The world's most popular spider will be spinning her web at the Boothbay Region High School Auditorium tomorrow and Saturday nights at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. The Moxie Youth Players, a youth outreach program of the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, is producing "Charlotte's Web." The cast includes several children of Sam and Ann Lombardo on the River Road: 16-year-old Maria plays Charlotte herself. Her brother Stephen, age 11, is Wilbur, the "radiant" young pig. 13-year-old Peter is the farmer Mr. Zuckerman, while 7-year- old Bernadette plays Joy, one of Charlotte's babies! The Moxie company productions are always imaginative and fun. Don't miss this one!

Speaking of Moxie, tangentally, a garage in Bristol is the temporary home for the 32-foot tall Moxie Bottle House (dismantled!), a promotional gimmick dating from the 1930s. Funds are being raised from the sale of Moxie memorabilia to restore the structure and to build a proper shelter for it at the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage in Union, original home of the Moxie beverage company.

OK, gang, here's the quiz I threatened last column. For 10 points: What date and time is the Edgecomb Election? For 10 points: Where will we cast our votes? For 10 points: Where will the Edgecomb Town Meeting be held? For 10 points: What time is the Dedication of the Edgecomb Eddy School?

When you emerge from the Town Meeting to wait for the stage to be set for the school's Dedication, be sure to admire the intriguing maple bench in the lobby, its seats raying off a circular center table. This work of art has been created expressly for the new school by Woolwich sculptor Peter Kent, on a grant from the Maine Arts Commission's "One Percent for Art" program. Mr. Kent came to Maine six years ago, after a 20-year career in Philadelphia, moving from making furniture to creating larger architectural works such as decorative interior
walls and cabinetry. He works in metal and stone as well as in wood, but continues to produce built-ins and cabinetry for his "daily bread."

I encountered Susie Ripley and daughter Leila on Patriots Day. Leila is now a licensed Physician's Assistant, practicing in the Orthopedics Department at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass.

Tomorrow, May 2, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, the Central Maine Astronomy Society and the Damariscotta River Association are co-sponsoring a Star Party in Edgecomb, at Telescope Park, aka the home of Greig Perkins, at 299 McKay Road, very near the intersection of McKay Road and River Road. Participants should bring binoculars, telescopes or any type of optical equipment to observe the heavens. A wonderful experience for the kids! Go to http://clary.gwi.net/cmas for more details, or call 586-5111 or 882-6502.

Parents Alert! Call the Edgecomb Eddy School, 882-5525, to sign up for screening your children for Kindergarten on Friday, May 2. Children must turn 5 by Oct. 15.

Last Chance! Today is the ultimate deadline to place a bid for the Old Eddy School's Cedar Works set of playground equipment being auctioned by the Edgecomb Eddy School PTC to benefit the new school. Minimum bid: $1000 (lists at $4500.) Bids can be placed with Ann Poole, 633-2228, or Lisa McSwain, 633-4965. The playset must be removed from the old school property by June 1. The set includes two climbing structures, wavy slide, monkey bars and many other features. Wander over to the Old Eddy School to see it in place, or for digital
photos, send an e-mail to ann@woodenbobbins.com.

The Friends of Fort Edgecomb are meeting at the Sheepscot River Inn, 7 pm Wednesday, May 7 The main focus of the meeting will be plans for the 1812 Battle of Fort Edgecomb, scheduled for the weekend of June 14 and 15. However, other topics will be the possibility of participating in Boothbay Day celebrations this summer, and of course, the perpetual fund- raising for maintenance of the Fort. It costs $5,000 for re-shingling the building, roof and walls. The State will match a clear and free $2,500 raised by the Friends. If you have ideas for fund-
raisers, come to this meeting! Or get in touch with its president, Matt Dunn, at 377-5335. If you are not into encampment or costuming, nevertheless, you might be interested in helping with crowd control (particularly keeping people clear from the grounds during weapons firing). Or with research, say, into local history, material culture, food and drink. Ironically, says Dunn, there are few actual Edgecomb residents in this organization! But there is plenty of room for more of them!

Municipal Reminder: Real Estate Tax Lien Procedures start in May. Unpaid property taxes must be paid before May 15, to avoid additional charges other than interest.

The view across the Sheepscot: Congratulations to Emily LeVan of Wiscasset, who was the first Maine woman to finish in the 107th Boston Marathon, April 21. She completed the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 41 minutes, 37 seconds - the 12th woman overall and fourth from the United States. Ms. LeVan is now preparing for Olympics trials.

Going to sleep on my back step in the glorious spring sunshine at 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.