When Gov. Paul LePage and those members of the Legislature who last year pushed through the sale and personal use of fireworks in the state, they diminished the much-touted quality of life of the state.

Here in Gardiner we used to listen to about 40 minutes of city-sponsored fireworks over the Memorial Day weekend and at the Fourth of July, and that would be the end of it. Then the fireworks law was approved, and Gardiner, like many communities, voted not to permit the sale or use of fireworks. Didn’t matter, we were treated to the bang! bang! bang! of personal fireworks for an hour and 10 minutes on the Saturday night before Memorial Day, then again on Memorial Day itself. And for the week around July Fourth, the peace and quiet of our summer evenings was disturbed every single night between 8 and 9 p.m. by people shooting off fireworks, even though it is illegal in Gardiner.

I, like everyone else, am all for encouraging business in Maine, but this is not the kind of business we should encourage. As far as I am concerned, what we have done with this stupid piece of legislation is shoot ourselves in the foot. And what I want to know is, how do we make it right?

Melody Norman-Camp

Gardiner