Lanceslin presides over first Baldwin meeting as mayor

Newly-elected Mayor Donna Lewis Lanceslin presided over her first meeting of the Baldwin Board of Aldermen Thursday.
Included in the board is new alderman Herbert “HB” Bell.
The board elected Margaret “Faye” Coleman as mayor pro tempore, with Gene St. Germain as vice mayor pro tempore.
Also Thursday, new Chief of Police Harry Smith recommended hiring of Daven Colar as an officer, and the board agreed.
The board also introduced an ordinance to be considered for adoption in February that would change the meeting times to 6 p.m. The board currently meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.
Coleman asked the community to help with litter in the town. She noted that in recent heavy rains, litter was the biggest culprit in clogged ditches, which caused some incidents of flooding.
Lanceslin set a Friday at noon deadline for public requests to speak on the agenda for the following Thursday meeting.
The mayor also tabled the January treasurer’s report until the February meeting to allow aldermen time to study it more thoroughly.
At the end of the meeting, Lanceslin said of the town and its residents, “We are a family. It’s a we, us, our thing, not a me, my, I thing. We have to work together if we want to see progress in Baldwin.
“There are things we know that are pressing, but these things can be done because we have a positive future for Baldwin, and as we work toward that goal in order to make Baldwin a better place… we can get the businesses, we can get the funds and grants that we need to help us keep Baldwin afloat so that we do not sink.”
Lanceslin said Baldwin is “the little town that can, and I know we can do it. We can do great things if we work together.”
She said her door is open to residents at her office at town hall.