Westport Island selectmen received word from their attorney, George Neagle, that there is no need to reschedule the vote on the designation of the former Wright property, recently purchased by the town, as a CFMA (Commercial Fishing Marine Activities) district.

First Selectman George Richardson shared an e-mail which contained the details of the attorney's opinion on at their weekly meeting on October 27.

"You do not need to reschedule the vote due to the lack of notice under 30A MRSA paragraph 4352 (10)," Neagle wrote. "That section does not apply to the proposed zoning change at issue, as you are not adding or deleting any uses in the CFMA district."

Resident E. Davies Allan had asked selectmen why, since he is in a CFMA district, he was not given notice of the public hearings. However, according to Neagle, the town only needs to notify the abutters, not all property owners in CFMA districts. The selectman said they notified the abutters to the Wright property.

Resignation Accepted

The selectmen sent a letter toBruce Stedman accepting his resignation from the planning board.

"We sincerely wish to thank you for your excellent service on behalf of the town's citizens," the selectmen wrote. "We valued your intelligent, common sense contributions to our town ordinances that have been approved by the legislative body."

"On behalf of the town's citizens, as well as your board of selectmen, we wish you the best in the future and enjoy."

In his letter of resignation Stedman wrote, "I find that I am too long in the tooth and short in the fuse to continue usefully to serve as an associate member of the Westport Island planning board."

When asked what long in the tooth related to, he said, "my age."

Fire Department Receives Grant

Fire Chief Rusty Robertson told the selectmen that the fire department has received nearly $36,000 in grants for new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA's).

Robertson also asked the selectmen to provide the department with a list of people on the island who are in need of Thanksgiving dinner baskets.

"The department plans to do about 12 dinners," Robertson said. Maine Planning Office News

Richardson read a message from the state planning office regarding the change in Maine towns that have an influx of new faces.

"In towns where families have lived for generations people looked out for one another. Too often now, however, community care has been replaced by liability insurance," the article said.

"Those who might have helped in the past are reluctant to get involved because they might get blamed and, increasingly, are posting their wharves. Those who live and work here want to protect what is special about it and what sustains them. Those who have joined the community most successfully are those who learn about it, and appreciate it, and participate in it.

"In the face of change, liability and litigation, we still need informal relationships to perpetuate sharing of community resources and to build bridges and understanding among ourselves," Richardson read from the brochure, and requested the statement be printed in the town's newsletter.