I think they are missing the point. People come to Maine to hike a real mountain, kayak a real stream and so on. You only have to build a theme park if the real thing is not available. They are doing well here, providing decent jobs, and I do like their stuff. Why get greedy?

It is unfortunate that somebody used the word "THEME PARK". The 700 acre parcel contains the Freeport County Club, a nine-hole course lovingly known to its members (of which I am one) as "Soggy Meadows". I happen to know that the Robert Trent Jones people (world-class golf course architects) have already done a preliminary site review. There are two RTJ courses in Maine, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, the number one and number two best courses in Maine.

Interspersed throughout the course will be a pond for kayak lessons, Archery ranges, wing-shooting and skeet ranges, and a lodge/hotel/clubhouse. This is not a "theme park" in any sense of the word. It is a "destination".

What I don't get is the people who are so virulently against any Maine company that is successful. LLBean is the ideal. They promote the outdoors, health, wellness, genuinely concerned about the environment and "green" operation, and are generous to a fault. They give hundreds of thousands to the Acadia Bike Trails, recently gave a million bucks for a park in Freeport, and awarded their employees this year with 25 million in profit-sharing bonuses. They provide income around the world in the manufacture of their products and have representatives in every country to monitor the work force there to ensure that sweat-shop conditions do not exist and that the people are paid a living wage.

LLbean is, right now, dropping more than 100 million bucks in expanding their distribution, retail stores, and other facilities employing hundreds of well-paid construction workers right here in Maine. We should all be proud of this family-owned success story and one of the best places to work in the state.

Just for the record, yeah, I work for LLBean. I'm a lowly grunt who loves my job, loves the company, protects my family with great health benefits, working on my pension, beefing up my 401K with company matching contributions (free money), working out in state of the art fitness centers in every facility, and have a support system if a personal crisis of any kind befalls me or my family. In return I show up ready to work, give it my best effort, don't take advantage of their kindness, take responsibility for myself and my colleagues, work safe, and try to break 80 oin the golf course.

Some days are better than others.

One word - EuroDisney.
Don't do it!