Stop our city from being destroyed
To the editor:
Can anyone else believe that once again the city manager and city council are trying to tear down the citizens’ of Presque Isle’s heritage? I can see someone from away doing this but not our own neighbors. Half the people in the area were born in that hospital. I know I was, and went there when I broke my arm, etc., back when the doctors and nurses were kind and caring.
That building is almost 100 years old. Why wasn’t that building taken care of and preserved? Why is it that a town or city takes over a building and then proceeds to run it into the ground and then wants the taxpayers to come up with millions of dollars to build new? What’s wrong with old if it’s kept up?
Sorry if the old isn’t good enough for ya, but it was good enough for our parents and they knew how to build and preserve and it should be good enough for us and for future generations if taken care of. Caribou is using their old hospital; why can’t we?
Same goes for the Rec Center. That building was a USO Center where lonely soldiers went to have a little peace from the war, where girls were given 10 cents a dance and some conversation from home before soldiers headed back to the war. We all know they will want that torn down, too.
Thank goodness these people weren’t in Van Buren, or there would be no Acadian Village because all those beautiful old houses would be destroyed so someone could build new and tax them. Where does it end?
I’m so proud that some of the Presque Isle citizens stepped up and this has been tabled, but not for long. Doing it around the holidays when everyone is busy is pretty tricky, if you ask me. For a few tax dollars don’t let them get away with this.
Look at the wonderful job the Historical Society has done with the old firehouse! We have something to be proud of there and there is so much history in this city, and now tours are being given and we have the Trolley. That is so awesome, and I would use the biggest word in the English language but that, too, would be gone if people hadn’t stepped up and wanted it preserved.
Please don’t let the city manager (who is from away) and council (shame on you) tear down our city. When there were 10,000-12,000 people in Presque Isle, the Rec Center and City Hall served the purpose. Now the population is around 9,400 and getting smaller every year. We need bigger? Why? Don’t fix something that’s not broken and don’t change something that already works.
Sheena McHatten
Castle Hill
