A new ‘iconic’ vision

To the Editor;

The decision around removal of the historic Mayo Mill Dam has been made by the select board. Yet there remains a lot of anger, disappointment, and bitterness in the community. Yes, it is hard to imagine what Dover-Foxcroft will be without the dam. But the reality is, it has no value any more to the community, and is, in fact, increasing costs to the town and risks to the public.

If there were any other budget item that had cost and no value, let alone increased risk, it would be off the table immediately. Instead, the dam committee worked for many months trying to review all the options, hoping to keep the historic structure that has defined Dover-Foxcroft history for over 200 years. They did a great job. In the end, as they summarized in their excellent and detailed report, the financial implications of keeping the dam just did not make sense, not to mention the future risks and costs of further flood management. 

It is time to call on the community to come together to figure out how we can create a new “iconic” vision for our downtown. We have a great community. Let’s work together, not fight each other. We can figure this out. 

Lesley Fernow

Dover-Foxcroft