Stupid or tough to live in Star City

4 years ago

To the editor:

I have often thought we are awfully stupid or awfully tough. Now you can figure it out.

Yes we have a lot of snow and cold weather for a few months but we have a great highway department that works long hours to keep our streets safe. We have never had to evacuate due to weather and many of our homes are kept heated due to generous donations from charitable givers. Thanks to all who are able to give. Thanks to our many agencies ie: ACAP, United Way and others who are there to help. Plus a wonderful homeless shelter when needed.

Nothing to do in Presque Isle, I beg to differ. We have a beautiful movie theater, lots of local high school and college ball games at our many gyms and football and soccer at our Million Dollar field and hockey at our indoor ice rink. You can choose to walk and exercise on the bike path or many of the indoor locations such as Gentile Hall, Sargent Family Rec Center or Northern Maine Community College. You also can swim with three pools — two at local hotels and one at Gentile Hall. There are many hiking trails at Aroostook State Park and Nordic Heritage Center, also snowmobile and ATV trails and ski slopes and sledding hills.  

The snowmobiling and ATVs bring in much needed revenue via restaurants, hotels, gas stations and overall shopping. Oh yes Presque Isle is such a bad place to live — just count all the eating places. If we do have accidents due to snowy or icy roads we have super emergency response teams plus a fine medical center open 24/7.

Now let’s look to spring for fishing in our many waterways, again ATV trails, play baseball or watch school games. Get your license checked by Officer Dudley and find out the best places to fish. Plant some flowers to make the area beautiful as is done on Main Street with the beautiful well-kept planters of petunias.  

Think of all the things we can do outdoor in spite of black flies and mosquitoes which come for a few weeks and then are gone, and we can keep them at bay with repellents. Then suntan lotion soon comes so we can forget those pesky flies and get into gardening or other outdoor activities.

So if and when you attend church this holiday season, thank God we never had to evacuate, go hungry or get too cold in our homes. We are so fortunate we have so many churches to choose from in our fair city. Lest we forget we also have the Splash Pad and play area by Riverside and the Rec Center. If you have no knowledge of how fortunate we are, visit our newly remodeled library and choose from books, movies, computers to use, etc. If you decide to leave town, get your ticket at our Regional Airport.

Must go now. Here comes Star City to pick up our trash — what a great convenience. And I need to go to the Aroostook Area on Aging to catch our new PI LOOP Bus to pick up medicines, shop and perhaps when we go on the base route see some deer and wild turkeys again.

Now why do I want to live in the Star City? Am I awfully stupid or awfully tough?

Loomis Craig
Presque Isle