Asking Bowdoin to Be a Better Neighor

Bowdoin College is tearing down an historic house which will leave a hole in a row of stately old homes that help define the quality of our town. As a important college with a very healthy endowment Bowdoin could be on the forefront of preservation and a local education partnership.

Instead of destroying the house, they could join with the vocational high school to use it as a valuable classroom, allowing teens to learn to rehab a house. Bowdoin could work with Shelter institute, the high school and Bowdoin students to show how an old building can gain a new life with green renovation. That would help students develop new skills so they can earn a living.

If it is torn down we hope that it will not be rebuilt like the new building next to the Chamberlain House, a quasi cape design with no discernible energy saving features. To build that new building on the corner of Noble and Maine Streets the college took away a garden put in when they demolished another building.

Going forward we hope all new Bowdoin plantings be only native plants that need no mowing thus are environmentally considerate.

The beautiful 1840s house at 5 Noble St. is now owned by the college. It sits empty. We hope it will be used for housing or offices, not allowed to deteriorate so it can be torn down for another barren parking lot.

Marji Greenhut,
Brunswick

In Support of Dr. Hagler

I am saddened to learn that the truly excellent, dedicated pediatrician Deb Hagler will no longer be at Martin’s Point. I am a local child/adolescent psychologist, who has had the privilege of collaborating with her on several cases and topics over the years. Her standard of care has always been superior, and she has consistently shown care and concern for the all-around health of her patients.

A few years ago, Deb Hagler spearheaded a community symposium that focused on the mental health needs of young people in our region. She brought together people from many disciplines, including education, medicine, mental health, and local youth programs to share ideas and discuss possible steps forward. As I understand it, this idea arose from her own concern for a suicidal young patient in her office one day, and her hope that this symposium could foster ideas and possibly programming. This was a monstrous effort, which took place on a Saturday at Bowdoin College, and in my mind, it shows the degree to which she was willing to go above and beyond in the interest of our young people.

I was pleased to read in Dr. Hagler’s open letter last week that she plans to open a practice when she is able to do so in the near future. She is an excellent doctor, and I have no doubt that many patients will follow her wherever she goes.

Liz Ware,
Arrowsic