FRYEBURG Water Forum TONIGHT! 6:00 PM

Mike Corthell, Editor

Officers from the Maine Public Utilities Commission will be at the Fryeburg American Legion Hall at 6:00 PM  to hear citizens and political organizers opinions on Fryeburg Water Company’s proposal to lease one of its wells to Nestlé Waters North America, the parent company of the Poland Spring. If you care about your town - YOUR Fryeburg, come out and add your voice.

This meeting is IMPORTANT. I am a resident of Fryeburg and I will be there. It is my hope that most of the people there will be FRYEBURG residents. I can't emphasize enough the importance of citizen participation in this public forum. 

This morning I read a letter to the editor that was stunning in it's logic, or lack there of. A Conway woman writes, ''Why would Nestle take care of our water sources? If (I mean when) the wells in Fryeburg run dry, Nestle will move to other locations. Do you really believe Nestle will offer us a discount when we have to buy our water from them?''

First of all, the wells will not run dry. Even if it were possible to transport the billions of gallons that lie under Fryeburg in the massive, underground lake we call an aquifer, why would a company ''Kill the goose that lays the golden egg''? Answer: They wouldn't! The water that becomes the world famous Poland Spring brand is well managed - protected, sustainable and a quickly renewable resource.

The writer also stated, in her opening line, ''I read Nestle corporation’s large color advertisement in The Conway Daily Sun yesterday (March 5) with interest. Then confusion and this morning outrage! Nestle, aka Poland Spring, has the audacity to suggest they are a Maine corporation, false, they are a huge conglomerate based in Switzerland.'' Well, excuse my false nativity, Really!! Oh my God! Excuse me again but the majority of the residents in beautiful and engaged Fryeburg know that Nestlé owns the well regarded Poland Spring brand. What is the problem here?? I'll take all the money I can get from Switzerland. They have lots of it and Fryeburg needs it to expand it's tax base. How about some jobs for local people? Do we need more of those? Let's grab some overseas jobs and bring them to our country for a change.

A healthy, sustainable relationship with the well regarded and world famous Poland Spring brand is healthy for Fryeburg - period.

Come out tonight and be heard - Let's talk about this! Just one more thing, and I say this to Fryeburg citizens exclusively; Let's make sure that most of the voices heard tonight are Fryeburg voices, not voices from away with a political ax to grind like Nisha Swinton a political organizer.

See you there!

Mike Corthell, Editor
Fryeburg Free Press