For the record

I am writing this letter in response to a recent story condemning the trapping of animals in Maine. It is not meant to undermine the opinion of a fellow human being, mainly to set the record straight. I think it is unfortunate that the day has arrived in our society where an individual might advocate a harsher sentence of a trapper or hunter over a convicted pedophile, rapist, or murderer. You don’t believe me, just ask the opinion of a member of Greenpeace or other animal rights group whose devotion to fighting legal trappers and hunters across the U.S.A. is evident in the form of a seemingly endless source of incoming revenge supplied by a plethora of liberals that would be better suited to directing their efforts toward helping their fellow man.

I have trapped since the age of 14 and it has sustained me through two college degrees and the ups and downs of life. In fact, I have discovered raccoon and fox asleep in my traps. They were not in distress. Trapping at an early age taught me respect for the woods, it’s critters, and allowed me to obtain a wonderful work ethic. We who trap are not toothless members of an inhumane cult. Instead, my grandfather was a banker who underwrote several loans for good people of limited financial resources that he felt were worthy of taking a chance on. My father is a retired high school principal who touched the lives of thousands of kids over his career. Myself, I work in physical therapy where I hope I impact the lives of my patients in a positive light. What do we all have in common? We trap and we are good people. As for my 8-month-old daughter, so shall she someday.

People, if you could ask an animal, “Today, you choose, would you rather battle with rabies, distemper, or starvation, all of which proliferate with overpopulation, or would you rather match wits with Rob, the Trapper?” I bet the animal would choose the trapper – at least it would have a sporting chance.

Rob Ritchie

Lincoln

Praise for PCHS

It is with a great deal of pride that I acknowledge the girls varsity basketball team at PCHS! They have had a humbling year of basketball with only two wins, a couple of close calls, and several losses. However, they are golden in the eyes of the few fans that have followed them this year.

What is most impressive about these girls is they still go out and try to be good sports, even when it seems all is against them. Sometimes you can give it all you have and the game just does not go your way. It was good to see that some of the coaches of the teams we played used our misfortune to play some of their players that may not see much playing time. And then you have the coach who feels they need to play their seasoned players to drive home a 50-point win in the tournaments, leaving at least six players on the bench the whole game. Little does a coach know, it makes them more arrogant. They will never know the privilege of being as gracefully humble as our Lady Pirates!

I have just as much respect for our girls basketball team as I do our No. 1 Class C boys basketball team!

Anita Libby-Kain

Parkman

In Thorne’s defense

In the Fan Feedback section, Frederick L. Denico criticized a column by Gary Thorne. He states that Mr. Thorne did not present accurate facts regarding who controls access in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Then Mr. Denico proceeded to make statements that are contrary to printed law. It is was quite astonishing to see Mr. Denico stated that the State of Maine cannot enforce the laws of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway without the authorization of the private landowner. Then he goes on to say that it was through his intervention that Seven Islands gave the Bureau of Parks and Lands permission to enforce state laws. As a member of the Allagash Advisory, he should know better. All Mr. Denico has to do is read Maine Revised Statues Title 12, section 1881. As stated by law it is clear that the Bureau of Parks and Lands has the “sole control of access to the waterway from any public road.”

This type of claim is nothing more than a poorly orchestrated attempt to reduce the authority of the Bureau of Parks and Lands for a personal agenda. None of our natural resources will be properly protected if state agencies, which are charged with the task, have to ask permission to enforce state regulations. Those who serve on the Allagash Advisory Committee should take care to inform themselves about the laws of the Waterway. The Department of Conservation should ensure that uninformed advisory members are educated.

Tim Caverly

Director, Maine PEER

Freedom of religion

In response to the Donnas Hall and Gilbert, who say no sports on Sunday, the last time I checked this was a free country which allows you people to do your church thing and others to do what they want. If you want to go to church on Sunday, then more power to you, but let other people do what they want. What harm is it doing to you and what business is it of yours if other people want to use their Sunday to do what they want to do? You so-called Christians are all alike. If someone doesn’t think like you do, then they are a big evil sinner. You live your life and I’ll live mine. Sorry if I’m the only one with the nerve to express this view.

Steve Poole

Winterport

Against open tourney

I witnessed one of the saddest events last night for my family, local school and community. Our high school boys basketball team lost in the second round of the preliminary open tournament format.

Now lest you quickly blow this off as a disgruntled parent whose son’s team lost, please hear me out. The open tournament concept is still a mystery to me. Why did the system need a change? I know of no one, especially coaches and athletic directors, who were in favor of this change.

I am so tired of this touchy, feely, make everybody feel good attitude that pervades our society today. For as long as I can remember everyone knew, if you are in the top eight or ten of your division, you go to the tournament. Some get there more than others; however, I know of no one who was traumatized and damaged for life when their team didn’t make it. It gave an incentive, a goal, something to work toward. Now the Maine Principal’s Association has changed all of this to encourage those “feel good” emotions.

Let me tell you about feel good. Last night, our high school team lost a heartbreaker. We were the No. 6 seed and we lost to the 11th seed. This is not to downplay their accomplishment, but we should never have been in that position. It doesn’t matter how many times you tell an 0-18 team they are in the tournament, they aren’t. The tournament is not the games played out in the small local gyms around the state. The tournament is Bangor!

These boys have worked seven long weeks for this chance. Their regular season accomplishments were just was asked of them. They had 15 wins and three losses. One of those wins was against the No. 1 team in Eastern Maine Class D and one against the No. 4 team. These kids deserve to see that shrine in Bangor. Last year, we went to Bangor under the old format as the sixth seed, same as this year, and ended up in the Eastern Maine finals, and that was a team that lost only two seniors to graduation.

These boys are devastated as are the families when we see their pain and are helpless to relieve it. We have told our kids that hard work, integrity, honesty, and fair play will be rewarded; what do we tell them now? This smacks of communism, take from the haves and give to the have-nots; you have done so much better than these kids over here, so let’s even the playing field and take some of this ability and success away and give it to others so they will feel good.

MPA, please keep your fingers out of our kids lives when it is not necessary. The only thing I could tell my senior son was that “You guys did your part. The adults have let you down.” 2000-2001 Easton High School Bears, coach Young and assistant McFarlane, thank you for many great years of basketball and so much more as you are the pride and joy of your families and your positive attitudes will take you far. From a proud parent.

Steve Perry

Easton

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