Residents in Milan Speak Out Against Berlin's Proposed Federal Prison

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DRIVE ALONG SUCCESS LOOP ROAD BETWEEN BERLIN AND MILAN AND YOU'LL SEE A RARE SIGHT.
HOMEOWNERS HAVE STAKED THEIR FRONT LAWNS WITH SIGNS ANNOUNCING OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED FEDERAL PRISON IN BERLIN.
THE SIGNS HAVE SLOGANS LIKE “NO FEDERAL PRISONS,” “FUND SCHOOLS NOT PRISONS” AND “MOOSE NOT CONVICTS.”
EACH OPPONANT – IT SEEMS - HAS HIS OWN REASON TO OPPOSE THE PROJECT.
SOME FEAR THAT SUCCESS LOOP WILL NO LONGER BE A LOOP WHEN THE PRISON IS BUILT.
BECAUSE ONE END – ON THE BERLIN SIDE - IS SLATED TO BE CLOSED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE COMPLEX .
OTHERS WORRY ABOUT THE REPRECUSSIONS OF LIVING IN A SO-CALLED “PRISON TOWN”.
THE NEW MEDIUMM SECURITY FEDERAL FACILITY IS PLANNED TO BE JUST A FEW MILES UP THE ROAD FROM AN EXISITNG STATE PRISON.
CUT-MASTERS1A
(“…ITS LIKE A ROTTON OINION. EVERY LAYER YOU PEEL…THERE’S SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE WRONG WITH IT.”)
THAT’S KURT MASTERS.
HE LIVES ON SUCCESS LOOP AND IS ACTIVE WITH THE ANTI-PRISON GROUP “INFORMED CITIZENS FOR A BETTER NORTH COUNTRY.”
HE ARGUES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING OVER 200-MILLION-DOLLARS ON THE PROJECT WHEN THE FEDERAL BUDGET DEFIICT IS IN THE BILLIONS.
HE ALSO SAYS USING THE GREAT NORTH WOODS FOR PRISON SPACE IS A POOR USE OF THE STATE’S NATURAL RESOURCES.
CUT-MASTERS3A
(“…SOME OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BROW-BEAT INTO THINKING THAT THIS IS THE THING THAT’S GONNA SAVE EVERYTHING. IT’S NOT GOING TO CREATE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND VISIT AS A TOURIST…THAT SEEMS TO BE A NO-BRAINER FOR ME.”)
THEN THERE IS THE LIGHT ISSUE.
DENNIS AND DONNA ROY LIVE NEXT DOOR TO MASTERS.

THE COUPLE SAYS LIGHTS FROM THE STATE PRISON IN BERLIN HAVE ALREADY RUINED THE NIGHT SKY.
AND THEY WORRY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE LARGER FEDERAL FACILITY THAT WILL BE MUCH CLOSER TO THE SUCCESS LOOP NEIGHBORHOOD.
CUT-ROY2A
(“…EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE LIT-UP. IT JUST DOESN’T BELONG HERE…WE’VE GOT A STATE PRISON HERE NOW. WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THIS ROAD NOW THAT’S ALL YOU CAN SEE, IS LIGHTS. NOW IF YOU’VE GOT A FEDERAL PRISON IN HERE…IT IS FOUR TIMES AS BIG AS A STATE PRISON. YOU’RE LOOKING AT MORE BUILDINGS AND THE LIGHTS ARE MUCH HIGHER. ….. WE’RE GONNA BE LIT-UP CONSTANTLY.)
THERE IS ANOTHER SIGN POPULAR ON SUCCESS LOOP THESE DAYS.
THAT ONE SAYS “REGIONAL VOTE FOR REGIONAL IMPACT.”
PRISON OPPONANTS SAY THAT WHILE THE CITY OF BERLIN VOTED TO ACCEPT THE PRISON, RESIDENTS OF MILAN HAVE BEEN CUT OUT OF THE PROCESS.
KURT MASTERS’ BROTHER – KEITH MASTERS - ALSO LIVES ON SUCCESS LOOP.
AND HE SAYS MILAN VOTERS SHOULD HAVE HAD A SAY BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THE PRISON WILL HAVE MORE IMPACT ON MILAN THAN ON BERLIN.
CUT-KEITH1A
(“IT REALLY SHOULD BE A REGIONAL VOTE. NOT JUST BERLIN. THAT’S HOW A LOT OF US FEEL. AND THY’RE NOT LISTENING TO US AT ALL.”)

BOB DANDERSON COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.
DANDERSON IS BERLIN’S MAYOR.
CUT-DANDER1W
HE BEGAN COURTING A FEDERAL PRISON FIVE YEARS AGO AFTER THE CITY’S PULP MILL SHUT DOWN.
HE SEE’S THE PRISON AS A KEY BUILDING BLOCK FOR TRANSFORMING THE BERLIN’S STRUGGLING ECONOMY.
CUT-DANDERSON1A
(“…ITS GOING TO CREATE OVER 300 JOBS – 350 DURING THE CONSTRUCTION FPHASE – IT’LL BRING APPROXIMATELY 300-MILLION-DOLLARS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
IT’LL ALSO BRING OVER 30-MILLION-DOLLARS EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT IN OPERATIONAL COSTS.
WHENEVER YOU CREATE THAT MANY JOBS ITS GOING TO BRING MANY GOOD ASPECTS TO INDUSTRY AND TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND TO LOCAL BUSINESSES.”)
DANDERSON ALSO DISAGREES THAT COMMUNITES SURROUNDING BERLIN SHOULD HAVE HAD A SAY IN WHETHER THE PRISON COMES OR NOT.

CUT-DANDER2

(“…LETS LOOK AT THE OTHER HAND. IF MILAN DOES SOMETHING IN THEIR COMMUNTIY WHICH BORDERS ON BERLIN. I DON’T SEE THEM ASKING FOR OUR PERMISSION AND I WOULDN’T EXPECT THEM TO. THE SAME WITH GORHAM. GORHAM IS OPENING UP A SUPER WAL-MART THERE ARE PEOPLE IN BERLIN WHO ARE AGAINST IT.
AND THE LIGHT ISSUE?
CUT –DANDER4A
(“…NO WORSE THAN THE LIGHTS FROM WAL-MART. NO WORSE THAN THE LIGHTS AT THE MILL - WHEN IT WAS OPEN - THAT MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WORKED AT. )
A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY HAS BEEN ISSUED IN FAVOR OF LOCATING THE PRISON IN BERLIN. THE COMMENT PERIOD ON THAT REPORT ENDS ON SEPTEMBER-11.

FOR NHPR NEWS, I'M TODD WELLINGTON.