‘Tis the beginning of the season to be jolly! Gather around for the Edgecomb Congregational Church's annual community Thanksgiving Dinner, starting at 2 pm. today! Call Louise Hardina, 563-5236, if you are planning to attend, need transportation, are bringing foods, or want to help in any way. Spread the word! No one should be alone on Thanksgiving.

Small World Category: My sister Anni writes from California that she has run into Patrick Goggins, a nephew of the late Phil and Eleanor Goggins, long time Edgecomb residents. Patrick and his wife Ute and their "bear" dog (I don't know, ask Anni!) were shopping in Mill Valley when Anni, ever the dog freak, encountered them. Admiration of their dog led to "any connections to Edgecomb, Maine?" Et voila!

The Edgecomb Historical Society wishes to thank Mary Burnham Reeves for her reminiscences of growing up with both a farm and a general store. People remembered many details, like the gas pump, and work clothes sold for a while. And the large glass jars of andy,
including horehound lumps and peppermints.

On display at the meeting were photographs and artefacts from the three schools familiar to most of us: Eddy, City and Salt Marsh. Hence, Old Edgecomb Schools, Chapter II: Nick Dean's 1887 map does not show the Salt Marsh School, although an 1857 map of Edgecomb shows it in place. Was Salt Marsh out of service in the 1880s? Last column, I mentioned the desk and chair that Nick has donated. Thanks also to Veula Reed for interior pictures of Salt Marsh School from the 1930s-‘40s as well as of the upper deck of the Town Hall from the times we used to host bean suppers up there! The school building, a small neat red brick structure, is now privately owned.

A Wreath for All Seasons: For lessons in making them, go over to The Morris Farm Sunday, Dec. 8, 1 to 4 pm. Amanda Russell of the Middle Road is the instructor. To register and get details, call the Farm at 882.4080.

Early alert: Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, will be the long awaited Public Open House for the new Edgecomb Eddy School on Route 27 near Cod Cove Road. Come, everyone, to admire our splendid educational facility! At 6:30 pm, following the Open House, in the new gymnasium, our students will present a joyous Christmas Concert. Audience participation encouraged! More details to come in following columns, or call 882.5515.

The Friends of Fort Edgecomb urge members to come to the Wednesday, December 4, meeting with input on events and activities you would like to see occur during 2003. They meet at 7 pm at the Sheepscot Inn. (The restaurant is closed, but the Inn itself is open. Call Fred and Beth Maitland, 829.5753 to confirm this.)

One month to go before Christmas, and you're panicking over gifts? Try Edgecomb books! For older children: Lea Wait's Stopping to Home, about 1805 Wiscasset. For comic relief: Van Reid's Moosepath League stories (Cordelia Underwood, Mollie Peer, Daniel Plainway), or, more serious, his new novel, Peter Loon, about post-Revolution wilderness Maine. For mystery and/or antique lovers: Lea Wait's Shadows at the Fair, featuring antique dealer Maggie Summer. For adventurers and history buffs: Nick Dean's Snow Squall. These are all available at local bookstores.

On Monday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 p.m. following their meeting, the Selectmen and the Planning Board are hosting a joint meeting on the topic: Techniques for Planning in a Small Town. This discussion will focus on techniques available for planning in a small town such as ours. Matthew Nazer from the Maine State Planning Office will talk about the tools that small towns can use to direct growth. Preferential tax laws, current use taxation, open space zoning, conservation. These meetings welcome the Edgecomb public.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving holiday! By the time you read this, Bruce and I will be in Cincinnati, Ohio, Thanksgivinging with our younger daughter Bisi before driving to Bloomington to greet the addition to our older daughter Daphne's family: Miss Catherine Rose Klemme, born Wednesday, Nov. 20.

Nevertheless, keep sending your late-breaking news to 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in The Boothbay Register, The Lincoln County News, The Wiscasset Newspaper, and at www.Edgecomb.org.