BETHEL – A Bethel businessman who led a short but unsuccessful petition drive to force selectmen to put a scenic byways referendum question before November voters, refuses to give up.

Town Clerk Christen Mason said Friday afternoon that the petition by Scott Mills, owner of Bethel’s Best restaurant on Route 2 in West Bethel, had only 56 valid signatures. He needed 115. Selectmen’s Chairman Stanley Howe then canceled Friday’s special board meeting that would have dealt with the petition if it garnered enough signatures.

Mills said early Friday evening that although selectmen believe the issue is dead, it isn’t, at least not with him.

“I am not going to let sleeping dogs lie,” he said.

Howe could not be contacted Friday evening.

Mills said he learned last week that organizers of a campaign seeking to have Route 113 from Standish to Gilead designated as a state, and perhaps, national scenic byway, had dropped plans to also include Route 2 between Bethel and Gilead.

On Wednesday, Mills said he learned selectmen had to meet 45 days prior to putting a referendum vote before residents to decide whether or not to do it. That meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, but only if Mills got his petition signed by the required number of voters and got it to Mason before 8 a.m. Friday.

After learning that the meeting was canceled, Mills said he submitted a letter to selectmen asking them to reconsider the issue.

“I stated to them that although I did not have enough time, they do have the ability and responsibility to Bethel citizens to do so. I got a response back that said the best thing to do is nothing,” he said.

That didn’t set well with him.

“I’m not one to take ‘no’ for an answer. I will be back in some form. It’s not dead. I will not let it die until the people vote it down. If the people vote it down, then, I will shut up and go away,” Mills added.