Friends of Wiscasset Village decided March 15 to join an umbrella group for several community initiatives, including Wiscasset Art Walk,  Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest, and Museum in the Streets. The four will create a 501 (c)(3) that Lucia Droby said can seek larger community development grants.

The Friends group's vote was unanimous.

Elizabeth Palmer spoke about social media and print stories she is working on with Saundra Neperud, featuring businesses and business owners throughout Wiscasset. Palmer hopes there will be new copy on a regular basis once the website and social media platforms are being updated regularly. She suggested everyone doing work like that be identified as an administrator so all the responsibility doesn’t fall on one person.

Friends members attended the March 19 selectmen's meeting, to discuss the possible amenities and see if the town will support efforts to get Maine Department of Transportation to partly fund them. Interim Town Manager John O’Connell will contact MDOT.

According to the amenities subcommittee, of significant concern to the town will be the cost to the town. The bathroom project on or near the Main Street Pier had been set aside until after the construction, despite receiving permission from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and numerous requests by merchants and visitors. According to discussions among selectmen,  personnel costs may be cut by combining certain town functions and decreasing hours for others, leading petitioner Bill Maloney to discontinue his petition for a full-time Community Development Specialist and receiving permission instead to work with the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission to obtain a part-time planner for the town. Members of the Friends agreed that in this economic climate, it is essential to obtain the support of MDOT to pay for some of the amenities upgrades, including benches, trash receptacles, and possibly additional planters.

Then Friends group meets next at 8 a.m. April 5 at Sarah's Cafe.