⌘Untitled Document
Keep Citizens for a Green Camden Group’s Momentum
Going in Other Towns —
I applaud the efforts of our concerned neighbors who
have formed the group called Citizens for a Green Camden. Everyone
who lives in this beautiful neighborhood of ours should be grateful to
them.
Have you heard about their most recent accomplishment?
It took endless hours of research and many long meetings, but thanks to
them and the Camden Select Board, the parks and ballfields will be truly
safe for our children and pets to enjoy.
These people were joined by Jeff Kuller, director of
Camden’s Parks and Recreation Department, and Dave Jackson, director
of the Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheater. They organized themselves and
did a tremendous service for all of us. The Camden Select Board should be
applauded for their desire to listen to their neighbors, and then
collaborate with them to formulate a new Pesticide Management Policy for
Camden.
The use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides on our
lawns, in our gardens, in our parks and on our playgrounds can have
profound, pervasive effects on all things we love about our life….our
family, our pets, our wildlife, rivers, lakes and bay. The effects may be
silent at first, but then they suddenly become serious and irreversible.
There are horrific events that can be cited proving the damage pesticides
continue to do to our soil, our water, our wildlife, ourselves. The problem
is, you can’t see it happen, until someone you love becomes ill with
asthma, allergies or more serious ailments like cancer — by then
it’s too late. We assume that since these pesticides are licensed by
the federal government their usage is safe. There are approximately 40
types of pesticides that are still used in this country that have been
documented to have caused bird die-offs. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (the government agency that is in charge of regulating pesticides)
has recorded more than 1,700 cases of bird kills attributed to pesticide
use. These chemicals being used by landscapers and the average homeowner
can infiltrate the air we breathe and the water we drink as well.
It is hopeful to hear that Camden’s residents are
taking steps in and around their own homes and are being proactive. They
are testing their soil to see what their soil needs to live and flourish
rather than spray toxic chemicals and kill both pests and the good
creatures in the soil. They are using safe products that have always been
in their home, such as baking soda and vinegar, to control unwanted guests
in their lawns. Children and pets can play safely without ingesting toxins
from their hands or paws. Neighbors are talking and working together to
create an environment that’s not just beautiful but healthy.
This new policy was adopted on Earth Day. With the help
of Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited, the first annual Green Fair was held on
April 19th. Marsha Smith and the Citizens for a Green Camden showed us how
to find alternatives that were available to us all along at our local
garden center. Paul Tukey, founder of the SafeLawns Organization, talked to
participants about keeping healthy lawns and gardens organically.
Camden is now off to a fine start. I am a resident in
Rockport. I would like to see Rockport recognize this extremely important
issue and jump on board with Camden to make this beautiful part of
Maine’s coast a healthy one.
We now have the “tools” to begin to make
our lawns safer and gardens healthier. We can encourage those who maintain
our parks and playgrounds to use safe methods, with the same desired
outcome.We can purchase safe, organic alternatives to clean up the poisoned
playing fields our young athletes have been playing on. We can ask our
landscapers to use organic means to make our lawns healthy for our
children, pets and wildlife.
We, the residents of Rockport, have to ask our Select
Board to listen and respond to our concerns about our neighborhood. Our
Penobscot Bay Medical Center has taken the lead by encouraging
environmentally friendly practices on the hospital campus. Their group,
Shades of Green, held their first annual Green Fair last June. PBMC now has
virtually chemical-free lawns and gardens. No pesticides or other products
are used anywhere on campus.
These are leaders in our own community who have started
something strong and positive. They have paved the way, but now it’s
up to us to carry on and talk to our neighbors, spread the good word about
safe alternatives, instead of spreading chemical fertilizers that can have
serious effects on our lives.
I hope the people of Rockport are reading this, because
we should thank the Citizens for a Green Camden and keep the momentum going
that their great effort has started. It’s a win-win. Who knows, maybe
someone from Rockland is reading this as well.
MARSHA MONGELL, Rockport
Maine Farmland Trust and the Erickson Farm —
A recent letter to this paper questioned the value of
preserving the Erickson Farm in Rockport, while suggesting (not too
politely) that Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) should be spending its resources
helping real farmers instead.
MFT is a statewide non-profit dedicated to supporting
working farms. We provide a variety of useful services to hundreds of
“real farmers.” Our major focus is on preserving farmland
through agricultural easements. Many farmers want to preserve their land
this way, in part because doing so can lower their tax burden and/or allow
them to gain funds to lower their debt or expand their operation.
MFT also runs a highly successful FarmLink program,
which helps retiring farmers find new farmers to take over. To date,
we’ve made 33 matches — that’s 33 farms that will
continue to operate for another generation.
MFT has recently partnered with Aldermere Farm to
preserve the Erickson property that Aldermere relies upon for pasture and
hayland. Though Aldermere is a non-profit organization, it is still a farm,
producing local food and selling hay and breed-stock that other farms
depend upon. Beyond this, Aldermere directly serves the local community
with educational programs. These programs enhance public understanding and
appreciation of farming, and help increase consumer demand for products
from other Maine farms.
Since its founding in 1999, MFT has helped preserve
over 10,000 acres of Maine farmland owned by the kind of farmers the writer
thinks we’ve ignored. The Erickson property will represent less than
1% of our impact.
Though MFT’s primary focus will always be on
farms owned by individuals, we are particularly proud of our partnership
with Aldermere. Not only does the Erickson land play an important role in
the region’s farm economy, but given the land’s high visibility
and location near local schools, Aldermere is poised to create special new
programming that will raise public awareness that much higher. And it is
only through increased public awareness of farming that Maine’s
farmers will ever gain the full respect and support they deserve.
JOHN PIOTTI, Executive Director, Maine Farmland Trust
Maine Farmland Trust: No Sour Grapes —
I.M. Kynd wrote a thought-provoking letter regarding
Maine Farmland Trust and the Erickson Farm Preservation Project. Istrongly
support local organic farmers and growers. I am keeping an eye on the slow
progress of a new fair Farm Bill. Ihave written to my representatives
about passing a Farm Bill that supports local farms, not subsidizes large
agribusiness. Yet I see preserving farmland/open space that was destined
for development and supporting local farms as comparing apples to
blueberries — both are on my plate and without the sour grapes.
I.M. Kind II —
a.k.a. K.K. Brown, Lincolnville
Unfair Treatment —
It has recently come to my attention that
Belfast’s non-profit organization The Game Loft, as well as Waldo
County itself, has been unfairly treated by the Tobacco Settlement Fund.
This fund is a program under the Maine Department of Health and Human
Services dedicated to after-school programs. Its goal is to assist at least
one program in each county.
The Game Loft, a well-established and valuable
non-profit organization for teens in Belfast, has received funds from the
Tobacco Settlement for the past seven years. This year The Game Loft
applied as before, having been assured that existing providers such as
themselves would be given priority. The Game Loft, it turned out, was the
ONLY applicant from Waldo County.
Recently The Game Loft received notice that they had
been turned down. Given this organization’s past stellar achievements
and its past relationship with this fund, and given that the County of
Waldo itself has been cut from the benefits of this fund, The Game Loft has
elected to appeal the decision. Please know that all of Belfast is in
support of The Game Loft, and that we, as Maskers, urge you to review this
decision.
LILIAS OUTERBRIDGE, President, Belfast Maskers, Belfast
Soup Kitchen Supporters —
I am privileged to coordinate the soup kitchen (on
behalf of Adas Yoshuron Synagogue) at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in
Rockland once a month, Easter and Christmas. Our area businesses have
been very generous over the years and I would like to thank them formally
for their kindness.
Please join me in patronizing each of these businesses
and thanking them for their generosity (in no particular order): Thomaston
Café, Rustica, Francine’s, West Street Market, Dead River,
Amato’s, Domino’s Pizza, Market Basket, Sweet Sensations,
Brick’s, The Brown Bag and Primo’s have either donated whole
meals or were part of the lunch we served.
Our Easter dinner was fabulous too. Appetizers were the
perfect beginning to a wonderful meal; Café Miranda, Rustica,
Waterfront and In Good Company made scrumptious dishes. Hannaford donated
the succulent spiral hams; Billy’s Tavern and Shaw’s provided
food for the main course. Incredible desserts from Sweet Sensations, The
Pastry Garden, The Brown Bag and Market Basket were enjoyed by all. Planet
donated wonderful Easter gifts for the children.
Not to be left out were the many people (adults and
children) who came and volunteered; they set-up, made appetizers and foods
for the main meal and cleaned up. With everyone’s help and good
cheer, it was a wonderful celebration.
We look forward to continuing to serve the many people
we see and befriend each month.
LISA BREHENY, Rockport
Thanks to All for Successful Fund-raiser —
Thank you to everyone who so generously contributed in
so many ways in helping to make our Treasure Sale on Saturday, April 5, a
very successful fund-raiser. Also, thank you to the Owls Head Community
Building for providing their excellent facility and generous parking.
In addition, thank you to the newspapers, radio
stations and the television channels for our public service announcements
of our fund-raiser.
Freedom Riders is a non-profit therapeutic horseback
riding facility for children and adults located on Route 1, Warren.
ALICE HURD, Volunteer/Board Member, Freedom Riders,
Warren
Iraq War Survey —
Thank you for the “Iraq War Survey” by
River School students published in last week’s Free Press.
God bless their teacher, Louisa Carl, and the fine
students that did the time and work to come up with the statistics.
It’s an embarrassment really, that we do not
write our representatives, etc., just suffer in silence.
Thanks to them, I will start sharing the opinion of the
majority of those canvassed by taking the time to write the letters, sign
the petitions, etc., to the leaders of our government.
Ann Daly, Camden
Thanks from 93.3 WRFR —
93.3 WRFR-LP’s April clothing swaps were both fun
and productive — the weather, food and company were all great. Thanks
to Penobscot School for letting us use their building and grill; the
volunteers who planned, organized, shopped, cooked, set up for and cleaned
up after the events; the babies, Frisbee players and dogs for providing the
entertainment; and to all the community members who contributed clothing
and came out to join us. We collected dozens of bags filled with items to
fit newborns up to plus sizes, and after redistributing quite a bit back
into the community, were able to donate a truckload full to Goodwill!
All in all, it was a marvelous time, and we thank everyone who
participated in making it so!
CATHY McGUINNESS, Station Manager, WRFR-LP, Rockland
$5,000 Raised in Knox County During Daffodil Days
—
Each year volunteers in the midcoast area work to make
the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days a great success. On
behalf of the American Cancer Society I would like to thank the many local
individuals, businesses and organizations for their eagerness to help. In
particular, thanks go to the many volunteers who wrapped, delivered and
sold flowers in the community.
More than $5,000 was raised in Knox County to improve
the quality of life for cancer patients and their families right here in
our community. Once again, Hannaford stores generously supported the
campaign by selling bouquets of daffodils and donating all of the proceeds
to the American Cancer Society.
Daffodil Days, like many of the Society’s fund
raising campaigns, is volunteer-driven. During Daffodil Days volunteers
prepared, delivered and purchased bouquets. Every volunteer was dedicated
to helping support the American Cancer Society’s vital research,
education, advocacy and patient programs and services. Thanks again to
everyone. I hope to see you during Daffodil Days 2009!
MELISSA CUSHMAN, Community Executive, American Cancer
Society
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Free Press, 8 North Main St., Rockland, ME 04841 (fax 596-6698; email
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