Bangor Gubernatorial Forum Focuses on Maine’s Quality of Place

How will Maine’s next Governor preserve and incorporate the state’s unique quality of place with their plans to stimulate economic development? How do challenges such as the rising costs of health care and energy intersect with protecting and promoting Maine’s unique natural and cultural assets? Maine gubernatorial candidates will discuss these and other topics in a forum on September 21 at 5:00 p.m. in the Historic Bangor Opera House, home of Penobscot Theatre, on Bangor’s Main Street.

The forum is sponsored by a broad coalition of 11 Maine nonprofit organizations with diverse missions – from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine and the Maine Downtown Coalition – that all share a concern about the state’s quality of place. The event is free and open to the public.

“We will hear from the candidates about how they plan to preserve Maine’s natural beauty, thriving downtowns, cultural heritage and other assets while turning those resources to our economic advantage,” said Allison Vogt, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

“GrowSmart Maine is pleased to join our partners in hosting a forum focused on Maine’s unique combination of working and natural landscapes and authentic communities. While we don’t hold exclusive claim to quality of place, Mainers can and should continue to base economic development efforts on our engaged and hardworking people, our livable communities, and the beauty of the landscape we all enjoy and from which many of us earn our livelihood,” said Nancy Smith, executive director of GrowSmart Maine.

The event will run from 5 to 8pm. A Bangor Greendrinks reception with drinks and light refreshments will precede the forum in the same location. A short reception will also conclude the evening at the completion of the forum.

The co-sponsors of the forum include the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, GrowSmart Maine, Healthy Community Coalition, Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, Maine Development Foundation’s Downtown Center, Maine Downtown Coalition, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Preservation, Maine Rural Partners, Trust for Public Land, and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine.

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