letter to the editor

Time for change

Tue, 12/05/2017 - 7:00am

Dear Editor:

I’ve been asked by many individuals why I haven’t been more vocal about the changes being made to the town. Well, I have listened and now I will voice my opinion.

In the ’80s, a group came to Boothbay Harbor that did not have good intentions for the town. They did not get the proper permits. They filled in coves and bullied their way through the town officials. Just about everything they did was illegal and unchallenged. They just wanted to make big money and run. I did months of research on them, which made them very upset, enough so they threatened my life and my family. I got the townspeople together and we stopped them in their tracks. Even the TV news channels could not understand how a small town like Boothbay Harbor could stop such a big money group and all of its lawyers, when the City of Portland could not. It was all because of you — the townspeople.

Now, the situation is very different — I feel Paul Coulombe has only good intentions for this town and its people. He has picked this town to be revitalized, using his own money, with nothing to gain and no way to recoup what he will spend here.

I have listened to him and his plans very carefully. I really believe he will only improve the town and the east side, which is in disrepair. The last thing to be updated on the east side was the Fish Pier, and that was with taxpayers’ money and grants.

I have also discussed the fishing industry with him. He assures me that he believes the fishermen are a big part of this town and wants them to stay that way.

He has helped the town immensely already. We need to stand behind him and be glad it’s our town he picked to revitalize. 

We need to steer our elected officials in the right direction, again, for the good of the town. We need to get the zoning changes on the town warrant.

I encourage the people who care about Boothbay Harbor to attend the planning board meeting on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. I feel strongly that this is an opportunity of a lifetime that won’t happen again.

Douglas Carter

Boothbay Harbor

Editor’s note: Because the length of Mr. Carter’s original message exceeded our letters to the editor policy of 350 words by about 100 words, his message was edited. His original message will be a paid ad in the print version. The paid ad was paid for by Mr. Carter