Letters to the Editor
Where in Maine?
I suspect you'll be getting cards and e-mail from my cousins, all of whom grew up hearing about how our great-grandfather, John Gribbel, had Hans Heistad build Beech Nut, the subject of your September mystery photograph, on Beech Hill in Rockport to keep the talented landscape architect from being hired away by other cottage owners during the winter months. Heistad also designed the outdoor furniture for the Gribbel cottage, at Deadman Point in Rockport. Those original designs continue to be used by Weatherend Estate Furniture. During World War II, a popular pastime for our courting aunts and uncles was to trek up to Beech Nut to watch for German U-boats, especially on beautiful summer evenings.
-Terry Bregy,
Camden, Maine
Soon after your September issue arrived in homes around the country, I began receiving e-mails from people applauding your choice of the "Where in Maine?" photograph. Beech Hill and Beech Nut are among our state's most enjoyed landscapes and are now on the National Register of Historic Places. As your story points out, we are in the midst of rehabilitating Beech Nut: the roof is framed and ready for a new layer of sod, new windows and doors designed in the character of the originals will soon be installed, and work on the stone walls is progressing. This work will enable Beech Nut to weather the next hundred years and beyond.
Our fund-raising campaign has progressed well, thanks to a two hundred thousand dollar challenge grant and many gifts to match those dollars. Should your readers want to participate, donations can be sent to Coastal Mountains Land Trust, 101 Mount Battie Street, Camden, ME 04843.
-Scott Dickerson
Executive Director
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Camden, Maine
Here's to Mom
I took great delight in reading Heidi Julavits' article "City Mom, Country Mom" about parenting in your September issue. She highlighted the dilemma that many parents face in today's world as they are bombarded with overwhelming amounts of information from various sources. As a certified parent coach, I have worked with many parents who could relate to the "contradictory voices" gen-erated from the plethora of mixed media messages and the advice of well-intentioned friends and relatives. With a solid parent I.D. one can confront the whirlwind of parenting opinions and discuss the most controversial of parenting topics with confidence - regardless of their status as city mom or country mom.
-Connie Hammer
Round Pond, Maine
Wind Power
It's hard to feel sorry for Rod Mahan, campaigning against wind farms in Maine ["Empty Wind?" July 2007], based on the logic that the Mars Hill windpower project wakes him up at night and spoils his views. Here at Prouts Neck, I've been awakened by lobsterboats, as well as by trains more than three miles away. When I lived in Los Angeles, I was awakened by the rumbling of heavy trucks on I-10.
What form of energy will Maine and Mr. Mahan say "yes" to? We need to accept the imperfections of badly needed energy forms like wind power. And if some have been truly harmed by Mars Hill, let them sue.
-Anne Bartol Butterfield
Scarborough, Maine
Down East welcomes feedback from our readers. Letters to the editor should be sent electronically to editorial@downeast.com or via U.S. mail to Down East magazine, PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843. All correspondence must include your name, address, and daytime telephone number. Submitted letters may be edited for length and clarity and may be published in any medium. All letters become the property of Down East.
I suspect you'll be getting cards and e-mail from my cousins, all of whom grew up hearing about how our great-grandfather, John Gribbel, had Hans Heistad build Beech Nut, the subject of your September mystery photograph, on Beech Hill in Rockport to keep the talented landscape architect from being hired away by other cottage owners during the winter months. Heistad also designed the outdoor furniture for the Gribbel cottage, at Deadman Point in Rockport. Those original designs continue to be used by Weatherend Estate Furniture. During World War II, a popular pastime for our courting aunts and uncles was to trek up to Beech Nut to watch for German U-boats, especially on beautiful summer evenings.
-Terry Bregy,
Camden, Maine
Soon after your September issue arrived in homes around the country, I began receiving e-mails from people applauding your choice of the "Where in Maine?" photograph. Beech Hill and Beech Nut are among our state's most enjoyed landscapes and are now on the National Register of Historic Places. As your story points out, we are in the midst of rehabilitating Beech Nut: the roof is framed and ready for a new layer of sod, new windows and doors designed in the character of the originals will soon be installed, and work on the stone walls is progressing. This work will enable Beech Nut to weather the next hundred years and beyond.
Our fund-raising campaign has progressed well, thanks to a two hundred thousand dollar challenge grant and many gifts to match those dollars. Should your readers want to participate, donations can be sent to Coastal Mountains Land Trust, 101 Mount Battie Street, Camden, ME 04843.
-Scott Dickerson
Executive Director
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Camden, Maine
Here's to Mom
I took great delight in reading Heidi Julavits' article "City Mom, Country Mom" about parenting in your September issue. She highlighted the dilemma that many parents face in today's world as they are bombarded with overwhelming amounts of information from various sources. As a certified parent coach, I have worked with many parents who could relate to the "contradictory voices" gen-erated from the plethora of mixed media messages and the advice of well-intentioned friends and relatives. With a solid parent I.D. one can confront the whirlwind of parenting opinions and discuss the most controversial of parenting topics with confidence - regardless of their status as city mom or country mom.
-Connie Hammer
Round Pond, Maine
Wind Power
It's hard to feel sorry for Rod Mahan, campaigning against wind farms in Maine ["Empty Wind?" July 2007], based on the logic that the Mars Hill windpower project wakes him up at night and spoils his views. Here at Prouts Neck, I've been awakened by lobsterboats, as well as by trains more than three miles away. When I lived in Los Angeles, I was awakened by the rumbling of heavy trucks on I-10.
What form of energy will Maine and Mr. Mahan say "yes" to? We need to accept the imperfections of badly needed energy forms like wind power. And if some have been truly harmed by Mars Hill, let them sue.
-Anne Bartol Butterfield
Scarborough, Maine
Down East welcomes feedback from our readers. Letters to the editor should be sent electronically to editorial@downeast.com or via U.S. mail to Down East magazine, PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843. All correspondence must include your name, address, and daytime telephone number. Submitted letters may be edited for length and clarity and may be published in any medium. All letters become the property of Down East.
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Reader Comments:
Concerning Sprawl
I have a proposal that would reduce sprawl to at least some extent. Namely, stop subsidizing it.
When dependent on property taxes, a government must raise taxes for every new home built. This is because on average each new home adds more to the government's cost than it pays in taxes. For example, if every 4 houses adds 2 students, then the cost to the schools can be $9-10,000 per student, but if the houses add $3-4000 in revenue, than taxes must be raised on existing residents. And that's only the schools.
Make the builder of each new home pay 100% of the costs of all roads and utility connections.
Make a 2 tier property tax that assess new homes at a higher rate for the first 20 years after they are built to fully offset the higher costs to the government.
That will make it much less attractive to developers.
There is no fairness to making existing residents pay increased taxes to subsidize new arrivals.
Kevin Fogg, Hartford CT