BROWNFIELD, Maine — After months of conflict and some profanity-laced meetings, Brownfield residents called for a truce at the selectmen’s May 5 meeting. The polarization in this small Maine town (population: 1,706) has been so extreme that residents started circulating a petition to remove two out of their three selectmen, Ricky Emery and Brian Fortier.
The third selectman, Frank Day, isn't running for re-election in June.
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ_Q 52E2\6?5lQab_Qmu:G6 42?5:52E6D 2C6 CF??:?8 7@C s2JVD D62Ei %C24:6 !66<\p?E@=:?[ #@3:? u@DE6C[ yFDE:? |J6CD[ r925 !:?6 2?5 y677 %@H=6]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ_Q 52E2\6?5lQab_Qm%96 A@=:E:42= DEC:76 92D E2<6? :ED E@== @? 2E =62DE @?6 E@H? @77:4:2=] ~? %F6D52J[ t>6CJ 2??@F?465 E92E r@56 t?7@C46>6?E ~77:46C |:<6 '2?6 925 E6?56C65 9:D C6D:8?2E:@? 67764E:G6 yF?6 h 27E6C D:I J62CD @7 D6CG:46 5F6 E@ E96 “:?4C62D:?8=J 9@DE:=6 3692G:@C” @? E96 A2CE @7 C6D:56?ED]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQehhQ 52E2\6?5lQga_Qm~?6 E@H?DA6CD@? H9@ DA@<6 23@FE E96 ?665 E@ 6?5 E96 E@I:4 3692G:@C WH9@ 2D<65 E@ C6>2:? 2?@?J>@FDX D2:5i Qp 76H H66<D 28@[ E96C6 H2D 2 >66E:?8 96C6 H:E9 AC6EEJ 7@F= =2?8F286[ 3@E9 D:56D[ 9@CC:5[ 23D@=FE6=J 9@CC:5] ]]] x >62?[ ;FDE 23D@=FE6=J 2EC@4:@FD] %9:D :D @? E96 (@C=5 (:56 (63] qC@H?7:6=5[ >2?[ 2C6 H6 AC@F5 @7 E92EnQk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ`a_bQ 52E2\6?5lQ`bbcQm|62?H9:=6[ C6D:56?E y@6 t282? 6IAC6DD65 9:D 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C '2?6VD H@C< 2?5 =2E6C D2:5 E92E 96 28C665 H:E9 E96 AC6G:@FD DA62<6C 23@FE 4@?5F4E 2E >66E:?8D]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ`bbeQ 52E2\6?5lQ`ed`QmQx 28C66 `__ A6C46?E E96C6 D9@F=5 36 ?@ AC@72?:EJ :? E9:D C@@> 6G6C 3J 2?J3@5J[Q D2:5 t282?] Qx E9:?< :EVD 2 A@=:4J[ H96E96C :E 8@6D 282:?DE E96 u:CDE p>6?5>6?E @C H92E6G6C :E D9@F=5 36[ 2 A@=:4J E92E E92E AC@72?:EJ D9@F=5 36 7@C3:556?[ 2?5 x E9:?< E92E 2=D@ H@F=5 96=A E@ D6E 2 36EE6C E@?6 :? E96D6 >66E:?8D 2D H6==]Qk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ`edbQ 52E2\6?5lQ`gcdQmu@CE:6C 25>:EE65 E@ FD:?8 2 4FCD6 H@C5 5FC:?8 E96 pAC:= f >66E:?8 :? H9:49 t>6CJ H2D 92G:?8 2? 2C8F>6?E H:E9 D6G6C2= C6D:56?ED @G6C E96 E@H? H2C>:?8 46?E6C] u@CE:6C H2?E65 t>6CJ E@ Q9:E E96 82G6=]Qk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQ`gcfQ 52E2\6?5lQa_`dQmpE E96 D2>6 >66E:?8[ D6=64E>6?VD 42?5:52E6 %@H=6 56>2?565 u@CE:6CVD C6D:8?2E:@? 2?5 BF@E65 u@CE:6C 2D D2J:?8[ Qu\\\ E96D6 A6@A=6]Qk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQa_`fQ 52E2\6?5lQa_hcQm%@H=6 E96? 8@E :?E@ 2 D:56 2C8F>6?E H:E9 2?@E96C >2?[ 2?5 t>6CJ AFE 9:D 7@@E 5@H?] Q%96C6 H:== 36 @C56C @C J@F 42? 86E @FE[Q 96 D2:5] Q%9:D :D 2 D6=64E>6?VD >66E:?8[ ?@E 2 7C:4<:?V >6=66]Qk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQaa_`Q 52E2\6?5lQaagbQmp?@E96C >2? DE2CE65 4FCD:?8 2E t>6CJ[ 3FE 6G6?EF2==J E96 EF>F=E @7 E96 pAC:= f >66E:?8 DF3D:565]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQaagdQ 52E2\6?5lQacbfQmpE E96 |2J d >66E:?8[ t>6CJ 2=D@ 2??@F?465 AC@8C6DD 92D 366? >256 @? 2 4@FA=6 @7 E@H? :DDF6D E92E H6C6 46?EC2= 4@>A=2:?ED 7C@> E96 C6>@G2= A6E:E:@?6CD]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQacbhQ 52E2\6?5lQaeefQm!6E:E:@?6CD D2:5 2 ?6H A=2J8C@F?5 H2D 3F:=E :? 2 5:776C6?E =@42E:@? E92? 2 5665 C6BF:C65[ >62?:?8 2?@E96C >2J ?665 E@ 36 4@?DECF4E65] %96 A=2J8C@F?5 4@DE S`f_[___] %96 AC6G:@FD A=2J8C@F?5 2E sF?? |6>@C:2= !2C< H2D E@C? 5@H?]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQaeehQ 52E2\6?5lQagf`Qmt>6CJ D2:5 96 925 2 AC@5F4E:G6 >66E:?8 H:E9 s@F8 q64<[ ~FE5@@C #64C62E:@? !C@8C2> >2?286C 7@C E96 qFC62F @7 !2C<D 2?5 {2?5D[ H9@ H2D C6A@CE65=J A=62D65 H:E9 9@H qC@H?7:6=5 :D >2:?E2:?:?8 :ED A2C<]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQagfbQ 52E2\6?5lQb_cgQmt>6CJ D2:5 qC@H?7:6=5 92D 366? 566>65 hd A6C46?E :? 4@>A=:2?46 H:E9 DE2E6 C6BF:C6>6?ED 3FE ?@E65 E96C6 2C6 2 4@FA=6 @7 Q25>:?:DEC2E:G6 E9:?8DQ E@ 5@[ =:<6 FA52E:?8 2 >2A 7C@> `hgc]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQb_d_Q 52E2\6?5lQb`fhQmt>6CJ C6A@CE65 E92E E96 4=2:> E96 E@H? H:== 92G6 E@ DA6?5 Sg_[___\Sa__[___ E@ AFE :? 2?@E96C A=2J8C@F?5 :D Q23D@=FE6=J 72=D6]Qk^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQb`g`Q 52E2\6?5lQbbaaQm!6E:E:@?6CD 2=D@ D2:5 G@=F?E66CD H6C6 2==@H65 E@ FD6 2 E@H?\@H?65 3F:=5:?8 2D 2 H2C>:?8 46?E6C 56DA:E6 4@?46C?D 23@FE 2 72:=65 C25@? H2E6C E6DE]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQbbacQ 52E2\6?5lQbdf`Qmt>6CJ 92D >2:?E2:?65 E92E E96 D2>A=6 5:5?VE 72:= |2:?6 DE2?52C5D] w6 D2:5 E92E 2 C25@? >:E:82E:@? DJDE6> 7@C E96 r@>>F?:EJ r6?E6CVD H2E6C DJDE6> H2D E@ 36 :?DE2==65 (65?6D52J 2?5 E92E 2 DJDE6> E92E >@?:E@CD C25@? :? E96 2:C H2D :?DE2==65 pAC:= b_]k^Am
kA 52E2\DE2CElQbdfbQ 52E2\6?5lQbfhdQm%96 C642== A6E:E:@? C6BF:C65 D:8?2EFC6D 7C@> 2E =62DE 2 BF2CE6C @7 E96 G@E6CD H9@ A2CE:4:A2E65 :? E96 >@DE C646?E 8F36C?2E@C:2= 6=64E:@?] x? E92E 6=64E:@?[ ge_ qC@H?7:6=5 C6D:56?ED G@E65[ >62?:?8 a`d D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 ?66565] %96 A6E:E:@? :D 4FCC6?E=J 36:?8 4:C4F=2E65 3J 2 ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6[ D@ !2C<6C D2:5 D96 5:5?VE <?@H 9@H >2?J D:8?2EFC6D E96J 92G6 82E96C65]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.