Alyce Maragus
Welcome to the MAGIC Town Meeting of 7/13/06
By Alyce Maragus
Jul 17, 2006 - 3:33:00 PM

The regular Thursday council meeting has turned into a MAGIC meeting. If you don't believe me, just watch the farce on KAT-TV. But then again you may not be able to do that since our MAGIC "public" access TV station seems to be having difficulties. Could it be the MAGIC people have seen just how bad they look on their own telecasts?

It's no wonder Millinocket has become a laughing stock throughout the entire state.

The moment everyone was waiting for at this meeting was the town's acceptance of a $40,000 state grant for the Cultural Center. I find it difficult to imagine the state releasing $40,000 for handicapped accessibility for a building that is not even habitable for non-handicapped people. I guess the state doesn't care how they spend "your" money.

Just prior to tackling this sensitive subject, Chairman Nelson asked that any comments regarding the town's acceptance of the money should be kept to ONLY the subject matter and not personalities. Now why would he have to announce that?

Could it be that Guilds Hollowell, the interim direcor, who will get to spend this money, has a less than stellar reputation?

Let's see, he came here as a married man with children, then proceeded to have an affair with a member of our only local print newspaper, who by the way, was also married at the time. I guess they are now a couple which is supposed to make everything hunky-dory.

Then there is the $30,000 the town of Millinocket so generously gave him last year, but which has never been satisfactorily accounted for - neither to the people nor to the council.

Add to that $30,000, the $120,000 loan he procured from Bangor Savings Bank and, after looking at the sorry state of the building one has to wonder where the $150,000 went. Oh, by the way, he accidentally misstated the $120,000 loan from Bangor Savings by stating on the Cultural Center's web site that he had received $200,000. Do you suppose that error was made to make it appear as though the Center was a thriving enterprise and he could garner more or larger donations? And would any of you make an $80,000 error?

And speaking of web sites, Mr. Hollowell, it seems, has set up his own for-profit business, Maplewoods Properties" using the Cultural Center as his E-mail address.

And did I hear Guilds say that the mantra for the Cultural Center would be "creating a new reality"? I don't know about you people, but I would like someone to explain to me just how you "create" a reality? In my way of thinking, a reality either IS or IS NOT! It is not something that can be created.

Chairman Nelson even thanked councilors Gonya and Busque for taking time out of their busy schedules to do research work. Why then didn't any of the other councilors, with the exception of Dave Cyr, who wasn't thanked for his contribution, deem the subject important enough to do some homework of their own?

All of these points, except for the personal issue, which of course we were not allowed to mention, were brought forward at the meeting by members of both the public and other councilors, and even Guilds himself. This is so ludicrious as to be comical were it not for being so serious, costly and heartbreaking to those of us who live here.

Guess how the council majority voted. Since that's a no-brainer, I won't even insult your intellignece by supplying the answer.

All that aside, the classic showman, as always, was Matt Polstein and this is indeed a show you really don't want to miss, especially if you voted for him thinking he was here to help our town.

When asked for accountability as to how Millinocket's $30,000.00 was spent, or when Scott Gonya asked for an official audit of KCC's funds, Polstein came to Hollowell's rescue by stating that the council simply gave out that money without asking for any subsequent accountability.

Isn't it funny that before the council agreed to give the Golf Course their requested $25,000, the council issued at least five separate stipulations. Why then would the council relax accountability issues for Hollowell and the Cultural Center?

Apparently Polstein also thinks it will be just fine if Hollowell accepts any money The Nature Conservance might wish to contribute. Didn't that organizataion do a wonderful job for the area during the mill closure?

Between his objections to the Big "A" dam project, his behind the scenes negotiations with Katahdin Timberlands, his association with the "River Driver's Agreement" for the Allagash, his adament anti-annexation stand, his association with the Back Country Project, his support of the Katahdin Lake project, and now his acceptance of Millinocket's responsibility for a state grant to be administered by what appears to be a scam artist, one has to wonder just how committed to our town Polstein really is?

Remember YOU voted him into office. I'm afraid in so doing, you have sold out your town.