Residents of Rumford will have a chance to vote on the extension of Lincoln Avenue on June 12. It is a non-binding vote that will let the Rumford selectmen and town manager know if citizens would support extending Lincoln Avenue to Swain Road.

Last year, the bridge on Swain Road washed out and people living on the north side were trapped in their area. They had to drive the long way around up Swain Road to Isthmus Road, then into town.

Not only was that inconvenient, it meant anyone in the bridge area who needed emergency services would have to wait because the only way to their homes was the long way around. The distance from the washed-out bridge area to the hospital is more than seven miles.

If a Lincoln Avenue extension were constructed, the distance to the hospital from the bridge area would be only a half-mile. The shorter distance could mean the difference between life and death for a human being, or the loss of a home to fire.

The extension would be about 930 feet and cost approximately $350,000.

The town of Rumford could borrow the money and pay it back in four years at a rate of $100,000 a year, which would mean a small increase in property taxes for only four years. That would be determined by the Rumford selectmen and a future vote by citizens.

I support the Lincoln Avenue extension in the non-binding vote on June 12. It could save a life or a home.

Emile Barre, Rumford