Joanie can sure throw a massive party. Or, I should say, Joan Benoit Samuelson and her stellar staff can sure put on one of the premier 10Ks in the world.

Held in Cape Elizabeth every August for the past 13 years, the TDBank Beach to Beacon event hosts 6,000 runners and gets better every year.

The seemingly unassuming Olympics marathon champion has had a profound effect on professional athletes, every other stripe of athlete and all others that are just paying attention.

After a road race in Freeport many years ago, I told Joan that she and Larry Bird were responsible for me being a runner. Her two-word response: “Oh baloney.” That would seem to be a big part of the way she deals with all the tremendous notoriety she has lived with for so long.

I still run, but in the past few years instead of running Beach to Beacon, I volunteer passing out water at Mile 3.

What a blast. First, you see the folks on the push-and-pull bikes, which is something else, then the elite runners of the world, who are glorious, then the thousands of runners of all calibers, and that is a thrill that goes on for at least an hour.

Many, many people make this landmark race run so very well. Joan Benoit Samuelson is the burning inspiration behind it.

Thank you so much.

Zoo Cain

South Portland

‘DARE-a-go’ or ‘Der-I-go?’ Why a new pronunciation?

Since I can remember, my great-grandparents, grandparents and everyone I knew growing up in Maine pronounced the state motto as “Der-I-go.” But for the last several years, I have heard it as “DARE-a-go.”

Why and when did this take place?

James Skillings

North Yarmouth

Deported restaurant owners deserved better treatment

In reference to the letter written by John and Rilla Harrell about Dean and Laura Franks, it is high time there is some outrage about this terrible situation.

In a day and age when our economy is struggling, why would we deny renewal of the green cards to these two law-abiding people who worked to improve their community by running a successful small business and employing many local people?

I congratulate Rep. Chellie Pingree for stepping up to help these people. Where are Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins? Where is the outrage of the citizens of Maine? This is simply wrong!

Evelyn Noyes

Windham

Arms treaty with Russia needs support to pass

It is frustrating to see how partisan politics seems to be getting in the way of important action by the U.S. Senate to move the New START Treaty through to ratification.

How else can the delay be explained? I thank The Press Herald for its editorial in support.

One issue that I commented on in letters to our two senators relates to the treaty’s provisions to continue (and improve) the verification measures of the prior START treaty.

Russia has the prospect of being an extremely important international relationship for the United States and the more we can do to increase the intimate communication between us, as represented by those provisions of the new treaty, the closer we and Russia can become.

I hope our senators will focus on the importance of this treaty’s timely ratification and provide the leadership within the Republican Party to move it along to full Senate debate and passage.

Martin Imm

Waldoboro

Delegation aided consumers by reining in oil derivatives

The “Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010” has several measures important to petroleum marketers and the public concerned about speculative increases in fuel prices.

The legislation places position limits on speculative oil traders and provides for greater transparency and oversight of commodity derivatives trading.

It preserves exemptions for those who use derivatives to hedge commodity price risks to keep their costs low, including end-users such as airlines, heating fuel and gasoline retailers, while prohibiting Wall Street traders and banks from exploiting those exemptions to evade regulation.

We thank Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree for their support.

Sens. Collins and Snowe were instrumental in bringing this issue to the attention of their colleagues by advocating legislation in 2008 that would have reined in speculation in energy derivatives before anyone knew what a derivative was.

By the end of 2008, speculation in derivatives lead to the massive surge in commodity prices ranging from heating oil and gasoline to wheat and livestock. And casino-like derivatives trading in housing, credit, insurance and other areas of finance nearly brought the country back into a Great Depression.

Unlike casinos, however, derivatives trading operated under no rules, all at the expense of the public — either through higher prices for commodities, or through the subsequent bail-outs.

Without these reforms, farmers, petroleum marketers, airlines, fishermen and homeowners, to name a few, would be at the mercy of speculative trading that has no regard for the end user.

While there may be parts of the financial reform bill that are concerning to some, Sens. Snowe and Collins did the right thing for the people of Maine and America by voting this through the Senate.

Jamie Py

President, Maine Energy Marketers Association

Portland

Roma had wonderful food and even better memories

As a summer resident, I can only say how very sad it is to note the The Roma restaurant has closed. Founded in 1924, it had to be the oldest or one of the oldest restaurants in town.

My parents even dated at the Roma during World War II when my father was an intern at the old Maine General Hospital.

During my residency at MMC in the ’70s, the Roma and Bramhall Pub were welcome spots of respite from the rigors of medical training.

I sincerely hope someone re-opens this Portland institution.

Mark Stitham, M.D.

Cape Elizabeth

 

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