Dance Co-sponsors Atlantica, Laurie Batz, Holly Bacarisse, Breakwater Kayak Co/Mark DiGirolamo, Ellen Brown, LCSW, PA, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (All 4 One Silent Auction), Camden International Film Festival, Computer Solutions, Country Inn Camden/Rockport, Alan Clark, Lis Clark, Dell Essancy, Fireside Pottery/Nancy Button, Fresh Bakery & Market, Sarah Holland, Cheryl Levin, Lord Camden Inn, Kate MacKay, Kathryn Matlack, Maine 5Rhythms Movement & Dance, Midcoast Peace & Justice Group, Midcoast Women's Ice Hockey League, Olive Pierce, Miller's Wharf Lobster and Cod End, Tenants Harbor, Julianna Pfeiffer, Hinda Pozner, Lyn Schoen, Sharon Pree (All 4 One Food Table), Seagull Cottage, Johanna Stinson, Sweets & Meats Market Co., Tom Tedeschi and Kathy Moores, wceDesign and wcePublishing, Weskeag Farms and the Where Do I Go Now? Homeless Teen Awareness Project. We also thank the Watts Block Community Association for allowing us to donate all proceeds to Tracy.

The Dancing4Fun Saturday Dance Group: Aimee Moffitt-Mercer, Bill Eberle, Dagney Ernest, Dan Miller, Ellen Brown, Michael Shepard, Steve Burke.

Residency row

The question of Gordon Mank’s residency in Rockland for representing this district has raised far more questions about his opponent’s qualifications for office than Mr. Mank’s.

As a sitting City Councilor, Elizabeth Dickerson has once again offered her guess of what she’d like to have happen, in place of doing the work of finding out the answer. Candidate Dickerson, as councilor, works in city hall, where the Registrar of Voters also works. Yet, she has been unable to do “the investigation” necessary to find out the answer to her questions about Mank’s qualifications to represent Rockland. Why not? In offering popular, negative speculation, instead of fact, Dickerson shows both her character and her work ethic. We don’t need someone in Augusta who doesn’t understand rules, interpretation of laws, or the procedures to resolve issues with which we don’t like. And we don’t like the type of negative innuendo instead of fact that has characterized this campaign attack.

Some would like to change the residence rules. But that comes with problems. Military people, who may be in the service for 20 years, work out of the district but want to claim Rockland residence. Congresspersons who reside in Washington for 20 years, 1 percenters, who travel the world constantly for career work, and many other examples make changing the rules difficult. Raising the issue for someone who has been able to hold down a job with great demands a few hundred yards across the town line is hardly a concern. But, for the media and Ms. Dickerson, that must be done by legislation not back stabbing someone over a legally-resolved question.

We have a difficult question to decide in November. Do we send someone to Augusta who has proven ineffective and lacking in understanding of simple Rockland matters or someone who has run a campaign like Eddie Murphy in "The Distinguished Gentleman." Mank, a name you know? Debates, newspaper profiles, and candidate answers to issues the state is facing and will face in the next few years are needed for voters to be informed. There is no question about the legality of Mank’s candidacy. Let’s move on to fact, not added speculation and fiction in this race. Will Dickerson want the state to deal with national issues like she tried to get the city to do on state issues? Should we have to ask a debate question about whether Dickerson will spend her time as a state representative trying to pass resolves on the war in Afghanistan? Will Mank throw a tantrum and not answer questions or debate? Where does he stand on anything? So far, vote for none of the above.

Kevin Fellows

Rockland

Sad day for democracy

Last Monday evening the town of Thomaston held a special town meeting to determine the fate of future development of Thomaston Green, one of the loveliest in-town green spaces on the coast of Maine. Of the approximately 1,700 registered voters in our town, 27 voters (including the select board) made the decision on this once-in-a-lifetime issue. While much of the rest of the world’s population is clamoring to be heard, fighting in the streets for the right to vote, or sitting in jails for trying to do so, we take our voting rights for granted. It was a sad day for democracy.

Patricia Hubbard

Thomaston

Coming out as Democrats

As a psychotherapist and as a priest, I often feel I am in the business of helping people to come out. Sometimes, indeed, this involves coming to grips with their sexual orientation and with whom they truly love; but mostly it is about every person being able to grow and blossom into the fullness of his or her true self as God has created them to be. I was reminded of this as I watched the Democratic Convention.

Yes, speaker after speaker affirmed the basic human right and rightness of being able to marry whom you love, but gay and proud was only the beginning of the coming out process at the Convention. The young Latina Dreamer who came out as an undocumented immigrant embracing the hope of America as the only country she has ever known; the wounded warrior Tammy Duckworth overcoming her disabilities with the enthusiastic support and admiration of us all, indeed all of our troops and their families so justly celebrated, Freedom Rider Congressman John Lewis telling of being spat upon and beaten for daring to come out a a black person deserving of the right to vote. Look at the faces in the crowd — women and men, black, white, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus all proudly affirming that the American dream applies fully to them, assured of welcome and appreciation. The young, the old, cops, teachers, firefighters, auto workers, children with life-threatening diseases, women with a right to choose what happens to their own bodies — indeed the whole rich tapestry that is the real America.

Compare that joyous, affirming, rainbow-colored crowd with the cookie cutter old white males that made up the convention attendees of the GOP, a picture not much changed from 75 years ago, and who would rather hang out with? So come join us. Celebrate life in all its fullness and diversity and the true possibility of the American dream. Go to barackobama.com. Come volunteer for President Obama and the Democrats and come out to vote in November.

Diana Beach

Thomaston

Vote for Carter

To all you voters in District 49, which is Warren, Union, Cushing and Friendship: If you want a good, honest and capable conservative representative representing you in the state legislature in Augusta, I urge you to vote for Bob Carter. He is all of the above.

Kay Havener

Friendship

4-H fair a success

The Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association send a heartfelt thanks to the community groups and individuals who helped make the debut of 4-H Farm-to-Fair interactive educational exhibit a huge success. More than 500 children and adults experienced the exhibit during the seven days that it was open at the Union Fair. The response from the public was resoundingly positive. Local families and folks visiting the area from other states (and countries) praised the exhibit for being fun and informative. Many parents sited this as a great way to teach kids about how the food they eat and products they use are produced.

Thanks to the many volunteers who guided kids through the exhibit, teaching them a little about farm life at each stop. These included groups from Camden National Bank, St. Denis Church in Whitefield, 2012 Blueberry Queen and her court, Knights of Columbus Council No. 1423 in Whitefield, Aldermere Achievers 4-H Club and Alan Dee Dairy 4-H Club, as well as individuals, including Master Gardener Miriam Winocour, FoodCorps member Genna Cherichello and many 4-H youth and parents from around the state.

Thank you to community organizations and businesses for their support and sponsorship, including the Union Fair Board, Mid-Coast School of Technology, Aldermere Farm, Viking Lumber, EBS Building Supplies, Rankin’s Hardware and Building Supply, Robbins Lumber, Shed City, Inc., Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery, Savage Oakes Vineyard and Winery, Barley Joe Farm Greenhouse, Norris Farm, Prock Ridge Farm, the Howard, Baker and Brodis families, Ames True Value Hardware and Supply, Oxton Trust, Maine Sheepbreeders Association, Evergreen Ridge Alpacas, Blueberry Farm Alpacas, the Rogers Family, Dr. Robert Hawes, Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, Wyman’s of Maine, Allen’s Blueberries, Maine Maple Products, Sewall Organic Orchard, Guini Ridge Farm, NE Dairy & Nutrition Council, Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom and Northern Maine Fair Trustees.

As the youth development program of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 4-H, for children aged 5-18, emphasizes the importance of building the life skills needed to be successful adults. 4-H focuses on science and technology to help foster interest in those fields as future careers.

Cindy Rogers

On behalf of the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders' Association

Stolen valor

Our Supreme Court has ruled that it is O.K. to lie about having received the Medal of Honor or any of the country's highest awards. What?! I thank God that this country has men who went into harm's way to receive these medals.

My freedom and liberties are protected because of these men and I will respect them until I die.

I don't understand what Obama's people are thinking. He appointed a woman named Margaret something to an office in our government who thinks we should do away with the Constitution and adapt the one that Africa has. Give me a break!

They defeated the flag amendment because they felt that the Republicans were using it just to get votes, so they voted against it. I'm talking about the Democrats. I feel this is not a political issue, but an American issue and the American people want that flag protected. Just ask them!

Obama and Clinton want the United Nations to determine our Constitution to see if this county should be disarmed regardless of our freedom of the Second Amendment. This is the American Constitution –– not theirs to give away. What are they thinking? With this way of thinking, it's no wonder these politicians feel it is O.K. to take money from our Medicare for their Poor Barrel Project.

They still want people to pay into the system but they are taking it as fast as they can. The money should be kept and used for people when they retire.

The stolen valor discussion just wound me up. I feel that the country should do something about this and respect our veterans. Not like they did during Vietnam. Those men did what they were sent to do. And if we lost respect it's because of the protesters and the news media –– not the men and women who went into harm's way. They were disrespected. So I say do something about this stolen valor before it really gets out of hand.

I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, I'm an Independent and come November I will vote and it won't be for those Democrats who are trying to break down our Constitution.

Joseph E. Wallace

Rockland

Pivotal election

With less than 50 days left to the Nov. 6 election, I'm urging all to vote for the re-election of President Obama. This is a pivotal election. As I see it, it will determine whether we preserve the middle class, the basis of a democracy, or concede it to the plutocrats. We must not let the consequences of the Citizens United decision and the lobbyists decide our future. President Obama, despite the mess he inherited and the obstruction of the right-wing Republicans, succeeded in passing the Affordable Health Care Act, which supports Medicare and Medicaid, defended women's rights, including fair pay, advocates for ending tax breaks for the very wealthy, saved us from economic collapse and continues to make progress in creating jobs, ended the war in Iraq, promises to get us out of Afghanistan, gave the order to have Bin Laden killed, and exercises diplomacy and sanctions, re. Iran, versus getting us into an unnecessary, immoral, costly war. He needs our votes to complete his goals. Let's listen to the upcoming presidential debates scheduled for Oct. 3, 16, and 22, and vote to re-elect President Obama.

Margaret Boyajian

Spruce Head

Change needed in Egypt

The days look dim ahead for the United States, unless things improve in the weeks ahead. I say some of the people in Egypt are burning our flags and killing American citizens. You can't sit down and talk to the leaders, little of it helps toward peace. What I say, being a humble citizen, I think President Obama should use military force. Then I believe you would see much change in the actions of the Egyptian people. I know this would involve many citizens killed, but what other way can this be stopped?

Gordon Wotton

Thomaston