What a refreshing letter from Karen Grove on the necessity of civility in a small town, regardless of the topic du jour. Of course, the backdrop to her letter is the dam controversy.

As a "Save" supporter, I fully understand the argument of the "Removal" folks who have been tireless in their efforts to prove their case. On the other hand, the "Save" proponents, until recently, have not been as well organized. However, I have been persuaded by the viewpoints of longtime residents, such as Meg Quijano, 45 years here and owner of "The Smiling Cow", under whose building the river runs its course, and who wrote a compelling "Save" letter in which she commended yet another letter writer, Kelli Maguire, who also argued persuasively on behalf of new residents and tourists.

In that spirit of civility, I hope the "Removal" folks will at least grant us standing. And kudos to the PenBay Pilot for publishing these letters to support a forum of polite discourse.

I would like to add a coda to the "civility" issue raised so well by Karen Grove. I wish that same acceptance (détente?) prevailed on the political front. I would opine that those in the conservative minority in Camden (of which I am one) can only pray that they could be accepted with civility by the good liberal burghers of this small New England town.

Ralph Wallace lives in Camden