Although I now live in Portland, I was born and brought up in Rumford. I understand the town has a rule that the town manager must live in Rumford. I can understand where the sentiment for that stipulation comes from. It seems to make sense. But it reminds me of something the Portland City Council would enact.

The motto of Portland is “resurgam” (“I will arise”). It applies to Portland because at least four times in its history, the city went down and then came back up. There has just been a “resurgence,” but the narrow-minded city council is very busy these days passing petty rules that will certainly end up causing another downturn. Sad.

I hope that won’t happen to my home town of Rumford.

Hugh J. Chisholm, the founder of modern Rumford, lived in Portland, across the street (State Street) from where I now live and write this letter. It was he who realized the power of the falls in Rumford, who hired Waldo Pettingill to buy up land on the borders of the river, who built the mills, who brought the railroad from Lewiston and South Paris into Rumford (and extended it to Oquossoc), and who designed the town, especially Strathglass Park. During all that time, he was not a resident of Rumford.

Rumford needs more visionaries like Hugh J. Chisholm, who may choose not to live in town.

Rev. Joseph R. McKenna, Portland