I want to congratulate the Portland Water District and others on supporting the new Sebago Lake management plan. It’s about time!

Only people who have been around the lake for 40-plus years really understand what a great and wonderful decision this will be. The beautiful, long white sandy beaches that used to be all around the lake will finally return if they do this.

Too long have we suffered for the needs of one greedy little marina and the damage to everybody’s enjoyment of this wonderful thing called Sebago Lake. I would not be surprised if this one decision, when and if implemented, ups the aggregate value of Sebago Lake frontage property by a cool billion or more.

All those who are new to the lake will get a wonderful surprise when they see what this does to their waterfront. They will quickly understand why, if this new plan goes through, it suddenly is worth more!

Daniel C. Pride

Windham

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Readers share thoughts on state energy proposals

Your article on Gov. LePage’s energy proposals contains a lamentable misstatement of technical fact (“LePage’s energy proposals elicit support, doubt,” March 15).

The article says, “These (high-efficiency electrical heating systems) could include a new generation of air-type heat pumps which produce more energy than they use.” If only.

Refrigeration systems, whether used for cooling (freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners) or for heating (heat pumps) do not produce energy; they move it from one lower temperature to a higher temperature. The ratio of the energy moved to the energy used to do the moving is called the Coefficient of Performance. If the difference between the low and the high temperature is small, say 25 degrees F, the COP can be considerably greater than 1.0. As the source temperature falls and the differential increases, the COP falls, until finally you reach a point at which you spend more energy than you move (the COP falls to less than 1.0). At that point, you are better off using resistance heat than the heat pump.

Unfortunately, I have seen too many unscrupulous vendors using this “producing energy” scam. The lay public is ill-served by mistakes such as yours.

Steve Collins, BSME

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Bridgton

If you were a legislator and your highest priority was Maine jobs and helping Mainers save energy dollars, would you support L.D. 1864, “An Act To Improve Efficiency Maine Trust Programs To Reduce Heating Costs and Provide Energy Efficient Heating Options for Maine’s Consumer”?

What if the proposed legislation were to transform an independently funded and managed office (with PUC oversight) into a bureaucratic entity, the director appointed by the governor and with finances incorporated into the state budget and subject to depletion by legislative actions? What if the legislation took a nimble agency that has successfully developed and deployed many different programs (efficient lighting, weatherization and alternative energy projects, for starters) to save homeowners and business owners’ millions of energy dollars and proposed that one program, an efficient electric home heat system replacement program, be the one energy-saving vehicle? And that lenders would include the electric company? And what if programs for alternative energy and weatherization were left totally dependent on a voluntary contribution program? And say that you knew that the cheapest, best way to save Mainers’ energy dollars was through a variety of dependably funded efficiency programs utilizing Maine businesses?

If you knew these things and really cared about energy savings and jobs for Mainers, I don’t imagine you’d support legislation like this. Would you?

Claudia King

Falmouth

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‘Augusta Nine’ never a threat to public safety

A trial will take place in Kennebec Superior Court next week. It bothers me that it’s happening at all.

The “Augusta Nine” were not and are not a threat to public safety. They are serious citizens voicing legitimate concerns about the state and the nation in which they live.

I’m distressed that our government chose mindless power to deal with a group of sincere and peaceful demonstrators objecting to a political environment which holds corporate well-being above individual well-being.

Some say the hours spent on the lawns of Blaine House last fall by a swarm of law enforcement officials (from Capitol police to game wardens), by the D.A.’s office, by court officers and by a Superior Court judge were necessary to maintain our system of justice.

My feeling is that pomposity is a colossal waste of taxpayer money.

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The incident is a classic case of governmental bravado. In cities throughout America, public officials have dealt with far more difficult situations without resorting to bullying.

In 1968, I witnessed the occupation of an administration building for 70 hours. The matter ended when the president of the university sat with the occupiers and listened attentively to their concerns. No damage was done. No charges were proffered. The dignity of both the institution and it’s administration were elevated.

Maine’s executive leadership fails to understand that solutions to difficult problems aren’t found in the application of force or threats, but by engaging reason and concern for legitimate opinions which may differ from its own agenda.

Cris Edward Johnson, Esq.

Old Orchard Beach

No need for Coast Guard to break up ice on Kennebec

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You have got to be kidding me! The Coast Guard has been advertising for weeks that they were going to break the ice on the Kennebec River. You would think that someone on that river would have called the Coast Guard to say there was no ice!

Or maybe the Coast Guard should have sent out a scout to see if there was ice. But no, three cutters from separate bases have wasted diesel fuel and man-hours to steam up the Kennebec to find open water. What a waste. And we wonder where our tax dollars go.

S.L. Varney

Windham


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