Monday, September 11: The Town's American Flag was raised to the top of the new flagpole and then lowered to half-mast as a salute to all those whose lives were lost during the terrorist attack five years ago. As we passed the fire station, we saw Fire Chief Barry Johnston, with the fire fleet lined up for review, making his personal memorial tribute to the fire and police personnel who were killed in action that day.
Public Hearing update: The second hearing before the Special Town Meeting was held last night, read your local papers for a full report. Let me urge voting residents from all parts of Edgecomb (be it McKay Road, Middle Road, River Road, Mill, Wawenock, Cunningham, Old County, Mt. Hunger East and West, all the way to Goah Way!) to attend this vital meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall, because the several articles on the warrant will affect us all, wherever we live. Although the articles which have grabbed the headlines are the Citizens Petition proposed revision of a key section (Article 5, Section 4.8) of the Edgecomb Land Use Ordinance, and an accompanying article calling for the revision, if approved, to be made retroactive to June 1, the keystone article is asking your, the Townto authorize its Selectmen to engage in bond counsel to enable our municipal loan to finance a basic re-build of Cross Point Road. Other articles are to raise funds for a professional planner and an increase in our legal fees budget. Y'all come, hear?
To inform yourselves about these issues, please go to the Edgecomb website, www.edgecomb.org/selectboard/minutes20060906ph.htm. Be seriously aware of the potential fall-out with respect to the Town's TIF District on Davis Island, and the effects the passage of the Citizens Petition warrant items might have on Edgecomb's contractual obligations concerning this TIF District.
Also be aware that extensive negotiation and construction will be required before public water and sewer can be extended beyond Davis Island.
On a lighter note, I've been watching my neighbor Susie Stephenson expand her rug-hooking hobby into a career of fantastic fantasy fibre arts over a number of years, from an initial exhibit at the Newcastle Curves to a gallery in Brunswick and now, at The Stable Gallery, featured in their "September Jazz" exhibit through October 2. Others in The Water Street Artists group (Ingrid Bathe, Sandi Donnelly, Mary Hall and Brian Reid) work in ceramics, metal-smithing and furniture. On Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5:00 p.m. the artists will give a gallery talk about their work. The Stable Gallery is located at 26 Water Street in Damariscotta, call 563-1991 for more information.
Another River Road artist, Bob Rose, has just (yesterday, alas!) given a children's folk-art workshop, presented by the youth arts collaborative CLICK! at the Boothbay Harbor library. The medium was cast-off lobster buoys, the challenge, to turn them into decorative objects by means of paints, beads, sparkles, and all kinds of other neat stuff to glue over the basic form. I am sorry I missed promoting this workshop, but on the remote chance it will have rained yesterday, the rain-date is Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Children's Garden Project at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library. Call 633-3112 for details, and ask about their other programs for kids while you're at it.
I hope you have all been following the Chewonki Foundation's adventures developing a practical hydrogen energy system. The gist of their work, recently celebrated at the Foundation, seems to be that hydrogen, when split from water, can be stored until it is needed to enhance the utility of renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydro, etc.). Please correct me if I'm wrong! To lift brazenly from Charlotte Boynton's recent article, "Governor Baldacci has signed an Executive Order creating the Maine Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Partnership to accelerate the development of renewable hydrogen technology in Maine." Alternatives to petroleum like this one are among the most exciting new industrial developments of our era, offering new investment opportunities, new study curricula and careers for our young people. Freedom from pollution, environmental threats and OPEC is greatly to be desired. Whatever took us so long?
Hey, parents, grandparents and other care givers! Bring your infant, toddler, or pre-schoolage child to the Edgecomb Congregational Church on Cross Point Road on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., starting September 14th. If you have the responsibility for such wee ones, bring them to a warm, friendly environment where they can play while you yourselves can indulge in some adult conversation! Gail Boudin and her daughter Abigail are organizing this program. For more information, call Gail at 882-7972.
From Debbie Boucher, this portmanteau alert: The Edgecomb Congo Sunday School starts Sunday, September 17 at 9:30 a.m. Kids pre-school to 8th grade will meet in the vestry.
Also Edgecomb Congo is starting a Needle Arts group to meet Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants should bring a brown bag lunch and a needle art project of your own: Knitting, Cross-Stitch, Needlepoint, whatever's your fancy. For quilters, Debbie says "we have long tables and plenty of electrical outlets." You will be welcome to share your skills or try new ones! Coffee, tea and lemonade will be provided. Call Debbie at 882-8402 for details.
And "thanks!" says Debbie to all her wellwishers after her recent tonsillectomy.
Inanna is coming! Inanna is coming! This gifted all-woman African drumming ensemble will be performing at the Edgecomb Eddy School on September 29 at 6:30 p.m.. It's a Parent Teacher Club fund raiser, tickets are $10/Adults, $6/Seniors, $6/ages 13-18, Free up to age 12. Tickets can be bought at the School office.
Did you recently hear a blood-chilling scream along Mount Hunger Ridge? Not a fisher. It was me. I had just dumped scalding water over my hand. From this disaster, let me give you a home safety tip (other than not dumping scalding water over your hands!): Immediately grab baking soda and mix it with a little water to make a paste. Then smear it over the burned area. This will subdue the heat rapidly, make you sane enough to make other decisions about treatment, whether to go to the ER or stiff it out at home. Beside my stove I keep a large jar of old baking soda (recycled from the boxes used to keep the fridge and freezer smelling sweet), which is also useful to smother grease fires, another disaster to be avoided!
Upstaging Heloise at 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in several local papers, and at www.Edgecomb.org.