I want to contribute to the discussion about reviving Waterville’s downtown area.

Restoring life to downtown is a big priority, and it has become even bigger since the chain stores have siphoned commercial activity to the edges of town. I suppose Waterville welcomed that transformation, and I wonder what resources the city has now for undoing some of the damage it has caused.

Two cities in Vermont that I know of have kept the wolf from the door: Rutland and Bennington would allow Walmart only to open in a downtown location, and it did.

Waterville faces a greater challenge, now that the war is lost: induce a big box to move downtown, or invite a new one. If that big box were a supermarket, downtown Waterville would again begin to support the life everyone’s calling for.

Charles Ferguson

East Vassalboro