To the Editor:

I went to college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, home of Winston cigarettes and Salem cigarettes, but not much else. Historically, the industry of the area has been tobacco. Though recently, this is less and less the case.

Having grown up in the L-A area and lived in Winston-Salem for several years, it was clear to me the communities were almost identical. Both have the skeleton of a long-forgotten manufacturing infrastructure, and a young arts scene that has blossomed in its place, encouraging economic activity. Both have long and unique histories that date back far longer than anyone walking this earth could possibly recall.

The difference is that long ago, the people of Winston-Salem saw a true merger was best for everybody.

The chance to bring better business to our streets in Lewiston-Auburn starts with the merger of these cities. The only people who have reasonable opposition to the joint charter commission are those municipal employees who may have to find another job because their position may become redundant in a new combined local government. To that I say: go on and do great things; I wish you the best. But that is part of the cost to building a greater community.

Will the One-LA initiative give the area more power in Augusta? No, I sincerely doubt that. However, it will save some money, and it will make Lewiston-Auburn the biggest city in this Congressional District—and there is something to be said for that.

Gabriel Chapin

Oxford