Here’s a look at what readers in our online community had to say about a story on the work of landscape architect Michael Blier, who is working on a plan for Museum L-A’s new facilities.

Blier, a Maine native with Lewiston connections, in a front-page story Monday, shared several innovative landscape design ideas that incorporate Lewiston’s canals and the Androscoggin River into a plan for the new museum building.

“Sadly though, there is a deficiency in the Twin Cities that must be addressed first,” wrote Rayne Poussard, of St. Lucie, Fla.  “I continually see people making references to “Dirty Lewiston” and denigrating the Twin Cities as archaic, out of touch and dirty.  It, of course, offends me since I am a product of the area too. I believe we must first extinguish the websites like “The Dirty Lewiston” and educate the Twin Cities to the talent that is there ready to be unleashed. Once people’s attitudes are changed or improved and they begin to express more pride in themselves and their community, I think they will be compelled to support such a wonderful project.”

Roger Wheeler of Fryeburg wrote, “It is too bad that the summer river flows in the Androscoggin are so restricted now in the late spring and summer because of a mindset to limit natural summer fluctuations in storage ponds and watershed lakes for recreational purposes. I would guess that there is a flow volume change from summer to winter in each of Maine’s larger rivers equal to one Lake Tahoe 16-feet deep. That is a lot of water in a few months that could oxygenate the river and the estuary and support the migration cues of Atlantic salmon, shad and alewives. It would also make the river and canals more pleasant and attractive to be around. It would also be more hydropower-efficient.”

One of Blier’s renderings shows what appears to be an ice-skating rink below a canopy-roofed amphitheater.

 Michael Hobbs of South Portland wrote, “The amphitheater is a good idea, people have been suggesting better use of the canal and the one thing that keeps popping up is, ice skating.  My question is, ‘Why is it not possible to do such a thing?’ Something like this would help show the artistic side of Lewiston while also giving back to a community that has always loved to ice skate. Plus, it would be unique to Maine because I have never heard or seen any other place in Maine that has something similar to this. We Americans have always gone against the grain. If told we could not do something, we did it. Where is that spirit now?”

“I really like the concept and modern feel, and agree it’s not something that would be built here, but the vision is fresh, while still working off of existing structure of the community,” John Painter of Lewiston wrote.  “More power to the museum to fully develop the concept and move toward an actual plan!”

Have your say and get your voice heard on the web and in print — register to comment online at www.sunjournal.com.

Some comments have been edited for length, punctuation and spelling.

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