Urge legislators to ‘stop the madness’

To the editor,

You never forget when murder at gunpoint hits close to you. It was January, 1995. I saw my friends being interviewed on the news about their beautiful, talented 18-year-old musician son Brendan. He was robbed on public transit in Chicago and shot through the eye. The shooter had a criminal record and had served time for identical crimes, but was still able to buy a gun.

Brendan lived a few days before his parents had to make the painful decision to end his life while his organs could still be harvested. I will forever remember the profound sadness of his funeral. Months later I wept when his mother showed me the thank you notes sent anonymously by the recipients of his organs. This is the hurt that will never heal.

So this is the Second Amendment that NRA-funded politicians defend … the “well regulated militia?” Please, let’s urge our legislators to stop this madness and honor all the Brendans of this country who left too soon.

Diane M. Denk

Kennebunkport

The song remains the same?

To the editor,

The town of Kennebunk is fortunate to have a dedicated planning board that works diligently to safeguard the interests of residents and the town. This quality of excellence was in full view at the board’s March 22 meeting when it reviewed Fred Forsley’s BR2 contract zone request to rezone 2 and 4 Doane’s Wharf.

The proposal asserts that its request to permit 50 parking spaces and eventually some years later, four condominiums would “align with the look, feel and priorities of Kennebunk” and “ease congestion in the downtown area.”

The review brought to mind a quip attributed to Yogi Berra, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

As an index of public opinion regarding this rezoning, it is instructive to note that Lower Village residents not only remember history, but have been an important part of that recent history.

Many residents remember when the 80-room Doane’s Wharf hotel proposal was rapidly shot down after 15 residents of Lower Village marched to the podium and unanimously objected to that Trojan Horse.

The voices of the people of Lower Village were heard again at the Kennebunk Select Board meeting on May 24. 2016, when the board was persuaded to reject a motion to submit a legal petition to Superior Court that would have allowed more parking at 2 and 4 Doane’s Wharf Road for the summer on the same coastal residential land where such parking had been denied by the Kennebunk Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 30, 2015.

In the early 1990s, there was a popular country music song titled, “What Part of No.”

The contract zone applicant might reflect on the question raised by the lyrics of  that hit song:  

You’ve been coming on.
If I’ve told you once
I’ve told you twice.

What part of ‘no’
Don’t you understand?

Robert F. Lyons

Kennebunk

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