Letters to the Editor
So much for party unity in Maine
To the Editor:
I was happy to see that the GOP Convention was about unity; which is truly needed in the State of Maine.
There is no unity in Senate District 4, thanks to Paul Davis. There is an unwritten rule in political parties that you do not run against a sitting incumbent in a primary. Doug Thomas told Paul in September of 2013 that he was going to run again in 2014. Paul, not liking to be a small fish in a big pond, or trying to break John Martin’s record of years served in the legislature, is breaking that rule by running in the June primary.
Is Andy Torbett Paul’s campaign manager?
Every week he writes letters to the editor against Sen. Doug Thomas.
Andy, what do you think about Paul breaking the election law by putting his signs out early?
The law states, no signs before six weeks prior to an election. The earliest date was April 29, 2014.
I saw Paul’s signs in St. Albans, Hartland, and Palmyra on Thursday, April 24, and in Sangerville on Saturday, April 26.
Stephen E. Hall
former State Senator
Guilford
Letter carrier food drive May 10
To the Editor:
Saturday, May 10th marks the 22nd anniversary of one of America’s great days of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive.
Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many, hunger. So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers.
These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Aroostook County who need our help.
Last year, we collected over 74 million pounds of food Nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people.
Over the course of its 21-year history, the drive has collected well over one billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The need for food donations is great. Currently, 49 million Americans — 1 in 6 — are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Sixteen million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school.
And nearly five million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.
Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.
By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.
Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 10 and your letter carrier will do the rest.
I invite you to join in America’s great day of giving and help us in our fight to end hunger.
Melissa Lohnes
U.S. Postal Service
Relay for Life volunteers and support needed
To the Editor:
We have seen many changes take place in politics and our economy. However, one constant is that many people are battling cancer and many others are supporting their loved ones each and every day. In Maine, the northern two-thirds of the state has a rate of cancer incidence among the highest in the nation. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are commonly 5 days a week for up to six weeks. These realities make dollars donated and hours volunteered to the American Cancer Society in Penobscot County so important.
Local volunteers are needed to help finish the fight. Plans are underway for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Penobscot, set for Friday and Saturday, May 16 & 17 at the University of Maine’s Morse Field in Orono.
Money raised at Relay For Life helps the mission of the American Cancer Society to help people stay well and get well, find cure, and fight back against cancer. Relay For Life supports the efforts of the Society, as well as programs for patients, including transportation assistance and free lodging facilities.
Relay For Life also makes it possible for the American Cancer Society to provide helpful information on cancer, treatments, support services, and more 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 1-800-227-2345 and cancer.org.
Now is the time for local residents (individuals, families, groups, churches, and businesses) to help finish the fight against cancer through Relay For Life. Celebrate survivors. Remember loved ones no longer here by purchasing and decorating a luminaria. Pledge to fight back against this disease. Form a team and volunteer for the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life today. Call 1-800-227-2345 or visit http://www.relayforlife.org/PenobscotME for more information about local opportunities.
Joy Sinclair, volunteer
publicity chair
Relay for Life
Penobscot County
American Cancer Society
AARP Andrus Award nominations wanted
To the Editor:
There are many ways each of us can help others by volunteering and by giving back to our communities. As part of AARP’s commitment to volunteerism and, in the spirit of our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, we recognize outstanding individuals who are making a powerful difference in the lives of others. Each year, we accept nominations for the AARP Maine Andrus Award for Community Service which is AARP’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service.
If you know a volunteer who is using his or her skills and experience to make a significant difference in your community, please nominate them for the 2014 Andrus Award. Nominees must be Mainers 50 or older, their accomplishments or service on which nominations are based must have been performed on a volunteer basis (without pay) and they must reflect AARP’s vision: A society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose and in which AARP helps people fulfill their goals and dreams. Nominees do not have to be members of AARP.
The AARP Maine Andrus Award acts as a symbol of how much we can all work together for positive social change. AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities and neighbors. The application deadline is June 1, 2014. For nomination forms and information, call 1-866-554-5380. We look forward to honoring an individual in Maine whose experience enriches the lives of others.
Rich Livingston
AARP Maine
volunteer state president
Thomas for the Senate
To the Editor:
I spent a significant amount of time working closely with Senator Doug Thomas in during the first half of 2013 to get access to affordable prescription drugs for the citizens of our state. Sen. Thomas worked with me on a daily basis to make sure that the employees at Hardwood Products and Puritan Medical products could get access to prescription drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Sen. Thomas worked for the employees of Hardwood and Puritan and the residents of Maine for many hours early in the morning and late into the night. He provided us with access to members of the leadership at the state house and worked to get bipartisan support on this key piece of legislation. I was in constant communication with both Sen. Thomas and the state employee’s union who were working together to protect our residents for high prescription drug costs.
After working with Sen. Thomas for an extensive period of time I know that he is the right person to represent Senate District 4. His tireless efforts to support both the people and businesses in our district have saved the employees at Hardwood and Puritan over $100,000 since this law was passed and will continue to save them money in the future. This money can now be used in our community and continue to foster economic growth.
Please join me in supporting Sen. Doug Thomas in the District 4 Senate primary.
Scott Wellman, CFO
Hardwood Products Company
and Puritan Medical Products Co.