Brunswick recycling decision makes little sense
The Time Record reported that the town of Brunswick is ending glass recycling to save about $7,000. Unfortunately, the town has not considered the fact that we will have to buy more Brunswick trash bags to put the non-recyclable glass in, adding more plastic to the landfill. If you add up the cost to Brunswick households of the extra trash bags we will have to use, I’ll bet it come out to a lot more than $7,000. As of 2018, Brunswick had about 8,000 households. As a very conservative estimate, say we use one extra trash bag a month under the new system. That works out to $96,000 added cost to Brunswick taxpayers over the course of a year. Whatever the added cost to taxpayers is, it is certainly more than $7,000. This is worth following up.
David S. Page,
Brunswick
Brunswick should reverse course on glass recycling
Brunswick’s decision to stop recycling glass is, in my opinion, not only distressing, but downright irresponsible. We have a duty not only to our town budget, but to the larger community and the environment. To stop recycling glass is to condemn bottles and jars to the landfill, which already is overflowing. On the other hand, if the estimated savings to the budget between now and June 2021 is $7,000, that means that to continue recycling would cost each of Brunswick’s 20,000 citizens 35 cents. If the anticipated long term savings is $75,000, the result is that it would cost Brunswick’s citizens $3.75 apiece to continue recycling glass. The math alone shows that this decision is not only foolish, but unconscionable. It should be reversed immediately.
Margaret McGaughey,
Brunswick
Investing in kids best step for society
I was very encouraged to read your recent article on Head Start funding (“Midcoast Maine Community Action Head Start has received $203K through CARES Act,” Sept. 1). Head Start is a vital program for young children across the nation. It provides the necessary support and early learning services to help ensure our youngest at-risk children ages are adequately prepared for school. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, only about 40 percent of eligible Maine kids were able to participate in Head Start programs. With social distancing recommendations, Head Start providers will need to enforce enrollment caps, leaving more children without access to the environment they need to thrive.
As a law enforcement officer, this issue is especially concerning to me. Early learning programs like Head Start help set kids on the path to success. A report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids found that Maine kids who participate in high-quality, early childhood education are less likely to be involved in crime later in life, and live healthier lifestyles. Investing in kids is our best opportunity to improve long-term public safety, health, and reduce crime in our communities.
The CARES Act gave crucial support to Midcoast Maine Head Start programs by allocating the additional funding and resources they will need to serve children from low-income families during the pandemic and beyond. I am so thankful to our members of Congress for prioritizing and investing in our nation’s youth during these unprecedented times.
Mike Field,
Bath Chief Police
Vote Meunier
I am writing to endorse Yvette Meunier for Topsham’s Board of Selectmen. Yvette is dedicated to serving Topsham. She is collaborative and hard-working. Yvette helped to spearhead the local plastic bag and Styrofoam ban. working with Saco, Brunswick, and Bath on this issue. When the Select Board stonewalled this community effort, Yvette worked tirelessly with the citizen’s group “Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast” to get hundreds of signatures for the single-use bag and styrofoam ordinance which passed by referendum vote in 2016.
Yvette is a strong solar advocate. She believes that climate change is the biggest challenge we face. Yvette championed Topsham’s solar ordinance and saw it through the planning process. It is now bringing in green businesses, adding to our tax revenue, and helping our climate. As an undergraduate, Yvette studied earth science. She went on to earn a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School for Public Service. She served Topsham on the Water District Board for six years. She volunteers for the Midcoast Hunger Prevention program. Yvette Meunier will bring youthful energy, vision, and the kind of leadership our community deserves. Please join me in supporting her.
Robin Brooks,
Topsham
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
