John's editorial 0729

Good theater

Is it just me or does it seem that every other week the newspaper is printing an article about some local theater event or musical offering? Music on the Hill comes to mind as does Schoolhouse Arts. All this is very good of course, and if you are “in to” performance arts, the Lakes Region is the place to be this summer, as community theater is prolific and full of quality shows.

This weekend will stick out as one of the best, however. Windham Center Stage Theater is holding special tribute performances commemorating plays the troupe has put on during its 30-year history and those who produced, directed and acted in those productions. It should be a nice time and a walk down memory lane for all involved.

Like the round of applause actors will undoubtedly receive once the show is over, we at the newspaper applaud Windham Center Stage Theater for 30 years of hard work and inspiring acting. As anyone who has seen one of their shows knows, WCST is full of talent just bursting at the seams. It is a part of the community of Windham and should be respected as such.

And kudos to those who’ve arranged this 30th anniversary show to be held in the new Windham High School auditorium. That’s where this theater deserves to be. The quality of the venue will now match the quality of the production.

Good riddance

After a half-decade wrangling and arguing and finally coming to consensus, the town of Windham made it official Tuesday night that Windham will enact Design Guidelines on new commercial development. Way to go!

The long debate centered around two views of government. Should government dictate to business and the private sector or should it sit back in a comfortable laissez-faire position and watch the free market do its thing. Windham government’s choice was a happy medium between the two: Let the market do its thing, but make suggestions to developers on how they can best tailor the building’s exterior to fit the community.

You’ve got to love compromise. No, not the moral kind; but the kind where differing viewpoints come together and forge a new direction for a town. Windham leaders know that business is a bird that needs to be free to fly high. But they also know that we don’t want a bunch of boxy, garish, ugly shops to have to look at everyday. Making firm and concrete suggestions, as laid out in a readable manual, is the perfect compromise. The businesses will know what the town desires and if they have any sense, they will follow those suggestions.

Giving companies building suggestions such as what to use when it comes to shape, color and materials actually helps them create successful ventures. So these Design Guidelines should be seen as not only helpful to community members but also to the affected businesses. Smart move, Windham.

Good grief

It was disappointing to hear this week that another dollar store was moving to the area.

Family Dollar has decided to move into the Raymond Shopping Center to replace the Raymond Foodmarket. But, do we really need another dollar store? Neighboring businesses seem to think not.

It’s especially disappointing to those businesses in the shopping center that relied on the Foodmarket to bring in business. Whether the dollar store can draw as much business remains to be seen. But surely a grocery store would have done the trick.

Owners Tony Accousti and his son Mark held out as long as they could for a similar tenant, but for some reason a buyer could not be found, which is strange since a grocery store has been located in that spot for decades. But that’s business, and hopefully it works out for everyone involved.

But it just goes to show that location is not everything. Neighboring businesses do impact each other. It’s kind of like residential life, actually. How your neighbors take care of their yards and home exteriors impacts more often than not on how you take care of your own home. And vice versa. We think we’re islands living our own separate lives, but, in actuality, we are all tied together by economics as well as community desires and values.

We wish good luck to Family Dollar as they move their well-known store chain to Raymond and we encourage shoppers to frequent some of the other stores there as well. Business is the lifeblood of the community, and hopefully things will be flowing smoothly once again at the Raymond Shopping Center.

Sign In: