I am hoping you all will be in favor of our effort supporting the Downeaster passenger train service from Brunswick to Boston. There is a concerted effort by our illustrious Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, along with a small neighborhood, to derail the effort to construct the service building which will enable the train to continue serving not only the Brunswick/ Boston/Brunswick route, but to enable future expansion to Lewiston/Auburn, as well as farther up along the coast.
Your support is important! Please consider an email (or snail-mail) to Mr. Bullard (see below), along with a letter to Mr. Gerzofsky saying that you support the construction of the layover facility before Tuesday’s meeting.
Speak up! The Maine Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting on March 25 to hear comments from the general public about a proposed stormwater permit for the Brunswick Layover Facility.
Your voice is important. In the meantime, you may send your comments directly to the DEP by contacting Project Manager Bill Bullard, Division of Land Resource Regulation, Department of Environmental Protection, 312 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103; or Bill.Bullard@maine.gov.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Brunswick Golf Club, 165 River Road, Brunswick.
For those of you whom can, your physical presence at this meeting would mean so much. Please show up with your support, if you can.
As a TrainRider’s Host, I can speak first-hand about the acceptance this service has received by the riders with whom I have personally spoken. And, be aware that the delays and cancellations that our esteemed Sen. Gerzofsky has mentioned are no fault of the Downeaster! Track maintenance (which was needed for safety) was under the aegis of the owner of the tracks, which is not under the control of Amtrak/ Downeaster. Also, Mother Nature had a big hand in the delays due to the unusual weather of January and February.
Should you be so inclined, I would encourage you to write or call Mr. Gerzofsky to let him know that he in fact has constituents whom are in favor of this facility! If all should speak up, I imagine Mr. Gerzofsky might find he has much less wind in his sails.
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David N. Widmer lives in Brunswick.
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