To the editor
I returned to my hometown of Manville last month (June) to spend some time with family. I found it interesting to see all the various signs around town that identified the town’s boundaries and various landmarks, including Manville High School all well displayed in appropriate color scheme.
What dismayed me, however, was that there seemed to be mixed intentions on such generous gestures. Underneath all of them was the identity of the donor Ketusky Funeral Home, specifically in large enough print so to be seen as a means of advertisement for the business.
I guess I question why this is so, instead of the sign being clearly an act of generosity or even philanthropy on their behalf?
Having lived in Maine almost 17 years, the generosity of many well-known person including Steven King and Harold Alfond (past owner of Dexter Shoe Co.) to name a few has touched many communities in way that both beautify and enhance their growth.
Other than a press release announcing their donation, the finished "product" is void of any indication of who donated it. This subsequent anonymity on part of the donor is seen as an act of tact and grace that contributes richly to community’s essence.
This is the way it should be, as our Maine State logo goes. Moreover, I think of the poet T.S. Eliot who inclined that we miss our mark when "we do the right thing for the wrong reason."
It maters not who donated the signs. If the intent was to help identify town lines and buildings and spruce up their appearance, so be it.
Anything more seems to be about a means to an end that is all about personal gain for the business, instead of genuine generosity towards the upkeep of the town.
I’d encourage the business to tastefully remove their "donated by" signs below the "real" sign. What harm would it do?
Hermon, Maine