Starting Sunday, Feb. 17, the Edgecomb Congregational Church is holding a five-week Lenten study series on the questions, "What is the Truth?" and "What do we believe?" These meetings, sponsored by the Congregational Diaconate, will gather in the vestry at 10:45 a.m., following service, and will include a simple luncheon. The presenter will be Dr. Leon Sherman of Wiscasset, an authority on Islamic Studies and Eastern Religions, who himself converted to Islam several years ago. Dr. Sherman recommends for background reading "The Battle for God" by Karen Armstrong (Ballantine Books). The general public is welcome to this thought- provoking series.

Of further interest to Edgecomb Congregationalists, this coming Sunday, please bring your Tools of Hope offerings with you. These monies raised by the Church World Service arm of the National Council of Churches go toward disaster relief in troubled lands, providing items from blankets to land-mine detonation kits. "When it comes to hope, we believe the greatest tool of all is the human heart." Call Bob Hardina (hardina@tidewater.net; 563-5236 h; 563-5147 w) for details about the above two news items. I am sure they won't object to a few non-Congregational dollars!

More news on the Boothbay Region Adult Education front: Bruce Cameron will be conducting a 3-meeting class on "The Web of Life," featuring a field trip to the Ira C. Darling Center. Other Edgecomb instructors in BRAE are Mark Harpel, whose wildlife carving class starts February 25th, and Ragne Baade, long-standing German language instructor. For more info on these and other classes, call BRAE at 633-3224.

To continue the Education thread, my sister Anni in Larkspur CA reports: "I have agreed to teach a [dog training] class called "Street Smarts" in the spring . . . we will meet in a different location each week to teach dogs how to remain calm in a variety of situations. Basically we want dogs to ignore other dogs and people unless invited to 'greet' them."

Copies of "Hometown Favorites from Edgecomb," the 2001 Parent-Teacher Club cookbook, a collection of recipes from the Eddy School and its friends are available at the Edgecomb Town Hall and at a couple of local stores on Route 1. The profits from this cookbook will be devoted to school study materials. June Finnegan and Liss Clarke, among others, have headed up this effort. The book sells for $10.00.

The Town Hall will be closed Monday, Feb. 18, in observance of Presidents' Day.

Bohemian Waxwings have been visiting Kate and Walt Babinski's River Road feeder regularly, whole flocks! Kate says they come each year in early February. But what has become of the juncos? I haven't seen one since the summer!

Please get your news to me: 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com, or stop in at 234 River Road and visit! Your correspondent, Jo Cameron