Editor:

We’re going to have a referendum to decide whether dogs, and their poo, will be kept off Willard Beach. To that I say, “At last!” A small minority of dog owners cannot be allowed to force our children to play in the poo at the beach. But our work to free Willard Beach is not done.

 In order to keep gulls and their disgusting poo away from our children it appears that we must install cannons along the beach. These will need to be fired at first light to encourage the birds to roost and poo elsewhere. Clearly, the small vocal minority of waterfront beach owners cannot be allowed to impose their “right” to sleep past dawn to force our children to frolic and picnic in and among bird feces. Maybe it’s OK for someone else’s kids, but not for ours. After all, the boom of cannons at dawn is the sound of freedom!

 Further, the taxpayers of South Portland need to be ready for a tax to fund a new marine animal and fishes act which will mandate that a net be installed to prevent theses disgusting and diseased creatures from defecating on or near the beach. We do not want our children playing or, heaven forbid, swimming, in the oceans of poo that currently break over the sands of Willard Beach. The fact that netting will “inconvenience” the small minority of people who have a “right” to moor their boats off Willard beach cannot be allowed to force our children to swim among the feces. 

 Additionally, funds must be appropriated for a footwear changing station (with enforcement) so that people have to remove their street shoes and don beach shoes before crossing onto the beach. I know a guy who walks his dog away from Willard Beach and then strolls Willard sans doggie. You should see the filth that he tracks onto the beach in the cleats of his Vibram soled shoes. Clearly, no one has the right to track dog feces onto the beach imbedded in the soles of his shoes thereby forcing our children to share the beach with an unbelievable spectrum of Vibram hitchhiking septic organisms. 

 Until these, and probably other, logical steps are taken to protect our families; I will be unable to sign as: Yours in a poo free Willard Beach.

John Barkin 

South Portland