Letters to the Editor

Are we the community we would like to be?

To the Editor:
    I am grateful to Mr. Benjamin for once again raising the question of The Commons at Central Hall. I appreciate his concern for the community coffers, and I agree it is essential for all of us to ask what are we spending and for what. And beneath this question is a more important one: what do we value?

    I, too, love my town and want it to thrive and succeed. The difference, perhaps, in our opinions is how we define thriving and success. Thirty four years ago when I first came here from “away” another creative vision was just coming to completion: the building of a new hospital.
    That involved a “social contract” with the surrounding communities, and was based on a few people recognizing a need for the future and betting on its success for the entire region. I was one of the new doctors recruited to staff that enterprise. Certainly this was a bet that paid off, but it was not without its detractors and opponents. People in the surrounding towns continue to benefit even though there were those who opposed placing the hospital in Dover-Foxcroft.
    I have watched Dover-Foxcroft and the surrounding towns struggle to survive as the local economy has risen and fallen. It is natural in tough times to “hunker down” and just take care of our own basic needs. Unfortunately this does not make the town stronger, however, and does not lead to growth or vitality. It is how we end up with empty broken down store fronts, loss of jobs, inability to attract new businesses and gradual weakening of the social fiber. In the past few years I have sadly watched the energy of the region dwindle and the mood decline.
    The Highlands Adult Day Service Center and The Commons are indeed incorporated as a non-profit organization. While listed by Jack Does That as a “business” that was the only category besides “individual” that was open to us. We of course expect to do business, but do not expect significant profits.
    Regarding the figures in Mr. Benjamin’s letter, he has unfortunately mis-read the budget projections (prepared in 2012). We have indeed incorporated into our projections some funding from the town for heat, insurance and a future “building manager” as it is a town building. We also have used the services of already employed town employees and equipment for some aspects of the project to date (such as hauling away construction waste). However the figures he reports are incorrect, with the expectation that the town expense for years two and three would possibly be $31,000 and $34, 000 respectively.
    The town leaders, the Board of the Highlands Commons, and the town manager have all wisely recognized that for this region to survive and thrive we need to look to our future, count our assets (not just in dollars, but also in other ways) and be creative in our planning. We are not rich in money but we have other wealth that we can build on if we have the vision to do so including people with talent, time and experience (ie. an increasing senior population), a central location in Piscataquis County with history to support it, a dam, a waterfront, woods, vistas and farms, a creative community, a strong school system, a hospital and medical community, and, yes, a YMCA.
    Furthermore, we need to be looking beyond the outdated view of community as a single town and take advantage of sharing resources between towns and creating regional alliances to benefit the most people. For example, considerable savings and improvements in education could be made using a model of sharing between towns. A large function hall such as Central Hall will be used (and paid for) by people and businesses both inside and outside of Dover-Foxcroft. This has been recognized by all the town managers in the region who have committed to support the development of the Highlands ADSC.
    So what is the bad news? Our rural area is aging fast. The number of retirees over age 65 is expected to grow rapidly over the next 20 years in relation to the “working age” population. As Mr. Benjamin notes, the burden on taxpayers just to maintain the infrastructure on which we all depend is only going to increase as the number of working people declines proportionally.
    The costs and burden of caring for an elderly population will also fall on the community, the family caregivers and ultimately the medical institutions including boarding homes and nursing homes, like it or not. Most people in these facilities ultimately are there at taxpayer expense! I have not heard anyone suggesting we put people out on the street once their private or insurance funding runs out!
    It is in everyone’s best interest to do whatever we can to maintain the health of people as they age. Healthy, engaged seniors need less medical attention, spend fewer days in hospitals or nursing homes, and they can remain contributing members of our community longer. It is a “win-win” for the community to do all it can to provide for healthy aging.
    So, the task for all of us is to come together truly to become the “community” we would like to be. The Commons, a multigenerational center will restore vibrancy to our community by providing once again a place for gatherings, large functions, youth development, senior and caregiver support services, an Adult Day Service Center, a community cafe, and much more.

Lesley Fernow, M.D.
Dover-Foxcroft