To the editor:
OK, I’ve been sitting on my hands for weeks now. And, at the risk of the readers looking at the name at the bottom of this letter and groaning, “her again”, I just gotta put my two cents worth in about the closure of the Halfway Home Cat Rescue. Really? Caribou, in all its wisdom, really wants to put those cute little kitties out on the street, in this cold weather with no food or shelter or protection from whatever comes their way. Really?
Now, city administration would have you believe that they are not the bad guys. They will tell you that it’s not they who are shutting down the cat rescue. They will have you believe that they are willing to work with Norma Milton to solve this problem. What they aren’t telling you is that it was Caribou’s code enforcement officer that asked the state not to renew the cat rescue’s license at the end of the year, effectively shutting them down in a couple of months. When the CEO was asked if he had complaints about the Rescue, he replied that it has been an ongoing issue. What does that mean? What is the ongoing issue? Once again, have you had a specific complaint against the cat rescue? One councilor replied that there had been a complaint from someone on Sweden Street about cats “running through their yard to get to Norma’s house.” What, was she having a kitty barbecue or something? Again, I ask … really? Imagine the cats that would run through backyards if the Rescue were not there. And notice, I keep calling it a Rescue, because that is exactly what it is, and according to the state, a license is not required to operate a rescue.
At least that is what I learned recently when I and several other people attended a Planning Board workshop on this issue along with other issues facing Caribou. Do you know what else I learned? Caribou’s Planning Board has heart. They really do. This board is made up of people who truly care for Caribou and all of its people (and animals), not just a select few.
Unfortunately, I don’t see that in Caribou’s administration. I have heard it said many times, and I am in agreement, that Caribou has an unfriendly business climate. They also make it difficult to build a home, they considered closing the swimming pool a couple of years ago, and now they want to close the kitty rescue. So, they don’t like businesses, they don’t like residences, they must not like kids, because they wanted to close their pool, and now they don’t like kitties. Watch out doggies and seniors, you’re next. Oh, they do love to spend your money, though.
We can change that in a couple of weeks when we go to the polls. We can vote for people who do have heart and who truly care about all the citizens (and animals) of Caribou. You can write in your vote, and I urge you to do just that. Write in Mark Goughan and Doug Morrell. Follow the instructions set forth below:
Write-in vote. If the voter wishes to vote for a write-in candidate, the voter must write the name of the candidate in the blank space provided at the end of the list of candidates for nomination to the office in question. The voter must then mark the ballot as instructed in the directions on the ballot to indicate a vote for the write-in candidate. A sticker may not be used to vote for a write-in candidate.
Then, mark an X next to Gary Aiken’s name. He is on the ballot. And, although Phil McDonough is running unopposed for the one-year term, mark your “X” for him, too, just to show your support. These people can truly make a difference in Caribou. Oh, and by the way, did you happen to see the article in last week’s Republican titled “Municipal Leaders Talk Cost-Cutting Options”? They had a nice photo to go along with the article. There were 10 towns represented. Guess who wasn’t there?
Joan Theriault
Caribou
