letter to the editor

Candidate hopes to get elected

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 9:30pm

Dear Editor:

My name is Mike Pander and I am running for selectman in Boothbay. Encouraged by friends and neighbors who agreed that someone new should stand up and run, I'm standing up.

A theme of discussions throughout town has been that it's a good time for a change within the select board. All boards benefit from some changeover of membership. While recognizing the hard work and many hours given by our long-serving incumbent select board members, it's just plain healthy to have turnover within. I'm hoping that folks will agree that my experience and commitment to community qualifies me to serve after 30 years of living in Boothbay.

Boothbay is at an interesting point in time. The roundabout, love it or hate it, is ours. Everyone is tired of having The Common looking like a construction site. Let's finish the project, make it look good as soon as possible, and move on.

The dispute with Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens seems to be coming to a close though the judge's decision is not known at this writing. After a lengthy public hearing, our select board voted to pass the consent decree they had negotiated. No matter what is decided in court there will be important details to finalize. Let's resolve those details with the greatest of care and move forward.

The point is, let's take a collective deep breath and move on. We can't change history but we can influence the future. Let's focus on economic development while maintaining the character of our town, and encourage the hundreds of folks who drive here to work to live here, too.

Why am I asking voters to cast only one vote? Simply this: In a three-way election with two incumbents running who start out with even a small base, it's extremely difficult for the third candidate to attain a majority of votes if everyone feels obliged to cast their second vote for an incumbent. One incumbent in this election is assured reelection no matter what, and I hope to be the second selectman elected.

Thank you for your support.

Mike Pander

Boothbay