Careful thought, please

Wiscasset's Parks and Recreation budget was defeated by voters, so that means it will come back again, to be voted on, along with the school budget, on July 22.

We've heard, over and over again, from residents who remember when the Wiscasset Community Center was first proposed, it was to be self-supporting in five years. This could have been true, if Maine Yankee hadn't closed early. People forget that plans for the center were approved when the town was still raking in $10 million or $12 million a year from the state's only nuclear power plant.

But if you look around at similar operations, like YMCAs, you'll see that most have to raise money over and above what they receive in revenue from memberships and fees. The idea of having to spend $38,000 for new lockers - when the present ones are only ten years old, is pretty hard to take. Someone either didn't buy the right ones, or didn't take care of them properly or both. We can understand why taxpayers would balk at this.

However, let's not be shortsighted about withdrawing our support from this great center, which provides a warm and friendly place for people of all ages to gather, whether it's for tough competitive sports, or just a chat with a friend and a cup of coffee. We have terrific people working and volunteering at the community center. Over time, a plan can be developed, by a number of measures, such as setting up a nonprofit foundation, or establishing a fundraising entity, to sustain the activities at the center. In the meantime, let's continue to support the center with tax dollars to make sure the center stays open.