Rick Prose, the heart, soul, and brains behind the Boothbay Region Community TV station in recent years and its first-ever paid station manager, announced on Tuesday that he would be resigning, effective June 6.

For the past year or so, Prose has been doing double duty, holding the reins at the local public access television station while working to rebuild homes in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, an area particularly hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. Last year, Prose established lowernine.org, a non-profit organization that works with volunteers and community residents to rebuild homes and community, and to address social and economic problems post-Katrina.

Prose leaves Channel 7 to devote his efforts full-time as lowernine's first executive director.

In his letter to the Channel 7 Board of Directors, Prose said that the decision to resign was not an easy one, but that he leaves "BRCTV in good shape and capable hands." Paula Arsenault, long-time Channel 7 volunteer and board member, said, upon hearing the news of Prose's resignation, "It's going to leave a huge hole at the station. Rick has been invaluable to Channel 7 and the community. We will miss him sorely and wish him the best of luck."

BRCTV's Board now faces the difficult task of replacing the man who has literally been the face of Channel 7 for the last seven years.