Apologies are in order to Miss Samantha Hersom. Her face shines among the Eddy Edgecomb School sixth-graders on the cover of the 2002 Edgecomb Town Report, but her name does not appear in the caption.

The Battle of Fort Edgecomb, June 14-15, should start each day by 10:30-11 a.m. At 8 p.m. on Saturday, the "combatants" will fire off a sundown salute to our American troops in Iraq. Be warned: All available ordnance will be fired! Bring ear plugs! Tell Westport Island to relax, it is not being invaded.

Keep your ear to the ground for news about Newcastle's 250th Anniversary! The Friends of Fort Edgecomb will be participating in the Sheepscot Village muster and encampment during Newcastle's weekend of June 20-22. They will also be in the Windjammer Days Parade, Wednesday, June 25, in Boothbay Harbor.

Heard from Caroline Bedell Norwood from Brier Island, Nova Scotia, with a reminiscence of the old Eddy School. Her late husband, Laforest G. Norwood, once taught there for several years. She has a lovely tale to tell about Anna Watson, then the principal. Caroline's son Thomas, 5 years old at the time, came running over to her, "Mrs. Watson, come quick, come quick!" Anna thought there must have been some accident, so she ran after him. When they reached the perfect spot, Tom told her to look at the beautiful view. The sun was shining through the morning mist over the field! "Mrs. Watson was such a great person and a wonderful teacher. She took delight in all the little things the children said or did, such as my Thomas noticing a beautiful sunrise in Edgecomb." Mrs. Norwood is the sister of Charlotte Bedell Hong on the River Road.

Another historical poser, this time from Gary Clifford Kremholz of Arlington Heights IL (suburb of Chicago). "I am descended from Captain Ebenezer Clifford, born 1810 in Edgecomb. One of his daughters, Clementine Clifford, married my great, great grandfather Andrew Deach in the 1870s in Illinois, having moved there in the 1850s." Ebenezer was actually born in Unity, but married his wife, Harriet Clifford, in 1838 in Edgecomb. Mr. Kremholz would like to learn of Captain Ebenezer's own parents, Ebenezer, Sr., and his second wife, Sally, who may have died around 1811-12. He asks, "Is there a Clifford researcher still in Edgecomb? I was told there was a Willis Clifford..." He would like this information to give to his grandmother, Verne Deach, who will be celebrating her 99th birthday in September! If anyone has this information, please get in touch with me, Jo Cameron, at the numbers given below and I will put you in touch with Mr. Kremholz.

Mary and John Peters on the Boothbay Road celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend with a big party at their home.

Bob Blum on Spruce Ridge Road, who heretofore has depended on New Hampshire for his moose encounters, encountered one Saturday, May 31, early evening, on Cross Point Road ; here, I'll let him tell it: "Approaching the hill around the old Book Barn, I saw something big in the road. As I got closer, I was looking into a large moose's eyes. He just stood there and stared at me for about 30 seconds, then turned and went into the woods towards the Sheepscot River, after initially taking a step towards my car. . . Could this be the one reported in Westport?" No, Bob, Westport Island moose are much smaller!

Edgecomb artist Brady Nickerson is exhibiting at the Boothbay Harbor branch of the First National Bank of Damariscotta. Her colorful dynamic paintings will be on display there through July 31.

Coaxed back into office at the Annual Meeting of the North Edgecomb Cemetery Association are: President Ruth Bryant, Vice President Elaine Lemont, Secretary Wilhelmina Thomas, Treasurer Lee Smith, and Superintendent Donald Hutchins. Plans were made to repair the stones that need it. Other discussion points were new deeds to be designed, and changing the meeting date to May, so mark your long-range calendars for May 14, 2004 at 1:00 pm.

Edgecomb Marines home from Iraq: Corporal Maurice Hyson, Jr. of the 2d Battalion, 8th Marines, is the son of Maurice Hyson on the River Road. Corporal Michael Orff of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit has also arrived home for a brief visit with his mother Evelin Brown on the River Road before rejoining his unit in Pennsylvania.

Lincoln Academy's Alumnus of the Year 2003 is Robert C. Bryant, brother of my predecessor in this column. A member of the Class of 1943, Mr. Bryant was instrumental in setting up an early version of the internet in 1955: a private in-company Univac I network for Sylvania Electric (which subsequently became GTE, then merged into Verizon). He is now living on Clifford Road.

Bruce and I hosted the 50th Reunion of my Lincoln Academy class of 1953. So great to see old friends from near and far, and a salute to those who couldn't make it! I was glad to see Phyllis Pinkham Reed, if only for a short time, since she was touching base with us all on the way to her son Richard Brewer's wedding with Shereen Hix farther down the River Road, the house where Phyllis used to live when she and I were the entire Second Grade at Salt Marsh School!

Kicking up my heels 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.