American Legion Post 36 in Boothbay and women’s auxiliary announced a banner idea to honor local military veterans. Next spring, the post is planning to honor them with banners with each veteran’s photo in each town. Vietnam veteran Jim Singer and Women’s Auxiliary Legion member Sue Burge outlined their plans to hang banners on telephone poles from Edgecomb to Southport during the July 26 Boothbay selectmen’s meeting. 

Singer devised the plan after a recent RV (recreational vehicle) trip to upstate New York where he saw about two dozen posters honoring veterans. “My wife and I were on an RV trip when we encountered about two dozen banners honoring veterans in a small town. I thought this is a great idea, and something we could do here.”

The banners will be placed on telephone poles next May, in time for Memorial Day and removed after Veterans Day. Singer described the banners as similar to the ones used honoring Boothbay Region High School graduating seniors hung on Boothbay’s streetlight poles. Singer reported the project received an anonymous donation to jumpstart the project. “The plan is to honor all the veterans from World War II to present day,” he said. 

Each banner cost $125. Hanging equipment costs $65. Project funding is a combination of fundraising and seeking contributions. Each town has a contact person to answer questions from veterans or their families. Phil Chapman is the Boothbay Harbor contact, Joe Morley is Edgecomb’s, Sarah Sherman is Southport’s, and Sue Burge is Boothbay’s. All veterans who served in the armed forces or merchant marine personnel who served during World War II are eligible. 

The post plans on honoring veterans in this manner for a three-year period.

In other action, Boothbay Harbor resident Tom Perkins urged Boothbay selectmen to take a more active role in the proposed new school project. Perkins is concerned about whether Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor can afford to build a new school. Perkins prefaced his remarks by saying there was both good and bad news.

He started with the bad news. Perkins told selectmen his research showed the Community School District had among the highest per pupil costs in the state. “That is not a secret to any one of us, and, it’s not going to change anytime soon,” he said. Perkins also pointed out another problem facing local taxpayers was tuition revenue did not cover the cost for educating non-community school district students. “We’re paying more for our kids than the other towns. If you look at the student projections, it’s only getting worse,” he said.

Perkins then shared his good news. He believed a recent Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 decision to explore a possible regional high school was a good decision. “This is a positive chance for participating towns to pay their fair share. I’d like (the select board) to support the concept and move toward fast tracking the project.” He said the high school currently had 114 students from Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor. “It’s hard to build a school for 114 kids,” he said.

Town Manager Dan Bryer volunteered as a municipal representative to the AOS 98 regional high school committee. But Selectman Steve Lewis believed the selectboard’s role in school matters is limited. “We have our roles, and the school board has theirs. All we can really do is inform the public about how the school budget impacts their tax bills,” he said. 

Selectman Russ Pinkham encouraged the board to take a more active role in informing the public. “We’re doing a disservice if we don’t at least explore all other options,” he said.

Selectmen meet next at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9 in the municipal conference room.