Cranberry Isles exercise annual rites of democracy

CRANBERRY ISLES – It was past noon Monday, and the siren smell of lasagna wafted upstairs in the Neighborhood House, tugging at the stomachs of residents who had already voted, and talked, long and hard at the annual town meeting.

The children in attendance were growing restive, turning their attention from their neighbors hotly debating whether Great Cranberry Island should put up 13 street signs to the doodles on the back of their municipal government worksheets.

Knitting projects came out of bags and clipboards hit the floor amid clatters and giggles.

Democracy in the town of about 130 people was hungry work, but despite all the distractions, the 70 voters present stayed the course and voted against the street signs before breaking for lunch.

During the break, the adults took advantage of the opportunity to catch up with their neighbors and the children burned off some energy in an impromptu game of tag out on the lawn. And everybody enjoyed the smorgasbord of homemade desserts.

“It was kind of boring, but also interesting,” Samantha Krasnow, 11, of Islesford said about the daylong meeting. “I thought it would be cool if I could vote.”

Though the warrant articles did not promise much in the way of controversy at this year’s meeting, the debates began early when the town voted for a selectman to fill a three-year opening. Three men indicated their interest at the meeting – it’s not necessary in the Cranberry Isles for candidates to take out papers beforehand – and a deadlock between candidates Aaron Gray of Islesford and Hal Newell of Great Cranberry Island meant that islanders had to file forward to the wooden ballot box several times before Gray was elected. Current Selectman Edgar Blank finished third.

“It’s like Groundhog’s Day,” one man said as the residents filled out ballots a final time.

Gray, a young man who bought a house on the island two years ago with his wife, Erin Fernald Gray, an Islesford native, spoke out during a brief campaign recess in the town meeting.

“We love it out here,” he said. “We love the community. We’re starting a new adventure – we’re running the store.”

The candidate said that his youth and energy would be an asset to the town.

“I don’t have a lot of experience, but I have a lot of energy. I’ll listen to anyone,” he said.

Newell, a former Marine and a retired businessman whose family has been coming up to Great Cranberry since the 1940s, said that his business experience would be good for the island community.

“Government on these islands takes a lot of business experience,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time going to selectmen’s meetings over the last couple of years. … I love the island and I’m here to help.”

Selectman Dan Lief of Islesford put in his two cents for Gray.

“These young people have to step forward and be part of the governing … in an important way,” Lief said.

In other business, the townspeople voted unanimously and after no discussion to keep the Longfellow School on Great Cranberry Island open for another year, despite its lack of pupils. They also voted to keep the Islesford School open with just 14 pupils expected to enroll next year.