Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Region is lucky to still have a local newspaper -- an award-winning one to boot. As a regular reader for 30+ years, I appreciate the paper’s overall high quality and breadth of coverage. On two major evolving stories, the paper’s editors and writers might want to dig a little deeper to enhance their reporting for the community.

To date, the issues surrounding planning for the school campus remodeling / new school project have been fairly easy to follow. However, given the magnitude of this project and its overall impact on the region, it would be helpful to have a more detailed presentation on near-term and future enrollment projections, including projections for the surrounding communities served by the paper. Greater use of building and campus design graphics in articles along with exploration of alternative scenarios, such as potential regional solutions, would also be extremely useful to readers.   

A second major story of great interest is the East Side Waterfront Park. Many individuals with a long history in this community have generously given time and money to see this project realized for the benefit of the entire region. More in-depth reporting on this project would help everyone better understand the issues causing the long delay. In particular, it would be good to have your reporters unpack some of the rather opaque statements made by the Town’s Boards as well as outlining where changes, if any, were made to the original permitted plans.

More in-depth reporting on these and other similarly critical issues would surely further enhance The Register’s reputation and its contribution to overall community engagement.  In the process it would perform an important function of a free press which is public accountability.  Whether it be a town official, board, citizen group or lone individual – everyone engaged in public debate and decision-making needs to know that their actions or inaction will be accurately and thoughtfully covered by the press.

Rob O’Connor

Seasonal Resident

East Boothbay