The Brooks town meeting, which was held in Morse Memorial School's gym on Saturday, March 16, was full of energy. The room was filled with a cross-section of the town, Mainers, Awayers, conservatives, hippies, old and young.

This year, for weeks before the meeting, a local resident was passing out fliers that claimed many things that were untrue, so there were many who expected the town meeting to be very hostile. Every year, it seems there is an article on the warrant that generates more discussion than expected. This Saturday in March saw much debate about pay for the town clerk, the cost of winter road maintenance, and the rewording of how the selectmen can appropriate gifts to the town.

The two most contentious items on the list of articles this year were the building of a salt and sand shed, which the state is mandating the town do, but which will have a price tag of approximately $300,000, and an ordinance that will prohibit anyone from jumping off a bridge in the town of Brooks. The "No Fun for Kids" ordinance, as townspeople called it in the meeting, was put up for a vote because the town felt it was a large liability to allow anyone to jump off the bridge into the Marsh River, and it is considered by many to be dangerous. Surprisingly, a long discussion was had about $200 that is paid to the health officer, Dan Mulcahey, at which Mulcahey stood up and jokingly said, "If anyone else would like this job for $200, they are welcome to it."

The town re-elected Mike Switzer as selectman, Jeff Archer as fire chief, Roscoe Kenney as road commissioner and Susan Champa to the Planning Board. It also elected Frank Champa to the RSU 3 School Board. The meeting was attended by local representatives Mike Thibodeau and Joe Brooks, both of whom spoke about the happenings in Augusta.

Thank you to Walter Whitcomb for always doing a great job as moderator and to the people of Brooks for being a strong involved community.