I have been an Auburn resident for nearly my entire life. As a child, the Lewiston-Auburn communities were distinctively different and separate. Lewiston housed the mills, retail stores, a large segment of the Franco community and Bates College. Auburn was essentially a sprawling residential community with a few stores, some factories and car dealerships.

Things began to dramatically change in the 1960s and 1970s when the downtown neighborhood shifted, malls were built and businesses co-mingled. Since then, the Twin Cities have increasingly worked together and shared resources, ideas and maybe even identities. In fact, when I introduce myself these days, I say that I am from Lewiston-Auburn.

Things evolve over time and change is inevitable, even though those changes are sometimes difficult to welcome. As I see it, the choice facing residents now is whether we want to resist and impede the opportunities of change or whether we want to be change agents — people who make choices that keep us strong, healthy, relevant and competitive in the Maine landscape.

Paula Marcus-Platz, Auburn