This summer has gone by in a flash. The constant rains have finally let up and we are enjoying summer weather much later than usual. The rain has curtailed our ability to do summer maintenance with our Public Works Department and has put a serious dent in the business summer tourist trade, and local contractors are experiencing difficulty in maintaining workloads that keep their crews busy. With all that said what should we be doing to promote the area for when the situation changes (and it will)?

Rangeley has always been known as a great place to visit or stay. That thought is supported by our ability to supply the catalyst to get people here. As our manufacturing base is almost gone we need to look to what is needed to keep our allure for visitors who then decide that this would be a great place to build a second home for summer or winter use.

Recently, a group of individuals and businesses got together to dust off plans for a downtown revitalization project. More than 50 people showed up at a selectmen's meeting and presented plans for an in-town park on Haley Pond. This group's ability to provide focus though meetings and collection of promised donations is what Rangeley is all about. A joint venture between the group and the town will result in an attractive spot where people can take a break while enjoying the downtown areas. I look forward to being part of this project.

We are moving forward finally with the new restroom facility in Oquossoc. It will be located on the back side of the fire station across from the tennis courts in the Park. Our restroom in the town park in Rangeley has seen tremendous use and is a feature that tourists and visitors look for in recreational communities. We hope to complete the project in Oquossoc this fall and are working with MDOT to get through all the "red tape" requirements of this Scenic Byways Grant Project.

Taxes went out this year with a small bonus of a reduction of 35 cents per $1,000 of valuation. Our contracted Assessor, Rob Duplisea and his associate Matt Caldwell reviewed 500-plus building permit properties as well as numerous others. They continue to look at properties as we speak with a focus on visiting summer resident homes first and then year-round residences through the fall.

During the winter they will be developing land and residence value tables that will provide a basis for fair and equitable taxes for all. Rob and Matt's ability to collect and transcend information accurately on to our tax cards has supported the majority of inquiries pertaining to recent tax bills. Some folks may not be happy when they leave the assessor's office but they realize that they were treated with respect and provided with reliable facts. If you are visited by Rob or Matt at your residence please take a moment to get to know them.

Road and sidewalk projects have been on hold since last fall. In hindsight this was probably a good thing as the price of construction has come down some. I hope to be bidding some major work the first week in September.

The Public Works Highway crew has been busy ditching roads. The inability of water to drain from our road system creates major maintenance problems. Speaking of roads, I'm still looking for letters of support as to why Carry Road should remain a State Aid Highway. The deadline is Sept. 15 for me to add more reasoning to what I have supplied MDOT. Copies of the criteria are available at the town office.

The voters will have an opportunity to vote on five new or re-written ordinances at a Special Town Meeting in early September. Please be sure to look at these carefully as ordinances are what shapes our desires and needs for the future.

We are experiencing higher than normal vandalism in the town park. This is evidenced by graffiti and damage to the beach bathroom and recently damages to the railings that surround the parking lot. If you see someone causing damage please call our patrolman on the cruiser cell phone at 670- 6533.

As I started this article I was discussing the less than desirable weather and the impact of the recession. I leave you with the challenge that we all individually face of looking at how to adapt to today's economy while looking at the promotion of collective positive thinking that will make us all stronger in the future.