No joy in lopsided wins
The Oct. 28 article on the Bangor Daily News’ front page extolling the virtues of both a coach and a team, Washington Academy, that has run roughshod over the last 33 games of soccer that they had played is hardly good news for those of us who appreciate fair play and sportsmanship.
Teams that have won that many games, with scores such as 15-0 (Bucksport was a recent victim), are playing out of their class and should be grouped with schools of similar abilities.
Whatever joy coach Chris Gardner and his team enjoy is at the expense of what should be a fun, competitive and reasonable approach to high school sports programs.
Thomas Taylor Lash
Orland
AARP’s conflicted interest
Are you old enough to remember when AARP was a nonprofit organization that tried to help seniors? That was long before it started selling insurance to its members, and thereby making a bundle of profit.
Last year, AARP made over $800 million in royalties for the use of its name on Medicare supplement policies and such.
Now it is running ads implying that Social Security must be fixed soon or we old people will lose our benefits. If it can lobby/pay/bribe Congress to privatize Social Security, how soon do you think it will start selling retirement investment plans? How much do you think it will make if it can sell you its brand of annuity? Watch AARP ads carefully and see what its plan is to “save” Social Security.
Judy Judkins
Belfast
Kudos for hospice
There is a service in the Bangor area that deserves a great deal of recognition. My 94-year-old mother recently began approaching the end of her life. Her wishes were to spend her final days at home, so her doctor recommended the hospice program through Eastern Maine Medical Center. A social worker met with us, and the program provided nurses, aides, equipment and medication to ensure my mother was as comfortable as possible. They were just a phone call away at any time if we had any questions about relieving my mother’s stress or pain.
The hospice chaplain came over each week. He told stories, looked through photo albums, played guitar, sang Irish songs, read psalms and prayed with us. My mother and I enjoyed his visits and were greatly comforted by his presence.
When my mother passed, one of the nurses came and provided guidance, making necessary calls and final preparation for the funeral director. The chaplain came over as soon as he heard as well to express his condolences.
I cannot say enough good things about my experience with the services and people of the hospice program. We were provided with prompt and considerate assistance throughout this process that provided much needed relief for me and my family. I encourage any reader with a terminally-ill loved one to look into this invaluable resource.
Fred Bryant
Dixmont
Age-friendly communities
Twenty-two Maine communities have officially joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. The communities — from Kennebunk to Eastport — include 17 percent of Maine residents. Each city and town that joins the network has a core group of age-friendly activists whose goal is to enable residents of all ages and abilities to remain healthy, active and engaged in their communities for as long as possible. Age-friendly communities seek to increase social participation, access to community supports and health services, improve the accessibility of outdoor spaces and buildings, increase civic engagement and social participation and more.
For example, Bowdoinham installed heated stair treads on outdoor stairs leading to the library that make it safer to use the stairs during winter. Augusta has added strobe lights to make it safer for pedestrians to cross certain busier roads. Ellsworth has created a community center that is shared by the YMCA day care program and the senior center.
It is encouraging to see all of the innovative ways that Maine towns and cities are addressing aging. Maine is the oldest state, but it also is the state with the greatest number of age-friendly communities finding innovative ways to make themselves into great places for people to live, whatever their age.
Patricia Oh
Age-friendly team consultant
AARP Maine
Bowoinham
Election Day blessing
In a few days we will have an official voting day. This has been an election year to remember, but one that should provide a wake-up call.
Just a reminder for all of us to count our blessings — yesterday’s are with us today, today’s will be with us tomorrow, and tomorrow’s beyond that. Getting caught up in the free-for-all circus, we have seen, without remembering, that America is the greatest nation on Earth, despite the efforts of those in leadership now and the puppeteers who control them wanting to destroy it and those who are within its boundaries.
May God continue to bless America and its people, and may your voting day be one of sincere thinking about the choices.
Sharon I. Rideout
Hermon
Water conservation woes
Regarding the Oct. 4 article, “Drought prompts Maine regulators to investigate impact on drinking water,” Darren Fishell highlights the impacts of the drought across Maine raising the question of how our water utilities will respond. The issue of water conservation has been raised continuously across the U.S. this year.
The recent rains have provided relief in many areas across New England, however, across the country in Arizona, another battle with water is underway. Global warming is taking its toll on the Grand Canyon. Even more direct is the impact of uranium mining. Already there are waterways in the canyon that are contaminated from uranium mining that happened decades ago. And now a new mine is being built just six miles from the south rim of the national park.
Uranium mining in the canyon risks contaminating the water supply for up to 18 million people. Considering the impacts of the droughts in Maine, I cannot see a justifiable reason that we would risk contaminating such a large water source.
We don’t need to let this happen. With a stroke of his pen, President Barack Obama can permanently protect the Grand Canyon and 1.7 million acres around it. Similar to the creation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, he can use the Antiquities Act to create the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.
Danielle Meltz
Portland