Harvey says goodbye

On Dec. 1, I worked my last day at WLBZ-2 (Bangor) as the sports director and anchor, a position I held for nearly three years. On that day, I was not afforded an opportunity to say goodbye on air to the people who had watched my sportscasts during that time.

In the past few months, kind words have come publicly from people such as Joe McLaughlin of the Bangor Daily News and Ron Brown of Maine Roundball Magazine, which I appreciate because it is support from colleagues. I have also heard from a number of people who watched me on Channel 2 and listened to me during my time at WZON AM-620 (Bangor), your words have meant the most to me because you are the people I was trying to inform and entertain.

When I was told my contract was not going to be renewed, it was easy to feel like a failure at my job. However, hearing from you, the public, has let me know that I was appreciated, perhaps not by management, but by the viewers who let me into their homes every night at six o’clock to talk sports with them over dinner.

I had a lot of help doing my job, from people that I worked with to athletic directors, players and coaches. There are a number of things that I miss about my job, like being on the floor of the Bangor Auditorium for every game of the high school basketball tournament or covering the UMaine hockey team at the Alfond. But most of all I will miss talking with you, the fans, about the sports in our area and the games that people play.

I enjoyed my time that I did have with you and I hope to one day be welcomed into your homes once again to talk about the sports and games that we love. Thank you.

Wayne Harvey

Bangor

Fulton hits the mark

Thanks to Rodney Fulton for exposing Governor Baldacci’s “snow job” on the bear-hunting referendum (BDN, 12-12). I, too, attended the “Sportsmen’s Congress,” an annual propaganda extravaganza produced by the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), starring George Smith; numerous Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife employees, and the Governor.

In his speech, Governor Baldacci urged the people of Maine to “trust the biologists,” and reject the referendum. Would those be the same biologists who, for more than 20 years, abandoned all claim to scientific wildlife management by promoting, conducting and defending the worthless, egregiously cruel coyote-snaring program? The same biologists who, even now, in the cold light of day, are working like an army of automatons to reinstate the program? The DIF&W has a credibility gap the size of Moosehead Lake. Trust them? Right, Governor.

Susan Cockrell

Holden

Questioning coverage

Have a Heart BDN,

The Saturday sports section (BDN, Dec. 6) featured (with photo) a terribly humiliating defeat by an area girls high school basketball team.

Why? There were so many other games the same night. These kids lost by 71 points! Would you so loudly publish those results if it were your child?

Harold Murray

Monson

Faith in wardens lost

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading John Holyoke’s story about the needless killing of moose and deer. Let me tell you a story that happened to me. During the current moose season my brother and I were out bird hunting when we spotted a wounded moose beside the road. We did not want to see the moose meat go to waste with all the people in the area out of work. We came to town to call the wardens and then drove back to the area to show them where it was and helped clean and load the moose. Two days later two wardens showed up at my home to ask me a few questions. They made me feel like a criminal, I think they thought I shot the moose. If I saw Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden kill all the moose in Maine, I would not call the warden service. They would try to make me look like I was a Taliban fighter or an Iraqi terrorist.

Thank You,

William C. LaFlamme

Old Town

Praise for YWCA pool

On some bitter cold days when I wonder why I live here, I make a list of reasons – the Bangor-Brewer YWCA’s Aloupis pool is always on it. Our community is fortunate to have this beautiful, spacious pool available to so many. Two groups have recently written letters to this paper upset that they could not get the swim times they wanted. The YW pools are busy, especially after school and used by more than 1,000 people a day in classes, lap swims, and by the YWCA/YMCA, and the Brewer and John Bapst high school swims teams. As a YWCA board member, I want to remind the community that the YW is a non-profit, tight budget organization that strives to keep fees affordable to as many individuals and families as possible while maintaining a friendly, clean, and safe facility. I am sorry that not all groups can be accommodated for the precise times they want, but hundreds do swim and love this pool.

Jan Owen

Bangor