Judy Flanagan was named most school-spirited in Wiscasset High School’s graduating class of 1967. But over time she’s changed her view of the Redskin mascot the school had back then.

“It is a name that’s offensive to a whole lot of people,” Flanagan, a former selectman, told the board on Sept. 2. Her comments came two weeks after the board, in a split vote, agreed  to let residents of a private road off Bradford Road call it Redskin’s Drive.

Flanagan, the first woman to serve on Wiscasset’s board, called on the selectmen to make decisions going forward that give Wiscasset the good publicity it needs, not the bad publicity she said the decision about the road’s name has yielded.

“I wish you hadn’t voted that way ... I guess I’m setting aside your opinion about the mascot issue. I don’t think I’m going to change your mind on that. But I was very disappointed that you would put Wiscasset in that light again ... I just want the community out there away from Wiscasset to realize that there are a lot of people in Wiscasset very discouraged with that decision,” Flanagan said.

The mascot changed to the wolverine while the town was part of Regional School Unit 12. Some residents have cited the change as one of the reasons the town left the district, although Wiscasset School Committee Chairman Steve Smith has said he has received no requests to restore the Redskin mascot.

Board Chairman Pam Dunning thanked Flanagan for her remarks in the public comment portion of Tuesday night’s meeting. Flanagan was the only speaker to bring up the decision on the road name.

Board Vice Chairman Ben Rines Jr. had made the Aug. 19 motion for Redskin’s Drive, which topped the list of names the road’s residents had proposed; asked after Tuesday’s meeting what he has been hearing since then from townspeople, Rines said he had heard support for the decision on the name. Fellow member Bill Barnes, who had seconded Rines’ motion, said he had also been hearing support.

“I’ve had people saying it was a positive thing to do,” Barnes said.

Rines, Barnes and Selectman Tim Merry made the majority vote last month, with Dunning opposed and Selectman Jeff Slack abstaining.

In comments on other topics Tuesday, resident George Green reiterated his concern for the number of houses he sees for sale in town, including many in his neighborhood; and the low price he said at least one property sold at, compared to its assessed value. Green said he wasn’t asking for the town or any specific properties in it to be revalued, but he wanted selectmen to be aware of what he had been seeing.

Steve Mehrl of the town’s investment committee encouraged the board to continue with its plans to meet with the investment and school committees. The meeting would help make the town aware of the impact on the reserve fund when money is removed from it, he said. Voters agreed this year to take $1.25 million to offset taxes, in the town’s first year outside Regional School Unit 12.

Mehrl praised the School Committee’s ongoing efforts to save on costs, but he predicted the next school budget will not drop enough to avoid the possibility of the town tapping the reserve fund again.

“We’re going to show you how fast it’s going to be gone,” Mehrl said about the fund, as he described the information the joint meeting could shed light on. “You’ve got a problem here that has to be looked at.”

New road surface confuses residents

A different way Wiscasset was trying out for resurfacing roads has residents confused and displeased, according to selectmen. Dunning and Barnes said they have heard from townspeople who don’t know what to expect from the new surface on Willow Lane and Foye Road. Barnes said he had heard negative feedback including concerns for motorcyclists’ safety.

Public education about the new surface is needed, Town Manager Marian Anderson said.

“Let me see what I can do to make that happen,” she said.