My husband is an avid hunter, and we allow hunters on our property, but we both oppose Sunday hunting.

We allow hunting on six days but feel Sunday is our “safe day” during the hunting season to walk and check our property.

It might come as a surprise to the author of a letter on Oct. 24 that not everyone shares their enthusiasm for hunting. While I share my property with hunters, nonhunters also have equal playing time on weekends.

Not all “busy” people with 9-5 jobs are hunters. Sunday is a wonderful and peaceful time to go horseback riding, to enjoy nature walking with family and friends, or to take your dog for a walk without the fear of a careless hunter shooting you, a loved one or a beloved pet.

If the writer feels that strong about his hunting time, I suggest he consider taking his vacation time during hunting season, as my husband and other hunters have done for years.

He mentions the need for more hunting pressure.

But if Sunday hunting ever becomes law, my land will be posted with “No Hunting” signs and countless other landowners will post their property with such signs, or worse yet, “No Trespassing” at anytime.

He might get that extra day, but fewer places to hunt. Sunday hunting and no place to hunt!

Maine is a beautiful place to be shared by all.

Katherine Colbath

New Gloucester

 

What’s with hunting every day? Some of us need a break to be able to walk or ride horses without fear of being shot.

On a recent Sunday I headed out on my horse only to be spooked by gunshot — hopefully target practice. But still, it was cause enough to head back. Busy working folk only have the weekend to enjoy the great outdoors of Maine. We can only go out one day a week for the month of November.

Most of us have Thanksgiving off. We cannot go out safely in the woods that day, but hunters can. Even wearing orange does not prevent hunters from being shot.

I do not feel safe during hunting season in my own backyard, even with me in blaze orange and my horse wrapped in surveying orange. Please leave Sunday to a day of peace and safety.

Mary Ann Wilson

Brunswick

 

Living on a rural road not as tranquil as it sounds

 

Living on Poland Range Road in Pownal is not the way life should be. Twelve neighbors and state Rep. David Webster and Sgt. Paul Thorpe of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department met Oct. 24 because of frustration and anger at what is happening on our patch of country road.

We cannot take our children and pets for walks, we cannot exercise, and it is not even safe to drive on occasion. The speed limit 35 mph, but drivers are doubling that. Walkers have been peppered with gravel because there is not enough concern to slow down for pedestrians and children.

A fellow resident was instrumental in having the Sheriff’s Department put up speed limit signs and a digital sign notifying drivers of their speed — to no avail.

Sgt. Thorpe said that on any given day, a single deputy covers Pownal, Gray, New Gloucester and North Yarmouth. The thin coverage leaves problems in whose hands? The citizens? We cannot stand for what is happening on our road.

Weekends are another issue — drinking, driving, cruising and littering.

I am at a loss to see such disregard for the people who live on this stretch of road. It is very dangerous. I would hate to think it is going to cost someone their life to shed some light on what needs to be done.

Melissa McCrea

Pownal

 

Most recent Dash of Diva lacked one key ingredient

 

My partner and I attended the Dash of Diva on Oct. 22. Although it was apparent that the organizers strived to put on a good event, the promise of “food, fun, and festivities” lacked one of those ingredients: the food.

If not for Hannaford providing fruit and chocolate bars and food provided by the Cabot Cheese representatives, we would have starved. One vegetable platter was cleaned out and not replenished. Tiny portions of chicken cordon bleu went by once, and never appeared again.

In addition, the environment was crowded, chaotic and stressful. I know we weren’t the only ones disappointed.

It is unlikely that we would attend again but, if we did, we would recommend that more food be available for an event that lasts for 4½ hours and has an admission cost of $12.

Laura Devlin

Portland

Story of lost diamond provides perfect ‘faithlift’

 

Thank you, Bill Nemitz, for that wonderful story on Deb King’s lost diamond. I read it while I was in a bit of a funk, emotionally and spiritually, and that was just the “faithlift” I needed.

I burst out laughing when I saw the word “sparkling” on the can caught her eye — just moments after her sister told her to look for something sparkling. It’s as if God was saying, “Look here!” with a big neon sign.

It reminded me of Isaiah 49:16: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” That gem was resting in His perfect care the whole time! Believe, people, believe!

Lucie Tardif

Portland

 

Sentence penned by Ph.D. a real head-scratcher

 

Would someone please explain what the following sentence (published in a Maine Voices column by Karen Lemke, Ph.D., on Oct. 13) is supposed to mean: “What children can do at different stages of their development is the missing hard drive in teach-assess practices that dictate much of contemporary practices.”

If that’s the best a professor of education can do to express herself, the system is indeed in grave trouble.

Judith Friedlaender

Yarmouth

 

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