Boothbay Harbor selectmen heard from Healthy Lincoln County Director Kate Marone and Boothbay Region Community Resource Council Addiction Outreach Specialist Holly Stover Oct. 22 on 2017 data concerning tobacco, drug and alcohol use among youth county-wide. HLC – a nonprofit concentrating on nutrition education and food insecurity and substance use prevention – runs an assessment every two years. HLC surveys middle and high school students as well as parents and guardians and talks to law enforcement, healthcare providers and school staff to better understand the issues.

Marone said data showed about one in five students reported using alcohol or marijuana at least once in the last 30 days. This is a downward trend in alcohol use and an upward trend in marijuana use.

“After that, we look at e-cigarettes (which) is very much an emerging issue with our young people … It's very discrete and it's very potent … We are seeing more and more students who are 15, 16 years old developing a full-fledged nicotine addiction.”

Marone said 14.5 percent of students surveyed reported regular use of e-cigarettes, a number she said she fully expects to go up. However, traditional tobacco use is going down, Marone added.

Prescription drugs remain at low numbers, but Marone said this is typical as people usually do not begin use of prescription drugs at such a young age. “They start with alcohol, they start with marijuana and sometimes that progresses on to something else.”

After assessing drug and alcohol use, the survey looks at some of the contributing factors like risk assessment – whether or not students believe a substance is easy to get and if they are likely to get caught.

Marone said most students feel it is not easy to access prescription drugs; over 50 percent felt it would be easy to access alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.

Marone said three obvious factors encourage youth to turn to drugs and alcohol: violence in the home, depression and adverse childhood experiences or early childhood trauma. Family, school and community were the greatest factors providing youth with resiliency against substance abuse, said Marone.

HLC brings this data to the 19 municipalities and several schools throughout Lincoln County to raise awareness and work on prevention, said Marone.

“We are in the middle of a crisis and I think we all know that. We just don't want to be in that crisis 10, 15, 20 years from now. We know that we have young people who may end up going down that road … We are behind the scenes a lot, but it's really rewarding work.”

Wharves and Weirs

Matthew and Marie Rosenberg of 180 Western Ave., represented by Joe LeBlanc of LeBlanc Associates, applied for a license to add two 10’ by 10' kayak floats on an existing float as well as a seasonal 10' x 10' moored swimming float and seasonal moored water trampoline.

Chair Wendy Wolf said the float and trampoline would not be in the board’s purview, so she deferred to harbormaster Nick Upham.

“The trampoline and the swim float that they propose is in an area that we can't add any more moorings to, said Upham. “What we have done is talked to the owners and asked them to apply for a mooring on a waiting list and they will have to wait until a mooring becomes free and available.”

The board voted unanimously to grant the Rosenbergs a license for the kayak floats with four conditions: the ramp remains at 34', the two proposed floats will be on the north side of the existing float per the request of abutters Ron and Laurie Richardson, the floats must be removed seasonally per state law, and any change in float or dock configuration will require a new license application.

Philip Rubel of 10 Ledge Road, also represented by LeBlanc, applied for a license to repair and rebuild a  5' x 25' and 7' x 10' dock and replace a 3' x 40' wood ramp with a 3' x 44' wood or aluminum ramp. The license was approved unanimously.

The board continued discussing the fact that Boothbay Harbor has not often had to deal with recreational accessories on the water and decided that updated guidance on how to balance the needs of property owners and those who make their living on the water is much needed. Selectmen and audience members said their concerns lie with safety and Tomko said he encourages looking to other communities on the Maine coast who have dealt with these type of requests. Wolf agreed, adding, she is also concerned about the implications of a large influx of recreational structures.

“… We have lobster pots everywhere, we have lots of sailors, and we want to preserve the fact that this is an operational working waterfront, not Lake Winnipesaukee.”

Fish Pier lease amendment 

The board entertained a request from Harbor Bait to amend the company's lease on the town-owned Fish Pier. Town Manager Tom Woodin said an incident on the pier over the summer in which a vessel – unrelated to lessees on the pier – used the wharf to offload fish onto a truck, caused Chuck and Jeanne Fuller to revisit their contract with the town.

Woodin said the contract’s non-compete clause was rather vague, so the amendment to the contract spells out more clearly what has always been common practice on the wharf space, that only Harbor Bait and Atlantic Edge could move catches and bait not for personal consumption.

Resident Bruce Engert revealed the incident Woodin mentioned was a misunderstanding in which a fisherman from Beal's Island – about 150 miles by road, over 20 hours by boat – offloaded his catch onto a truck. Engert said he called Upham and Selectman Mike Tomko who said they could find nothing against the use of the south side of the pier which is used for public access.

“The bottom line is: Is this going to be a working waterfront for all working fishermen or is it going to be a working waterfront with our only Fish Pier which is, I guess, supported by the tax dollars of the residents, controlled by two tenants … I am adamantly opposed to limiting the access of that south side …”

The board voted to table the issue while it seeks more information about the contracts and the use of the Fish Pier for public access.

Financial Officer Julia Latter said the town’s revenue and expenses, year to date, total $4,405,069.71 and $3,374,042.41, respectively. The total accounts payable are $116,317.98 and the bank balance is $3,340,632.12.