Bath Golf Club on the ballot
We are among the minority investors who helped purchase the Bath Golf Club more than a decade ago, and we are voting “YES” on the June 11 ballot measure. We are strongly opposed to plans of the majority owner to monetize the course by diminishing it and building cluster housing.
The Bath Golf Course has served the residents of Bath since 1932 as a place in nature away from highways and city noises, where folks can enjoy open vistas, dog walking, bird watching, hiking and winter sports. From our front-row seats, we believe that the club can be successfully managed under a different owner as an 18-hole golf course. Further, there has been no proposal from the majority owner that would guarantee the survival of a 9-hole golf course surrounding multi-family and cluster housing.
If you live in Bath, please join us in voting “YES” on June 11.
Susan and Jim Hummer,
Bob and Traci Footer,
Richard Marco,
Bath
Bath is better with an 18-hole golf course. Vote “Yes” on June 11 to protect the Golf Course District. There are few recreational venues in the area that provide year-round access to the outdoors; the course is used for sledding, cross-country skiing and walking. The 110 acres also act as a watershed and wildlife refuge.
Existing for nearly 100 years, the Bath Golf Course, within the Golf Course District, is a local treasure deserving of protection from destruction. The Planning Board unanimously voted to prohibit cluster and multi-housing from the Golf Course District, the City Council deferred to voters — a “Yes” vote on June 11 is Bath’s opportunity to Keep it Green!
Alicia Romac,
Bath
This past week, a number of yard signs started popping up in Bath suggesting that voters can save the Bath Golf Course by voting “NO” on the June 11 ballot measure. This is both absurd and dishonest. The owner of the 18-hole course — which has served the community since 1932 as a place not just for golf, but for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, dog walking and myriad nonprofit fundraising activities – is planning to destroy it to build “cluster housing.” How does that “Save Golf?” The ballot measure (which the planning board unanimously endorsed) will simply amend the zoning to align with the Bath Comprehensive Plan’s stated intention to preserve the course. People should not be fooled by the deceptive yard signs. Vote “Yes.”
Peter Blachly,
Bath
Tepler for Senate
Denise Tepler is the ideal candidate to represent Sagadahoc County and Dresden in the Maine State Senate. Her experience in the Maine House of Representatives enables her to effectively work to make sure our citizen’s voices continue to be heard, local and state concerns addressed in Augusta. These are the qualities needed for our citizen legislature to function at its best.
We have known Denise, and her involvement in community and broader civic issues since our children attended Williams Cone School in Topsham. She is committed to just solutions to the challenges we face including support for education, strengthening the natural resource economy, access to affordable health care and lowering property taxes. Her effectiveness has been amply demonstrated by her previous service as our State Representative. Denise has the experience, talent, vision and skills to immediately and effectively represent District 24 in the Maine State Senate, should she be elected.
We urge your support and vote for Denise, in the June 11 primary and again in November.
Susan Chadima and Mike Steitzer,
Topsham
On Tuesday, June 11th, I will be enthusiastically supporting Denise Tepler as the right person to represent Sagadahoc County and Dresden, Senate District 24. Why? In two words, leadership and experience. I was a first-term legislator when COVID hit Maine and I served with Denise on the committee that handles health coverage and insurance. As the House co-chair of the committee, her leadership and experience during this very stressful and challenging time (for all of us) was critical to the success of our committee, which completed its work with a significant number of bipartisan supported bills.
Denise generously provided mentoring of great value to me as a freshman legislator. I quickly learned that Denise was skilled at listening to people and bringing others together around common-sense, workable solutions.
During her eight years in the Maine House, Denise proved herself to be dedicated to her constituents and committed to using their hard-earned tax dollars fairly and wisely, with a focus on both the present and future good. She was an excellent, hardworking, and effective State Representative who will serve the people of Senate District 24 with excellence as their State Senator. Vote TEPLER on June 11!
Rep. Poppy Arford,
Brunswick
If you support education, Denise Tepler should get your vote in this upcoming election.
Prior to her eight years in the state legislature, Denise dedicated six years of service to the MSAD 75 School Board. Serving in both these capacities matters because these experiences have provided the knowledge and skill needed to create good education policy that will work at the local level.
As a Senator, she will work hard to assure that the state continues to meet its fifty five percent school funding obligation. She knows that without this state commitment local property taxes would rise or school budgets would need to be cut.
Denise believes in the value of a great public education. All five of her children went through our local public schools and two of them chose careers in education. As an active school parent she saw first hand the commitment that our teachers and support staff give to our kids everyday. Seeing and experiencing this gave her a deep respect of educators.
I’m voting for Denise because I know she will serve us well in the Senate. Her work in education as a parent, School Board member and as a Legislator will provide the foundation for her future work in improving education. Please join me in sending Denise to the Senate.
Jim Byrne,
Topsham
Guzzetti for Senate
This year, I’m excited to support Jean Guzzetti for Maine State Senate District 24, representing Sagadahoc County and Dresden.
She spent time at the State House as a policy analyst, so she’s familiar with the behind-the-scenes way policy is created, as well as establishing relationships with the State House staff. She was the elected register of probate for Sagadahoc County, learning election campaigns as well as elected office, and she’s worked at the Public Utilities Commission. If it were just the resume, I’d vote for her and move on — but as a middle-aged white guy, I’m excited to see fewer people that look like me filling the State House. I’m looking for youth and diversity. Jean brings both of those things – a younger woman’s voice at the State House is compelling.
But these aren’t the real things that excite me. What truly excites me about Jean is that she is bringing with her a group of enthusiastic high school and college-aged young adults as her Youth Advisers. This is truly remarkable. How do we get today’s youth involved with policy? Apparently, you just have to ask them and then be willing to listen to them as Jean is doing. It’s this simple action that compels me to believe she will be an excellent Senator, asking her constituents and then listening. Something so simple, yet so few seem to know how, or take the time to do. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Jean Guzzetti for Senate District 24 next month.
George Sprague,
Bath
I plan to vote for Democrat Jean Guzzetti to represent me in the Maine Senate on June 11. I met her this spring and was impressed with her understanding of many issues facing municipalities going forward. Her extensive and varied background seem to have forged her appreciation of overriding issues as well. I think the Senate would benefit from her fresh approach and willingness to engage with such a wide variety of perspectives.
Sukey Heard,
Arrowsic
For me I am certain. We need Jean Guzzetti in our senatorial seat representing us with her innovative, informed insights and sensitivities.
As together we face an unfamiliar, uncertain future, Jean is that thoughtful, engaged, articulate person needed to meet the challenges of this moment. Of this time. To speak and act for us in the face of burgeoning, unprecedented challenges to our cherished Pine Tree State.
There are times when it is wise to look beyond the past to find legislative approaches to the challenges we face. Now is one of those moments. For us in Sagadahoc County this means new representation in Augusta. A new Senator with a fresh perspective, one who listens carefully and compassionately to us and speaks articulately for us on the floor of the Senate.
With her knowable, pragmatic views regarding such pressing matters as affordable housing; available, affordable healthcare and childcare; social justice and economic equality; living wage jobs and sustainable responses to our transforming climate, Jean’s careful listening and hearing of us and her broad public service experience will carry us all forward to new, promising ways of thinking and acting.
The challenges ahead, shaping the future for us and our families, are numerous. Many without precedent. Here are but a few: What to do regarding the warming waters of our beloved Gulf of Maine and beautiful Kennebec. How to humanly embrace our steadily increasing homeless population. How to rescue our “pressed to the wall” health systems facing a dearth of health care providers – particularly in rural settings. How to fully and finally protect a women’s right to choose what health care is best for herself and her loved ones.
What worked yesterday, in the face of such demanding challenges, holds limited promise of being useful in our coming tomorrows.
So, for me I see but one choice for us here in Sagadahoc. One choice that will engage these crying needs to face our future with provocative thought and action — Jean Guzzetti.
William Foster,
Bath
Today I’m writing my first letter to the editor ever. I write in support of Jean Guzzetti for Maine Senate District 24. Jean has the energy, the desire, the experience and the personality to take representation of District 24 to a new level.
She may be a fresh face as a legislator (which is never a bad thing), but her experience as a nonpartisan legislative analyst and employee of the Maine Public Utilities Commission give her unmatched insight into crafting bills that will actually do something (positive) for the people of District 24 and ensuring that our utility bills don’t increase any more than they have to, respectively.
She is an independent thinker and not one beholden to partisan grandstanding or group-think. I met Jean a few weeks ago for the first time and was immediately impressed by her thoughtfulness, her ability to listen without judgment, her genuine desire to do good by her potential constituents versus appeasing and impressing party brass, and most importantly, her record of actually accomplishing good things at her previous appointments/employment.
As vice chairman of the Topsham Selectboard, I very much look forward to frequent communication from and assistance with State matters that impact my town that I know Jean would provide in a timely manner with enthusiasm and clarity. District 24 needs a new face and a fresh perspective in Augusta and that’s why I encourage you to vote for Jean in the upcoming Primary on June 11.
Matt Nixon,
Topsham
Beauty standards
Women are beautiful. We can’t deny that. But the media often focuses only on physical beauty. I am 10 years old, and seeing this sometimes makes me want to change my body based on what I see everyday in TV shows, magazines and social media. My fifth- and sixth-grade friends have a band; I don’t want my bandmates and friends to feel like they have to change their bodies because they think there’s only one way that young women should look.
The media shows photos of women, but they don’t show how talented they are or how smart they are. These companies portray women in ways that are either not true or not picturing the whole person. First of all, the only women shown in the magazines are usually cisgendered, skinny, white and with exaggerated body parts. Some companies even use editing apps to make their models look more fake and plastic. No wonder girls doubt themselves based on these images. These models are some of the only female figures represented in the media, and they are not good ones.
My mom is a family doctor, and I was shocked when she shared that more than 8% of females have the mental health condition of eating disorder. This happens because women and girls do not like or doubt their bodies. There are around 10,200 deaths each year from eating disorders.
Beauty is not the most important thing. It may give you confidence and happiness, but it does not define you. I know that now, and I hope I remember that throughout my life, that I share this with others who view their bodies badly. Companies show women for a part of what they are, but not everything. I am so much more than pretty, I am smart and strong and kind and I wish these companies represent that in all of their products. There are so many incredible women that are famous for being strong and smart, not just beautiful.
“We were all born to be real, not to be perfect,” — Ralph Marston
Molly Hynes, age 10,
Brunswick
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story