MANCHESTER — Doug Ide and Alex Wright will face off Tuesday in the race to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen.
Both are seeking to fill a two-year term for the seat being vacated by Jeremy Pare, who did not take out papers to run for re-election.
Since his arrival in town about 14 years ago, Ide, 49, has served on numerous local committees and other groups. That includes serving two terms on the school board; as chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, which developed the town’s open space plan adopted in 2004; on the architectural standards committee for development of the Land Use Ordinance; and on the town’s parks committee, which recommended the design of the green space between the Town Office and the elementary school previously occupied by the old fire station.
In addition, he was a forest steward for the New England Forestry Foundation, through which he helped develop trails on about 700 acres in north Manchester. He also is a founder, and remains coordinator, of the Manchester Apple Festival; is a founder of the Manchester Conservation Commission, on which he served two terms; and is the founder of the annual town Christmas tree lighting.
“I’ve always been interested in the direction the town is taking, and I’ve tried to influence it in a positive way as much as I can,” Ide said. “My focus has been on trying to build a strong sense of community for the town, with things like the open space plan, and the Apple Festival in getting the town an annual landmark event. I’ve clearly got a demonstrated track record of strong interest in town affairs and have put in the effort and accomplished a lot.”
His opponent, Wright, 19, is a Maranacook Community High School graduate now enrolled at the University of Maine at Augusta in business administration.
He is on the Cobbossee Watershed District board of trustees and said he has worked on several political campaigns, including one of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. He said he attends meetings in town “almost religiously” and is sometimes the only member of the public in attendance at meetings.
“I’ve always had an inclination to be involved in politics since I was young, and a major history buff as well,” Wright said. “I decided to run because I thought I had a different and new perspective. New ideas are necessitated for any community. I’m young and ambitious, and I want to see Manchester become one of the greatest towns in Maine, and I hope the people of Manchester feel the same as well.”
He works for his father’s company, East American Trading Co., a small agricultural business in Readfield.
Ide, who majored in political science at the University of Vermont, named development as the most important issue in town.
He said development along U.S. Route 202, which is also Western Avenue, has meant the addition of new businesses, and lots of land for sale along the busy corridor. Ide, a former teacher who is not working, said as a selectman he’d work to modify town ordinances to encourage development to be sited properly, be attractive and add to the tax base, while also meeting residents’ needs and keeping Manchester an attractive place to live, visit and do business.
“My real goal is to make Manchester as livable a community as it can be, so it’s attractive to both residents and businesses,” Ide said. “Development, if done properly, can benefit everyone. We need a good balance. We have strong ordinances, but there are changes that can be made to strengthen them. Architectural standards could be tweaked so new businesses coming in would be more welcoming and attractive and make Manchester more of a destination people want to go to, as opposed to somewhere people pass through on their way to Augusta.”
Wright, too, sees development in Manchester, particularly on U.S. Route 202, as a major issue for the town.
Wright said the new Dollar General location on Western Avenue, recently approved by the Planning Board after contentious hearings, was not a positive development. He said he sees the store as inhibiting growth in American manufacturing by selling imported, cheaply made goods mostly from China, which he said makes for an uncompetitive environment.
“It’s likely too late in the process now, but in the future, it would be wise for us to create a more detailed ordinance, to prevent that from happening in the future,” Wright said of Dollar General locating in town. “I feel the community doesn’t want it, so does it need to be here? We need stricter ordinances, and we need to look to rezone 202 from general development to commercial development. To encourage businesses to come in and make (that part of town) the hub of business, for other businesses, like restaurants and spas and fitness centers and pubs, stuff that makes the community more appealing.”
Wright said his longer-term goal is to see Manchester become nationally known as a famous, desirable part of Maine, the way places such as Camden are now. He said Manchester could emphasize its New England uniqueness, and take advantage of having Cobbossee Lake, to attract tourists. And he said the town should start a reserve fund to save for future amenities, which could include more parks, a community center and a public beach.
All other town and school positions up for election Tuesday are uncontested. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the fire station.
Keith Edwards — 621-5647
Twitter: @kedwardskj
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