OPINION

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OF THE FALMOUTH FORECASTER

LETTER FROM JILL MALONY:

To the editor:

I read with interest Mr. Randy Perry's April 24 response to Gerry Whitehouse's letter in the April 10 edition. What struck me was Mr. Perry's assumption that folks who live on an island "choose" to do so. I guess he thought since he had that choice that everyone does. There are people who live on Chebeague Island and have so for generations. I guess they could "choose" to sell their homes, give up their jobs and move to the mainland.

But it doesn't seem to make very good economic sense. For those islanders who make their living on the water, should they also "choose" to change their jobs? How many people that have lived and worked for generations in their community are asked to make that same "choice"?

Mr. Perry went on to wonder why Chebeaguers might need two parking spaces per household. Well, Mr. Perry, you said that both you and your wife would be working; should islanders also have to "choose" which member of their household is going to work so that they would only need one space in the parking lot? What other "choices" would you have Chebeaguers make? I am sure that if and when these folks decide to move (maybe for the same reasons you decided to move), they will have choices to make also. But I don't think they had a choice about where they were born or where their parents decided to live. Are they to be penalized for that?

Chebeaguers respect the Cousins Island community and all they ask is that you respect their community also. All they are asking for is continued access to their community without resentment and rancor. Isn't that what we all "choose"?