i think what matt is doing up there is good for the present and future of the surrounding area

NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN BELIEVE IN, MAINE!!!

Trash that large condo out-of-state albatross of which so many folks were talking about and arguing so vehemently about last fall and during the winter.

The efforts of Matt Polstein and his 'green' camps are the way to go. The article did not mention if these camps are for sale - or I missed that. But, the primary fact that this is a Maine organized and employment effort should tell you a couple of important things; Maine is a year-round vacationland; Maine does not need outside developers to come in and upset the ecology of the state and direct Augusta what, when and how to do it; The Kathadin area is pristine, and the work of Polstein is well in keeping with all facets of keeping Maine and this area beautiful and in standards of what Maine's economy should be.

Congratulations Matt for this caring effort and project. Good luck with it!

I agree Maine does not need outside developers and we don't need the hands of Augusta in these businesses. Through advertising, even for a small business a small business can do well. The money snowmobiling alone brings to this state is incredible. The ticket prices of what they purchase while they are here is at the top. All they want is to be accomodatied and comfortable. It used to be that camping was packing the tent in the old pickup or station wagon was what was considered camping. Not anymore..for most people anyway. It is too much work. They want to bring clothes and a tooth brush and there lap top. That's it.

While I agree that Augusta needs to back off, along with LURC and The Nature Conservancy, but if we are to survive this recession, then we need manufacturing~ in short welcome outside development.

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While the tourist business is a tried and true money maker, the joke wages, lack of benefits and job instability force many out of state and doom the rest to a life of subservient living.

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As I said, tourism is a good money maker, but just like the lumber industry it offers limited scope.

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Northern Maine needs diversified manufacturing and it needs it now!

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Narrow markets are the product of limited minds, and Baldacci, McGowan & Richardson would love nothing more than to ensure that the “only” business in Northern Maine be tourism.

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$400 - $570 per NIGHT! Guess we know their target customers aren't vacationers from here in Maine.

I love it when "green" developments are 100% automobile dependent.

They used newspaper to stuff in the walls 100 + years ago, guess thats actually a tried and true. H-m-m guess things haven't changed much.

With the polystrene and caulking being petrolum products, how can this be eco friendly or human friendly? Open to hearing from anyone who really knows about these products, not someone who watched a friend use it or are repeating a salesman pitch, they give me serious sinus/headache allergy issues.

At least he didnt have to borrow any money from Millinocket like the rest of those clowns who borrowed it and never payed it back. I'd like to see the councelors who spent out 3.8 Million dollars on foolsihness either off the councel or pay it out of theyre own pockets for being so &*$ damn stupid

Concerned1, its time for you to explain this 3.8 Million dollars figure you've been throwing around.

Congratulations, Matt! Your hardwork on, and dedication to, this project has produced a first-class operation.

I'd like to know why any comment that is not complementary to Matt Polstein is deleted. For example, the post that noted you should Google his name to see why he is not getting financing has been deleted. What's wrong with that?

This is just another Nick Sambides puff piece on Polsten. That's all he rights! I wonder how much he gets paid to advertise for Polstein.

Polstein doesn't care about Millinocket, he just cares about how much money he makes.

The posts aren't deleted, just "thumbed down" just "click here to view hidden comment" like it says.

400-570 dollars a night is very steep.

That's what's GREEN about it. $$$$$$$$$$,

I'd like to see this guy clean up his act a bit.

Nobody ever says anything nice about him.

Plenty of people say nice things about Polstein, Crawdad. It's just that there's a small group of Millinocket townies that finds fault with everything Matt and Wendy Polstein do, and those people are usually found here. The leaders of the group are David Cyr, Jim Talbott, Ken and Michele ANderson and Alyce Maragus. Cyr and Talbott have fought bitterly with Polstein and lost over many years because Polstein is arrogant, egotistical, and very smart. They're arrogant, too, and egotistical, but pretty stupid. Cyr wanted to build a resort on Blackcat Mountain and the landowner at the time, Katahdin Timberlands, refused to sell to him. By this time, Cyr had run up all kinds of liens on his properties, several filed by members of his own family, so when Timberlands sold the land that Polstein wants to build HIS resort on, Hammond Ridge, Cyr swore revenge and started pushing around town and linking to local figures a whole crazy national theory, called Agenda 21, that postulates that the U.S. is being threatened by environmentalist and United Nations control. These Agenda 21 drones he conveniently identifies as the Polsteins, Katahdin Timberlands, and anybody else whom he has screwed or who is associated with Polstein. His own hypocracy, of course, keeps him from admitting that he would be doing the same thing Polstein is on Hammond Ridge with his own leased property on Black Cat. Talbott, who owns WSYY, leased land from Katahdin and Polstein, defaulted several times on lease payments and is so incensed at Polstein for finally killing the lease that he went on a nine-month jihad against Polstein. Failed businesspeople themselves, the Andersons now work for Talbott and his radio station and believe in the loony Agenda 21 nonsense, as does Maragus, whose family was big in the mills.

Sorry, Bookman put the only thing you put out there in defense of Matt Polstein is a lie. WSYY never defaulted on our leases at any time. It's just an outright lie. And I personally don't buy the Agenda 21. So don't put words ini my mouth. And, if I did, so what? You see, you can't allow anyone to believe anyting you don't. This is still America. I can believe in anything I want. As to David Cyr, I don't think he defaulted either. In fact, his lease was just renewed and he's still on the land.

Now to tell you what kind of person Matt Polstein is: When we decided to leave Hammond Ridge, as Matt's attorney told us we would be thrown off in a few years anyway, and he would not let us maintain our lease property, Katahdin TImberlands block the road to the ridge with boulders so we couldn't get our equipment off (we found another way). Demanded we pay him $5,000.00, and told us in order to remove our pole line we could not use any mechanical equipment, but had to pull them off by hand (over a 3/4 mile line) But he was really a nice guy and offered to buy over a $100,000 investment for $2,000.00 dollars. Gee....an offer we could and did refuse. Then of course he, and MAGIC, the non-profit he formed to help the community and the businesses in the community, applied to the FCC to build his own station there. Yes, Matt is a really nice guy and MAGIC really is there to help the community. And if you think that, your wrong. MAGIC is a tax grant scam to line certain people's pockets and to drive out of Millinocket, businesses they don't like.

So before you post complete and utter lies, you should really know what you are talking about. Since I own the station I know.

Waitng for you next post Matt or Wendy Polstein.

And you know, what I wrote was harsh, and I feel badly about that. But I have lived in Millinocket for years and I have never seen such nastiness before, on all sides. I am sick of it.

Bookman

Take it easy big guy. It'll all come out in the wash.

Polstein's actions have not always been forthcoming. A shrewd businessman, yes, a nice guy with the towns interest in mind, no.

You know there's something to be said for common courtesy and good ethics, the people of Millinocket have always been accustomed to decent treatment by their Daddy GNP.

Some people don't adjust well to a new self preserving "business" atmosphere. I can't say that I blame them, whatever happened to helping your neighbors and charity?

Ask the people on Black Cat road how much Polstein wanted to charge them to drive to their camps. Now that's not real "friendly" is it?

He's now in cohoots with the jerk that has blocked the lake access at the foot of Black Cat in the wintertime. Now all those old boys that have been fishing at the village for 50 years can't get to their shacks easily in the winter. Guess who was plowing up the bank so nobody could get on the ice??? Polstein!!!!

Now that ain't very "friendly" either.

So it's no wonder he doesn't have many friends around town!! I travel all around the world and people always remark on how beautiful Millinocket is and that they'd like to visit. Well guess what, I never direct them to stay at Twin Pines. I usually steer them clear of it, just after I throw their "Burts Bees" chapstick in the garbage for them.

On 7/27/09 at 10:39 PM, Bookman wrote: Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

And you know, what I wrote was harsh, and I feel badly about that. But I have lived in Millinocket for years and I have never seen such nastiness before, on all sides. I am sick of it.

YOU ARE RIGHT, THE NASTINESS ONLY STARTED WHEN POLSTEIN STARTED GETTING INVOLVED!!!

HMMMMM, DO YOU THINK THERE IS A RELATION BETWEEN POLSTEIN AND CONTROVERSY? IT SEEMS TO FOLLOW HIM AROUND!!!!

THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING RIGHT THERE!!

Well Bookman, all I can say is you don't know anything. WSYY had a 4 acre lease and a 3/4 mile easment for the power line. Not a "foot." Plus access via a road on Timberland land. Once Polstein wanted it (read TIF when he was on the Town Council) he got it. I was in the negotiations for the land, many times. You weren't. Timberlands just held the meetings for show. They were already selling it to Polstein but they couldn't say anything because the TIF was still under negotiations. We lost over a $100, 000 dollar, in1986 dollars. But don't worry, Polstein can do whatever he wants. No problem. Ethics and morality. He has none. He can do whatever he wants. You keep repeating that. You know WSYY serves the Community. Polstein doesn't. He serves himself only. Millinocket is divided because of Polstein.

You know I have to laugh as I read your comments in the other post. You attack anyone who posts against Polstein as a racist. Then an Agenda 21 supporter. Then....well....you just continue with whaterver attack you think will make the poster look bad.

Then you talk about morality and ethics.

Funny, then you say Polstein can do whaterver he want. He owes no one anything.

Where are Polstein's ethics and morality? I can tell you, he has none.

True, he's not a good neighbor.

I have to add one other thing. I have to agree with Crawdad. This is one of the reasons Millinocket is a ghost town. Nobody wants to invest any money in a town such as Millinocket, where you can't buy any land, you can only lease, and then risk being thrown off after all of your investment. Oh and by the way, when we developed Hammond Ridge you couldn't buy land you could only lease, and with the exception of Polstein, you still cant. That's one factor. The next, as Crawday, illuminates is that Polstien has control of the Chamber of Commerce (we've dropped our membership) so only his buddies and his business get mentioned in any Chamber event or publcation and they go after any business who doesn't agree with them. Why would anyone want to put their hard earned money in Millinocket and put up with continuing being boycotted or run out of town because maybe they do believe in Agenda 21. Bookman's post proves that point. If you aren't a Stepford Wife in Millinocket, and believe in exactly what these people believe in, you are ridiculed and berated until you leave or their boycott just puts you out of business.

You know WSYY developed Hammond Ridge. Polstein attempted to put us in a position where we'd walk away from the investment and give it to him. We didn't. And we'll build a bigger and better facility in the future. He though he would put us out of business and MAGIC and his buddy Don McLean would take over the station. It didn't happen and it won't. Now he's using what was left or our infrastructure deveopment for his own greedy uses. Nobody can have anything but Matt Polstein and his selected buddies. Just like the HOG rally, the event didn't benefit the Community (some hotel overflow) but only Polstein (all events at his place) and his hand picked buddies at the airport. The airport event were not open to any vendor.

And let's not forget MAGIC, the group Polstein formed. They would have lunch and learn meetings (in conjunction with the Polstein controlled Chamber of Commerce) and bring in Bangor radio stations. Bruck McLean never even approached us. Kind of strange when you considered that MAGIC was formed to help local businesses and then after Polstein got us off Hammond Ridge, they immediately proposed the MAGIC radio station on Hammond Ridge so that Polstein could have his own radio station to advertise his business. Ethics? None. All this with MAGIC"s taxpayer and grant money.

Polstein is Millinocket's downfall and people, and the politicians who support Polstein, should wake up and realize it. This guy, and the politicians who support him, need to be investigated. Until then Millinocket will become what Polstein wants, a ghost town that he controls.

1. You write: "You know WSYY serves the Community." Prove it. You're a radio station that transmits. Nothing else.

2. You write: "Once Polstein wanted it (read TIF when he was on the Town Council) he got it. I was in the negotiations for the land, many times. You weren't. Timberlands just held the meetings for show. They were already selling it to Polstein but they couldn't say anything because the TIF was still under negotiations. We lost over a $100, 000 dollar, in 1986 dollars." Prove it. Show PROOF that Timberlands was insincere. Show PROOF that everyone else on the council was under Polstein's sway. YOU CAN'T. It's called an unproven accusation.

3. You write: "The next, as Crawday, illuminates is that Polstien has control of the Chamber of Commerce (we've dropped our membership) so only his buddies and his business get mentioned in any Chamber event or publcation and they go after any business who doesn't agree with them." PROVE IT. You can't.

4. You write: "Bookman's post proves that point. If you aren't a Stepford Wife in Millinocket, and believe in exactly what these people believe in, you are ridiculed and berated until you leave or their boycott just puts you out of business." A Stepford Wife? Oh, I get it. Millinocket is a population of sheep, then? Nobody has any backbone or ethics? Wow. What a brutal thing to say about your own people, there, Mr. Talbott.

And since when is disagreeing the same as boycotting?

If your posts prove anything, Mr. Talbott, it's that you are full of unproven allegations that you keep repeating, and that is sickening.

There's just nothing I can say to you. You obviously have a very clcosed mind and don't know anything. And the MAGIC and Polstein group are in fact Stepford wives. Unfortunately, a lot of them are followers as they have businesses and they don't want to be run out of town or have their businesses boycotted, and put out of business by Polstein and his followers. The good thing is that with your posts we are able to really show people what is happening in Millinocket and why it is a ghost town (with the execption of Polstein's businesses) and his buddies, such as Bob Benjamin. Interesting post by Crawdad under the other article on the retiring town manager.

There's just nothing I can say to you. You obviously have a very clcosed mind and don't know anything. And the MAGIC and Polstein group are in fact Stepford wives. Unfortunately, a lot of them are followers as they have businesses and they don't want to be run out of town or have their businesses boycotted, and put out of business by Polstein and his followers. The good thing is that with your posts we are able to really show people what is happening in Millinocket and why it is a ghost town (with the execption of Polstein's businesses) and his buddies, such as Bob Benjamin. Interesting post by Crawdad under the other article on the retiring town manager.

Reading the story made look forward to visiting this area of Maine, however reading the posts and seeing all the bickering made me wonder if I wanted to spend any of my hard earned money in your town.

You could say plenty of things to me, Jimmy. I'm a diehard Republican and it seems to me that what you advocate is a creepy and selfish form of socialism. You could recognize that landowners have a right to decide what goes on their land, and who. You could recognize that annexing land so as to force its development, as you have advocated elsewhere, is an obvious infringement upon that right. It's lunatic. ("Eminent domain" is the term you WOULD be advocating if those law degrees you claim to have had anything to do with it.) You could stop begging other people to fight your fights for you. You could show me ONE shred of proof for anything you have said. You could tell me that you have met with the Maine Attorney General's office and demanded an investigation into all this "corruption" you say is going on. Or the FBI.

But you won't, because you aren't interested in justice. You don't care who you slander. You play a teasing, coy game of namecalling and go no farther.

Hey, folks did you ever think that maybe this resort set up might just help your town out? Could bring people to Millinocket? People come with money to spend on food and entertainment. There are several nice establishments in your town, I ate at one off the beaten path, a nice Italian deli. Beisdes Mc Donalds and Subway. You see I was just there and stayed at Twin Pines. I also thought that Mr. Polstein was a very nice gentle man. And the staff at Twin Pines were exceptional. Right now the big draw to your area is Baxter State Park and the ability to climb Mount Katahdid. If there is some place nice to stay people look for other things to do. So having this Twin Pine area and NEOC could actually help all of you out.

No. He didn't need to "borrow" money from the town. He basically just TOOK the money. He admits conflict of interest when he wrote the TIF for the mill which let him have the land for this resort when absolutely no one else could buy land from them. He admitted illegal meetings where he arranged grants and other loot for his good old boys network. He has twice been found guilty of using his seat on the town council to fire the employee who turned him in to the state for his dangerous practices on the snowmobile trails, and the town has to pay the whistleblower for that. He also admitted twice under oath that he basically stalked the woman, sending her emails telling her to "be careful who you have lunch with" and illegally detained her in front of a local restaurant.

How many of his River Drivers customers do you think ever even knew that there were stores and restaurants in Millinocket? Exactly none. He bussed them in and the last stop before RD was Abol Bride. He not only didn't "share" them with any other businesses, he put locals out of business by offering everything the townspeople offered, including the moose photographing tours from his little alcove on the Rice Farm Road.

No he didn't ask for a handout. He just took his handouts.

Bookman spouted: "Cyr swore revenge and started pushing around town and linking to local figures a whole crazy national theory, called Agenda 21, that postulates that the U.S. is being threatened by environmentalist and United Nations control."

You mean THIS "crazy national theory"? http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/

I think if you bothered to read the documents there, right in plain sight, you would see that indeed the foundation for much of the nonsense going on, including the call for Global Warming regulations, began in the June 1992 conference in Rio de Janeiro. It's all right there, assuming you can read.