River Roaders were out in force at a Barn Raising last Saturday, helping Angie Richards finish her horse barn. Daves Clifford Sr. and Jr. were the organizing force behind this most 19th century of communal activities applied to a 21st century project. Professional builders, artists and rank amateurs, all accustomed to working with wood structures, joined together to puzzle out the Kentucky Steel Truss Building kit. Angie's father Frank Richards, Duncan Slade, Robert Rose, Alan Cooper, Bruce Cameron, Ole Olsen, his guest Terry Moore from Pennsylvania, and Jimmy Small turned to despite the dark, rain-drippy morning. The screams of saws cutting through metal and the whines of electric screwdrivers made our eardrums rattle! By 2:00 it had turned hot and sultry. By 3:00 the south wall was done. (The north wall had been completed much earlier by another team.) When Bruce and I left, they were arguing which comes first, the roof or the soffets?
Bibs Clifford and Laurie Clifford presided over a splendid tailgate picnic. They cleverly stretched a blue tarp from the Richards' old barn door to the front posts of the Clifford pick-up, with various tables and benches for the huge spread of hotdogs and rolls, condiments, several salads, lunch meats and cheeses supplied by Angie, and assorted cookies for dessert. Plenty of coolers full of cold beverages doubled as seats. Evelin Brown, Ellen Hutchinson, Tina Olsen, Angie and I assisted however we could, visited with Kathy Richards, and had a splendid time catching up on news. Ellen and Tina remember me from our very young days when we used to go fishing for flounder off Poole's Landing!
Counterpoint to this activity were the comings and goings of the small fry: young David, Ben and Aaron Clifford, Karen and James Brown, and Amanda Boucher from the Mill Road. When they weren't whizzing through the workplace and snatching picnic goodies, they were reading stories to Angie's horses in the barn.
Items garnered for the column: James Brown with his Big Brother mentor Dick McKenzie of South Bristol won their 2-man kayak 5-mile race in the recent Damariscotta Rotary sponsored kayak race located at the Nobleboro public boat landing.
Bibs Clifford's method of getting rid of earwigs: Place shallow dishes of vegetable oil around wherever you find them. The earwigs flock to them, fall in and drown. Same principle as dishes of beer for slugs.
In other news, first, my apologies for omitting the names of Fran Mague, selectman from 1992 to 1997, and Peter Quinn, from 1996 to 1999, who were not able to come to Bob Brown's party for past and present Town Officers reported in last week's column.
Kate Ruscetta on the Eddy Road has been recently hospitalized. We all wish her well.
The next public information meeting on the "Davis Island Environmental Protection and Development District" is scheduled for Thursday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Edgecomb Town Hall. The topic is the tax increment financing (TIF) district proposed by Sheepscot River Inn owner Tom Toye, to be entered into with the Town and the Wiscasset Water District. Of importance: Who will own the water and sewage installation? Who will be responsible for its management? Will it be extended to the business community along Edgecomb's Route 1 corridor? A Special Town Meeting must be held for the Town's approval of the TIF, date and time yet to be established.
Speaking of the Planning Board, a public notice has appeared in the several papers to the effect that as of August 1, applicants will need to send eight copies of all their application materials to the Town Hall two weeks in advance of the meeting at which they are scheduled to be heard. Applications are considered on the third Thursday of the month; so the deadline is 5:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. To schedule your appearance before the Planning Board, call its chair, Erin Cooperrider, at 882.8349.
The reason for this two week period and the eight copies is to give all Planning Board members a chance to make a thoughtful, comprehensive review of the plans, in order to save time and confusion at the meeting itself.
Lee Smith tells me the application forms for the 2004 Maine Residents' Property Tax and Rent Refund programs (aka the Circuit Breaker Program) programs have just arrived. People who applied last year should be receiving their renewal forms in the mail, but for new applicants they are available at the Town Office. These must be filed between August 1 and Jan. 3, 2005. Income limits are $46,000 for married couples or people with dependents; $30,300 for people without dependents. To qualify, your 2003 property tax bill must have been greater than 4% of your total household income, and only the tax prorated for house and house lot. For the rent rebate, your rent must be greater than 22% of your total household income. Confused? Call our Tax Collector at 882-7018, Mondays 7:00-9:00 p.m., Tuesdays/Thursdays 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 3! 7:00 p.m.! Lincoln Academy Dining Hall in Newcastle! Are you tired of waiting for cable TV and high-speed internet service? An unprecedented multi-town Public Hearing has been called on the Adelphia cable/internet contract! Six of the nine Lincoln County Cable Consortium towns – that is, Edgecomb, Bristol, Damariscotta, Alna, Dresden, and Westport Island -- will be gathering in the Lincoln Academy dining hall on Tuesday evening, August 3, 7:00 p.m. to present and respond to the proposed new contract. Be there!
Snapping the whip at 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in several local papers, and at www.Edgecomb.org.