When Wiscasset selectmen and their fellow residents spoke last week about a ballot question to repeal the vote OK'ing selectmen to move the sewer plant to public works and public works to the transfer station, participants saw a need to ensure voters understand the wastewater treatment plant refers to the sewer plant. Proponents of the repeal question said people did not understand, the first time.

But how to help anyone understand, who did not before? Officials worked back then to get the word out over and over again about costs and other points, including which town departments were involved; and our reporting mostly used the word "sewer" over the less familiar "wastewater."

And if someone did not read our or anyone else's sewer stories in the months and years before the November 2024 vote, will they read the latest ones, and/or any of the ones to come, from now until June? We will keep putting them out there, at wiscassetnewspaper.com, on our Facebook page, and in our print edition. 

Meeting participants expressed interest in and intention to hold meetings where people can ask questions and get answers ahead of the new vote. But as we have all seen, such workshops, forums and, sometimes, the hearings, draw nowhere near the number of residents who will vote in June on the budget, ordinance changes, the sewer move issue, etc. 

How to maximize turnout at the meetings? Efforts on other town topics have included incorporating games and/or food into the sessions. But can treats compete with people's Saturday plans or their weeknight ones, be they work, social, family, or otherwise?

Try pizza, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. But again, that still will only get people who were available at those times. And even if the meetings were held at assorted times, there still will be a fair number of people who can't or don't make it to one.

So, good luck and good planning to the town and residents both for and against repeal, as they spread information and viewpoints. 

In the meantime, we'll keep saying "sewer" as part of our references to "wastewater." Sewer is better anyway, because, again, it is the more familiar term, and it has only two syllables.

Week's eventually positive parting thought: Even switching on the battery-operated lights of my Patriots hat with minutes left in Sunday's game could not help the Patriots win the game and the AFC East. I had been a little worried going into the game, because if any team is as comfortable playing in the snow as New England is, it would probably have to be the Buffalo Bills. At least now I can stop mentioning the Patriots' win streak every week to avoid jinxing it. The streak is broken, but they still look strong for AFC, and maybe Super Bowl, glory.