Selectmen choose several new committee members
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Last week the Board of Selectmen appointed Diane Holdgate to the Cemetery Commission Workgroup for a term ending in 2009. Four at-large members - Diane Coombs, Leslie Johnson, Sarah Oktay and Carl Sjolund - were named to the Harbor Plan Implementation Committee for terms ending in 2009. The Cemetery Commission was formed to document, protect, maintain and repair the island's graveyards. The Harbor Committee will put into action outlines developed within the Nantucket and Madaket Harbors Plan to protect and specify appropriate uses of these bodies of water.

In her application, Holdgate, office administrator for the DPW, wrote:

"I have maintained the cemeteries for the town for the last 18 years. I have been in charge of the bidding for the cemetery mowing and any special projects, such as filling in graves, having fallen stones fixed and having brush cut back. I would be able to attend any meeting during the day as my boss, Jeff Willett, has asked that I try to get on this committee."

In her application, Coombs, HDC associate member and postal carrier, wrote: "I have served on many Harbor Study Committees since the 1980s, including two at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. I took an active part in their studies and I would like to bring this study to fruition. It has been long enough."

Johnson, a Land Bank member and former commercial scalloper, wrote: "All my years on and around the waterfront are valuable experience for serving on this committee. I've been on the water all my life. I was a commercial scalloper for 15 years from 1975 to 1990, a striker on Gibby Nickerson's sport fishing boat for 10 years and am still actively boating, fishing, clamming and kayaking."

Oktay, Director of UMass Field Station, wrote: "I have attended every Harbor Plan Committee meeting held to date and have been responsible for writing some portions of the Harbor Plan. I have a doctorate in Chemical Oceanography and the majority of my research on island concerns water quality issues in Nantucket's freshwater, groundwater, estuarine and harbor systems. I am familiar with water quality science and boating and navigation issues."

Sjolund, former SHAB member and a commercial shellfisherman, wrote: "I served six years on the Shellfish and Harbor Advisory Board, two years as chairman, have held a commercial shellfish license for over 50 years and feel I could help with the shellfish part of the

Harbor Plan." I