Memories of Father Moriarty
The Oct. 25 Bangor Daily News article about the ghost of Father Thomas Moriarty brought back many fond memories. As a child, I moved to New Hampshire. Until I turned 16, my parents would bring me to stay with my grandparents on Chamberlain Street in Brewer every summer.
We attended church on a regular basis, with Father Moriarty doing services. My aunt would always be at the rectory counting the day’s receipts, my grandmother would always take me to the rectory after services so we could say hello to Father Moriarty. He was always so much different when not preaching to his flock. He was very strict in church and a funny personable human being when not preaching.
I will always remember the large chocolate candy bar he would retrieve from the safe to give to me every Sunday. This is the Father Moriarty I remember.
Thomas Clarke
Skowhegan
Collins fights for older Mainers
I recently had the great pleasure of attending an event sponsored by AARP Maine and the BDN at which Sen. Susan Collins spoke for nearly 90 minutes about some of the most pressing issues facing older people in our state.
Collins, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, spoke about her efforts to combat criminals who steal nearly $3 billion from seniors each year. Collins discussed her committee’s investigation into the recent hike in prescription drug prices that, all too often, force many seniors to choose between taking their needed medication or buying food. The senator outlined her thoughts on Social Security, the new artificial pancreas that will save lives and on the need to support hard-working caregivers. She spoke in-depth about her successful efforts to dramatically increase funding for the National Institutes of Health to invest in biomedical research that, right now, is funding critical studies that may one day treat, and hopefully cure, terrible diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Part of the talk even focused on how unfortunate it is that the recent presidential debates have been void of a discussion of the actual issues facing Americans.
So, imagine my surprise when I read about the senator’s talk in the next day’s paper and the article barely mentioned any of the critical topics that were discussed. Instead, it focused solely on the current negative political atmosphere.
I’m disappointed that the paper chose to write on issues and words that divide us, but I’m glad that we have leaders such as Collins who are working to address the real issues affecting Maine
Sue Cyr
Old Town
Solar good energy investment
Recently, I traveled to Hallowell to testify in support of net metering for electricity customers who use solar power. Here’s why. In fall 2015, I installed a solar power array to generate electricity for my household. Through net metering, the excess energy that my solar array generates and feeds back into the system is energy that Central Maine Power and its customers do not have to buy from other, environmentally destructive sources — many of them from out of state.
Gov. Paul LePage often talks about promoting investment, yet proposals to gut net metering for solar power would actively discourage and slow investment that helps generate not just electricity, but also economic activity. Maine lags behind other states in solar power because of a lack of vision from our governor, and we are losing out not just on solar energy, but also on jobs and investment. This is disgraceful. We should all work together to bring Maine’s energy economy into the 21st century.
Promoting solar energy by providing financial incentives for more households and businesses to invest in it makes sense from economic and environmental perspectives. But if LePage truly does not believe that solar power is a viable source of energy, not just for the future, but for right now, then I have a hot tip for him on a great energy investment opportunity in a major share in a whaling ship set to sail from Nantucket.
Janet Lynch
Pownal
Monument a precious resource
It took my breath away to stand atop Barnard Mountain and see dense forest, interrupted only by lakes, streams and rivers in the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. There was no sign of a human footprint, and I was thankful for that. These views are becoming increasingly precious, and I felt as though I had traveled back in time. I wanted to stay a while longer.
Here, the bear, the moose, the lynx, the dragonfly, the Atlantic salmon — all that live or migrate through — can thrive as nature intended.
My husband and I then headed for Deasey Mountain. The second hike started with a ford across Wassataquoik Stream. The sharply cold, clean water was exactly what fish like the brook trout need to flourish.
As we went deeper into the woods, I heard the crack of a branch in the distance and the call of an owl that reminded me that we are only visitors in this rugged place. We were invited to respectfully explore and rejuvenate our spirits, and then leave it undisturbed so 100 years from now others can experience the same sense of awe.
We didn’t make it to the peak of Deasey that day, turning back to beat the setting sun and be on time for the dinner waiting for us at Mt. Chase Lodge. But we’ll return many times, and always with gratitude that this place has been preserved for all.
Jesse McMahon
Topsham
Backs turned to God
Our national crimes are upon us — abortion, sodomy, pornography, addictions and distractions of all sorts wholly disengage us from the almighty God of creation. We don’t even hide from him anymore.
Do you sense all this? Do you understand him? Do you care?
No. We love darkness, and choose not to walk in the self-proclaimed light of the world, Jesus Christ. We are rebels, sinners who openly and smugly snub God, who became flesh and dwelt among us. The lamb of God took upon himself the sin of this earth, and he was buried in it for three days and arose alive.
Why? Because he is God. And he so loves you and me. Our nation was once under God, and it was blessed by him, admired and even adored. And now we reject him. I don’t know what else to say.
Arnold Stevens
Lovell