To the editor:
Thank you, Wilfred Martin, for your kind words in last week’s Aroostook Republican. I have lived in Caribou for 34 years — though by choice, not by birth — and during that time Wilfred and I have had opportunities to work together on various issues and budgets. I respect his concern for this community and his efforts to make it a better place.
I live in rural Caribou and I enjoy the benefits of being part of the city. Unlike the secession committee, I believe I receive my fair share of services for my taxes although my needs in rural Caribou are different from those who live in town. At times all of us use some, if not all, of the services available.
For example: I am indebted to the Caribou Public Works Dept. For the past 30 years they have had to deal with my swamp, culvert and generations of beavers. Every spring they commence the beaver relocation project, unblock the culvert and prevent the street from flooding. The culvert has been replaced at least twice. The beavers are removed yearly.
In the summer the CPW fills the usual potholes, and keeps the roadsides mowed to improve visibility for drivers. The road has had multiple moose and deer hits and its share of drunk drivers. Last year a front-end loader and a dump truck were required to remove the carcass of an unfortunate moose from the street.
In the winter CPW keeps the street plowed — consistently better than our adjacent city — in spite of the prevailing winds with the snow up to the telephone wires. During one icy whiteout in the dead of winter I found myself stuck in the ditch in the intersection. A plow approached and waited, shielding me, until I was back on the road. There was zero visibility and that plow driver prevented me, and my blessed neighbor who was assisting, from becoming road kill.
Although I live on the outskirts of town, the Caribou Police Department has been responsive and vigilant. Last year my neighborhood developed some serious drug problems — think Zombie Apocalypse — and the CPD increased patrols at all hours of the day and night until the situation resolved. I know I had the best patrolled and safest street in Caribou and I certainly appreciated their hard work.
I have no children in school, but I do not begrudge my taxes paid to RSU 39. Caribou has an excellent school system in which teachers and administrators know and care about kids. My three sons received an excellent education here and are pursuing graduate degrees. Caribou kids are our future and I consider it my responsibility to financially contribute to their education. Likewise, my family enjoyed the recreation facility, programs, pool and many other sports organized under the leadership of Kathy Mazzuchelli. All members of the community should have that opportunity, regardless of ability to pay, and my taxes allow their participation.
I understand that Caribou residents have different perspectives and I value our democracy with its diversity of opinions. However, secession is not the way to improve Caribou government and its process. And if anyone really believes that secession would keep our current services, yet cut the mil rate to 15 percent, I have swampland for sale in Lyndon.
Dale Gordon
Caribou
