The Great Salt Bay Sanitary District Board of Trustees presented outgoing Supt. Mary Bowers with an engraved plate Wednesday honoring her for 23 years of service to the community.
While she thanked the trustees for the gift, she says she is still angry at one of the trustees, claiming he made her life intolerable.
After leaving the office, she said she is now consulting with a lawyer and exploring legal options.
“It feels great to be away from the hostility directed at me by some of the trustees,” she said in a written statement.
Despite the ill treatment Bowers said she received from one of the trustees, one she did not identify, she thanked others and said she enjoyed a cordial relationship with some of them.
That cordiality was on view during the recent board meeting.
“Thank you for all you have done,” said board president Alan Ray.
“You helped get the sanitary district up and running. You helped us pick up a water company that was in bad shape with 100-year-old pipes,” he said.
Trustee members praised her for some of the district’s accomplishments including rebuilding a water storage tank in Newcastle, construction of a new water tank in Damariscotta and installation of an ultra-violet purification system.
Bowers thanked the board for the plate, then said she could not have accomplished anything without the help “from the wonderful staff.”
Since announcing her resignation, Bowers said she had gotten numerous cards and letters from customers and friends praising her work.
She said she is going to work for Water Quality and Compliance Services. “It is a small firm but I think I can help it grow,” she said.
Bowers resigned on Jan. 18 saying she had another opportunity. Two weeks later, she sent a letter to the trustees saying the actions and comments of one trustee triggered her resignation.
The district provides water and sewage services to more than 1500 users in Newcastle, Damariscotta and the Damariscotta Mills section of Nobleboro.
