Dear Editor:

John A. Johnson who was elected to the Town of Edgecomb Board of Selectmen on May 18, 2007 circulated a letter dated May 14, 2007 to some Edgecomb voters on May 15. The only member of the Planning Board who received a copy wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspapers rebutting allegations in the letter, but not in time for it to be published prior to the election on Friday, May 18.

All members of the previous Edgecomb Planning Board (the composition of the board changed on May 18 because terms are staggering) are seriously concerned about statements in Mr. Johnson's letter that are either misunderstandings or misrepresentations of the respective authority and responsibilities of the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, the Appeals Board, and the Comprehensive Plan Task Force, and deliberate and potentially actionable misstatement of facts in that letter.

Most of the contents of Mr. Johnson's letter of May 14 2007 pertain to "development." This is a planning issue. Mr. Johnson ran for and was elected to a seat on the Edgecomb Board of Selectmen. He did not run for the Planning Board and did not ask to be appointed to the Board of Appeals. He and his neighbors on Davis Island were invited and urged last May and June to join the Comprehensive Plan Task Force, which is working hard to develop a plan that will maintain the rural character of Edgecomb, but he declined the invitation.

The members of the Board of Selectmen have no more control over the decisions of the Planning Board than any other Edgecomb voter. Members of the Planning Board are elected by the voters of Edgecomb, governed by the Planning Board Ordinance, and charged with review of applications for some types of development in Edgecomb for compliance with the Town of Edgecomb Land Use Ordinance. The Selectmen cannot influence the Planning Board of the Board of Appeals, and cannot make changes to the Comprehensive Plan or the Land Use Ordinance - only the voters of Edgecomb can do so.

The Comprehensive Plan Task Force will draft a revised Comprehensive Plan this year which will go to the voters at the annual Town Meeting in May 2008. If it is approved, the Land Use Ordinance will be revised (or replaced) so that it will properly implement the new Comprehensive Plan. The Town of Edgecomb Land Use Ordinance, which is the set of regulations that the Planning Board must use in evaluating applications, must be grounded in the Comprehensive Plan.

Mr. Johnson's letter stated that exceptions had been granted to developers during the last three yeas. He does not say exceptions to what, but the implication is exceptions to the Town of Edgecomb Land Use Ordinance. The Selectmen have no authority to grant any exceptions to, and have not, granted any exceptions to the Land Use Ordinance for developers or anyone else in the last three years. Moreover, the Planning Board has no authority to grant "exceptions" to the Land Use Ordinance and it has not granted any such exceptions to developers in the last three years. The Appeals Board is the only administrative body in the Town of Edgecomb with any authority to grant "exceptions," or variances, from the Town of Edgecomb Land Use Ordinance, and the only variance grated in the last three years related to the side setback for the Town's firehouse.

On the topic of the meaning of "rural," which we repeat is an issue for the Comprehensive Plan Task Force, there have already been a great many joint meetings of the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, the Task Force and members of the public at which the topic has been discussed and debated. Beginning approximately seven years ago, then State Planner Evan Richert was invited, on three separate occasions, to make a presentation to Edgecomb voters about the town's likely tenure as a "rural" town, the meaning of "rural," and the steps necessary to preserve Edgecomb's rural character. Those steps included the zoning effort which took place over the course of four years and involved the hard work, courage, and leadership of many former Town of Edgecomb elected and appointed officials.

Continuing this work will require a clear understanding of how the Town of Edgecomb and its various boards and committees operate, and mutual respect among and for the elected and appointed officials who serve in a volunteer capacity and give generously of their time and energy.

Respectfully,

Katharine Braid

former Vice Chair

David Boucher

Bruce Cameron

Erin Cooperrider,

former Chair

Lisa McSwain

Dear Editor:

To the voters and residence of Edgecomb:

First, I would like to thank the residents of Edgecomb for the three years I have spent as Selectman, and I thank everyone who supported me in the May 18 Town Election.

I am writing this letter because I feel my supporters as well as the other residents of Edgecomb should know about the untruths said about me and the Edgecomb Planning Board. Some may say I am a sore loser, but I believe it is the Town of Edgecomb that is the loser.

After the election it was brought to my attention by many concerned Edgecomb citizens that a letter had been sent to many residents just prior to May 18 (I did not receive one) written by John Johnson, the candidate who has just been elected to the office of Edgecomb Selectman as of May 18, 2007.

The residents of this Town have treated me with the utmost respect and they deserve no less from their leaders. To be deceived by the very person you put in office is despicable. I believe some people voted for Mr. Johnson because of what they read. I ran a clean and positive campaign. I never expected big time politics in our small town. It is not what we are about. I believe candidates should run on their own merits. At the very least, Mr. Johnson owes the Edgecomb residents and Planning Board an apology.

The Selectboard I served on has never granted exceptions or backed any exceptions to any ordinances. The Selectmen do not have this power. If an applicant is turned down by the Planning Board, they have the right to an appeal of the decision. The Appeals Board is the authority for granting exceptions, and during this past May-to-May year it has granted none. It is the duty of the Planning Board to write the ordinances but ultimately, it is the Edgecomb voter who approves them. The Planning Board also reviews and approves development applications that come before them. We now have a Town Planner with professional experience to help draft the ordinances and to work with the Comprehensive Plan Task Force, and other duties as they come up.

The Selectmen are responsible for conducting the day-to-day business of the Town. They are responsible for assessing the taxes, providing help for the needy, approving bills to be paid, arranging for the various insurances - Workers' Compensation and Property/Casualty, sewer and water policies, and many more details. It seems to me that Mr. Johnson does not know the specific duties of the various Town Boards and Committees.

I hope Mr. Johnson's letter does not set the tone for his relationship with his fellow Selectmen as well as the Planning Board. In the past we have all worked very well together. I hope Edgecomb does not lose the good people we have on the Planning Board. This would be a big setback for the town but these statements made by John Johnson, not only in his campaign letter but in his editorial piece, have left a bitter taste with many who do the town's business.

Thank you for your time,

Frank E. Perkins, Jr.

former Selectman

of Edgecomb

Dear Editor:

The recent Edgecomb election of John A. Johnson has put the Town into a possibly precarious position due to Johnson's past dealings as spokesman and representative of the residents of Davis Island and their battles with developer Roger Bintliff of the former Sheepscot River Inn. Some of what I have witnessed as a member of the Edgecomb Planning Board follows.

1. Johnson's obvious malice towards Bintliff was evident throughout the entire permitting process. Johnson organized and led the island's group to petition the Town to hold a special town meeting to change the zoning ordinance to one that was written by them in hopes that it would stop development of a property that shared common boundaries with Bintliff and a number of island residents. The fact that Bintliff had already filed his application, thus 'grandfathering' his development legally, fell on deaf ears with the group even though the Town's legal council explained it repeatedly. The effort cost the townspeople the expense of a special election as well as additional legal fees all to no avail. What Bintliff had requested was what was ultimately granted. There were no variances or special exceptions granted whatsoever.

2. When the dust settled on the above he took credit personally for (rough quote) 'Hammering out the best possible deal for the island residents.' What about the rest of the Town? By this agreement Bintliff was forced by the group to give up a small portion of development rights. This document was to be recorded at the Lincoln County Registry of Deeds.

3. Johnson and one abutter threatened to sue the Town to gain ownership of the abandoned ferry landing located between their respective properties that was to have become public access for the townspeople to the Sheepscot River. The two landowners prevailed and the Town lost out again.

4. When he again took to the pen and sent a letter dated May 14, 2007 (apparently only to voters who had signed his earlier petition to the town) lambasting opponent Frank Perkins by implying Perkins personally was responsible for granting exceptions to developers (no one specific) over the past three years. His timing with this letter was perfect, there was no time for rebuttal in the media prior to Saturday's election and Perkins didn't even know the letter had been circulated until I and others told him town meeting morning. None of Johnson's information was factual at all. Foremost is the fact that Mr. Perkins had no capacity to grant exceptions either individually or jointly with the select board. The select board has no jurisdiction over ANY development in town except to issue blasting permits and/or allow sewer and water connections. When Bintliff took ownership of the property, he took over the TIFF agreement that was made with the town at a prior date. I don't see a special exception there.

For the above listed reasons I think the Town as a whole could be in legal jeopardy if Johnson were to vote on any licensing or disciplinary issues regarding Bintliff and his properties here in town. Any decision in Bintliff's favor could be construed as favor returned and a negative vote could just as likely be considered a payback issue. We, the townspeople of Edgecomb would once again be the losers. Legal fees are expensive.

In closing, I hope that Mr. Johnson will use his energy, imagination, and dogmatic focus to help the Town of Edgecomb, not hinder it over the next three years.

Respectfully,

David Boucher

Edgecomb

Dear Editor:

We went through a house fire last Tuesday on Park Street. It was a very traumatic experience. On a scale of tragedies, and I have experienced my share of tragedies, I would put a house fire up there on the top three list. One, being an unexpected death of a loved one. Two, a house fire, and three, a tragic car accident, which I lived through. Four, a hard divorce and five, a death of a pet.

I could go on and on how I evaluate tragedy but I think you get a fair picture of what I am trying to say! My daughter, Ginger, and I experienced a loss of a home and a loss of two pets. A loving female dog named "Eve," also, a gray female crippled cat named "Ozzy Osbourne." I'm sure both will be playing freely in heaven's meadows for eternity!

You just don't know what life has in store for you; one day you're petting your dog, feeding your cat, sitting in your newly remodeled home. The next day you are homeless, surfing for a bed, and burying your dog and cat from a house fire! Life is unpredictable! I have a favorite saying, "Ride the waves out, baby!" Or "Roll with the punches." I have survived many tragedies by bending a little, compromising a little, but never fully given up! I think Mainers are like that, self-sufficient, or they have a self reliance at their core! Of course I pray a lot if I can't make it on my own. I ask for a higher power to intercede!

Ginger and I have been devastated but not destroyed. We are both strong and we will rebound.

After enduring a five-hour fire from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., half my house is totally charcoal. The other half is sooty and smells of charred cinders. I don't think I can ever get that fire smell out of the walls or the clothes. The bedding and mattresses are destroyed. I will try to salvage what we can but I will have to let go of a lot of things. A house fire has a huge lesson in it; you have to learn to let it go! We also experienced many blessings as well as losses. None of our important papers, pictures, or awards was loss in the fire. We still have our precious memories intact. Other blessings we experienced are love and charity from the town folk.

People have been giving Ginger and me lovely phone calls of sentiments, clothes, bedding, flowers, lasagna dinners, pies and cakes. My neighbors helped me through the fire. I was chasing one dog down the road in my stocking feet because I didn't have time to put shoes on due to black smoke from the fire in my house. The neighbor gave me his shoes to wear until I could get my own pair. One neighbor took out his personal garden hose to fight six to eight foot flames coming off the sides of my house until the firemen showed up. My neighbors from the hill ran down with fire extinguishers to put out flames. My neighbors told me to park my car away from my house near their house and even put my one surviving dog in their pen.

Other neighbors helped calm me down and helped my daughter while flames were engulfing one side of our house. One neighbor even brought me to a hotel (Flagship Inn) so I didn't have to walk there. Other blessings and thanks go out to helpful people like the Boothbay Fire Department and Southport Fire Department. American Red Cross who gave us vouchers up to $500 for three nights at Flagship Inn, clothes and food vouchers from Wal-Mart. Boothbay Harbor Police Department was very helpful, courteous, and tried to make us comfortable during an uncomfortable hour of our lives! The Mormon Church and its members with their prayers, donations and phone calls and a Baptist church called and said they were putting up a supper for our family. I even heard McSeagull's was doing something special! My daughter said teenagers at school sold $50 worth of homemade gem jewelry and donated the money to her. They even had a slogan that said, "Gems for Ginger," which I thought was quite creative! Many cheerleaders and Ginger's friends are donating clothes, perfumes, lovely sentiments!

I have seen a town come so fully together during our time of need. I always felt like an outsider in this town; it's very strange how a tragedy like a house fire brings out the best of us all. We all pull together! Ginger even asked me, "How should I react to all this generosity?" I simply smiled and said, "Take people's generosity, they want to show their love, let them shine! If they were in a house fire we would want to help others the same way they are helping us now!"

I think the people in Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay and Southport are beyond generous, they are angels. Thank you for all you have done. House fires taught me some lessons in letting go of things and taking in love from strangers! Those are valuable lessons!

P.S. A fire inspector told me he thought the house caught fire from "old wiring." My house was built in the early 1900s!

Susan Paquette

Boothbay Harbor

Dear Editor:

Thanks to the generous support of "Friends of The Harbor Theatre," we have just completed upgrades including professional installation of a new, state-of-the art sound screen, remote controlled main curtain, and related items too numerous to mention here, which bring our theatre closer to current industry standards, and greatly improve our movie sound!

But there's much more we hope to do, to make The Harbor Theatre a world-class venue, including installation of new, more comfortable seating in our auditorium as soon as possible!

The theatre and "Friends" has a long "wish list" of additional needed upgrades and refurbishment, but it all costs money, and The Harbor Theatre needs broad business and community support simply to exist, let alone make improvements.

The expenses involved in day to day operation of Boothbay Harbor's movie theatre are huge. It costs us over $100,000 each year just to open the doors and stay in business! "The Friends of The Harbor Theatre" has insured the theatre remains open year round, but there are other ways people can help including supporting the theatre's pre-show screen ad program.

Screen ads help area businesses to get the word out to summer visitors, while helping the theatre to stay open year round. It's a "win-win" situation! Screen messages can also be purchased by individuals wishing to offer their support.

If money were no object, we would refurbish The Harbor Theatre from stem to stern, add 3D Digital projection, and build two additional screens, which would allow us to open brand new movies year-round, and give people film-going choices unavailable with a single screen.

But we are content to move prudently and make improvements as funds become available.

I encourage area businesses and individuals to consider purchasing a screen ad. It's a fun way to support the theatre while getting your message out!

Persons wishing to receive our weekly email film schedule, or more information on "Friends of The Harbor Theatre" memberships and the screen ad program, write to harbortheatre@worldlinkisp.com.

P.S. We appreciate your suggestions and comments, too!

Dear Editor:

I read with astonishment that the Boothbay Selectmen have scheduled a re-vote on the sewer/water extension, on which the citizens voted quite decisively - and negatively - not even two weeks ago. Apparently "advisory" elections are called when the town authorities don't like the results of the real one?

According to the Register's recapitulation of the Town Manager's explanation of this, the citizens were perhaps incapable of reading/ understanding, grasping the language of the original ballot.

As insulting as that is, a more likely explanation is that someone has sufficient clout to disenfranchise voters until they pull the level they "should."

Which raises the interesting question: who stands to gain by reversing the resounding defeat this issue suffered early this month? Follow the money: who would benefit financially by the extension? Someone who owns land along 27 who would suddenly be much closer to water and sewer lines? Someone who would do well by actually performing the work? Someone who finds gold by making the Industrial Park area cheaper to use? Trucking and shipping interests (see below)?

In the meantime, about those great jobs the Park promises if only it had water and sewer on the cheap… what are they? Before the (real) election I asked that question of one of our selectmen. Imagine my amazement to hear: storage/ware-housing facilities. And not just for local businesses… but for businesses further north along Route 1 or even I-95, where land is too expensive now for warehouses. In other words, while the jobs in the Park will be low-paying annual labor, minimal in number, the facility itself will require heavy-duty trucking to Route 1 over an already overtaxed, overburdened, narrow and under maintained Route 27. What a joy to come to or leave our peninsula behind trucks headed to and from warehouses! As we chug along behind their exhausts, we'll experience yet another meaning of "follow the money."

So much for the high-tech jobs to keep our young, educated, graduates in the area, which the Industrial Park is supposed to provide!

We already voted "no." Let's not confirm our town officials' conviction that we're too dumb to read ballots, or evaluate our real needs, or even to recognize election fraud when it's seductively clothed as just another chance to vote.

Rhoda A. Weyr

Boothbay

Dear Editor:

These people in the Boothbay Town Hall are insulting. Because the water and sewer extension did not pass, they are saying we didn't understand it. We get it, believe me. We understand that they want all the citizens to pay to benefit a few business property owners.

They claim they are trying to protect the water system by eliminating the need for septic systems. These are the same people who voted to approve 21 houses in the watershed to Knickerbocker after the lake's water supply was declared the third most endangered in the state.

We are willing to pay 0 percent, 0 cents. If the project fails again, will there be another vote in July?

Tony and E.C. Cutler

Boothbay