"Outsider" in Maine? (Portland, Bangor: loans, how much, home)

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Audry524

I see that your location states that your from Keene NH. That's another one of our many locations we're considering. Can you give me your take on Keene?

I've only passed through Keene. Never spent much time there. But I was really shocked at how such a small town had such bad traffic. Beautiful little town, to be sure, but absolutely flooded with cars. Almost felt like I was back in Washington.

[irishmom]

Originally Posted by Tarastomsgirl

no these recounts are not my husbands childhood memories these are from both of his parents and I've talked to his friends from up there. The playset at new sweden consolidated school was put there by my in-laws, they spent a whole weekend putting it together and cementing it into the ground. They went to some kind of town meeting and she stood up and brought up why these children didn't have computers, updated books or playground equiptment and I laugh when she tells me that some guy in the way back, old guy, stands up , you know the country bumpkin type and just goes well I didnt' and I turned out just fine.. lol like something in a movie. There are people up there still using farm equiptment from the 1800's up there. I mean its definetly outdated.. When we were up in Aug of 05 we were having breakfast at the only hotel in Caribou can't remember what its called now but the waitress was braggin how they just instated 911 in the town. I mean 2004 and you're just getting 911. I swear to you I'm not lying about any of this... Its all true cross my heart. And they stuck it out for 11 years because they loved the peace and quite of where they were, they lived in a big farm house they bough on 10 acres of land, had their own little apple orchard and animals and for the most part lived a peaceful life... but you know there were times when the people weren't so nice. But thats they way it goes. They moved and they're happier down in Fla. My husband missed NE too much though... He has to have his Red Sox fix ... And I'm not trying to disrespect anyone I'm just giving recounds.. And as far as the imbreeding and what not.. Don't take offense they're all over down here too hun.. Florida everglades is FILLED with Billy bob and Besty Joe's if you know what i mean. Ya just gotta roll with the punches and smile

Ok then it's not the same as my sister at all, just thought maybe. But still hanging out there for 11 years your in-laws must be a hardy pair of people...I can't say that I would have done that for more than a year with out bailing out. No one can ever say they didn't try though, that's for sure!

My husband is a die hard Red Sox fan too and he hasn't lived in NE for 15 years...I think they hypnotize those fans at their first game or something...LOL

[forest beekeeper]

"Just getting 911"

It only became mandated in 2004. It is to work with Homeland Security in re-mapping each township, and to re-assign house numbers / re-doing everyone's home address. Aligning each home address with a GPS location, so the MPS system works. When you call the telephone dispatcher, your digital cellphone automatically transmits your GPS location to the dispatcher, 'with 911' in place the dispatcher will see your location displayed on a street map along with the street address nearest you.

What you are talking about is NOT a police/fire dispatcher who sinply receives telephone calls.



Here in Argyle, they have not entirely re-numbered everyone's home addresses yet, though we know that it is coming. So we do nto have 911 in place yet. We can telephone the police-fire dispatcher at #911, but at this point it does not automatically line them up with the nearest street address.

[7th generation]

Dear Audry524,
It's unimaginable for me to respond to negative posts without a bit of anger.
Yet I choose to only see the positive side of our WONDERFUL state. Please,please do not let ONE Poster dissuade you from relocating to Maine. Consider all options and give us a fair shake. We are honest,polite,friendly,courteous and helpful to our neighbors and fellow citizens regardless of their roots. By the way I read all of tarastomsgirl's posts and did not find ONE that was positive. Again there is a Troll among us.

[Audry524]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

Dear Audry524,
It's unimaginable for me to respond to negative posts without a bit of anger.
Yet I choose to only see the positive side of our WONDERFUL state. Please,please do not let ONE Poster dissuade you from relocating to Maine. Consider all options and give us a fair shake. We are honest,polite,friendly,courteous and helpful to our neighbors and fellow citizens regardless of their roots. By the way I read all of tarastomsgirl's posts and did not find ONE that was positive. Again there is a Troll among us.

I very much appreciate your response. Things happen everywhere, that I know. I love Maine, it's "in my blood" so to speak and I wouldn't let anyone dissuade me. We keep looking other places, but I keep coming back to Maine.

Thank you for the postive response!

[DavidoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by irishmom

...
Every middleschooler (I think this happens in 7th grade) is given a laptop to use and take home with them. So why wouldn't they let the kids use computers?...

While it's true Maine students are provided with laptop computers, this was an idea imposed from above by the previous Governor, and it was not universally applauded. Many of the teachers probably don't have any idea what to do with them and probably wish they would just go away! The Governor to his credit was trying to perform radical surgery on a dysfunctional culture. Like we're all gonna evolve from lumber jacks to high tech computer scientists! At least he tried.

[Unhappycamper]

That laptop program is a disaster. Kids are breaking them, messing them up, using proxies to get around the filters, doing things they should not be. Even as a computer programing major I do not think they should be dishing these expensive machines to these kids. They should upgrade the labs and give them more funding for the programs. My high school's computer lab was horrible. They only offered 4 classes on the computers due to lack of funding (and three of them was learning to type...yay).

/rant

[mainebrokerman]

ive got to add my two cents here, ive lived in maine all my life in central maine, i've been travelling up to the "county" for close to 15 years every month, ive got to know many folks up there from minimum wage employees to business owners to farmers, to me, they are some of the most decent folks in the state, about five times, my car broke down,,thru the years and just about every car that drove by,,slowed and ask if i needed some help,,even two farmers with tractors came along,,to see if i wanted to pulled to a better spot. ive been invited for "supper" by total strangers.
now i believe every town has skeletons in thier closet,,i grew up in two towns and could tell some stories,,but does that depict the town today?? no way!!
mainers are well known to keeping to themselves,,not because they are arrogant,,but of an intrinsic respect,,,my business is my business,,and your business is your business,,,but when thiers a time of need,,,,the helping hands will be there,,
maine a a disastrous ice storm a while back,,,it seemed like most of the state lost power (i lost it for 18 days) and did we hear of just one report,,or looting,,or someone stealing something from someone else?? hell-no!! you had neighbor helping neighbor,,even knocking on doors to see if everyone was "all-right"

i wouldnt live anywhere else but maine, i like the peacefulness, the wildlife, the serenity, ive lived in the same town for almost 13 years, and have yet to lock my front door, i even leave keys in my car overnight, and ive yet to hear of a crime in this town.
for anyone thinking of moving to maine,,,talk to elcarim, she visited up here a while ago,,,scoping out towns, to get a "feel" for maine and its people, she lives in the deep south.
yes, im sure anyone from maine can regurgitate some stories about thier own home towns,,,,but that in no way colors what maine and most of the people are,,
maine is a very peaceful and friendly state.

[Elcarim]

Very well stated, Brokerman. You just pretty much summed all the reasons we're moving to Maine.

[irishmom]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

ive got to add my two cents here, ive lived in maine all my life in central maine, i've been travelling up to the "county" for close to 15 years every month, ive got to know many folks up there from minimum wage employees to business owners to farmers, to me, they are some of the most decent folks in the state, about five times, my car broke down,,thru the years and just about every car that drove by,,slowed and ask if i needed some help,,even two farmers with tractors came along,,to see if i wanted to pulled to a better spot. ive been invited for "supper" by total strangers.
now i believe every town has skeletons in thier closet,,i grew up in two towns and could tell some stories,,but does that depict the town today?? no way!!
mainers are well known to keeping to themselves,,not because they are arrogant,,but of an intrinsic respect,,,my business is my business,,and your business is your business,,,but when thiers a time of need,,,,the helping hands will be there,,
maine a a disastrous ice storm a while back,,,it seemed like most of the state lost power (i lost it for 18 days) and did we hear of just one report,,or looting,,or someone stealing something from someone else?? hell-no!! you had neighbor helping neighbor,,even knocking on doors to see if everyone was "all-right"

i wouldnt live anywhere else but maine, i like the peacefulness, the wildlife, the serenity, ive lived in the same town for almost 13 years, and have yet to lock my front door, i even leave keys in my car overnight, and ive yet to hear of a crime in this town.
for anyone thinking of moving to maine,,,talk to elcarim, she visited up here a while ago,,,scoping out towns, to get a "feel" for maine and its people, she lives in the deep south.
yes, im sure anyone from maine can regurgitate some stories about thier own home towns,,,,but that in no way colors what maine and most of the people are,,
maine is a very peaceful and friendly state.

In all the years I've been vacationing there this has also been my experience with the people and the towns. Now I know that vacationing is not the same as living, but our experiences with the people we have met was definitely the big reason to looking into moving there. Let's face it it's a beautiful state but so are many others...and I've visited some of them as well...but the people we've met here have been amongst the nicest all around. There is a diner in Boothbay that was totally horrified and confused about my son's allergies...(this is why we always rent a cottage with a kitchen we try not to eat out) and the woman server was so upset that she couldn't answer my questions about ingredients that she took me into the kitchen and let me read ingredients myself!!! This believe me doesn't happen anywhere else!

Also it's too bad that the laptop thing didn't go well, it sounded so progressive...there is no other state that has tried such a program. You have to give credit to the state education department for trying.