I am a proud Rockland native, and after 20 years of living away, moved back home in 2002 and built a home in South Thomaston.

When RSU13 gifted Gilford Butler School to our town, the Town gave permission for our tiny library to move into that building temporarily while monies were raised to build a new, green, state-of-the-art building.

The community center is thriving, giving us year-round opportunities. However, the building has structural issues that will take upwards of $2 million to make it viable and safe to take us into the future.

A proposed new building will be paid for through grants and fundraising activities. It will be a thoughtfully planned space, approx the same size as the useable space in the Butler Building. It will be able to serve the community in ways the current building cannot, providing space for Town meetings and other large events as well as the activities currently in place.

While I am grateful to the people who have helped us realize the need for a community center, I will be voting for a new building to take us into this century and beyond. 

Rhonda Nordstrom lives in South Thomaston