As mediation nears on Jeff Spinney’s shoreland ramp issue and as his new try with the planning board was set to resume Dec. 9, Alna officials Dec. 2 urged residents to take a breath, think solutions and let the town do its other business.

Third Selectman Greg Shute will represent the town in the mediation he said might be Dec. 16. Second Selectman Doug Baston said he hoped “everyone can take a breath and ... use this time of dark winter and dark COVID season to be solution-oriented and we can all back off each other a little bit and assume everybody is trying to do what they think is right ... I think everybody has slightly different versions of what they think right is,” he added.

Baston and Town Clerk Sheila McCarty said the matter has consumed a lot of her time. McCarty said all the calls and emails are making it “harder to function” and get other town business done in a timely manner. “I agree with Doug. I hope everyone takes a little time, a little breather and maybe spend a lot more time on solutions” and, if an item applies to the select or planning board, direct it to that board. Shute (3rdselectmanalna@gmail.com) said he would welcome opinions, questions and ideas.

Also in the Dec. 2 Zoom meeting, McCarty said the town office is still appointment-only, for the safety of all; Maine Municipal Association’s supreme award for the town report has arrived; so has Gov. Janet Mills’ letter of thanks for clean, safe elections. McCarty said response to wishes on the giving tree on the town office door has been wonderful. More wishes have been added, she said. “Thank you, everybody, for giving to your fellow residents.”

Responding to Mary Bowers’ concern Cross Road is in “awful” shape, Baston said the proposed engineering, left out of last March’s town meeting due to the pandemic, will be on the warrant next March. “Hopefully we have a normal town meeting,” he said.

Center for Teaching and Learning Head of School Katy Inman told selectmen the Edgecomb school’s Alna parents surveyed were very pleased with CTL. The nonprofit has 21 students from 13 Alna families, she said.