What a long, strange trip it has been…

For more than five years, the citizens of Rockport have wrestled with what to do about a deteriorating town library.

A year and a half ago this very lack of progress prompted me to run for the Rockport Select board, and I did manage to get myself elected.

 During this past 18 months, I have met a lot of new friends and mended some old fences.  The current design that has been developed over the past year represents the hard work and compromises by many townspeople.

Architect and Rockport resident Steve Smith, along with the town library staff, has developed a design that is pleasing, affordable, and expandable should the need arise in the future.

A Rockport business, Phi Architects, has been selected to be the owner’s representative, helping us accurately project construction costs.

The private fundraising orchestrated by the Rockport Library Foundation has been spectacularly successful.  This effort has been led by Rockport residents Joan Welsh, Bill Leone and John Viehman.

To carry this plan to reality, the citizens of Rockport will need to authorize the Select Board to take out a bond for $1.5 million dollars and authorize the Select Board to write a construction bridge loan, if necessary.

I believe this is an excellent, responsible plan developed by Rockport townspeople, for Rockport townspeople.  Now is the time for us to build a library that families and coming generations of Rockport citizens can be proud of.

Please join me November 6 in voting yes on articles 2 and 3. 

Douglas Cole lives in Rockport