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Comment on Letter: Say ‘no’ to expansion (Printed March 12, 2010)

David Spaulding — 2010-03-14T19:33:40Z

I agree with the people who do not like loud motorcycles. A solution to your problem? Let them have their expanded use with the condition that excessive motorcycle noise will be prosecuted by the police at all times. Include a rather large fine and it will pay for itself and then some.

Comment on Letter: No reason for cycle noise (Printed Feb. 19, 2010)

Trevor Dixon — 2010-03-13T19:12:49Z

I think it’s really sad that people can not be a little more realistic with this whole noise problem. The people who abuse the non noise law are the people who should be punished. I myself have a Harley with an aftermarket exhaust(legal within the guidelines of a muffler with a non removable baffle) that I ride everyday through residential areas, and if you asked I would be willing to bet no one even notices me when I go through their neighborhoods early in the morning or at dinner time. If I as a Harley rider can deal with your barking dog or the air brakes on a dump truck or the noise from your kids yelling and playing next door, you can deal with me and my bike driving by your house for the whole 10 seconds you can actually hear me. Maybe instead of grouping all the noise to Harley Davidson’s you should look at who as an individual is really making the noise. Noise is everywhere! If you want to put all your energy into something save the planet, write a book, or solve the energy crisis. But don't tell me what I can or can't do to my motorcycle because I'm guessing you've never heard me. There are a lot of things in this world that need fixing and my motorcycle or style of riding isn't one of them. Crack down on the people who make the noise not the people who just love their bikes. I don’t try to ruin your hobby or passions so please don’t try to ruin mine.

Comment on Letter: Say ‘no’ to expansion (Printed March 12, 2010)

Bruce — 2010-03-12T22:12:19Z

I think she should move up Northern Maine way in the woods. Bentleys helps some people and brings in dollars to surrounding towns.

Comment on Letter: Lawsuit will waste money (Printed March 5, 2010)

Mike Downing — 2010-03-12T17:38:55Z

If these property owners were to have suggested a cutesy sign that said "The geese don't clean up after you, please respect our rocks." there wouldn't be any uproar, The proposed language of their sign so early on in this issue makes it crystal clear the intentions of maybe not all, but at least some of the plaintiffs who have filed suit.

The thing to remember is that if the beachfront property owners were to win, and the majority of the beach is made private property, legally it is in their best interest to not allow for public use for fear of being held liable if something happens in front of their home,

Surely an out-of-court solution where they are absolved of that liability while protecting the entire beach from any special interests and over use is possible. Isn't that what the beachfront owners who gave the beach to the KCT back in the day currently enjoy?

Both the courts and Save-Our-Beachs.org have offered the plaintiffs a venue to discuss any specific concerns they have beyond that and not only have the willingness, but the means to meet any reasonable demands they may have. These offers to negotiate have either been refused or sabotaged early on by unrealistic demands made by the plaintiffs, and yet the offer is still there to talk and try to resolve this before things get ugly and costs begin to skyrocket.

Anyone who says that the Town and Citizens of Kennebunkport should give up their right to freely access one of their biggest natural resources in the name of fiscal responsibility is advocating appeasement to a small special interest group in the midst of a land grab during tough economic times. Times like this make me glad we have govenment, to stand up for me when I don't have the means to do it myself.

Comment on Letter: Problems still plague FairPoint billing system (Printed March 5, 2010)

ARIJANA — 2010-03-10T17:53:23Z

BTW, their HQ phone number is
(704) 344-8150

Tell them in writing as well as by phone "Look, this is what the errors are,this is how long you've dragged it out without correcting the issue, the entire world knows you can't straighten out your problems, which is precisely WHY you're BANKRUPT right now, this is how long I've had this issue and I want the following taken care of: 1. I want my billing for (insert service) stopped immediately and an updated zero balance final bill sent to me within 7 business days from the date of this letter.

2. Due to the stress and harassment of being billed for services I don't owe and the wasting of my time dealing with your company, Fairpoint needs to send me a $75 refund check (NOT a credit on my account) within 14 business days from the above date.

3. I understand the definition of harassment according to the USPS is as follows: Harassment:* A course of conduct directed at a specific person that causes substantial emotional distress in that person and serves no legitimate purpose (including words, gestures, and actions that tend to annoy, alarm, or verbally abuse another person).

This includes erroneous billing harassment by mail.

Make sure you sign and date the letter stating at the bottom after the signature "copy retained" and "copy forwarded to PUC" (if you intent to send it to your state PUC as well.)

When I called them, I made sure the letter was in the mail before I picked up the phone.
Good luck!

Comment on Letter: Problems still plague FairPoint billing system (Printed March 5, 2010)

ARIJANA — 2010-03-10T17:25:13Z

John:

Just send them a firm but detailed letter to their HQ. It took me MONTHS of basically yelling at them and writing down the date, time and every person I talked to for every call for them to finally straighten it out for me. I would just automatically call their HQ every time they told me wrong information or screwed up my bills again. Finally I asked for and received a large refund check. My relatives still have problems with this company and always call me to deal with their problems cause they hate Fairpoint. LOL They kept lying to me telling me they couldn't make their computer print me a corrected final bill, I told them that if I went over to their office I could make it happen cause I can build a computer! I'm not stupid. Funny how a bill showing no balance owed came to me in the mail from their VERMONT office within 4 business days after that call....Gotta love it. It never hurts to send a copy of the same letter to your state's PUC either. PUC tries to say that they have no control over Fairpoint, but I think thats a crock. At least if you mail them or email them a copy of the same letter they can't say they never knew about any issue.

Comment on Letter: Lawsuit will waste money (Printed March 5, 2010)

Mic Harris — 2010-03-09T14:30:33Z

Bill, many of us wish the 23 of 88 oceanfront homeowners had not filed this expensive lawsuit against the Town of Kennebunkport and "all unascertained persons.....". But they did.

And as noted, be careful what you wish for. While you note that the Maine Courts decided the issue, that was quite some time ago, and recent decisions by other Northeastern States and their High Courts (NJ and CT), along with many states across the country, have ruled that beach recreation is uniquely protected for the public. So what was may not be what is.

While I appreciate the picture you painted of simple signs urging politeness, that is a far cry from the suggested wording the 23 homeowners asked the Town to build and maintain, and I quote: ""PUBLIC WAY TO THE WATER, PRIVATE BEACH ON BOTH SIDES OF PUBLIC WAY. INTERTIDAL AREAS ON EITHER SIDE OPEN FOR NAVIGATION AND FISHING ONLY, NO PUBLIC FACILITIES." (Per Robert Alemeda and Jack Fleming)

I think intent and legal language are two different things. I don't see many of the homeowners actually chasing people off of their beach blankets, but there might well be a growing number each year, and no one can say that would or would not happen.

Larry Mead put the best historical perspective on this I have heard yet. Way back in 1647, against a backdrop of a King and mother country that could care less about citizen rights, our forefathers recognized the unique character of the ocean and beaches.

Protecting those unique characteristics for all citizens was part of the deed language, building into every deed exceptions for use of beaches by citizens for common enjoyment of the time, 1647, protecting fishing, fowling and navigation. How unique! They did not do this for any other land use, but clearly recognized that we were blessed with a wonderful asset that should be enjoyed by the population at large.

Of course no one sunbathed then. And if the Frisbee had been invented in 1646, we might have a whole different scenario! But from the effort our legal forefathers made to legally build in protection for rights of the times, it is clear their intent, and it is highly likely that the Courts in Maine will recognize this in 2010.

So please stop the madness. Drop the costly lawsuit. Sit with us and discuss your needs and issues. We can solve problems together without your bringing a lawsuit against the Town and "unascertained persons". Don't hold us all hostage and keep my grandkids from playing in the warm sand on a spring day, please?

Comment on Weekly Interview: Joyce Butler (Printed Nov. 16, 2007)

susan — 2010-03-09T03:54:25Z

enjoyed the book "Pages of a journal". I haven't found any other books by this author but will start looking.

Comment on Letter: Problems still plague FairPoint billing system (Printed March 5, 2010)

John Osgood — 2010-03-06T20:21:12Z

I would like to add NH as a state to ban them from. I cancelled service in February of 2009. It is March of 2010 and I still receive a bill every month. Granted they stopped charging me for phone service 6 months ago after many calls. However I still receive a internet bill every month despite calling every month and talking to managers that assure me the problem will be taken care of. Can you sue someone for billing you every month when they know you don't owe them anything?

Comment on Letter: Problems still plague FairPoint billing system (Printed March 5, 2010)

ARIJANA — 2010-03-06T01:54:36Z

Write their HQ's at

Fairpoint Communications
521 E. Morehead St #240
Charlotte NC 28202

And specify in detail how long you'd had their service, when your service was terminated, etc and tell them they need to immediately stop sending you invoices for services you have not had for X months etc. If they continue to send invoices then you will file harassment charges. Being harassed by mail repeatedly is no different than by telephone or any other means. Then I'd tell them I wanted a $75 cash-able refund check mailed to me within 2 weeks for wasting my time and their repeated errors. :-) Who knows? You might just get what you want if you try it. It can't hurt.