Editor:

The South Portland City Council acted wisely and correctly when it enacted its ‘Share Willard Beach compromise’ this past winter. This compromise allows dog owners and their supervised dogs on the beach from 7 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. only, during warmer months of the year. It’s been working very well. People who prefer to experience the beach without dogs have 10 straight hours, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day to enjoy the beach as they desire. That is fair for everyone and denies no one their right to enjoy our public beach as they wish.

The mis-named Save Willard Beach conspirators with their anti-sharing, mean-spirited referendum banning dogs completely are spitting in our faces and may succeed in hoodwinking a majority of voters this fall. Don’t allow them to do that to our freedom and our community.

 Does the city of South Portland want to tell a local returning veteran from Afghanistan that he is not free to enjoy a walk with his dog on Willard Beach at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. on a warm summer day, because Gary Crosby and Dan LaBrie said so and through their exaggerations and selfishness convinced the community to vote for this referendum?

Save Willard Beach is a phony name for a mean-spirited and flagrant assault on everyone’s freedom to enjoy and share our public beach.

Share Willard Beach. Vote ‘No’ this fall and oppose the anti-sharing/anti-dog referendum.

Bob Goldman

South Portland