To the editor,

Your coverage of the Route 113 Grant was a bit lopsided. The idea of studying business opportunities along Route 113 has merit, but the accompanying material clearly states that towns would be required to “meet the CDBG national objective of assisting persons of low-moderate income or elimination of slum/blight.”

That “objective” not only has nothing to do with business growth, and easily has the potential to be expensive for the taxpayers, but it would also obligate the towns to relinquish local control.

While Standish Town Councilor Gene Nesbitt may be disappointed that his pet project died aborning, it was unnecessary for him to insult the intelligence of Baldwin people by stating that we “misunderstood what the grant was for…” The truth is that we read the fine print and are unwilling to sell out the future of our Town for a few pieces of government gold.

As for his statement that “no one was invited” to our Town Meeting, that is correct! Nobody is ever invited to Town Meeting. It is announced and, being a public meeting in Maine, by law anyone may show up. And any public official ought to know that.

Norman Blake

West Baldwin