Town Meetings 2023: Warrants, Candidates, School & Town Budgets, plus a political race in House District 45

On July 20, voters will have the opportunity to show their support for regulating and controlling industrial mining in our residential community of Hope, Maine. 

A special Town Meeting will be held at the Hope Corner Fire Station (475 Camden Rd) at 6:30 p.m. We are asking for your “YES” vote in favor of a 180…

At the July 20 Town Meeting, Hope residents will have an opportunity to join our neighbors in Union and Warren in opposing metal mining in the Midcoast. 

Please vote yes on Article 2 to ban exploration or mining of metallic minerals within the town of Hope for 180 days. 

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At the June 14 Thomaston 2023 Annual Town Meeting,  the vote to preserve part of the existing park known to most as the Thomaston Green lost by four votes.  The slim majority present voted to allow the Select Board to sell 1.5 acres to a proposed Health Center.  Few, including those who voted against, oppose an expanded Health Center serving the entire Midcoast…

For anyone who wondered if there is a place left in America where people can leave their doors unlocked and their bikes unchained; where the air is clean, the land is green, and the water is as blue as the sky; where people smile and wave to their neighbors, and where kids can play in the streets until being summoned home for supper – last night was our answer.

Camden’s residents came out in force to vote and say no to ballot Articles…

THOMASTON — It was but four votes that separated the yays and nayes for the sale of 1.5 acres of town-owned Thomaston Green land, but citizens ultimately signaled approval for a new Knox Clinic community health center to be allowed there. The approval, however, was accompanied by much debate and procedural adjustments at a town meeting that also included passing an amendment that created a new town park.

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UNION: Citizens in Union took care of their annual town meeting business June 13 at the polls with 721 ballots cast. They approved a mining ordinance, elected Adam Fuller with 372 votes to the Select Board, and Nichole Taylor with 360 votes to the RSU 40 school board, and agreed on a $4.2 million municipal budget.

Voters also elected Argera Nestor, with 328 votes, to be a trustee of the William L. Pullen Fund, and John Mountainland to the Budget Committee.

On June 13, Appleton voters went to the polls to conduct their annual town meeting,  re-electing Lorie Costigan and Charlie Garrigan to three-year terms on the Select Board, and electing Prent Marriner to a two-year seat on the Select Board.

Ed Carroll won one of the three-year terms on the Planning Board, with the other seat going to write-ins.

Write-in candidates will also fill the Planning Board…

ROCKLAND — A new firetruck is on the horizon for the City of Rockland, with voters overwhelmingly in favor of dipping into unspent bond money and then to contribute additional funds.

On June 13, the vote was 252 to 63 in favor of bonding $385,000 for a new truck. Question 3 asked voters to support allocating $415,000 of unspent bond funding and an additional $385,000 to purchase a new fire pumper to replace an existing 25 year old apparatus. 

Voters also agreed, 276 to 35, to…

THOMASTON — Four candidates ran for two open seats on the Thomaston Select Board, and voters made their choice June 13 at the polls, electing Peter Lammert and Chris Rector over Kimberly Matthews and William Wasson.

Lammert received 164 votes; Christopher Rector, 256 votes; Kimbery Matthews, 144 votes; and William Wasson, 128 votes.

Voters also elected Ronald Gamage, who ran unopposed, to the board of assessors with 304 votes.

Voters in Thomaston also approved the…

CAMDEN – Voters in Camden resoundingly defeated articles to allow cannabis retail stores in the town.

Official results released by Town Clerk Katrina Oakes at 10:40 p.m. show 1,470 no votes and 680 yes votes for up to two cannabis retail stores in Camden’s downtown business districts, except within 500 feet of schools, day care…

WARREN — On June 13, Warren voters went to the polls to tend to the first part of their annual town meeting business, the election of municipal and school officials, and the consideration of the RSU 40 $34 million school budget. On June 20, they will reconvene in person for annual town meeting at the Warren Masonic Hall, at 7 p.m., and consider municipal business.

Read the…

HOPE — Incumbent Sarah Smith ran unopposed for another three-year term on the Select Board, and while his name was not on the ballot, another Hope citizen, Wayne Luce, received 45 write-in votes for the second open seat on the same board.

William Pearse received 161 votes to sit on the Budget Committee, and John Monroe revved 146 votes to be Road Committee for three years. Both ran unopposed.

Judith Masseur received 127 votes to sit on the Hope School Committee, and Benjamin…

The St. George Municipal School Unit (K-8) $7.1 budget has passed, 122 to 23.

ROCKPORT — Across the board, voters in Rockport approved all warrant articles on their annual town meeting ballot.  From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 13, 701 voters entered the Richardson Room at the Rockport Town Office with the majority of them voting in favor of a $9 million municipal budget, a number of land use ordinance amendments, as well as Articles 3 and 4, concerning the former RES parcel on West Street and the construction of a new West Rockport Fire Station. 

Rockport voters…

 LINCOLNVILLE – Voters elected two Select Board members June 13 at the polls, incumbent Michael Ray and Robyn Tarantino, and approved affordable housing amendments to the town’s land use ordinance.

Select Board election

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With three municipalities reporting their June 13 results, Republican Abden Simmons is so far edging out Democrat Wendy Pieh in their run for House District 45 (Friendship/ Washington/ Bremen/ Louds Island Township/ Waldoboro ) 

Friendship
Pieh, 166
Simmons, 313

Washington
Pieh, 194
Simmons, 260

Bremen
Pieh, 256
Simmons, 108

Louds Island Township
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I’ve been observing, and sometimes engaging with, the Camden Select Board for over 50 years, and I appreciate everyone who takes on this difficult and often thankless work. But in my view, Alison McKellar has been outstanding.

For one thing, she deeply and skillfully researches the history and future possibilities of various local subjects, and then often shares her findings with us in detail via local media. So while I don’t always agree with the policy opinions…

Like many others, when we first learned of the proposal to establish a “community “park at site of the former Rockport Elementary School (RES), we thought that it might be a good idea.  However, after attending two open meetings where representatives of the Lesher Family Foundation (LFF) and Viewshed (the Yarmouth-based landscape design firm that the Leshers have selected to design and oversee construction of the park) presented their plans for the…

On June 13, voters in Lincolnville will elect two citizens from a slate of three candidates to serve on the Lincolnville Select Board. There are two open seats this June, both three-year terms. Candidates are Jean Botley, incumbent Michael Ray and Robyn Tarantino.

Hello Camden. I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Roderick. I am a Maine native and have been a resident of Camden for about three years. I love Camden. I love everything about it. It took a single morning walk through town and my wife and I decided that we would never leave.

I have put together some thoughts relating to the recent application by Botany to open a recreational marijuana dispensary store here. My hope is that this will help clarify some points about what…

I have absolutely nothing against individuals who use cannabis products but I don’t think we need stores here in Camden.  There are plenty of businesses nearby, up and down Route 1, where those who want to purchase cannabis products can go for them.

I share the many opinions expressed in the several letters to the Camden Herald (some also printed in the Free Press) in the past weeks that are in opposition to cannabis stores…

Marijuana stores are vastly different from the existing businesses in Camden. No other shop must prohibit kids from entering. No other shop is required to be kept at a distance from schools. No other shop sells a product that is illegal on the federal level. We don’t have any gun shops, strip clubs, liquor stores, gambling halls or even Dunkin’ Donuts in Camden. We are a quaint, family-friendly village that is consistently voted one of the best places in the nation…

June is when many Maine citizens weigh how much to spend on school budgets, and polls are open on Election Day for voters to cast ballots on other business, including municipal and county budgets.

The longtime tradition of a March Town Meeting was changed dramatically decades ago when education and municipal budgets adopted a July-June budget cycle. Some town…

HOPE — Like neighboring towns of Union and Warren, the citizens of Hope are concerned about the possibility of metal mining in their town. This follows last winter’s arrival of the Toronto-based company Exiro in both Union and Warren to talk with residents there about…

I write to offer a different perspective to that expressed by Union Select Board member Bill Packard in his letter of June 4 regarding CARMA and mineral mining in Union.

As a Union resident who volunteered to help CARMA circulate the citizen petition to place an amendment to the land use ordinance on the June ballot, I object to Mr Packard's assertion that "[t]he people who circulated and signed the petition in Union disregarded the code enforcement office and, more importantly,…

ROCKLAND — Rockland Fire Department needs a new pumper truck, and for every 4 - 6 months that the purchase is delayed, the price of a new truck increases significantly. Grant proposals have been distributed and passed over, and with time wearing thin for the 25-year-old necessity, RFD is turning to the people for help.

On the Tuesday, June 13 City ballot, Rockland residents will find a request to dip into unspent bond money and then to contribute additional funds for the sake of a…

On Tuesday, the citizens of Rockport will vote on whether to accept the Lesher Family Foundation’s (LFF)gift to develop a public park at the former RES site. We’d like to offer clarification in response to some confusion surrounding certain aspects of our proposal. 

You may have seen references to our intention to create a public/private partnership with the Town of Rockport and are…

In  response to Chris Rector’s recent (June 6) letter in the Free Press,  certain facts related to the Knox Clinic’s plans are simply wrong and misleading. 

His letter conflicts with the Knox Clinic’s own informational statements conveyed at several meetings over the past few weeks and months.  First the…

For several years I have been involved in the town’s conversation over the RES site, first and last as we tried to find a good use for the site, and in between as a possible site for a new library. Requests for proposals were published, committees formed, ideas and data gathered, surveys were taken, letter to the editors were written and read, conversations went on all over town (some reasonable and civil, others not so much). 

The debates go back and forth: green space or raise tax…

The Knox Clinic is excited to propose the creation of a Community Health Center on a portion of the Thomaston Green adjacent to Route 1. We value the downtown connection, the high visibility and accessibility, including for the peninsula communities we serve, and the ability to further our mission of wellness.

Our belief in wellness consists of more than prescribing a blood pressure medication or filling a cavity, though, in a new community health center, patients would be able to do…

I have met all five Select Board candidates and encourage Camden residents to vote for the two women who are running for this office, Alison McKellar and Marybeth Leone Thomas. 

I believe these two women will work hard, bring thoughtfulness, sound judgement and open minds as well as unique perspectives to the Board’s deliberations on the myriad of topics that come before it as they work on our behalf to keep Camden the special place it is for…

LINCOLNVILLE – Voters will elect two Select Board members and weigh in on affordable housing amendments at the polls June 13. They will decide on the 2024 town budget June 15 at the in-person Town Meeting.

Select Board election

Three candidates, Jean Botley, …

This letter responds to Chris Rector’s, “Knox Clinic by the Green” in the June 6 issue of the Free Press. I take issue with town officials who highlight the ancillary benefits the clinic says it will provide if it is located on Thomaston Green.

Recreational space, walking paths, and community gardens…

Abden is one of us.

I have known Abden Simmons pretty much my entire life.  He is a hard worker, honest, loyal and dedicated to his family.  He has been on the Waldoboro Select Board, Planning Board, Shellfish Advisory Board and Shellfish Committee.  When a District such as our, relies so heavily on the…

I am writing in support of incumbent Morgan Hynd for the RSU 40 School Board, Warren. Morgan was elected to the board in 2018 and I have served with her for the last four years.

Morgan is a fair-minded person with a passion for quality education. She has helped raise 3 children who have or are still attending RSU 40 schools. Currently serving as Vice Chair of the RSU 40 Board, she is a member of the facilities committee and also serves as the chair of the curriculum committee.

Greetings, Union residents. In April, Ed Weber contacted me to ask questions about and to gain insight into the responsibilities of serving as a school board member for the RSU 40 school district. As it happens, we were able to meet at our local coffee shop on Union Common, where we had a productive conversation about being a steward for student outcomes, the inner workings of a school board, and the importance of a school board member’s responsibility to consider the whole district, not…

This letter concerns the upcoming vote on June 14 that will decide the fate of the Thomaston Green. The residents of Thomaston are fortunate to have a large open green space with gorgeous views of the St. George River.  Leaving the space open for the benefit of all lends itself to becoming a true community park with many options: picnic pavilions, gardening plots, a covered band venue in the historic prison wall corner, an arboretum or just leave it…

On June 13, voters in Lincolnville will elect two citizens from a slate of three candidates to serve on the Lincolnville Select Board. There are two open seats this June, both three-year terms. Candidates are Jean Botley, incumbent Michael Ray and Robyn Tarantino.

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We are writing to enthusiastically support Alison McKellar for re-election to Camden’s Select Board. 

Alison is compassionate, hard-working and open-minded. We are regularly in awe of the thoughtful and thorough effort Alison puts into her work for our town. She clearly cares deeply about both the town and everyone who calls Camden home, from children to the elderly, newcomers to long-term residents, and spanning the socio-economic spectrum…

Marcus Mrowka has a proven record of commitment to our public schools and the necessary experience at the local, state and national level to continue to serve as a member of the SAD 28/Five Town CSD School Board. 

As a product of public school education himself, I know that he will be a dedicated and active school board member, enabling our schools to live up to their full potential.

I have known Marcus for number of years and found him to be a compassionate and knowledgeable…

I urge you to join me in voting for Morgan Hynd for the RSU 40 School Board on June 13.

Morgan has the qualities that make her an excellent choice. She has experience (school board member for five years), leadership skills (board vice-chair for three years, curriculum committee chair for four years) and has demonstrated the teamwork necessary to work with differing views for the best outcome for all students.

Morgan is dedicated to creating excellent education opportunities for…

Please join me in voting Mike Thayer onto Waldoboro's Select Board.  Mike is not new to serving Waldoboro.  He stepped up to serve on several Town committees, including the Budget Committee, familiarizing himself with the needs of each municipal department, and he's been a Trustee for Waldoboro Utility District for the past six years.

Mike considers issues on their own merits, leaving party affiliation at the door.  He's thoughtful, considers the issues carefully, and keeps an open…

I’ve known Ray Andreson in a variety of settings: fellow sports enthusiast, informed environmentalist, and as a level-headed and budget-conscious presence on a variety of committees and institutions. 

Ray will bring problem-solving experience to a board that in recent years has actively discouraged open public participation and input.  Ray is someone who will look you in the eye and truly listen when…

On Wednesday June 14, I will be voting yes on article 5 to build a community health center here in Thomaston. I am voting yes for the Knox Clinic because I want to support care for our veterans and our seniors.

We need more doctors in the area, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were right here, walkable from the downtown and a part of our community? The Knox Clinic staff care about our community and are really listening to what we need.

I hope Thomaston residents will join…

I remember the “origin story” of Alison McKellar’s political career, when her zeal to improve solid waste handling and recycling on the Midcoast propelled her to a seat on the Camden Select Board! Thankfully, Alison continues to bring that same level of enthusiasm and attention to detail to her work on the Board.

Like many Camden residents, I’ve enjoyed discussing our town’s progress and promise with Alison when our paths have crossed; including roadside trash pickup day, at the…