Kittery was unfair to Chuck Denault: Letters

Kittery was unfair to Chuck Denault. We support him.

Oct. 18 − To the Editor:

We, the undersigned former Kittery, Maine, town employees, support Chuck Denault and his candidacy for election to the Kittery Town Council. Though much has been written by the Portsmouth Herald regarding his abrupt departure from the Kittery Town Council in 2021, very little was published pertaining to the employees that he assisted during that tenuous time.

We would like to take this opportunity to tell our side of the story. When our many and varied individual complaints to our direct supervisor, human resources and ultimately the town manager regarding theft, hostile work environments, retaliation, harassment, co-workers sneaking out of work when the boss was not there, time card fraud, nepotism and mismanagement along with an assortment of other complaints were not resolved or even believed, we had no one left to turn to except Councilor Denault. He advised us that he would personally take the information to the town manager per the town charter. This was well within the scope of his duties as a town councilor and our rights as employees.

Councilor Denault always looked out for the citizens and employees of Kittery and in order to assist us, tried to fix the wrongdoings to benefit those who were subjected to unfair treatment. He was trying to protect us while doing his job as a town councilor. As a direct result of us reporting bad behavior, the retaliation started and among other things, we were told that we could not speak to Chuck nor voice our concerns to the public. This ultimately led to our resignations, one by one, including Chuck’s wife. These were not easy decisions to make. Some of us had over 15 years of employment with the town of Kittery.

Over the past few years, there has been an obvious downturn in morale and a not so stellar reputation of Kittery’s management practices. From multiple town employees moving on to other employment, to the residents becoming divided, the effects of the management problems have been clear and well articulated yet ignored. They were clear then as they are today. It was devastating that the town manager knowingly disciplined the wrong people while we were trying to do what was morally right.

What happened to Former Councilor Denault was unfair and the accusations were not true. The information he brought forward is accurate. He defended us, tried to do what was right and was true to his oath and obligations. If you could see what we saw happening inside, away from the public’s eye, you would truly support Mr. Chuck Denault in his candidacy as we do.

Daniel Upton, Robert Hames, Daniel J. Colbert, Terry McDonnell, Shawn Tapley

Portsmouth lucky to have so many good City Council candidates

Oct. 18 − To the Editor:

I took advantage of several recent opportunities to meet the candidates for Portsmouth’s City Council. I have now met and heard from all 17 candidates.  Whatever your position on the city budget, one-way traffic on State Street, outdoor dining, or the city’s water supply, you have to be impressed with the candidates. For a small city of about 20,000 we are fortunate to have so many, so thoughtful, so talented, so dedicated, volunteers.

To my fellow citizens I say, you owe it to these candidates to familiarize yourself with what they offer, select 9 and vote on Nov. 7. To the 17 candidates, I say, if you do not win, please, be gracious in defeat. Please.

Bess Mosley

Portsmouth

Support Kathleen Soldati for Portsmouth City Council

Oct. 19 − To the Editor:

I am writing to support Kathleen Soldati in her bid for the Portsmouth City Council. I’ve known Kathleen for almost a decade, meeting her first through a business engagement and then developing a valuable friendship with her and her diverse family. What struck me initially about Kathleen was her ability to connect people: She has an uncanny memory of faces, names and individuals’ stories, and constantly engages in a way that focuses on others and our common values. She has been deeply involved in our community at all levels: Business development, nonprofit, and volunteerism. She has been a rebel with a cause her whole life. Kathleen’s creative and motivated family members reflect her values and persistence to make positive changes in the world – through business, the justice system, military service, government and through the arts.

Kathleen’s candidacy is rooted in the idea of “civil discourse”. Civil discourse is defined as “communication for the purpose of objectively enhancing the understanding of matters of shared or public concern. It is the process of showing respect and facilitating a back-and-forth conversation with people who may have differing opinions or beliefs.”

Kathleen has the intellect, energy, life-experiences and undying optimism to positively affect the tone and outlook of our City Council and their interactions at all levels; with Portsmouth residents, City staff, the business community, and other institutions that influence the council’s decisions. I hope you will support Kathleen Soldati by giving her your vote on Nov. 7.

Beth Jefferson

Portsmouth

Wells beachfront property owners restrict public access without paying taxes

Oct. 12 − To the Editor:

I'm encouraged by the recent efforts of Free Moody Beach and Our Maine Beaches to restore public recreation rights on the Maine shoreline. Several years ago our family built our forever home on Moody Point in Wells, anticipating quality beach time with our family.

While walking on Moody Beach, we stopped and stood in the water up to our calves while my nephews played in the waves. A woman approached us, ordered us to leave immediately, and then threatened us with sending down her mother, “who is nastier than me.”

We were dumbfounded! My nephews told us they thought this was their fault because they had been laughing and splashing too much. We tried to explain to my nephews that some people don’t want to share the sand or the water with other people. This was a difficult concept for all of us to grasp!

Apparently, it’s only gotten worse with each year. We are disheartened to hear that others are experiencing the same kind of thing that we went through. Especially since the people who claim they own the beach to the low tide mark, don’t pay any taxes on the land they claim to own!

We sincerely hope that the town of Wells and the state of Maine will make beaches more welcoming to families like ours. This is not “the way life should be.”

Jocelyn and Louis Dupre

Wells, Maine

Is Haley shag dancing around the political rules?

Oct. 12 − To the Editor:

While working in South Carolina decades ago, one observation was that residents had a way of getting around things.

The rule for nightclubs was that drinking wasn’t allowed on Sundays. The workaround was to become a member of a “private club" for a small fee and you could drink and dance the “Shag” into the wee hours. After buying libations at a drive through, you could even drink and drive with an open container in your cup holder, "as long as you weren’t drunk."

Fast forward to 2023 and one Palmetto State resident seems to be at it again. A political advertisement is being run by the SFA PAC to promote Nikki Haley. SFA is the Stand for America PAC that coincidentally was formed by Nikki Haley. Note that contributions to candidates are limited to as little as $3,300 per election cycle for individuals, but contributions to PACs can be over a million dollars.

See contributions to the SFA PAC, including some over a million dollars, here.

A search for New Hampshire donors returned zero results. The inspiration for writing this was watching an SFA advertisement. The shot contained the text “Nikki Haley Ban China from Buying American Land” over an image of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Seriously, this ad may work well in Iowa showing farmland in the background, but PNSY is a critical Department of Defense asset owned by the U.S. government for the last 223 years. There is zero risk of the shipyard being sold to China. How dumb does the former ambassador and her helpful PAC think we are here in the Northeast? To believe that a PAC someone founded is in no way affiliated with the founder is quite a stretch as well.

Yes, some South Carolinians certainly have a way of getting around things.

Don Cavallaro

Rye

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery was unfair to Chuck Denault: Letters