In a recent guest column (June 18 Tri-Town Weekly), Steve Clark states that Durham and Pownal residents participate in Freeport Community Services and the Freeport Community Library on an equal footing with Freeport residents. From this he concludes that we have “always been” a tri-town community. His premise is faulty. Indeed, we are not even all in the same county.

In the case of Freeport Community Services, Mr. Clark is partially correct. FCS was created to serve residents of Freeport and Pownal. Both towns contribute funds to FCS on a regular basis. However, the town of Durham did not help create FCS, nor does it contribute to FCS. Its residents are not eligible for ongoing services or programs of FCS. Residents of Durham may serve as volunteers at FCS, but that is also true of residents of other neighboring towns such as Yarmouth and Brunswick.

The library circulates books and other materials free to Freeport residents. However, with only a few exceptions, all other persons are required to pay a fee of $55/year to borrow books. The exceptions include individuals who own real estate in Freeport (taxpayers) or who are non-resident students in Freeport schools. These persons may have an individual card for personal use only. Notably, the library policy does not favor our Durham/Pownal neighbors over our Yarmouth/Brunswick neighbors. As non-residents, they are all on an equal footing.

This information is available on the websites of these two organizations.

There are many facts to be considered and weighed in the RSU 5 withdrawal process. While there may be valid reasons to oppose withdrawal, I don’t believe there is a history of special “cooperation” among Durham, Pownal and Freeport that compels the continuation of RSU 5.

Lucinda E. White

Freeport