On June 10, Camden voters will be deciding on a question important to Camden’s future. It is also one that has generated great debate, strong opinions and even strong emotions, making clarity harder to find. 

The question before you is whether to support the removal of Montgomery Dam. 

Controversy inevitably generates confusion and frustration with an issue as a whole. Such complexity can result in abandonment of careful evaluation. It’s so much easier to choose a “team” and cede to that team’s opinion, rather than navigating the pros and cons oneself to choose the best course for the Town. The former approach is understandable, but can be problematic. 

I am reaching out to voters to ask that each of you make your decision while trying really hard to consider what is best for the Town’s future, rather than what your emotions or your team tell you to do. Try to keep an open and logical mind as you weigh all the considerations in this complex issue.

I approached this debate without an opinion, and watched as the issue came to light and the controversy unfolded. I deeply treasure Camden’s history, beauty and charm. I love the elements that reflect its history. As a taxpayer, of course I care too about its economics. 

I have really appreciated the long-term careful study that has taken place regarding this issue. In reviewing it, eventually I have come to believe that removing Montgomery Dam and allowing the river to tumble to the harbor naturally is the right long-term choice for both our beloved Town and the river’s health moving forward. 

I am indeed cognizant that those who disagree with that opinion do have strongly-held convictions that guide them, and which I do respect.  Each of us has to work through incoming information, sorting out fact from fiction from feelings, and come to our own conclusions.

It is true that a free-flowing river was not part of the history we know. It was a part of the river’s pre-history, so how can we consider that respectful of our traditional town, founded way back in 1769? The Dam was built only two years later. So, which history should we be respecting? What priorities should hold precedence? These questions make this vote difficult.

In terms of gaining perspective on respecting history versus change, it has been helpful for me to watch Camden’s evolution in the 30-plus years it has been my home.

During that time, several hundred-plus-year-old, beloved Main Street businesses closed; large derelict factory/mill buildings, recently closed, transformed into high-end office space, then apartments; a tannery operated, providing jobs, then closed down, and the Town was left to clean up the mess and toxic soil.

Two movie theaters, which had brought much entertainment closed down; the functioning hydro-electric dam (Seabright) was given to the Town but soon halted operation due to its unfavorable economics; a small hospital shut down then became housing for the 55-and-better crowd (Quarry Hill). Even now our charming, iconic Elm Street School has an uncertain future.  

Before my time, plenty of other major changes altered Camden. Prominent historic hotels are gone –  from atop Mt. Battie and from the Village Green lot. The Library, Amphitheatre, Harbor Park and Village Green appeared. During all this time, the Dam stood, the remnant of a power source for a long-fogotten industry.

Which of the pieces of lost history related above do we miss? Which transformations were inappropriate? Which should have been retained, which should be rebuilt in order to better honor our history? What evolution do we allow over time, and what changes must we forbid?

Eventually all the various mills that were energized by the river, beginning at Montgomery Dam, fell into disuse. As a result, the river waters now flow cleaner, which has awakened us to the river’s potential as becoming once again a nurturer of life. 

In light of the Town’s experience, IS it in fact of critical importance to retain Montgomery Dam to honor the history of its original function and donor family? Or can they be honored through pictures and historical stories like other historical structures and donors in our past? 

Is the three-to-12-foot high straight-topped waterfall so very critical to our appreciation of the falls at the head of the Harbor? Or can falls be equally appreciated as the water continues to appear from under the stores of Main Street to tumble naturally all the way to the harbor?

That’s the best part of the amazing gift and spectacle I love. 

Anita Brosius-Scott lives in Camden