Boothbay Region Water District Trustee Harry Pinkham attended his last meeting as an elected official April 23. Pinkham, 91, of Boothbay Harbor presided over the board as chairman for the final time. He served 59 years as a local water district official. He began as a Boothbay Water District trustee and,  in 1976, he became a Boothbay Region Water District trustee.

After eating a piece of cake, Watershed Program Manager Sue Mello reminded Pinkham it wasn’t too late to change his mind and serve another three-year term. “You could run as a write-in,” she said. But Pinkham said all he wanted was to serve as a trustee until the May 4 town meeting when his successor is sworn in. 

“As you know I’m retiring, but I hope I remain as a trustee until Saturday (May 4),” he said. 

During the board meeting, Pinkham and his fellow trustees heard from District General Manager  Jon Ziegra about the Logan Road Water Main Replacement Project. In September, the district plans on replacing a water main near the Lions Club in Boothbay Harbor. The main is undersized and too shallow; Ziegra told trustees the new one would alleviate freezing that has caused service problems. District workers will replace the main and then a contractor will repave the work area. 

The district sought sealed paving bids and only received one. E.M. Wood Construction, a Boothbay excavating contractor, bid $156,250. Ziegra will further discuss the project with Wood officials which may include a different way for executing the project’s restoration. “They told me about a better way of doing the restoration which might save a lot in paving. I will talk to them further and report back next meeting,” Ziegra said.

Trustees are expected to vote on awarding a project bid at the next meeting on Tuesday, May 14. 

In other action, Mello updated trustees about a meeting with the Boothbay planning board regarding timber harvest regulations. The district and town plan on contracting with Morris Environmental to assist them working with the Maine Forest Service to create a protection plan covering the watershed, town and shoreland. 

She also discussed another agreement with Dirigo Engineering for correcting a run-off problem on Pine Woods Road in Boothbay. The district received a federal grant to repair the road from further deterioration and eliminating run-off into a nearby stream off Route 27. Dirigo will prepare a stormwater and road design plan. Road repairs would be performed by the Boothbay public works department. The grant is a 60/40 split. The federal government is responsible for 60% of project spending.

Ziegra updated trustees on two more water main projects. On Barters Island, Fuller Marine repaired a leak in the water main. This summer, a new water main, three times larger, will replace the current one. On Squirrel Island, Fuller Marine divers began inspecting the main on April 23; the inspection was expected to continue throughout the week. The water main was damaged this winter and severe leaking ensued. 

District officials announced Boothbay Region High School graduate Zach Vise was hired as the summer intern. He will start after Memorial Day and work on water sampling and field work.