This month teams from throughout northern and eastern Maine will converge in Bangor for two weeks of furious action. Champions will be crowned. Legends will be created. For 50 years, the auditorium has been the backdrop for events that have changed the lives of the people of Maine.

Now, the auditorium has reached the end of its service life, and this tradition is threatened.

A new regional auditorium and conference facility is desperately needed – but such a complex cannot become a reality without the support of the entire region. At an estimated cost of $30 million, Bangor cannot afford to build a new complex through its property tax alone.

The Legislature is currently considering a proposal that would authorize Maine municipalities to adopt, after voter approval, a limited and targeted 1 percent sales tax to be used for projects of regional significance. Over five years, such a tax would allow us to replace the current auditorium and keep the tradition alive.

Along with keeping the eastern Maine basketball tradition alive, such a complex will bring meetings and conventions to our region with an economic impact that will spread far beyond the immediate Bangor area. Visitors will travel to our mountains, lakes and coast and enhance our economy from Mount Desert to Eastport, from Millinocket to Moosehead.

Time, however, is short. If a way to finance a new complex is not found, the Bangor Auditorium may close by Dec. 31, 2004.

To keep the tradition alive and to help our regional economy grow we must have your support. Contact your state legislators and local elected officials and ask them to support LD 883. Keep the Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament in eastern Maine. Keep the tradition alive.

Michael R. Crowley

Mayor

Bangor