March will shortly come marching in, and will it be to the lilting rhythm of the lamb? Or to the ferocious beat of the lion? There’s lots going on that first week, such as: on Wednesday, March 5, 6:30 p.m., another SVCA Citizen Scientist program, this one on the Kestrel Partnership, by Larry Barnes, a Wiscasset falconer. It will be followed, Saturday, March 8, 10:00 a.m., by a kestrel nest box building workshop. Both of these events will be held at the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association's headquarters in Sheepscot. Please consult its website for directions

March 5 is also Ash Wednesday, on the lead-up to Easter. The eighth is also V–E Day, when Germany surrendered, ending World War II in the European Theatre. On March 9, daylight saving time begins again.

SVCA has rescheduled last week's Bat Conservation program for April 2. It will combine both Ms. Kassler's talk and the bat box building workshop. Call SVCA now to reserve your bat box kit, as the supply is limited. A $10 donation is suggested.

Hoorah Highway: Among the 11 Center for Teaching and Learning students who have received Maine Regional Scholastic Writing Competition awards, let us applaud Amelia Genus for poetry and Sara Powers for memoir. All 11 and their teacher, Anne Atwell-McLeod, will be attending an awards reception at the University of Southern Maine in March. Meanwhile, CTL alumna Morgan Elkins, now at North Yarmouth Academy, Class of 2016, has received a Scholastic Writing Silver Key Award for her poem, "Response to World History Unit on Religion," and also Honorable Mentions for a poem, "Clarity," and a short story, "Like Clockwork." Keep it up, gang! I always applaud up and coming writers. No danger of running out of books, even if they are all electronic. Applause also for Shaylee Sibley, who made dean's list at the University of Maine at Farmington. Well done, all.

It is time to start thinking about the Edgecomb town meeting, and in fact, alas, I'm overdue. It will take place Saturday, May 16, with the election of town officers on Friday, May 15. Nomination forms have been available from Claudia Coffin, our town clerk, since February 20. The town positions to be elected are: one selectman, one planning board member and one school committee member, all 3-year terms; one town clerk, one town treasurer, one tax collector and one road commissioner, all 1-year terms. The deadline for returning the petitions is the first Tuesday of April (April 1) by 5 p.m. The signatures of no fewer than 25, no more than 100, registered Edgecomb voters are needed.

Later on, I will supply more details, such as the departmental budget meetings. For one thing, if citizens want a particular item in the town warrant, they must write it themselves, and circulate a petition on its behalf. Petitions for warrant articles need a minimum of 65 signatures of registered Edgecomb voters.

It has been an exhausting winter, hasn't it? So much waiting and watching for snow storms, or will there be rain or sleet? So much slush on the roadways and driveways. So much shoveling of such slush, and the very heavy wet snow that has preceded it. So many cancellations of travels, lectures, and other festivities, so many schooldays lost. I heard today on NPR that a New Hampshire school district does Internet and phone-in lessons when too many snow days accumulate. That might be something for our School Committee to consider.

In other town news, the Schmid Preserve Advisory Board has determined that it is not opposed to limited harvesting on the preserve with the management goal of maintaining forest health and diversity. Income from any lumber sales might be applied to road maintenance and fire suppression costs.

Knocking the snow and ice from inside my boots at 234 River Road, 207-633-2978 and jocam@tidewater.net.