An overwhelming majority of voters who packed the Alna Meetinghouse on Wednesday night approved fire department ownership of the firehouse extinguishing a volatile dispute.
Considerable debate during the two-hour long meeting that quickly dealt with other warrant articles brought out rationale and facts on both sides of a tug of war between selectmen and fire department.
“I feel vindicated,” said Kathy Pendleton, president of the Alna Volunteer Fire Dept., Inc. “It’s finally settled.”
Several people voiced concern about the divisive nature of the feud, and many who may have gone into the meeting against the department-petitioned article to deed ownership to the department changed their minds.
In the end, most went with a solid ‘yes’ vote as best for the community, and in so doing restored harmony to this pleasant, usually quiet rural hamlet.
Now the challenge remains for selectmen and the fire department to hammer out a memorandum of understanding on existing firehouse use, as well as that of the new addition in as peaceable a way as possible.
