Your letters to the editor:

If you are lucky enough to have a young person in your life, you understand what a privilege it is to see them grow into mature, thinking, dreaming, and participating individuals. Yet it can be frustrating when you feel the lessons you are teaching and the values you are trying to instill seem to fall on deaf ears. My only word for you at these times is patience. Part of growing up is learning how to navigate many different roads often with only your internal compass. It is essential to healthy development that youth venture down dirt covered roads so they can appreciate new pavement, and dip into potholes so they can know how to get themselves out. As much as we would like to walk each and every footstep with the young people we love, the reality is that one day their footprints will lead them in a solitary direction towards their dreams. Learning to be their own person with goals, values, and beliefs is critical to becoming a successful adult.
By no means am I saying to stop expressing all those words of wisdom that you hope youth will listen to and take as their own. On the contrary, keep talking every chance you get. Let them know how you feel when you see something inappropriate or when something touches your heart. Create a supportive and caring foundation that will allow young people around you to do and be their best. Internal Assets help to make up Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, the qualities, experiences, and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. Search Institute has identified the following internal assets as crucial: Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and Positive Identity.
Internal Assets are the internal life of young people; the commitments, passions, and competencies needed to guide their choices and actions. Simply put it is the little voice inside us all that guides the decisions we make. Strengthening theses assets creates a kind of character and centeredness among youth that promotes good decision making, and minimizes risk taking behaviors such as alcohol and drug use. Research shows that young people need to internalize certain values, skills, and beliefs to embrace, enjoy and contribute to the world around them. They learn these values from the adults that surround them.
So the next time you think twice about having the same conversation all over again about a value or belief you would like for the young person in your life to develop, remember this! Young people learn by repetition and example. Have that conversation, they are listening! They may not apply it immediately but remember life is a journey and youth are at the beginning of theirs. It takes time, experience and life lessons before you will see the fruits of your labor. Don’t stop talking. Secondly, model the values and beliefs you want to see from young people. Foster a commitment to service in youth by volunteering yourself. Youth are watching your every move. They are seeing through your actions what you value and what you do not. Take a second to look at your own behaviors; do they speak what you want youth to hear? If not it is not too late to make changes.
Our job as adults is to guide youth in the right direction but we must allow them the space to grow. Believe in their ability to make good choices and guess what they will believe in themselves as well! Stand behind youth as they venture forth, spread their wings and soar!
This article was brought to you by Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention. For more information about ASAP and 40 Developmental Assets contact Allison Heidorn, developmental asset coordinator at 540-6772 or visit www.asapcoalition.com.

To the editor:
Kudos to Representatives Bernard Ayotte and Peter Edgecomb for their part in presenting the Aroostook County Conservation Association’s predator management petition to our Governor. It is refreshing to know that we still have politicians that are willing to represent their constituents.
However, I am very concerned with the lack of acknowledgement in regard to the effect of our deer herd’s decline on our local economies. Millions of dollars in revenues have vanished the past several years along with our deer. That this fact seems to be of no importance to our Department of Inland  Fisheries and  Wildlife ( DIF&W) or our governor is outrageous.
The past seven years of this administration and its political appointments and policies need to be held accountable for the situation we are now in. Job performance of appointed positions within the DIF&W has to be taken into consideration before the usual shuffle between departmental positions that occur with a new governor. No privately-owned business would expect to move the head of a mismanaged department into the leadership of another department with good results. Our state needs to use the same common sense, or we will just continue on this downhill decline.

To the editor:
Citizens for Responsible City Management (CFRCM) wants to thank Wilfred Bell for taking the time to bring forth more history concerning the Caribou City Charter. This has truly been a learning experience for CFRCM as a group, and hopefully for the citizens of Caribou, as well.
CFRCM believes that, on the surface, it does appear that the council form of government we have now is working. We all know the old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But, there are little “tweaks” that can be made within the charter that we feel can vastly improve the way the city is governed, and will give more control to the people. And, there are also some areas that simply need to be spelled out, word for word, to establish proper procedure.
For instance: Dividing the city into boroughs or sections would, we believe, actually open up the field of candidates running for city council, as well as encourage a more diversified occupational pool, such as farmers, merchants and the like. We agree with Mr. Bell that finding 40 people to serve would probably be a very difficult task, however, we are talking about seven people, not 40.
Now, how many times have we heard, “well, I’d like to run for council, but I’m not that well known, and I don’t think I would get elected.” If a person were to run as a candidate within his/her borough, his/her chances of winning would be greatly improved. He/she would be representing his/her neighbors and peers within that area. His/her name would be more recognizable and he/she would have a better handle concerning the issues within that borough, and could better address the problems of that section of Caribou. And, the people of the borough would have a particular representative to go to when they had an issue that needed resolving.
Another “bone of contention”, and I know we’ve been down this road before, is the matter of the mayor voting on issues coming before the council. Remember a few years back when a vacancy occurred on the council, leaving six members to decide the issues? On several issues, the council was split, and the mayor, by casting his vote, caused a tie, and therefore the issues went down as “dead”. The mayor then made a comment to the council that it was a sad situation that we now had an “impotent” council. With all due respect, the mayor was actually the cause of the impotency within the council, and had the charter spelled out, exactly, that the mayor was not to vote unless there was a tie, this impotency would never have occurred in the first place.
Also, by changing the mayor’s position to an elected, rather than appointed position, control is again given to the people. You, the voter, get to choose your mayor, not the council.
Another concern is the fact that the city manager’s contract is open-ended. Don’t you think there should be a finite date to this contract, three years, five years, or whatever, so the council can evaluate the manager’s performance, decide if he/she is taking us in the right direction, and determine whether or not this contract should be renewed for another period of time? Charter revisions would simply close up loopholes and spell out sections that are right now too vague. When something is written clearly in black and white, there is no question as to how an issue is to be handled. It will be “cast in stone.”
And once again, keep in mind these changes are all in the hands of the voter. First of all, you will vote to establish a charter commission, then you will vote for the people who will serve on that commission, and finally, you will vote for the changes the commissioners determine may be necessary. It is our understanding that each charter revision will be voted on separately. Keep the ones you want, throw out the ones you don’t want.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by voting to establish a charter commission in June. CFRCM is simply going through the charter as it is today so it can offer suggestions to the commission, should one be established. No group or individual can tell you what to do. You, the voter, will have the final say as to whether or not you want the power to put more control of your city government back into your hands.

To the editor:
Health care reform remains a critical issue and continues to take shape in Washington. For the good of America, let us hope our elected representatives focus on assuring that appropriate affordable private or public coverage is made available and that the exorbitant cost of health care is reduced. The nation collectively, our employers and each of us cannot let reform fail. What we have now is not working.
Where I work, no one can afford to provide insurance coverage for his or her family. Our insurance has increased yearly by double digits and our last premium increase pushed family coverage to $25,536 a year. The median income for a family in Aroostook County is $36,107 a year. Who can imagine spending 71 percent of income just for health insurance? How long will it take before such increases makes insurance unaffordable for all?
I shake my head in disbelief when I hear those opposing reform say Congress must avoid destroying the private, employer-based insurance system that is working so well. It sure is not working well for any employer I am familiar with. Even many with insurance coverage face growing deductibles that make all but catastrophic care the only care they can receive.
Opponents of reform have used half-truths, distortion and distraction to move the focus away from what needs to be done. The status quo is not the answer. Too many of us are uninsured and the number grows daily, the underinsured are increasing, employers and employees cannot afford continued double-digit increases.
We have an opportunity to set the system on a better track. It now depends on our elected representatives doing the right thing.

To the editor:
The Caribout Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been a combined organization for 10 years: economic development (that elusive animal), and a traditional chamber of commerce. We’re happy to celebrate our 10th anniversary, along with the Building Bridges Committee (the last ongoing off-shoot of FOCUS on the Future group)!
We’ve seen a bit of change over the last 10 years, and we’ve had many good staff and great board members come and go. For staff: Kirk Tibbetts, Pam Wyman, Patsy Ouellette, Cheryl LaFrance, Kevin Huston, Laura Adams and Jenny Coon. For Board members: Dottie Fitzgerald, John Swanberg, EJ Huck, Cheri Doak, Mrs. Hebert, Kris Doody, Larry Conrad, Dennis Curley, John Morrill, Neal Griffeth, Craig Staples, Saundra Scott Adams, and so many more business men and women. They don’t always go far, thank goodness, and many of them come back fairly regularly to continue helping with various programs, events, or they give of their time and advice for specific economic development programs.
We hope we meet the city’s, and our members’ and clients’ expectations each year (whatever those have been over time, the list is seldom static), and we come in on budget. We’ve squirreled away some funds too, funds to loan, funds to use as “incentive dollars,” and funds in the case of the 150th: to have a party with.
By and large we have a good time. We believe our main focus is economic development, but that because there is more than one or two staff in the office, we get to do more responsive type things as we go about the main course of business (economic development), which is a luxury other chambers do not have, for example: sending out information packages, being available to readily answer a phone, regular office hours, and individual attention for those people who come in.
There has been a significant melding of duties amongst the staff. We liken this to many of our members, and small businesses: everyone needs to know a bit about another person’s areas so we can most effectively wait on you, and provide quality customer service. We have a variety of new things we’re planning to focus on this year, including an Economic Development Standing Subcommittee, a city-wide commercial open house this spring (stay tuned: May 19th is the date), and initiatives related to the Downtown and a Farmers’ Market!
Several planning board members have been frequent visitors recently, and they’ve a whole host of great ideas, and at least as much enthusiasm as the 150th Committee members had last year!
We are proud of our members, the events, and most especially our clients: loan clients, economic development clients and building owners. We have met so many really good people the last 10 years, and we are so lucky to have input from such a variety of people invested in making our community better. Thank you to all the business men and women who’ve filled out surveys these last three years, and thank you to everyone who stops in, calls, or writes to share their thoughts and suggestions with us.
We are looking forward to a great anniversary year, and improving Caribou together!

To the editor:
I write today regarding the passing of John F. Dionne of Grand Isle, one of the St. John Valley’s most powerful advocates.
Even for those that did not know him personally, John was familiar to many through his tireless advocacy on behalf of the Valley and Aroostook County as a whole. His letters to the editor, guest columns, and continuous outreach to state and federal legislators carried his message far and wide. He brought his entrepreneurial spirit to each new endeavor, even in retirement, and this spirit served as an example to many.
Through his advocacy and civic commitments, John touched many lives. He will be mourned and celebrated by many. To his family, friends, and other admirers, I am proud to celebrate John’s civic and family life with you, as well as his many contributions toward the economic development of the St. John Valley and the state of Maine.

To the editor:
I’m a kid of the 1950s. We had a radio, and when I was 7 years old, we got a television set. I think my sister and I had more fun playing with the box the TV came in than the actual TV itself. There was a TV program called “Winky Dink” and if we sent in 50 cents or whatever, we got a plastic cover that went over the screen that allowed us to connect the dots with this special pencil and we could follow along with Winky Dink wherever he went. Guess that was the first version of what are now interactive games.
We had no Ipod, no Wii, no computers and PlayStations to keep us inside, so we went outside. In the winter we skated and slid down snowy hills on tire tubes or cardboard boxes, sleds, anything we could find. In summer, we rode our bicycles, played baseball, hide-and-go-seek, and went swimming in the community pool which was located on the spot on which Burger Boy now stands. How we loved to go swimming on those hot summer days! Summer vacation went by so fast, and soon we were back in school.
Have you driven by the community pool on Glenn Street during the summer and have you seen how many kids are swimming in that pool? It’s usually packed. You can hear the excited squeals as they splash around and cool off in the water. I believe they also have the opportunity to take swimming lessons there as well. Did you know that Caribou is in danger of losing the use of that pool? It has been suggested by the council and administration during the budget workshops that in order to lower expenses and keep the tax mil rate down, that the pool be closed. By doing this, the city would save $32,755. I can think of a dozen other ways to save that money other than to close the swimming pool. But don’t get me started … that’s another letter for another time.
I have no personal interest in whether or not the pool stays open or closes. I have no children or grandchildren who would be affected by this action. However, there has been a statewide campaign to “take it outside”. Let’s get kids and adults as well back to enjoying the great outdoors! I just think it would be, and I’ll state it bluntly, a rotten, mean thing to do to the kids. And, believe me, I am not alone in this feeling. There will be a public hearing concerning the budget at a time yet to be determined. That would be the time for you to speak your piece and do what you can to keep the council from closing the pool.
Caribou says they “Care About Kids.” But, do they?