Editorial page editor Greg Kesich’s July 19 column, “Good old days were not always so good in Portland,” waxes rhapsodic about the Portland of today, a place where, he admits, his children can’t afford an apartment, the waterfront used to be a welcome place for fishing boats and the restaurants are no longer affordable to the people who work here. But “congestion, competition and new construction are signs of progress, not decline.”

If you say so, Greg. You’ve been here 30 years, so maybe you remember when all the artists moved in, used sweat equity to make rundown units into studios and shops to create and sell their wares, and talent exploded throughout the region from, not just Maine, but everywhere talented artists were looking for a place to pursue their dreams.

Well, that scenario is over. From what I hear, Biddeford is where new artists are going. Portland is now a destination for upper-middle-class consumers to play in. The people who work here mostly have to live elsewhere. And Greg’s dream of congestion and condos is a reality. I hope he enjoys it.

John Nichols

Portland