EDGECOMB, MAINE

As seen in:

Rare on the calendar are Fifth Sundays. This coming Sunday, Oct. 30, is one such. Join the Edgecomb Congregational Church's first Fifth Sunday celebration at 6:00 p.m.! After an ice cream social, hear Jennifer Armstrong, folksinger and storyteller from Belfast, who will be the musical minister for a grand "Thank You" event for everyone who has helped with all the church's summer events, as well as a welcome to newcomers and "an invitation to all who would like to celebrate the goodness of life, the beauty of the earth and the richness of our life as a concerned community." Children welcome, families urged to attend!

The Edgecomb Historical Society meets this very afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in the Edgecomb Eddy School to ponder the Quest for The Bronson Cottage! As I have said, we tend to be active types, who do research by shank's mare, more than by ledger and diary. Consider these other matters:

Mr. D.E. Peck of Jamestown N.Y., who comes here hunting, found a small wooden duck decoy in a shop in Bedford, N.Y. On its base he read "Crafted by the Edgecomb Wood Carver, North Edgecomb, Maine." So the question is, Who is (or was) the Edgecomb Wood Carver, and is he still carving? (Shh, Lee Smith, I know you know! But who else?)

Mr. R. Bruce Johnson, archivist for the Seeing Eye Dog Guide School in Morristown N.J. is looking for information about a sculptor named Edward C. Rowe who lived in North Edgecomb from1950 until his death in 1975. "In 1971, Mr. Rowe made a bronze statue of one of our pioneer instructors and a German Shepherd dog. The statue resides outside our headquarters in Morristown." Mr. Johnson is writing an article about this statue and its maker for the School's newsletter. So far, he knows that Rowe was a 1919 Colgate University graduate, a lawyer practicing in New York State, moved to Edgecomb in 1950. Among his works are portrait busts of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Judge Harold Medina. "He also taught sculpture at the VA Hospital." I assume he means at Togus? His wife's name was Natlie, [sic] or Natalie, or Nathalie.

Does anyone remember these former neighbors? Come tell us about them!

One final notice to high school Seniors applying for college: Believe me, you will need to know what's expected of you in College Essay Writing! Take the course offered by the Union 74 Adult and Community Education program, for 3 weeks in November, Wednesdays 11/2 , 11/9 and 11/16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., meeting at Lincoln Academy. The Instructor is Jenny Mayher. Fee, $25.00 Call 563-2811 or e-mail aded74@midcoast.com for more information, or go to www.schoolunion74.org/adulted.htm. You can print a registration form from this website and mail it with your check.

More on education! The new Boothbay Peninsula Community College will be offering two new courses this spring. The first will be 2-D graphics for Basic Boat Building; the other, Freshman English Composition, as well as the classes offered in the fall semester. Since more and more Edgecomb students are going to the Boothbay Region for higher than 6th grade education, this may be of some importance to them and their parents in planning their future moves. Call me or Bruce for more information, phone number below.

I am sure we all grieve the passing of Wilhelmina Thomas, who died October 14. Her parents were James and Maxine Bragg of Edgecomb. Billie graduated as Salutatorian of her Class of 1929 at Lincoln Academy, and worked as a secretary in several schools in the Boston area. Contributions in Billie's memory may be made to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter and Humane Society, POB 7, Edgecomb ME 04556

Does the fall foliage look bleached to anyone else? I see pink and shrimp and tangerine and lots of saturated yellow, but where are the flaming maples, the wine dark oak leaves? Is it that they need a freeze to intensify the colors? Or am I seeing as through a glass dimly at 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in several local papers, and at www.Edgecomb.org.

The EDGECOMB Column

by

Jo Cameron