Dear Editor:
Despite heavy and pointed criticism from many Alna residents, on Jan. 6 Alna’s selectmen signed a settlement agreement with Jeff Spinney allowing him to keep the permanent boat launch he built in the Sheepscot River two days after Christmas.
They did this knowing that the abutters and other opponents of Mr. Spinney’s project would continue to oppose this project through multiple pending appeals.
The Alna Planning Board had denied a permit for that same motor boat launch on June 29 and July 27. Those denials were upheld by the Alna Board of Appeals on Oct. 16.
Seven days later, on Oct. 23, the selectmen (one of whom is Mr. Spinney’s wife) appointed two new members to the Alna Planning Board who had made repeated public statements in support of Mr. Spinney’s project, one of whom served on the Board of Directors for Mr. Spinney’s Golden Ridge Sportsman’s Club.
7-year-old resident raises Bailey Road dumping concern
SUSAN JOHNS
The completed work at the Sheepscot River off Golden Ridge Road, Alna. File photo
Grace Walker, then 6, uses the hand sanitizer following Alna’s abbreviated, March 21, 2020 town meeting. Walker, now 7, recently wrote selectmen seeking help to prevent dumping. File photo
One of Jeff Spinney’s neighbors after another on Zoom Wednesday night criticized his and the town’s shoreland deal. Selectmen signed the agreement they said Spinney, of Golden Ridge Road, also signed and abutters declined to sign. Board members called the agreement a compromise that was in the town’s best interest.
KEVIN BURNHAM and SUSAN JOHNS Sat, 01/02/2021 - 8:45am
Richard DeVries looks on as Westport Island First Selectman George Richardson pauses for photos after cutting the ribbon on the history center at Wright House Oct. 25. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
The new Ocean Point casino and recreation facilities were dedicated on July 4. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Paul Adams helps celebrate the 20th anniversary of St. Andrews Village. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Boothbay Region High School Class of 2020 valedictorian Hali Goodwin spends a minute without her mask for a photo opportunity with Principal Tricia Campbell in this year’s different graduation ceremony. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Mon, 12/21/2020 - 4:15pm
Dear Editor:
This fall the Alna Board of Selectmen appointed three new members to the Alna Planning Board. One of the selectmen had publicly stated that that no Planning Board appointments should be made from the body of citizens who had expressed public opinions on Jeff Spinney’s controversial proposal to construct a motorboat ramp into a pristine stretch of the Sheepscot River. As it turned out, two of the appointees the selectmen made had expressed written support for the proposal and at the time of the appointment, one of those two appointees was a director of the Golden Ridge Sportsmen’s Club, a co-user of the proposed motorboat ramp. Then, two weeks ago, these two new appointees approved Spinney’s newest motorboat ramp proposal after the previous Planning Board had failed to approve an essentially similar one. To an outsider looking in, it appears as if the “fix” was in.
Town’s food pantry on the move
SUSAN JOHNS
File photo
Alna selectmen said Dec. 17, they might give voters a second option to change shoreland rules. Ralph Hilton’s proposal via his petition this fall will be on the March town meeting warrant, and so might another article, Second Selectman Doug Baston said.
Selectmen voted to hold the petitioned article over to the annual town meeting, planned for March 26 for elections, and March 27 for the open meeting, if pandemic conditions allow one then. “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there,” Third Selectman Greg Shute said in the Zoom meeting.