| Letter to the Editor |
Dear members of the New Gloucester Select Board, Town Manager Kerbin, and readers of the New Gloucester Xchange:
We, the undersigned residents of New Gloucester, are writing to express our strong support for the proposed budget for the New Gloucester Public Library. The budget would provide a wage adjustment for the Assistant Librarian, which would make that position’s pay more competitive with other libraries, particularly for someone with professional library education and extensive experience. Emily Martin has provided the Library with outstanding programming and makes the Library a welcoming place for children and families. She has gone above and beyond for library patrons and has been a wonderful addition to our community. The budget would also provide increased funding for book purchases, which would help to reinvigorate the Library’s collection by allowing the Library to acquire more current titles.
We also support the request for an additional staff position at the Library in order to meet state standards and the staffing levels at other area libraries. A third staff member would help the Library to take services to the next level. It would allow the Library to join the MILS group, giving New Gloucester residents easy access to hundreds of thousands more books from other libraries. It would help to enhance library offerings by letting staff devote more time to developing programming, collections, and services. Finally, having a third staff member would improve safety by helping to ensure that there would be more than one staff member working when one of the librarians has time off.
Thank you for your consideration and continued support of our Library.
Sincerely,
Greta Atchinson, 391 Intervale Road
Carol Ballard, 479 Cobbs Bridge Road
Debby Bastian, 791 Intervale Road
Elaine Becker, 25 Lakeview Drive
Chris Becksvoort, 186 Durham Road
Peg Becksvoort, 186 Durham Road
Mary Bickerstaff, 192 Hatch Road
Chris Blackburn, 310 Woodman Road
Hannah Blackburn, 310 Woodman Road
Brother Arnold, 707 Shaker Road
Fred Brusseau, 482 Cobbs Bridge Road
Kimberly Brusseau, 482 Cobbs Bridge Road
Jason Campbell, 391 Intervale Road
Joanna Caouette, 15 Goshen Lane
Matthew Caouette, 15 Goshen Lane
Amy Carman, 45 McKenny Drive
Anthony Castro, 372 Intervale Road
Frank Chambers, 16 Short Dirt Road
Deborah Chandler, 146 Morse Road
Louise Chaplin, 329 Woodman Road
David Chapman, 182 Meadow Lane
Jerusha Chicoine, 58B Estes Road
Janet Clemons, 15 Short Dirt Road
Adam Coe, 25 Woodman Road
Sara Colby, 33 Picabo Street
John Cole, 4 Gloucester Hill Road
Penny Collins, 30 Hillside Drive
Cecely Conrad, 25 Woodman Road
Misty L. Coolidge, 37 Peacock Hill Road
Kyrstin Cote, 643 Bald Hill Road
Mykenzie L. Cotiaux, 91 Tufts Road
Robert Cotiaux, 91 Tufts Road
Jacinda Cotton-Castro, 372 Intervale Road
Shane Cummings 10 Rockwood Drive
Carole Cummings-DeTroy, 568 Bald Hill Road
Ben Davison, 773 Intervale Road
Caitlyn Davison, 773 Intervale Road
Marcia Davison, 745 Intervale Road
Paul Davison 745 Intervale Road
Joan Demspey, 14 Dougherty Road
Benjamin DeTroy, 568 Bald Hill Road
Terry DeWan, 70 Dougherty Road
Jonathan Doughty, 322 Cobbs Bridge Road
Leslie Downes 10 Rockwood Drive
Hannah Estlund, 343 Penney Road
Dana Fadel, 34 Bean Family Road
Jennifer Farley, 17 Ridgeline Drive
Kevin Farley, 17 Ridgeline Drive
Jessica Farwell, 284 Sabbathday Road
Delaney Fessler, 42 Homestead Road
Julie Fralich, 20 Gloucester Hill Road
Laura Fralich, 29 Sawyer Road
Michael Fralich, 20 Gloucester Hill Road
Ellen Frankel, 113 Outlet Road
Martha Gardner, 15 Ellery Drive
Charles Gauvin, 97 Cobbs Bridge Road
Lee Gaw, 402 Woodman Road
Carol Gillis, 45A Sunset Shores Road
Paul Gillis, 45A Sunset Shores Road
Adam Gilman, 29 Sawyer Road
Diantha Grant, 12B Trues Point Road
Donald Grant, 12B Trues Point Road
Sally Greene, 182 Meadow Lane
Sarah Gusky Kemer, Hillside Drive
Deborah Hall, 49 Sawyer Road
Phoebe Hardesty, 336 Intervale Road
Vaughn Hardesty, 336 Intervale Road
Heather Heston, 344 Intervale Road
Louisa Heston, 344 Intervale Road
Richard Heston, 344 Intervale Road
Laura Ingalls 162 Jack Hall Road
Bonnie Jefferson, 31 Estes Road
David Jefferson, 31 Estes Road
Mary Beth Johnson, 49 Sunset Shores Road
Thomas Johnson, 49 Sunset Shores Road
Lauren Jordan, 41 Atwood Road
Janet Rae Jorgensen, 49 Atwood Road
Connie Justice, 363 Penney Road
Anne Keith, 21 Hobbs Drive
Robert Keith, 21 Hobbs Dive
Krista Kern Desjarlais, 356 Intervale Road
Amy Kogut, 15 Ellery Drive
Danielle Kogut, 15 Ellery Drive
Matthew Kogut, 15 Ellery Drive
Renee Kramer, 47 Hillside Drive
Kathryn Larson, 43 Cobbs Bridge Road
Melody Larson, 43 Cobbs Bridge Road
Herbert Levine, 113 Outlet Road
Diane Libby, 71A Black Point Road
Peter Libby, 71A Black Point Road
Andrew McKee, 269 Peacock Hill Road
Joanne McKee, 269 Peacock Hill Road
Patti Mikkelsen, 1372 Intervale Road
Helen Morris, 1509 Intervale Road
David Morris, 1509 Intervale Road
Katherine Morris, 1509 Intervale Road
Kelly Nichols, 395 Gloucester Hill Road
Brenda Norris, 28 Lakeview Drive
Harty Norris, 28 Lakeview Drive
Cynthia Nyary, 42 Cobbs Bridge Road
Sasha Nyary, 42 Cobbs Bridge Road
Susan Percy, 80 Gloucester Hill Road
Nick Planson, 343 Penney Road
Nina Planson, 385 Penney Road
Kathleen Potter, 16 Short Dirt Road
Marie Camillo Reimensnyder, 281 Durham Road
Field Rider, 80 Gloucester Hill Road
Kristina Rogers, 77 Gloucester Hill Road
Tristen Rogers, 77 Gloucester Hill Rd
Eric Rohrbach, 7 Outlet Road
Annemarie Salzberg, 295 Woodman Road
Steve Salzberg, 295 Woodman Road
Gina Sawin, 97 Cobbs Bridge Road
Kevin Scannell, 91 Marston Road
Sharon Scannell, 91 Marston Road
Thomas Shupp, 71B Black Point Road
Debra Smith, 9 Cobbs Bridge Road
Douglas Smith, 9 Cobbs Bridge Road
Sarah Sparks, 108 Range Road
Rachel Spencer-Reed, 34 Rustic Way
Oren Stevens, 34 Bean Family Road
Chad Strater, 385 Penney Road
Colleen Strickler, 226 Town Farm Road
Laura Jane Sturgis, 17 Intervale Road
Cecile Sullivan Rohrbach, 7 Outlet Road
Beth Sutherland, 182 Intervale Road
David Sutherland, 182 Intervale Road
Nancy Thomas, 71B Black Point Road
Mara Tieken, 230 Woodman Road
Bert Troughton, 14 Dougherty Road
Patricia Vampatella, 107 Intervale Road
Brian Whitney, 192 Hatch Road
Noreen Williams, 463 Cobbs Bridge Road
Editor’s note Feb. 14: The list has been updated with additional names.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this opinion piece are solely those of the authors. Publication does not reflect endorsement by the NGXchange or its volunteers. NGX welcomes diverse viewpoints and invites your submissions. Learn more here.
