`Black Bears cheer up patients at EMMC

In lieu of the recent controversy regarding hockey and violence I felt compelled to write this letter.

On March 16 my daughter was having outpatient testing done at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. During her stay she had to go to the eighth floor for recovery. While there two members of the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team were visiting the children and signing autographs.

They came into my daughter’s room and signed an autograph not only for her but for my other two children as well. We live in Aroostook County and don’t watch much hockey, but Jimmy Howard and Frank Doyle may have changed that for my daughter. Since that day she has become very interested in hockey and the Maine Black Bears.

I wanted to thank them for putting a smile on my daughter’s face, and to let them know that they have a fan in Houlton.

Hockey isn’t all about the fights and maybe the NHL should take a crash course in sportsmanship and remember it’s only a game.

Julie Sabatis

Houlton

UM women’s team deserves our gratitude

The weekend of March 20 I was fortunate to have been in Missoula, Mont., to see the University of Maine women’s basketball team play in the NCAA tournament. Throughout the four days I was there, I repeatedly heard people comment on what an exceptionally polite, friendly and talented group of young athletes, band members and cheerleaders we have.

These were people like the flight engineer on the charter, the owner of a restaurant where our team ate, and Montana fans – all people who had come in contact with many other teams, bands and cheerleaders. Our students stood out and elicited words of high praise over and over again. There could be no better ambassadors than these students for the state of Maine and for the University of Maine.

These days, when misbehaving athletes and athletic programs receive endless publicity, I think it is important to let people know that these University of Maine students are representing their university and our state exceptionally well They deserve our support and gratitude.

Marjie Harris

Bangor

Solution needed to cut cost of tourney tickets

High school basketball tournaments in the state of Maine are not only the culmination of a season of dedication and hard work by students, coaches, parents, teachers and volunteers, but also a showcase for friends, relatives and other groups interested in the positive achievements of “our” youth. “The community raises a child”.

If support is important, I am confused by the spiraling cost of tournament tickets. According to some acquaintances, the cost for multiple games is prohibitive. Often these are the same people who have been on the sidelines all year, believing that the program is worthwhile and supporting the students and staff. It is cheaper to take a family to a movie than to have them attend a local basketball tournament session.

I do understand that not all activities are profitable and these tournaments bring money to the system. The real question becomes: Are the tournaments held to provide income or held as a final activity for those students who have fine tuned their skills and met stated goals?

There must be a pricing structure that allows a more palatable choice than staying home to observe the action on television, which is a very good alternative for those who are physically unable to attend or whose work schedules are not compatible with the times allotted. Varied marketing schemes could be offered; such as, but not limited to, block prices for a session a day for each day of the tournament, family deals, senior citizen designations, or tiered pricing as the tournament progresses.

Multiple pricing structures such as these might encourage attendance. So many empty seats is disappointing, especially after being among the capacity crowds of years gone by. I would hope accommodating crowds is not a thing of the past, for I think the public interest still abounds. Hearing the crowd roar for a favorite team at the Bangor Auditorium is exhilarating. I hope a basketball tradition is not lost because of a perceived financial dilemma.

Jan Budden

Bangor

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