To the editor:
Mr. White said that a Hummer had no place in the Portage Lake Centennial Parade. I’m not sure if he was trying to make a political statement by making reference to today’s economy by saying a Hummer was excessive luxury. But, to the best of my knowledge, there were no restrictions placed on the type of vehicle that could join the parade and certainly no limit as to its cost.
I know the Hummer guy. He and his wife are hard workers and have earned the money to support their lifestyle. Contrary to what Mr. White and our current administration in Washington thinks, they have every right to spend their hard-earned money on whatever they want and they do not have to apologize for becoming successful. Lighten up for Pete’s sake, it was supposed to be a celebration with a festive parade. Would we have been better off if a hearse had led the parade and everybody had worn black arm bands?
It’s true that we are in a recession and there are few jobs to be had, especially in Aroostook County. I do not know Mr. White’s age but I can assure him that this region has had many prosperous years since 1929. We had lumber mills in town that employed many people for years. These mills needed wood choppers, horse tenders, and camp cooks to supply them with lumber. Also there were several potato farmers that did very well. And up to a few years ago, we still had many local people employed in the lumber industry. So don’t make it sound as if this region has been a totally depressed area since 1929. It hasn’t always been this gloomy.
The Hummer guy drove all the way from Colorado, towing a trailer with two ATVs. He came to visit relatives, join in our celebration and to ride on our ATV trails. Tourism is one of the few industries remaining in Portage Lake. We should not be discouraging people from coming here to vacation by insulting them with preconceived biases and the fact that you do not like the color of their vehicles. I participated in the parade and noticed that a lot of vehicles parked along the viewing areas had out-of-state plates. We should welcome tourists with open arms, whether they come by horseback, car or even yellow Hummers. If they happen to be affluent, so much the better.
To the Hummer guy from Colorado, please come back again and bring your friends with you, no matter what they drive, because there are friendly folks up here to welcome you.
On a lighter note, our Centennial Celebration was a great success, starting off with a pancake breakfast followed by several exhibits at the town hall parking lot and a demonstration of motorcycle skills. I understand that the “portaging” of canoes from Little Machias Lake to Portage Lake was very challenging, even to some seasoned outdoorsmen. But the sound of drums as they paddled to the town dock was very upbeat. This was then followed by a pig roast supper put on by the snowmobile club.
All members of the Centennial Committee did an excellent job putting this day together. I want to mention several individuals that deserve special thanks for making this day a success. They are: Corrine Routhier, Taunja Jandreau, Barbra Pitcairn, Fort Kent’s own Melanie Soucier for singing all those patriotic songs, and especially Rena Belanger for all her time and effort she put into the parade. Thanks guys for an excellent job and thank God for a sunny day.
Portage Lake
