Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

Last week's whining commentary by Richard Barter was sharply critical of your reporting concerning the Pennell debacle. Your reports were extremely revealing so why should anyone be surprised over Barter's rant. Let me offer an explanation.

Barter spent his principal time on the town council leading an effort to adopt rules which would have strictly limited what, when, where, and how we, the people to whom the council is accountable, could address the town council.

Olson and Wilkinson, town councilors still today, sided with Barter. Susan Austin, then a town councilor, was the only vote to defeat Barter's challenge to our rights granted by the U. S. Constitution. Barter, as a town councilor, contributed nothing during his tenure unless you value his self-importance.

Barter, like a spoiled boy, did not like to be questioned and now he does not like his cohort and pupil, Council Chair Pam Wilkinson, to be questioned. Yet there are so many unanswered questions and absurdities continue. When government doesn't answer you can bet it's concealing something. We must demand to know.

How can people like Barter be elected? Easy, only 14 to 20 percent of registered voters vote in the June Gray municipal election and that lowly turnout will always produce government of self-interest and self- importance. Municipal government has as much control of us as state and federal government. Next June take notice, get involved and vote. Hold the Gray Town Council accountable.

Dear Editor, thank you for watching, for questioning and for reporting. We want to know.

"The peoples' good is the highest law." Cicero

Cal Cutter, Gray

Some comments about Barton's Store pictured on page 11 of the Monument last week.

Seventy years ago, Barton's Store was an active social center for the people of West Gray. People gathered in the store during the day for a little shopping and a lot of socializing. I was there with my parents many times as a child.

Barton's Store was a country general store and had a feed and grain room in the back. The entire second floor was a hall with tables and chairs and a small stage at one end. People from nearby gathered in the hall for potluck suppers and card playing in the evening about every two weeks.

My parents told me that, as a baby, starting when I was just two weeks old in 1928, I was put on the stage to sleep while they and my sisters participated in the activities. A popular card game was called "sixty-three"; I never played that game and never had any knowledge of its rules. People from West Gray who are a little older than I am may remember the game and know how it was played.

There was also an active blacksmith shop a few doors away on the same side of the main road.

David W. Knudsen, Gray

To the Editor:

I also was disappointed and insulted about the comments in the Jan 6th Monument "Sound Off" section concerning the naming of the Public Works building in honor of Bill Waterman.

I believe the writer of these comments is not a native to New Gloucester. I am not a native either but moved to town when I was 7, bought the home I grew up in when I was 19, and raised 5 children. I plan on living in this community through retirement because of dedicated town employees like Bill Waterman.

Bill has dedicated his life to the Town of New Gloucester as a Selectman, Fire Chief, Road Foreman, and serving on many boards and committees. He worked many hours, day and night, to keep our roads safe, many of these hours without any extra compensation. Bill also saved the town thousands of dollars with his civil and mechanical engineering abilities.

I was a delivery driver for many years in New Gloucester and surrounding area. It was a pleasure to hit the town line of New Gloucester in the winter and see the improved road conditions. As an active volunteer fire fighter for years, it was nice to hear Bill on the radio during an emergency, trying to reroute himself or other trucks to the area to make the roads and driveways safer for us.

I welcome new residents to our town but feel they should do research before casting stones.

I encourage the town to name the Public Works garage in his honor.

Sincerely,
Sonny Mercier, New Gloucester

To the Editor:

I think the SAD should keep Pennell and use it as a school/administrative facility, fund renovations with State money, insist that Gray contribute toward fuel through their Pennell trust component, and get rid of the current admininstration building.

I will not support a request for renovation loans unless the School Board addresses the cause of how the facilities got in such bad shape and installs safeguards to ensure that this will not happen again. I give the Board credit for addressing the poor condition of the school buildings and for working hard to get the buildings up to standards. However, they MUST fix the real problem which in my opinion is past practice of reallocating building capital maintenance funds from the capital maintenance program to the support administrative and teacher requirements.

While the study conducted by a Gray committee seems to justify additional space for Gray Administration, behavior over the last 3 years does not justify it. I still get my tax bill, still pay it, still pay to register my autos and pay excise tax, still pay for the dump sticker, still get correspondence from Code Enforcement regarding ZBA stuff and through all of this have never had to wait outside the building because of a lack of space or too many customers at the window.

I would have supported acquisition of the old Post Office back when it became available mostly because it was a good building, has decent space, is ADA accessible, and is next to the existing town office. I do not understand their tremendous reluctance to occupy the building!

I still give the Council members credit for their efforts. Preservation of Pennell has great merit as an Historic building with intrinsic values. Ultimately that should be a decision for Gray voters in referendum format.

Andy Upham, Gray

Letter to the Editor:

As I sit here drinking my coffee, my thoughts move towards a gracious lady that commands attention from all of us at Russell School. She isn't a coffee drinker, but a person who sips her "special tea". By now you know her as Connie Holland. Before she can enjoy her cup of tea, the phone starts to ring and she is ready for a busy day at what I call the command center. After all it is the center of all the activities that come to her desk. Like all the rest of the staff at Russell School, Connie needs to be recognized for her devotion to her responsibility and most of all to all the children in the school. Thanks Connie, You're the greatest!!

Frank Hallowell, Russell Custodian