Dear Editor:

I’ve been told I have a twisted sense of humor, so maybe it’s just me that finds it comical that YMCA Director Andy Hamblett was quoted in last week’s paper about watershed protection ("Boothbay comprehensive plan public hearing set for August 8"). As a member of the Boothbay Comprehensive Planning Committee, Mr. Hamblett says that we should find a balance between allowing more development and protecting Boothbay’s watershed.

As director of the YMCA, Mr. Hamblett was in charge while the Y hired someone to hack down 87,000 sq. ft. of forest last spring within the Knickerbocker Lake watershed without planning board approval. Back then he confessed to ignorance of the watershed protection laws. He’s the last person who should be offering an opinion on creating new standards for the long-term protection of Boothbay’s drinking water.

Robert Conlin
Boothbay