The Edgecomb Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12, although, because of the Columbus Day holiday, the town offices will be closed.

A reminder to all Edgecombites: As per vote at town meeting, our property taxes are due one month earlier  than years past, hence Oct. 31, no longer Nov. 31. Selectman Mike Smith will be posting reminder notices in conspicuous locations throughout town as the time approaches. I will make myself obnoxious by repeating this message all month. And who do you bet will get her taxes in late?

Michael Gaffney called in response to last week’s item about Edgecomb Eddy School’s 2015-16 fundraiser, the Close Buy Fundraiser Catalogue: The Gaffney’s company Candle Line is one of the items offered in that catalog. With a home in Edgecomb and kids in EES, how much more local can one get? Another Gaffney enterprise, Seawicks, has been picked by Martha Stewart to move onto the next round of the American Made competition. Says Michael, “All our candles are hand poured, from soy, on the coast of Maine and 50 cents of every glass sale is donated to coastal conservation. Folks can visit our profile page, www.seawicks.com, and vote six times daily until Oct. 14. The more votes we have the better our chance to win.”

Huzzah for Johanna Neeson, member of Lincoln Academy’s Debate Team which recently competed in a tournament at Yale! Wish I’d known, I’d have alerted daughter Daphne whose family is full of ardent debaters! Johanna, and teammates, do your utmost to make Debating a meaningful public communication. It will serve you well during the rest of your lives. We all need to hear opinions, however alien to our own, and we need to hear eloquent defense and rebuttal of these opinions. The current televised political panels do not deserve the term “debates.”

Walk to support research to end Alzheimer’s Disease! Join the Edgecomb Community Church team and enter the giant nationwide walk event in Brunswick Saturday, Oct. 24. Call Tom Boudin at 207-882-7972 or the church office at 207-882-4060 for more details.

The Lincoln County Animal Shelter has received a $10,000 Belvedere grant from the Maine Community Foundation. The funds will go toward updating computer technology at the shelter. A merger with Coastal Humane Society is under contemplation.

A recent article about the Schmid Preserve alludes to a legend that the area was once known as King’s Woods. I assure everyone, this is no legend, but an important part of our town’s history. Alas, the long-enduring stand of King’s Pines on Mt. Hunger Ridge was cut down for pulp in the 1950s, but they sported the broad arrow of the King’s Forester. Bob Brown traces his family back to three brothers who were given land in exchange for lumbering the specially marked trees for masts for His Majesty’s Navy.

Early rebels took to Mt. Hunger Ridge and lopped the young pines so they would not grow straight, making them useless as masts, which is how they survived over 200 years. Elsewhere, as in New Hampshire, there were actual incidents of violence which could fairly be called wars, concerning the use of New World white pines. A part of our history which would reward a young historian with a thesis topic!

Schoolmates of my generation remember going up into the woods after school to play under those great sweeping branches. How sad, that historical preservation was not popular in those days.

That’s enough of a column for now, more than I thought I’d have. Meanwhile, I’m moving around more and more independently of the walker and cane, so progress is on-going at 234 River Road, 207-633-2978, and jocam@tidewater.net.