Editor:

In this day, many of us are discouraged by the state of affairs – both
nationally and locally – and we sometimes miss the jewels that are
sitting in our backyard. I am writing to mention two of these “gems.”

 One is Officer Patty Maynard of the South Portland Police
Department. Officer Maynard also serves as the patrol officer who
covers SMCC. Late this past spring, one of my students in the English
Language Learning Program was stopped by Officer Maynard along Broadway
because his inspection sticker had expired.

Since this was right after class, I noticed him pulled over on my way
past so I stopped to see if he was OK. Officer Maynard was cordial and
allowed me to help explain the process to this young man. Coming from
another continent and unfamiliar with much of the complications of both
cars and our system, he was frightened and bewildered.

In a quiet and calming voice, Officer Maynard explained what was
happening and gathered information from him. Following that, she
arranged to see him at the station, once he had the inspection sticker
affixed to his car, to avoid any fine. He left my class the following
week, with my cell phone in hand in case he needed me, to meet her,
inspection sticker in place.

At the station, she had him call to assure me that all had been
resolved. When he returned to class, the first thing he said was, “She
was very nice to me.”

What a gift! I was grateful he had had a helpful experience with a
police officer, rather than feel terrified and overwhelmed by the
rules, the language, and the uniform. I thank Officer Maynard for
providing such a supportive experience while still doing her job. Bravo
to the South Portland Police Force for hiring such a prize.

 The second treasure is Bill Arnold. Bill  is a rather new
member of our community but one who has invested himself in our city in
many ways. Quietly, he is a strong supporter of immigrant students and
our local community college. To that end, Bill  has set up a
scholarship fund, in memory of his father, to assist those students in
their quest of further education.

While the fund builds to be self-sustaining (others who are interested
can contribute to the same scholarship), Bill has made his own
donations to help students in the interim.

The goal is to target the most academically promising, yet most
financially needy students; this past semester – through his generosity
– two of my students were able to avoid a break in their schooling.
Because of their immigrant status, they did not otherwise qualify for
financial aid and would have had to continue working to save more money
before going back to SMCC, but Bill Arnold’s generous act allowed these
two young adults to take a full semester of courses.

Their surprise at this charitable act was overwhelming – “Who was this
man who helped us in this way, without even knowing us?” they asked.

Both coming from war-torn countries with families left behind, the
experience was incredibly uplifting. It restored their faith and
confidence in believing that they would be able to help their families
back home by continuing to better themselves in this country.

What a gift to these students who are struggling here alone to experience this kindness!

 I am grateful to be living in a community with individuals such
as Officer Patty Maynard and Bill Arnold in our midst. It restores my
faith in believing that South Portland is a great place to live. My
sincerest thanks to both of you for enriching this city.

Sincerely,

Rosemarie De Angelis

South Portland