Chamberlain deserves statue
After reading the Nov. 28 BDN article “Should Maine’s statues in DC be replaced with L.L. Bean and Margaret Chase Smith?” it is obvious there is no shortage of prominent Maine natives to replace the statues in the U.S. Congress National Statuary Hall.
One person on the list, Civil War hero Gen. Joshua Chamberlain, did so much in his life. A graduate of Bowdoin College, he was a professor there when he left to join the military in the Civil War. He returned to Maine and served as governor for four one-year terms and then went to serve as president of Bowdoin for the next 12 years.
What is amazing is that Chamberlain was a person who stuttered. In his youth, his father wanted him to follow in the family tradition of the military while his mother wanted him to be a minister; he knew these professions would face stumbling blocks because of his speech.
In its “Celebrity Corner” section, the website of the Stuttering Foundation, stutteringhelp.org, has a biographical profile on Chamberlain titled “General Battled Stuttering.” The article states the phenomenon how some people who stutter are able to speak foreign languages fluently. While at Bowdoin, Chamberlain mastered nine languages besides English: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Syriac, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
I think there should be extra consideration given to Chamberlain in this selection process for all he overcame in his life to distinguish himself as a Maine resident in many ways.
Adam Lichter
Springfield, Massachusetts
Fund national parks
In all the back and forth on the proposal to have a national park in the Katahdin region one fact has not been given much thought. That is the backlog of deferred maintenance in our national park system. Exhibit one is the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. The exhibits there are literally rotting away to nothing. They have already lost one historic ship, the lumber schooner Wapama. They cannot even afford to adequately house the steam engine that came out of it.
Most parks, including Acadia, have a list of deferred maintenance that nationally runs into the billions of dollars.
We cannot take care of the history we have. We should demand Congress fully fund the national park system before we add another park.
One other troubling issue is what happened in Acadia and the awarding the concessions in Acadia to an out-of-state company. Even the best efforts of our congressional delegation were unable to stop the change from a locally owned company to one from out of state.
Do we need yet another opportunity for Washington to impact our economy and make the right decision for the state? Be careful what you wish for.
Geoff Anthony
Blue Hill
National park right for Millinocket
As a lifelong Millinocket resident, I understand resistance to outside support. Only when I attended the University of Maine, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in parks, recreation and tourism with a psychology minor, did I begin to see a traumatized community resistant to change. That resistance is based on fear and misinformation borne of a seed planted by 100 years of Great Northern Paper’s monopoly. The company once provided stable incomes for hundreds of families but no more.
I understand the importance of the forest products industry in Maine but was also taught it can and must share a balance with recreation.
The gift presented by Elliotsville Plantation Inc. is good for Maine, whether it starts as a national monument or a park. EPI’s park proposal respects adjacent property owners, what remains of the forest products industry, snowmobiling and hunting — all to be guaranteed by legislation.
Many national parks have started as monuments. Because of the neglect by our delegation of the overwhelming majority, even in the 2nd Congressional District, this route is becoming more appropriate.
I would like to use my education to start a wilderness program for special needs and at-risk youth and adults in the Katahdin region. Baxter State Park and an adjacent national park and recreation area would provide the full spectrum of outdoor experiences to anyone, regardless of ability.
If Rep. Bruce Poliquin is willing to block the only substantial investment on the table — a gift valued at $100 million — Sen. Angus King or the president should help us move forward.
Cody Ray McEwen
Millinocket