Letters to the Editor
The Local News welcomes all letters to the editor on local topics that are of interest to the community.
However, as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) newspaper, by law The Local News cannot endorse or oppose candidates or print letters to the editor endorsing or opposing candidates running for office.
Letters will be subject to the usual standards for respectful, non-defamatory content. Letters should run no more than 250 words; we reserve the right to lightly edit for clarity. Not all letters will be published.
To submit a letter, please email or mail to the addresses below, and include your name, phone number and town of residence. Authors will be verified.
Send to editor@thelocalnewsonline.org or mail to The Local News, PO Box 135, Kennebunk, ME 04043.
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October 28, 2026
Vote Yes on Kennebunk Article 8G to support affordable housing opportunities for Town and RSU 21 employees
Twenty-five years ago, my husband and I made Kennebunk our home. My husband served our community through EMS and the Police Department, and I served as Executive Director of the town library. We could afford to buy a home, raise our family, and be part of the community we served.
But it was about more than owning a home. There was camaraderie among town employees because we didn’t just work together. We were neighbors, our children grew up together, and we shared a connection to Kennebunk beyond our jobs.
Today, that opportunity is out of reach for many municipal and RSU 21 school employees. Housing prices have risen far beyond what their salaries can support.
Chief McKenzie has shared that when he joined the Kennebunk Police Department, only one officer lived outside town. Today, only one officer lives in Kennebunk. He has also lost two strong candidates in recent years because of housing costs.
Article 8G on the November ballot asks voters to consider donating town-owned land to the Neighborhood Housing Trust for municipal and school employee housing. A YES vote would authorize this step toward addressing the housing challenges facing those who serve our community.
I know firsthand what it means to live in the community you serve. It builds relationships that strengthen our town. My family had that opportunity. I want future town and school employees to have it too.
Stephanie Marshall Limmer
Kennbunk
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October 28, 2026
What we plant when the benefit is not ours to keep
Some of the most generous work in a community produces no immediate reward.
The Local News reported that volunteers were invited to help plant more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs at the Kennebunk Conservation Trust’s Smith Preserve. The project is intended to restore wetland habitat, stabilize soil and improve local water quality.
That is a remarkable investment in a future most volunteers will never fully see.
A seedling is small. It will not make the preserve look finished by the time the tools are put away. Its greatest contribution may arrive after the person who planted it has moved away, grown older or forgotten that afternoon altogether.
Christian faith has taught me to regard the natural world as a responsibility, not simply as a resource. Stewardship means asking what our choices leave for neighbors who will come after us.
There are practical reasons to restore wetlands, and those reasons should be guided by conservation expertise. Volunteers should follow the people who understand the site rather than assume every well-meant action helps.
But there is also a beautiful lesson in the patience of this work.
I live in Colorado and did not participate in the planting. I nevertheless admire the people willing to invest time in something whose full benefit belongs to others.
A healthy community is built partly by people who know they may never see the final result.
Douglas Vandergraph
Fort Collins, Colorado
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October 24, 2026
Vote Yes on referendum to abolish York County’s elected Treasurer
Please vote “yes” on the referendum to abolish the part-time elected York County Treasurer position and allow York County Commissioners to appoint a treasurer.
An independent auditing firm recently gave our county an “A” grade and we can put that down to sound financial management on the part of our professional finance manager and staff, with oversight by county management and the elected board of county commissioners.
The county hired its first professional finance director in 2007, after the discovery of a $1.2 million deficit. With a lot of hard work, the county’s financial problem was solved.
Commissioners at that time also established rules and requirements for fund balances, and made sure independent financial audits were conducted annually.
The elected York County Budget Committee, made up of a group of citizens and elected municipal officials, has the final vote on the annual budget. Decisions regarding investments and similar matters are made by the finance director in consultation with county commissioners and management.
Maine Title 30-A states: “The county commissioners have final authority over the operation of all county offices by elected or appointed county officials,” except in counties where there is a personnel board. The statute says the county treasurer acts with the approval of the county commissioners or with the advice and consent of the county commissioners.
The statute requires only that the part-time elected treasurer be a county resident.
The statute does require that county treasurers who are appointed by county commissioners “be qualified in matters of business administration and finance.”
Voters in Cumberland County, Androscoggin and Knox counties all appoint their county treasurers, having undergone the referendum process some time ago.
Commissioners in Franklin and Washington counties are also asking their voters to abolish the elected county treasurer position and allow commissioners to appoint a treasurer.
We have a professional staff in place. York County undergoes annual independent audits.
There is oversight. The budget committee asks questions and gets answers.
The audits and budgets are online for all to see. You can find them at: www.yorkcountymaine.gov/finance.
Richard Clark,
York County Commissioner
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October 22, 2026
Isn’t there anyone out there who wants to start a Boat School?
As many have heard, the Landing Boat School has closed and is now going up for auction in November. The Boat School has a stellar history of almost 50 years – founded in 1978. It brought the community together. It was a source of pride with its festive boat launchings, community classes, and events. Most importantly, its graduates learned skills in boat building, systems, and design and all went on to successful careers in the marine industry that, according to John Burgess, founder, will be sorely missed.
At a time when the trades are gaining new momentum, surely we cannot let this gem disappear. Can’t we, as an active coastal community, use our imaginations to find some way to give the school a new life?
Nancy Viehmann
Kennebunkport
(Viehmann is a board member of The Local News)
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October 10, 2026
Support proposed change to Kennebunk’s Article 7 of Town Charter
I am writing to the Editor as a citizen, NOT as a member of the Select Board, to urge voters to support a proposed change to Article 7 of the Town Charter.
In 2022, residents in Kennebunk experienced a painful and divisive attempt to recall two School Board members. Eventually, the voters decisively rejected the question at the ballot box, but the damage continued to be felt for quite some time. One School Board member described the recall process as “one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced”.
Subsequently, the voters overwhelmingly approved the formation of a Charter commission to review the Town Charter and specifically, to address the shortcomings in the current Recall article that had resulted in so much conflict. The Commission examined the entire Charter, but in 2024, voters rejected the revisions. Many voters specifically objected to the proposed change in form of government from Town Meeting/Select Board to a Council. The question was posed as an “all or nothing” decision so the entire Charter remained unchanged.
In an effort avoid future suffering, I proposed changes to Article 7 to simplify and clarify the language, hold elected officials accountable, protect them from politically based harassment, and to align our recall process with State Law.
Elected officials must be held accountable, but at the same time, those who disagree with them should be expected to specifically identify the facts that form the basis for a recall. A vague reference to “loss of confidence” is not enough.
Miriam Whitehouse
Kennebunk
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October 8, 2026
It Is Time for a Pause on Development in Kennebunk
We are fortunate to live in a community that is attractive to development, particularly residential development. But rapid growth without adequate planning can be shortsighted.
Yes, Kennebunk needs additional housing, including affordable housing. But we should be able to accommodate that housing with thoughtful design standards and in locations where our roads, utilities, schools, and other infrastructure can support it.
I have been a traffic engineer in Maine for nearly 40 years and have lived in Kennebunk for most of that time. My work includes helping communities plan for growth while minimizing its negative impacts. What concerns me about Kennebunk today is that piecemeal development is occurring, without sufficient consideration of its cumulative impacts.
I believe it is time for town leaders to consider a temporary development moratorium while Kennebunk undertakes a comprehensive and public process to plan for future growth.
Our 2022 Comprehensive Plan provides a foundation: direct growth to designated growth areas; preserve rural character and open space; locate development where infrastructure can support it; accommodate housing, including affordable housing; and monitor where development occurs.
That last principle is particularly important. A thoughtful pause would give Kennebunk the opportunity to assess where we are—and plan where we want to go.
Tom Errico
Kennebunk
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September 30, 2026
Citizens should change Kennebunk Charter in November election
This November, Kennebunk’s registered voters will have the opportunity to correct a significant flaw in the Town Charter that has existed since 2009. That was the year in which the Charter was revised to add an additional Article allowing for recall elections. As most residents of Kennebunk are aware, Article 7 was abused in 2022 to persecute two School Board members, not because they did anything wrong, but because a small, but extremely vocal, minority of residents disagreed with their views on a number of issues. The two School Board Members were subjected to a recall election, and it produced serious discord and controversy in the community at large. In the end, the recall effort was overwhelmingly defeated but that election should never have been held in the first place. As currently drafted, Article 7 allows a recall election to be initiated by fewer than a quarter of 1% of the electorate whenever, in their view, there has been a “loss of confidence in [the] official’s judgment or ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of office.” The Select Board has spent considerable effort in comprehensively revising Article 7 to provide that it may only be used to remove elected or appointed officials from office in specific situations: (1) serious misconduct in public office amounting to a breach of the public trust; (2) deliberate misrepresentations by an elected official about his or her qualifications, background or work history before or after the election; and (3) conviction of a crime involving a sentence of more than a year in jail. This language rectifies some of the hopelessly vague and subjective language in the current version of Article 7, and it should be approved by the voters in our Town.
Stephen M. Sayers
Kennebunk
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July 21, 2026
Challenges to our rights demand action
A recent contributor referred to our God-given rights included in the Declaration of Independence. For 250 years, America has stood as a beacon of freedom, opportunity, and self-government.
The principles espoused by our Founding Fathers – individual liberty, personal responsibility, equal justice under the law, and limited government have empowered generations of Americans to build strong families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous nation.
Yet as we look around us, we are confronted with challenges to our rights – boys in girls’ sports and in their locker rooms, taxpayer support for unauthorized immigrants and the damning of any notion or expression of pride in our culture, religion, history, and traditions. The usual reply to any questioning of these challenges is ‘it’s Maine state law’.
Today, Maine is being governed more like the line in George Orwell’s 1984, where “everyone is created equal, it’s just that some are more equal than others.” So, what will we do?
Are we willing to stand up and demand accountability and common sense of our leaders? There are 17,000 voters in our three towns. I would appeal to you to begin attending town meetings, school board meetings and speak up to defend these God-given rights.
If we want enduring freedom, we need to value it and defend it, at any cost, as did our ancestors. At the very minimum, we need to show up!
Kevin King
Kennebunk
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July 4, 2026
Honor the courage, vision, and sacrifice of Founding Fathers
As we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America, we honor the courage, vision, and sacrifice of our Founding Fathers who established a nation unlike any the world had ever known, Our founders affirmed a timeless truth – our rights come NOT from government, but from our Creator, and that government exists to serve the people—not the other way around.
Let’s take pride in Maine’s place in our nation’s founding story, In June 1775, ordinary citizens of Machias, a small coastal settlement, refused to yield to British intimidation during the Battle of Machias. Armed with determination more than weapons, they pursued and captured the British schooner Margaretta in what is often called the first naval victory of the American Revolution. Their courage embodied the principles that would define our nation: belief in liberty, self-government, and the conviction that free people have both the right and the responsibility to defend their freedoms. Burnham Tavern in Machias, used as a meeting place by the local militia, is one of the oldest surviving Revolutionary War sites in New England.
These principles – individual liberty, personal responsibility, equal justice under the law, and limited government—have empowered generations of Americans to build strong families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous nation. May we continue to uphold the values that have made America the greatest nation on earth, ensuring that the blessings of liberty, opportunity, and self-determination endure for generations to come.
Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America!
Robert Giles
Kennebunk
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June 26, 2026
Applauding Youth Civic Involvement
Now more than ever, when our youth are bombarded by the constant noise of social media and conflicting demands on their daily schedules, it is important to recognize those who also make time to give back to their community.
A good example is recent Kennebunk High School graduate Helen Kennie, who received a $2,000 Edmund Muskie Democracy in Action Scholarship. Kennie is the seventh recipient of the award, given annually by the Democrats of the Kennebunks and Arundel to a high school senior who best exemplifies the spirit of civic engagement by making a difference in their school and community through political and/or non-political actions.
She was lacrosse captain, a USA Lacrosse All-American and All-Academic player, and was invited to the Southern Maine Activities Association Leadership Conference. Her club memberships included Peer Helpers, Executive Council, Girl Talk, Youth in Government, and Women in Science and Engineering.
In addition to her 100+ hours of community service, she served as a mentor for youth in Kennebunk. She helped organize multiple lacrosse camps with players as young as five, often sharing her old gear to ensure everyone had the equipment to play. According to Kennie, “being part of a caring community and showing leadership can inspire others to become leaders themselves.”
Kennie plans to attend Villanova University in Pennsylvania to pursue a business degree as a foundation to owning her own business or being in a management position.
Congratulations Helen! Thank you for making a difference in our community and serving as a role model for others.
Connie Dykstra
Kennebunkport
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Seasonal residents beach pass decision needs discussion, transparency
The decision to charge seasonal residents non-resident beach fees is deeply disappointing. What is most troubling is that this change appears to have been made without meaningful discussion, transparency, or a town vote.
Seasonal residents are an important part of this community. They pay property taxes that support the local school system despite not using it. They contribute to municipal services, including trash collection, even though many are here only part of the year. They support local businesses, restaurants, contractors, and service providers, helping sustain the town’s economy and vitality.
In fact, seasonal residents recently absorbed a disproportionate share of the latest property tax increase while continuing to invest in and support the community they love.
To suggest that these same taxpayers should now be treated as non-residents when it comes to accessing a town beach sends the wrong message. It creates an atmosphere of exclusion rather than inclusion and fosters distrust rather than community.
Seasonal residents are not outsiders. They are homeowners, taxpayers, neighbors, and stakeholders who contribute significantly to the character and success of this town. They deserve to be treated as valued members of the community.
We love this town and want it to remain vibrant, welcoming, and united. Decisions that affect a substantial portion of the tax base should be made openly, with community input and careful consideration of their broader impact.
I urge town leaders to reconsider this policy and engage residents in a transparent discussion before moving forward.
We have a petition to reunite Kennebunk and bring respect for all taxpayers. To learn more, visit my Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/share/18b8sxxbpb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Neal Waldman
Kennebunk
June 18, 2026
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