Sentiment over safety

To the Editor:

Regarding your front page story on Aug 26, 2010, "Rock 'roiling' Hanover," it is hard to see what the controversy is. Why does sentiment take precedence over safety? Where safety is concerned how can there be any question that the "offending boulder" should be removed?

Bob Brown and Louise Jonaitis have been committed to preserving and celebrating the area's native "rocks" and the surrounding environment when they created Plumbago Mining and Timber. Several times a year they host Maine Department of Conservation sponsored trips, the Junior Geologists and other mineral clubs to the Newry mines. As a tour guide for those trips I personally have fielded dozens of complaints over the last several years from "rock loving" guests traveling on Howard Pond Road horrified at the danger they risked by dodging the road hazard.

As someone who is trained to heal and communicate using rocks, I assure you, the rock will feel no pain from changing its shape and purpose.

Perhaps pieces of the rock could be sold to benefit services to Howard Pond and those attached to the rock could own a part of it to remember it by. That would be Prudential. It is a far better solution than taking the risk of losing a loved one, or having one disabled, because of the perilous obstacle.

Rockin' Robyn Green

West Paris