Other Priorities

Why is the Town Council spending so much time and effort extolling the dubious virtues of a small plot of land at 946 Mere Point Road when so many other more visible esthetic priorities exist? When will the own of Brunswick take action and do something about the unsightly appearance of the corner of Mill and Pleasant Streets, across from the Police Station, where a long abandoned Cumberland Farms gas station is slowly deteriorating? We would think that for a reasonable sum the gas station could be demolished, the asphalt removed, grass and a few flowers planted and maybe a park bench or two installed. Additionally, the weeds and foliage along the riverside of Mill Street could be removed and landscaped to provide a stunning view of the Androscoggin River.

A beautiful and inviting view of this intersection and roadway would provide a welcoming message to the out of town visitors who pass by, as well as local folks who use this route daily. Unless we are uninformed of extenuating circumstances precluding this project, the Town Council should spend their energies and efforts to enhance the beauty of areas that are readily open to public view, instead of a building lot, benefiting only a few people, that closely abuts private properties, is not readily assessable to the tidal water, and does not offer a safe approach from Mere Point Road.

Jack and Judy Bauman, Brunswick

Mere Point Property Should Be Sold

I am writing to express my opposition to the the proposal under consideration to develop 946 Mere Point Road for public access. This parcel of land was privately owned and is in a residential neighborhood. This property should be sold at fair market value and provide ongoing annual revenue to the town to improve and maintain already-owned recreational property. The other reasonable response would be for the town to allow the previous owner to pay his back taxes and penalties and reacquire his family home.

The 946 property is not the right piece of property to create more public access from a structural or fiscal standpoint. The property would require significant financial investment to improve to a state in which the public could use the property- this would be an increased cost to the town as it would require an expenditure of taxpayer money to develop and moreover to maintain the facility in the years going forward.

Furthermore, I am especially perplexed as to why 946 which is a 4-acre parcel in a residential neighborhood is so important when just a few miles away there is the Maquoit Preserve which the Town already owns. According to the an article in the Trust for Public Land, on Oct. 29, 2007, The Maquoit Preserve property “boasts three freshwater streams, a unique rocky promontory, that provides spectacular views of Casco Bay and its islands, and swimming access to the warm shallow bay, with over a mile of trails for walking and cross country skiing, and potential canoe and kayak access to Maquoit Bay and Casco Bay, this property has great recreational value to the town. It provides an important habitat for migrating and nesting shorebirds, and in addition supports commercial clamming.” Why has this lauded conservation of “167 acres of waterfront property with over a mile of salt-water frontage on the bay” not been improved, and marketed to the public for recreation?

It seems like, as worthy as the goal is, of providing more public access, that 946 is wrong piece of property for that purpose both from a structural and a fiscal standpoint and the Town already owns a much superior piece of property – the Maquoit Preserve, that offers all the Town desires to provide.

As a taxpayer in the Town of Brunswick, I oppose any public use of 946 Mere Point Road, and petition Town Council to sell the property at market value for the Town coffers, and to return the property to our tax rolls as a single family residence.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jeanne Ramsay

Brunswick

Make Room for the Greens and the Libertarians

More and more people are now discovering the actual existence of contending third party candidates backed by parties that have ballot access status. This summer the Libertarian Party achieved ballot status in Maine, joining the long established Maine Green Independent Party as a ballot access party. Congratulations are in order!

Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party will, therefore, be on the ballot for president of the United States in the coming general election on Nov. 8. They are running along with Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Both Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are rising in voter awareness and interest. For example, Stein was polling at far less than 1 percent in the spring. She has suddenly, in a matter of weeks, surged to over 4 percent, according to conservative polls. Other polls give her 6 percent and more. That translates into several million votes. Compare that to the 469,000 in her 2012 campaign for president. The expectation is that the next two months will see her support continue to rise. The big media are now giving her attention whereas up to now they have ignored her. Her recent appearance at the National Press Club in Washington saw the room jammed with reporters and commentators. She is being interviewed by such as the Washington Post editorial board. She is now doubtless an important factor in the presidential race.

The same can be said of Libertarian Gary Johnson. He is doing even better in the polls than Stein, reaching towards 8 percent and rising.

I think the Times Record should get in on this. There was a miniscule article about Johnson recently; Stein has gotten nothing. Isn’t it time to evaluate this situation? In our state we are approaching a 4- way race. In the Midcoast region served by your paper, many thousands of Greens and Libertarians want information and coverage for their candidates.

Compare that to the coverage for Trump! And for Clinton! The New York Times has shown that Trump has received two billion dollars worth of free press coverage nationally; with Clinton receiving one billion. But there has been up to now nationally almost no press coverage for Stein and Johnson. This absence of coverage for them is for the most part replicated at local and state levels throughout the country. Meanwhile Trump and Clinton get lavish attention.

Unbind the voter! Free them from the press failure to be even handed that closes off their choices. Let fair play and voter choice flourish.

John Rensenbrink

Topsham

Editor’s note: John Rensenbrink is a founder of the Maine Green Party and is a national Green Party co-founder.