As a fan of our Lewiston Maineiacs, I want to congratulate our team for the inspired, skillful and physical series-winning victory against the favored Montreal Junior this past Sunday night in the QMJHL quarterfinals.

While our Maineiacs have provided L-A with solid play, an excellent entertainment value and a community-conscious organization, it is cold comfort to look in the stands and see a thousand or so empty seats during games, especially with a competitively successful team. To think that high school hockey can practically sell out games in the Colisee, yet a winning professional team on a killer run in the playoffs can’t?

Sure, the economy has seen better days, although there are indicators it’s slowly improving. (Insert vitriolic disagreement here.) And yes, gas prices are seemingly obscene, except when they’re adjusted for inflation, they’re not. (As James Thurber wrote, you can look it up.) And our disposable incomes? If attending Maineiacs games is truly expensive compared to all the other (rather limited) entertainment options in this carpe-diem-challenged area, I guess that a $7 fast-food “value” meal sets the bar for today’s version of fiscal discipline.

Our Maineiacs are the biggest show around, provide extra commerce for local hotels, restaurants, et al., and help keep Lewiston on the North American map. (Watch out, Binghamton.) We’re a tough, proud community with a tough, proud community team. I’ll be at the playoff game Tuesday night, how ’bout you?

Still not interested? Scream 4, a real value, is in theaters now.

Kris Kucera, Lisbon