“Nastier than me”

Restore public recreation rights to Maine shoreline

Letter to Portland Press Herald, October 21, 2023

We sincerely hope that the town of Wells and the state of Maine will make beaches more welcoming to families like ours. We’re encouraged by the recent efforts of Free Moody Beach and Our Maine Beaches to restore public recreation rights on the Maine shoreline. Several years ago, our family built our forever home on Moody Point in Wells, anticipating quality beach time with our family.

While walking on Moody Beach, we stopped and stood in the water up to our calves while my nephews played in the waves. A woman approached us, ordered us to leave immediately, and then threatened us with sending down her mother, “who is nastier than me.” We were dumbfounded. My nephews told us they thought this was their fault because they had been laughing and splashing too much. We tried to explain to my nephews that some people don’t want to share the sand or the water with other people. This was a difficult concept for all of us to grasp.

Apparently, it’s only gotten worse with each year. We are disheartened to hear that others are experiencing the same kind of thing that we went through. We sincerely hope that the town of Wells and the state of Maine will make beaches more welcoming to families like ours. This is not “the way life should be.”

Jocelyn and Louis Dupre

Wells