Dear Editor:

During our 42+ years in Maine, I have had the pleasure of knowing and occasionally working directly with Mark Gimbel. Throughout that time, from my vantage point on Southport, I have seen him excel at every challenge he has set his sights on. I have watched with admiration as he expanded several business ventures, including buying the former Mountaintop Tee Shirt store in the Harbor – reopening it as an upscale Emporium and then dedicating part of the floor space to a historical museum; watched his activities with the Chamber of Commerce and the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund. When the Chamber of Commerce disengaged from the Windjammers Festival, I watched him become a founding director of the Friends of Windjammer Days and subsequently revitalize and expand the festival. He is personally involved throughout every calendar year in the recruitment and selection of each sailing vessel that is involved, including the truly historic ships that we have hosted over the last couple of years. He raises money every year for the July 4 fireworks display in the harbor. He readily and frequently interacts with the broader fishing and boating community and seems to know everyone and everything that goes on in our harbor.

Mark has always had a deep understanding of Boothbay’s history which gives him a healthy understanding of its present challenges as well as some clear ideas of what the future can bring under the right leadership. He is a long-time problem solver and is always focused on what is best for Boothbay Harbor. Selfless people like that come along very rarely in life but Mark is one of them. And now that he has decided to offer his considerable talents to the Boothbay Harbor Board of Selectmen, I strongly suggest you take advantage of this opportunity and vote him into office. I have never seen him fail at anything he has taken on and this will be no exception.

Dr. Mark Powell

Southport, Maine

and Ponte Vedra, Florida