To the Editor:
In response to the potentially misleading information stated in the article titled, “Councilors discuss future of Nylander Museum,” I would like to verify that permission to set up a farm stand in the Nylander Museum parking lot with the agreement to donate 10 percent of sales was granted by two town officials.
The Nylander Museum board of trustees asked Mike Gahagan, who was interim city manager at the time. He granted permission and suggested that the board of trustees also ask Christina Gibson-Kane to confirm there was no conflict with any other farmers markets or events. Her reaction was positive, especially since the farm stand was to be set up on Sunday and a unique fundraising opportunity.
It was green lights from City Hall and the events coordinator. My objective was to kickstart the endowment of the Friends of the Nylander Foundation (501c3), by donating 10 percent of the produce sales and to be there during open hours so I could encourage the public to go inside to see the magnificent collection. I saw multiple new faces at the farmstand, many of which had no idea that the museum was here and it even attracted people from as far away as Fort Kent to come down to Caribou. Setting up a farm stand on Sunday was for our local history. Without it, stories will be lost, and Aroostook County will lose a part of itself.
I encourage you all to go visit the Nylander Museum and speak up to your town officials, speak up if you would like to volunteer, and speak up to our school systems. We are already re-establishing the tradition of bringing classes of students into the museum to help support STEM education as well as learning the rich natural history of Aroostook County.
Andrew Ketch
Woodland
