No false alarms

An article published in the BDN on April 14 (“Exasperated police imposing fees for false security alarms”) reports that Dover-Foxcroft selectmen have decided to impose fees for repeated responses to false security alarms.

While the authorities agree that burglar alarm systems are a great deterrent to break-ins and can save homeowners insurance costs, they also agree that a malfunctioning alarm system is undesirable.

Many communities across the U.S. have approved a fee schedule like Dover-Foxcroft, or considered ordinances supporting police reimbursement. This should not deter homeowners and business owners from installing alarm systems. However, care should be taken when considering the purchase of such a system, its installation, maintenance and proper use.

If you have an alarm system, make sure it is tested regularly, that you follow manufacturer’s directions for proper use and avoid alarm triggers such as a moving curtain covering an open window. If you are considering the purchase of an alarm system, be sure you choose one that suits your needs, works properly during power outages or when phone or electrical lines are damaged or destroyed, and is made by a reliable manufacturer.

Pay attention to the fine print to determine whether you’ll be locked into a long-term contract.

Finally, be sure your alarm system is well maintained and upgraded when needed. A properly functioning alarm system is a valuable tool that can deter crime. A continually malfunctioning alarm system can be a costly nuisance.

Bob Cochrane

Bangor

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Candidates’ credit

Last week a question I asked of the Republican candidates caused some buzz. I asked them for their credit scores.

The candidates were less than specific. They seemed surprised to have the question asked. It was important to me as the prior Republican candidate for governor would have had to explain his tax liens prior to the primaries; consequently Peter Mills might be governor today.

More to the point, employment decisions, loan decisions, loan pricing decisions, and life insurance applications all now include credit scores as part of the decision making process.

A credit score is a clear indicator of a person’s commitment to a promise; it should be a litmus test for any political office. I would love to see the credit scores of candidates from both parties provided by an independent third party so that there would not be any question as to bias in providing them.

Lew Payne

Holden

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Expand the library

As a single parent, the Bangor Public Library was a haven, not only for bag-fulls of wonderful books we never could have afforded, but also for interacting with other kids and parents.

As a community organizer, I came to rely on the library’s meeting spaces as neutral ground that could draw more broadly from the surrounding community than events held at places (however wonderful) like churches, colleges or special-interest nonprofit centers.

The main problem I have with the library today, other than parking, is that it is not open enough. People who work all week can barely exchange their books, let alone do some serious research, read a few magazines or go online for more than an hour. When people have time — Sunday, for most workers and students — the library is closed.

I hope the Bangor City Council will increase the library’s funding this year. Last year, it cut $33,780, resulting in six unpaid furlough days for staff in August and December. This year, city staff recommended the council cut another $36,000, which would have meant not filling two currently vacant positions and four unpaid furlough days next year.

Instead, the council is considering a whopping $1`78,000 cut to the Library’s fiscal year 2011 budget. You can attend the council meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 6, and call your city councilors to let them know how you feel about this.

Jane Livingston

Veazie

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Hazy shade of reality

After reading Republican gubernatorial candidate Les Otten’s jobs plan, I find some inconsistencies with reality.

In Part Five of his plan titled “Energy Independence,” he states that “every 100,000 tons of wood pellets produced and consumed in Maine will create 500 jobs that pay $45,000 per year.”

I know people here in Northern Maine who work in this industry. I wasn’t too surprised to discover that none of them make over $30,000 a year, with the majority making less than $25,000.

While I agree 100 percent that Maine needs to invest in alternatives to fossil fuels, I question where Mr. Otten got this rose-colored figure, as the truth seems to be in a much harsher shade of reality.

Kelly Green

Westfield

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Counseling is key

This is to offer a different perspective on the transsexual child issue. So far, I have yet to hear about the rights of the young ladies who are having the privacy of their rest room and gym locker room invaded by a boy “who thinks he is a girl.”

If this boy would feel more comfortable sitting down to pee, he could use the stall in the boys room. What happens when he goes to a public restroom at the mall or a restaurant? Will the ladies there be OK with that? Doubtful.

What the school should provide is freedom from harassment, and counseling to help him cope with reality. Life doesn’t end at the schoolhouse door, and he needs direction to help him accept who he is. To do less is a disservice to him and the young ladies involved.

Marim Rooney

Hermon

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Thank you, Kay

How do you say a goodbye to Kay Lebowitz that will give her the honor she truly deserves?

I met her for only one short afternoon and evening in October 2006 when she, my mom and several others received their 2 Those Who Care Awards from WLBZ. What a wonderful lady she was.

When she found out I was Margery’s son, of whom she had heard about earlier in the day, she invited me to her table and we talked about my return from Vietnam 36 years earlier. For half an hour we talked about my experiences then and how the troop greeters work now. She would take no interruptions while we talked. When we were finished she gave me a grandmother’s hug and said, “Welcome home, Larry, thank you for your service.”

So how do you say goodbye and thank you? For me it is to keep on doing the good work she was involved with, and righting the wrongs of yesterday.

Larry Brown

Cherryfield