Dear Editor:

I agree with Katy Papagiannis’s letter last week. The Alna voter challenges wasted town time and money.

I’d go further: They were petty and vengeful.

In other words, this was just like every other skirmish in the ongoing war between two clans of angry people in Alna.

If this were really about principle, those upset about this election would have been equally outraged when last March a group saw the pandemic stay-at-home order as an opportunity to steal an uncontested election with a stealth write-in campaign. If it were really about town time and expense, they’d have been equally outraged when those bent on subverting the normal Shoreland Zone permitting process harassed the selectmen with pointless legal requests and endless procedures maneuvers, thus burying the town in legal fees. Their end was not ensuring a fair process; it was to intimidate us and wear us out.

I was caught in the middle of Sheepscot fight, and it was clear that it was never about the sanctity of the river. That was just moral cover to continue personal feuds, and for privilege and class warfare. It was about intolerance on both sides – the newly-arrived for historic native recreational preferences and values, and visa-versa. Both sides had the entitled and affluent, accustomed to getting what they wanted, trying to manipulate the town’s government for personal ends.

Adults around a table could have settled the actual dispute in an afternoon.

I didn’t vote for our new selectmen, but they still reached out and asked for my help. It was a kind gesture and I have happily tried to assist them. I just want the town to be run well and fairly, and I honestly think they are trying to do so. I do worry they are being ill-advised by supporters committed to continuing this awful warfare or engineering biased outcomes in town administration.

I’m told “Alna is changing.” I fear it is because a few – on both sides – seem bent on killing the values of a small town for personal satisfaction. Please stop; all of you.

Doug Baston

Alna