Alexandra told the selectmen, at their weekly meeting August 22, he was in his house reading on August 15 about 8:30 p.m., when a motion light outside came on. Curious, he went to the window to see what was out there.

At first he saw nothing moving. Then he turned the inside lights off, so he could see better what was outside. He saw what he described as a mountain lion.

"It was about two feet high to the shoulders, about four feet long, with a tail at least two and half feet long," Alexandra said. "He was a very light buff in color, almost white."

"I observed the animal for over 10 minutes before it went into a clump of bushes," Alexandra said. "I continued to watch for him for about 45 minutes, but I did not see him again."

Alexandra called the states Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department on the advice of the selectmen.

Henry Hilton, animal damage control coordinator for the wildlife division, said, "Such reports are not rare, yet not common."

"We have had reports of mountain lion citings from Washington, Coopers Mills, Monmouth and some from Aroostook County," Hilton said. "Some of the reports are questionable, but some appear to be accurate," he said. "We have a lot of northern woods."

When asked where the animals were coming from he said, "We are not sure. Some of the animals may have been held in captivity and either gotten loose or released as the animal grew."

A mountain lion is a large slender cat with a small head, a noticeably long tail, and light in color.

They live in many different types of habitats, from deserts to humid range forests, and from sea level to 10,000 foot elevations. They are generally most abundant in areas with plentiful deer and adequate cover. They do most of their hunting between dusk and dawn. Volunteer Fire Department Insurance Coverage

The selectmen voted to change the volunteer fire department insurance coverage from the Larrabee agency to the Maine Municipal Association at a savings of $600 per year.

This action was taken following a review of the current policy and rates by Selectman Stanley Lane. Selectmen Congratulate Westport Community Association

The selectmen moved to congratulate the Westport Community Association for the Lobster/Clam bake held August 18, at the Westport Town Hall.

The selectmen also congratulated the association for the entertainment following the bake. John McDonald, humorist and storyteller, entertained the group with stories from Down East Maine. Historical Register Status

Bill Clooney told selectmen he has received notification from Earl Shettleworth, director of Maines Historic Preservation Commission, that the towns application had been received.

The town applied for a Historic Register designation for the Westport Town Hall and the Westport Community Church.

The letter received from the state indicated more research by the state will be required before a decision can be made.