Hello Islanders, lots to report as town election and town meeting time heats up along with the weather (finally)! 

Municipal Election & RSU #12 Budget Referendum is Tuesday, June 10; polls open 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Town Hall, 1217 Main Road.

On the ballot: Nomination papers were due April 11, and the ballot is now set. Donna Curry will be on the ballot running for re-election to the Selectboard Member #1 position, and Jim Cromwell will be on the ballot running for re-election as Road Commissioner. The RSU #12 budget will (most likely) also be on the ballot, see next item. 

RSU #12 Budget Meeting, Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m., Chelsea Elementary School, 560 Togus Road, Chelsea ... This meeting is the initial district wide vote. Westport Island residents may attend and vote, and a voter registrar will be present to register new voters. If the budget gets past this hurdle, it will then appear on our local ballot at the election on June 10.

Absentee Ballot Applications Available: If you want to get your application in to have your ballot sent when they become available in mid-May, you can now pick up an absentee ballot application at the Town Office, or print one out online and return it to the Town Clerk. In person absentee voting will also start in mid-May, at which point voters will be able to vote in person at the Town Office without an application. 

Why are the polls open 2 p.m. - 8 p.m.? For municipal elections, state law only requires polls to be open for six hours, as opposed to 12 hours for state and federal elections. This saves the town a lot of money in poll worker wages!

Town Meeting is Saturday, June 21 at 10 a.m., Town Hall, 1217 Main Road. Mark your calendars for our annual exercise in local democracy! Town Meeting is the legislative body of the town, and sets the budget for the next fiscal year, as well as considers ordinance amendments and other matters that determine how Westport Island moves into the future. It's democracy in its purest form. Plus there's snacks! 

Warrant Prep: We are working on the "warrant" (the list of items to vote on) right now, so if you've got any thoughts on our ordinances, ideas for projects, or general input about the direction of the town, let the Select Board know at selectboard@westportisland.govor (207) 882-8477, x.4.

Warrant Preview and Feedback Sessions, Friday, May 16 and Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m., Town Hall, 1217 Main Road.: Come on down to get a peek at the draft warrant and offer your feedback. Because we're gluttons for punishment, we're doing it twice!  

Accessibility Accommodations: Town Meeting is for everybody! If there is anything that makes it hard for you to participate, please let us know ahead of time by emailing townclerk@westportisland.gov and we will strive to meet your needs. While the new ADA-compliant ramp won't be installed yet, we will be renting an ADA-accessible porta potty. The new ramp is going in later in the summer, so we can look forward to that at the next town meeting! 

Mooring Permit Annual Renewals Due May 1: Get ready for summer by taking care of your mooring renewal now! You can use our online Mooring Permit Renewal Application, or come on down to the Town Office. 

Island Cleanup, Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Town Hall, 1217 Main Road: Join the Conservation Commission for the annual Island Cleanup! Participants will be assigned a section of road to pick up garbage. Trash bags and refreshments will be provided. Dress for the weather, wear high visibility clothes, and bring gloves! If you can't make it May 3 but would still like to pitch in, reach out to Dick Tucker at richard.tucker@rjasoc.com to be assigned any road sections that weren't already taken care of.

Bertha Gardner Celebration of Life, Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Old Town Hall, 1217 Main Road: The family of Bertha Gardner welcomes everyone to join them in a celebration of a life well lived. Bertha loved gardening! Plants, seeds, and soil from her garden will be available for planting in the gardens of her neighbors and friends. Bring some pots and gardening gloves! 

WCA Island Long Yard Sale, Saturday, July 12: Closets overflowing? Barn full of stuff? One person's trash is another person's treasure, so sign on up for the yard sale by emailing Sandy Besecker at sandybee2@gmail.com or Debbie Lorenson at dclorenson@aol.com and share the wealth! The WCA will be doing lots of advertising to entice both islanders and off-islanders to shop the whole island. It's a fun day for all!

Grief Support Group is the third Wednesday of every month; 10:30 a.m., Town Office: Any community members grieving a loss of any kind are invited. 

Alzheimer's Support Group, Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. on Zoom: Caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer's are invited to join registered nurse Carol Norris on the second Friday of every month for support and advice. Contact Carol at carolnorris2953@gmail.com or (207) 350-2721 for the Zoom link.   

Please see the Town of Westport Island webpage for more information and follow us on Facebook.

You can find us at the Town Office at 6 Fowles Point Road during our office hours of Tuesdays 10-6, Wednesdays 10-2 and Thursdays 10-2. Call us at 882-8477 or email us anytime:

April Thibodeau, Town Clerk, townclerk@westportisland.gov
Dedee Greenleaf-Hodgdon, Municipal Agent, excise@westportisland.gov
Ashley Murray, Tax Collector/Treasurer,treasurer@westportisland.gov
Select Board Members Donna Curry (Chair), Kim Lynch, and Lisa Jonassen, selectboard@westportisland.gov