Editor:

I have loved living in the Willard Beach neighborhood for nearly 11 years, although it isn’t always peaceful. Living a block and a half away from a public beach can be noisy in warm weather as cars, motorcyclists, and skateboarders whiz by my house on their way to the shore. But I realize that a bit of noise is the price I pay for the tremendous luxury of living near a public beach. I have to share “my” beach with the public. Instead of hearing the street traffic that I do, people who live on the waterfront hear screaming parents and children, rowdy teenagers, and the occasional barking dog. But just beyond their front yards is a glorious beach and the ocean.

A handful of waterfront residents don’t think they should have to put up with “the public.”  South Portland already has two private beaches at Loveitt’s Field and Danforth Cove. People who don’t want to share “their” beach with the public may be happier in those neighborhoods or one of the Cape Elizabeth neighborhoods that feature private beaches.

 The war of words over dogs on Willard bears little resemblance to what is actually going on at the beach. Public access to the shore is precious and increasingly endangered. Let’s not forget that everyone in the Willard Beach neighborhood chose to live near a public beach, whether they live in expensive homes on the waterfront or modest bungalows farther away. Let’s keep the “public” in South Portland’s only public beach.

Sheila Wellehan

South Portland