Lewiston has done the responsible and prudent thing by settling its dispute with the former owner of the Colisee, Roger Theriault.
In March, Theriault sued the city after it missed its first payment of $25,000 for the purchase of what once was the Central Maine Civic Center.
City Administrator Jim Bennett has blamed the late payment on a mixup. Unable to move beyond the overdue bill, the city countersued in April, saying that Theriault had oversold the civic center’s condition.
On Wednesday, the two sides announced that they had reached an agreement to end the dueling lawsuits. The deal speeds up the city’s payment schedule, with a final installment of $125,000 due Oct. 15, 2008. Under the original details of the sale, Theriault would have received $25,000 a year until 2014.
Some of Theriault’s supporters have argued that the city hasn’t given him enough credit for bringing the Lewiston Maineiacs, a semiprofessional team from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, here. Bennett, in his comments about the settlement, appeared to address the issue. “Roger and his family worked really hard to bring a team to Lewiston. We recognize that, and we’re just as committed to make it work now.”
Theriault deserves much of the credit for bringing the Maineiacs to Lewiston, and the city deserves the credit for keeping the team here when it looked like it might leave.
Ending the feud about the Colisee is an important step toward making it successful. Both sides can move forward.
With the fight finished, the city should mark its calendar and make sure it doesn’t miss another payment. Lewiston is much better off when it pays its bills on time and stays out of court, and the future of the Colisee is more secure with a plan that more quickly disentangles the city and Theriault.
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