Shredding fundraiser a ‘great success’

To the editor,

We held our first shred event in partnership with the great husband-and-wife team of Jessica and Peter Everett of Shredding On Site of Bangor, on Saturday, April 23 at the North Street Fire Station in Kennebunkport and it was a great success.

First of all, thank you to the Kennebunkport town leadership: Laurie Smith, town manager; Jay Everett, fire chief; Dick Stedman, fire administrator, and Chris Simeoni, public works director and his staff.

Next, we would like to thank our sponsors: The Climate Initiative, Kennebunk Savings, Alisson’s Restaurant, David Reid Accounting, Ki Leffler-Coldwell Banker Realtor, and Karen Schlegel of Schlegel Realty and our active and caring Rotary volunteers and district leadership.

Of course, we need to give our heartfelt thanks to all of those residents that showed up with their years (and sometimes decades) worth of paper to be shredded. It feels good to be less cluttered and recycle 100 percent of our paper safely and instantly.

Lastly, we recycled four tons of paper and raised $2,000 to invest 100 percent back into the local community on this Earth Day weekend. We plan to make this a semi-annual event in April and October. See you in October.

Thank you all!

Steve Turner, community service chair
Kennebunk Portside Rotary

Improved fields would benefit community

To the editor,

I thank the Post for giving us all a platform to express our opinions. After reading the letters in the April 15 Post regarding the proposed athletic complex, I’d like to express mine.

I’m not quite as old as Mr. Lyons – but, I am pretty close. When my own three children were growing up, I volunteered to help out in various recreation department programs coaching youth basketball, soccer and Little League baseball. I’m still coaching, only now I help out for my grandchildren and their friends. And I can tell you, I still get great joy from seeing how happy these kids are when they run up to the field for practice or a game.

I wonder what would the kids in our community be doing if not participating in those “costly athletic programs?” I think most adults would agree that kids who participate in clubs and athletic programs develop responsibility, respect for teammates and pride in their accomplishments. These things are empowering to kids. Providing our community with access to these activities is an investment in the future of the youngest members of our society. Like everything else in our world today, prices have increased for all sports equipment and to update and provide safe athletic fields and facilities. Should it not be our responsibility to provide this for all our residents – including the kids.

As for the letter regarding turf fields vs. grass, there were some valid points made. However, people experienced in caring for and maintaining athletic fields will tell you that it is extremely challenging to keep a grass field in the condition needed to safely host games for multiple sports.

If a game happens to be played in the rain (rarely postponed unless it’s a downpour), the fields are left with ruts, many which are difficult to see, not to mention repair – these pose a danger to players. People may see these beautiful grass fields on TV, but the teams don’t practice on these fields – these are game-day fields. There are nine area high schools that Kennebunk High School competes against on a regular basis that have gone to turf. I’m quite sure these neighboring communities all felt it was in their best interest to do so.

So, our athletes are playing on turf on a fairly regular basis. On March 30, I attended the public informational night put on by RSU 21. Joe Schwartzman, athletic director, made it clear that once the proposed complex is completed, it will be something the entire community can use. Because of the issues with heavy usage and the maintenance of the current fields, they are rarely, if ever, used for any of our community youth sports programs. That would change with the new athletic complex.

Another piece of this project is creating an additional field behind the home side bleachers. This will provide additional playing space giving Schwartzman the ability to alternate fields allowing sections of the grounds an opportunity to recover.

Perhaps I misunderstood Mr. Freda’s point regarding the environmental impact of the turf infill running off into the Mousam River. I believe this concern was expressed at the information meeting at KHS. Schwartzman explained that there is a catch system in the big drain by the field that will catch the infill balls and this will be emptied regularly. I believe this catch system is designed to insure these infill balls do not make their way to the river.

Lastly, the kids of our community deserve this. And that goes for pretty much every field that kids of this community play on, regardless of the sport. I won’t get into it, but we could use upgrades to all the fields the younger kids in town play on. I’m sure many have noticed the sign for Community Park by the entrance to the Eastern Trail if you drive into Kennebunk Elementary School. I guess this project was something being looked at prior to my grandkids starting to be active in rec sports and Little League. But it appears that, at one point in time, it was recognized that additional, upgraded recreational space was needed here in the area. It must have been a while back because you’ll need to walk up to the sign to actually see what the plans were.

John Hackett

Kennebunk

Natural grass is a ‘healthier choice’

To the editor,

This letter is in support of that submitted by Andrew Freda, on April 15 and others regarding the affects and related expense associated with employing artificial turf. My wife and I moved to Kennebunk in late 2016 from a town that was very similar in size, population, relative income levels and even shared that familiar mantra “that no expense is too great for our schools or school related activities.”

Back then, we also struggled with whether or not to install artificial turf at our high school, at it was somewhat controversial, especially from our learned neighbor Tom S. constantly reminding us of the long-term evil affects of this wonder grass. Needless to say, Tom took considerable heat for his position, especially from the booster club and athletic department.

This all changed, in early 2000, when our former town had a major rain storm that washed debris and significant artificial turf chemicals into the local river, the affects which are still be studied. In 2020, the town’s major water well was declared polluted and no longer usable, due to PFAS (forever chemicals) and similar toxics, including those associated with the high school’s artificial turf field. Thousands have already been spent trying to remedy this situation, along with more aggressive corrective actions, where and if possible

In a town that we truly love and are so happy to have moved here, these dangers are now lurking closer each day, as noted by several articles in Portland press and recent forever chemicals testing performed in neighboring communities and elsewhere. The once relied on argument that artificial turf is less costly, stronger and better in the long run, whereas real grass pollutes with fertilizers, excessive water needs and continual maintenance is now pure bunk. The number and type of grasses available today, along with the range of grass-like-substitutes, even those used in Florida, Arizona and elsewhere, as well as drought-resistant brands, low water usage and even slow growth varieties; actually makes natural grass less costly, easier to maintain and of course, longer lasting, as well as a much more healthier choice than ever.

Fortunately, just two weeks ago, our former town voted in the vast majority not to allow artificial turf to be installed at its middle school and not make the same mistake twice. Now, I just need to write Tom S. and maybe even recommending him for the Rachael Carson award for having the foresight and diligence that most of us missed.

Jim Thompson
Kennebunk

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