Dusty Jones Photo courtesy of Dusty Jones
Wiscasset voters elected political newcomers Dusty Jones and Terry Heller to the board of selectmen Tuesday.
Jones and Heller earned 221 votes and 247 votes, respectively, narrowly outpacing William “Bill” Malone, who received 207 votes, to claim the two available seats on the board. Both Jones and Heller will serve two-year terms.
Jones said his first priority is determining what maintenance issues need to be addressed, whether that’s working to put up a new fence around the cemetery to monitoring the repair process of the downtown building that lost its brick façade earlier this spring.
“The biggest priority for me will be getting the maintenance issues and infrastructure in place so we can attract people,” said Jones. “We want Wiscasset to be a place people want to move to or open their business. That’s not just putting up a nice fence around the cemetery. That means getting good broadband in place. People are interested in this town and they’re moving here, and we want to be ready for them.”
Terry Heller Photo courtesy of Terry Heller
Jones said his ultimate goal is to upgrade Wiscasset’s infrastructure to make the town an attractive place for people moving to the area. He said the town could benefit economically if more people moved to Wiscasset and chose to start their businesses there.
Similarly, Heller said she wants to help make Wiscasset an attractive place for tourists and new residents alike by maintaining its quaint downtown and rich maritime history.
“The people here care about what they have and want to protect it, and I want to help them protect it and promote it,” said Heller. “I want to let visitors know what they get when they come to Wiscasset. There’s a richness here that’s to be discovered.”
Another priority of Heller’s is to “put Wiscasset on the map” by bringing the first ever Schoonerfest — a five-day celebration of the town’s shipbuilding history in downtown Wiscasset — to life. The festival, organized by volunteers, will feature local live music, food trucks, family crafts and treasure hunts.
Above all, Heller said she intends to be a “mindful listener” and “seek out other people’s voices and opinions” when making decisions that impact the town and taxpayers.
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