Hello friends and neighbors!

Another town meeting is in the history books. With the help of our entertaining moderator, Chris Cooper, we were able to move through 44 articles in two hours, including a food and conversation break! George, Jerry, Ross, and Gaye were able to address the various queries about warrant articles and town governance, though no one claimed to be able to foretell the future! Westport’s Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Mooney and Deputy Chief Jason Abbott shared the department’s Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles with attendees. They explained that water sources are vital for successful firefighting, and obviously our island has no hydrants. However, available ponds can be identified as “dry hydrants” to be used in emergencies. The southern part of Westport Island in particular could use a dry hydrant location. If you know of a pond that could help the department, please contact Bob Mooney at 460-0367 or email wvfd.maine@gmail.com.  The entire department was given a standing ovation for the outstanding service they provide to our community. In fact, approximately ten percent of Westport Island’s citizens volunteer in some capacity to help our community thrive, and for that we should be deeply grateful.

Are you ramping up for our nation’s celebration of independence next week? There will be plenty of visitors in town and on the roads, so we would be wise to slow down and look both ways as we proceed to parades, picnics, and parties. If you will be celebrating with fireworks, please be safety conscious and remember that many pets (and some people) are likely to be afraid of explosions and bright lights. Safety first!

Just four days later on Saturday, July 8, join the fun and food at 5 p.m. on the lawn at the Old Town Hall for the annual Benefit Barbecue sponsored by Westport’s Volunteer Fire Department and Community Association. The cooks and bakers will be out in full force ready to provide a hearty meal and tasty desserts for all. Back to Basics Blue Grass Band will also help us get our toes tapping. Last year’s success will bring a reprisal of the dunk tank as well as games for the kids. Please support our Volunteer Fire Department with a generous donation to the Fireman’s Boot. Event sponsors include John E. Bailey in memory of Alan Anderson, Barry and Margery Evans, Judy Hughes, and Bath Savings Institution. See you under the tent!

Just as I feared, the browntail moths are successfully propagating on Westport Island. Although I was wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt for most of last week’s lawn mowing session, those nasty microscopic barbed hairs of the caterpillar have embedded all over my arms. The itching is enough to drive a person crazy! I am trying all of the so-called anti-itch solutions with limited success.  I applied sticky tape over the exposed skin and ripped it off in hope of pulling out the barbs. I am using a potion consisting of part Benadryl cream, part hydrocortisone cream and part witch hazel to smear on my welts. Sometimes I get cold packs out of the freezer and place them on my arms just to anesthetize the nerves for awhile. My husband has a prescription for a spray to fill, which we haven’t tried yet.

Obviously the real solution is preventing the hairs from coming into contact with one’s skin in the first place! That means I am going to sweat myself through lawn mowing this year, preferably in a hazmat suit! I also should probably refrain from picking up my Maine coon cat for the foreseeable future, as he likes to lie on the lawn which must be filled with moth hairs. Of course, we also have cat fur scattered throughout the house, so I had better become a better housecleaner fast. Argh!! The insects are taking over the world!

If you have any additional browntail moth remedies, please let me know!! Winter is looking better all the time! Contact your newshound pat-dick@midcoast.com or call 231-4049.