Having heard that Falmouth had snowdrops and crocus blooming, I have just strolled around the Cameron acres to verify that our own snowdrops and crocus are blooming! In passing, I heard and saw two mockingbirds, and a woodcock sifting through the needle mulch under our hemlock border! The first time I've ever seen a woodcock! There were sharp hoof prints of the deer we dimly saw as we drove up from an evening outing last week. Rose-Marie Ballard says she saw a group of four crossing over from us to the Blackfords.
Saturday, as I went zooming around pushing Bruce' nomination paper for Planning Board in people's faces, Veula Reed said she and Su Ripley had been sitting outside on her deck enjoying the sun. I must say, it is a relief to be able to move around without donning and doffing seven layers!
So, is the human neighborhood stirring yet? The Lincoln County Students' Art Show, one of the last to be held at the Round Top Center for the Arts, includes young Edgecomb Eddy School artists. It goes through April 13, so plenty of time to go and admire!
For the artists over 50 among us, you might check out the 5th annual Festival of Art in Belfast, scheduled for May 17-19. No entry fee; only one piece per exhibitor will be accepted. For entry forms, call 548-2502, e-mail www.rainysart@gwi.net or write to Rainy Brooks, 10 Porter Street, Searsport 04974. Registration deadline is tomorrow, March 30, so hop to it!
Let us salute the passing of Linda Barschdorf after her courageous battle with breast cancer. Memorial donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society, Maine Chapter, 16 Community Way, Topsham ME 04086 or to Miles Home Health and Hospice, 40 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta, 04543. Let us also bow our heads in farewell to David Bradford Soule, senior partner at Soule, Soule and Logan, and our sympathies to his family, some of whom are Edgecomb residents.
From Omega to Alpha, welcome, little Kennadie Elizabeth Murray, daughter of Ashley Wright and Richard Murray, Jr., born March 13!
The Edgecomb Historical Society welcomes Rebecca Graham and Marcia Potter as new members, as is Phyllis Grigg, who joined last fall. The gang had a vivid time sorting out the EHS collection, but we only managed to get through one file drawer, as well as miscellaneous items on top. This will obviously be an on-going process for the remaining Edgecomb Historical year. We also say thanks! to Cathy Orne who has been appointed EHS Genealogist
From past to future: My spouse needs some help with the Edgecomb town web site. Reports have come to him that Adobe Acrobat files on the site open with an error. So, here is a survey, if you please. Would any readers with computers go to the site, www.Edgecomb.org [note that is .org, not .com]. At the bottom of the home page, you will find a link to 'Ordinances' - click that link. The fourth ordinance is 'Building Permit Application' - click that link. That document will open, and should present two pages, but people have told Bruce that the second page does not display; sometimes with a message that Adobe has encountered an error. Please try this, and send your findings to Bruce Cameron, dumarest@midcoast.com, whether the item displayed correctly or not. If it did not, please indicate what browser you are using: Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, FireFox, for example. If you get an error, you might try one of the Planning Board meeting reports, indexed on the same page with the ordinances. Just select any date, late 2006 or 2007 - a page will come up with a link to the minutes. These minutes are also Adobe Acrobat files, and may also not display correctly. If so, tell him! Thanks for your help!
Rebecca Graham, who is a brand-new Edgecomb resident, tells me her 13-year-old son Connor, an 8th grader at BRES, has been accepted for a Chewonki Foundation exchange program with Russia, five weeks of adventuring from Moscow to St. Petersburg, with camping trips in wildlife preserves from Syktyvkar to Troitsko-Pechorsk (Everyone, haul out your maps!).
Now, while Connor has scholarship funds, he still needs to raise $2,400 to cover the airfare ($1,200), visa ($100) and the remainder of the program fees. He would love to find some odd jobs to help defray some of these costs. He has mowing, raking, and general yard maintenance experience, although heavy jobs like lifting bags of soil he won't be able to do until his broken collar bone heals, in about 3 weeks. However, he is very electronic/computer literate! So if you have any mystery glitsches (like the above!?), call Chewonki and let his mother know!
Rebecca and Mark have lived all around Maine until settling in Edgecomb a few months ago. Rebecca is a computer wonk for the Chewonki Foundation. She has been having issues lately with Chewonki's renegade squirrels! "They have twice taken the power out and Thursday they managed to cut us off from the world by chewing through our telephone lines."
Late Breaking News! The Lincoln Academy production of Oedipus Rex (in one act) placed Second in the State One-Act Play competition. Special Edgecomb commendation to Jasper Nutt and his co-rigger Chris Martin, who won a State award for their lighting effects.
Since Connor has been studying Russian to get the most out of his trip, here's a little translation quiz: Ya robotayu kak maschina at 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in several local papers, and at www.Edgecomb.org.