Warmest of greetings and fondest of farewells to Charlotte Boynton, long time local reporter whom I came to know and love while I was an Edgecomb selectman. Her retirement party was held at the Davis Island Grill (this is how I sneak in this salute to a non-Edgecombite). Hurry on back for your third retirement, Charlotte, you hear?  

Huzzah for Rebecca Townsend, PM Organist for the 2013-14 year of Crescent Chapter #54, Order of the Eastern Star; and for Arden McSwain, on the Boothbay Region High School math team which ranked third best of division D schools in the Maine State Math Meet. As they did so, they became the only public high school to break into the top five teams in the state.

This is the time for high school students who plan to work during the summer to apply for work permits. Call BRHS at 207-633-2421 for details. This is also the time to register children for Kindergarten. If your child will be 5 years old before October 15, call the Edgecomb Eddy School at 207-882-5515.

There will be an open house for new kindergarteners and their parents at the school on Tuesday, May 21, from 3 to 4 p.m., and screening for Kindergarten on Wednesday, May 22.

Our Connecticut family was up this weekend.  We went out to Dresden to load up on Goranson Farm's extra-dark amber maple syrup.  Ben on flute and Kate on clarinet gave us a lovely concert before they left for home!

We have all been shocked and horrified at the bombs disrupting this year's Boston Marathon. Let us salute the passing of those who did not need to die. But, like the heroic Bostonians, let us move forward to help those in distress, and not fritter away our outrage in useless hyper-security measures nor in vengeful unfounded suspicions that may come to border on bigotry.

We are better people than the bombers, better than the mass shooters and life has a way of picking itself up and going on. In somber mood at 234 River Road, jocam@tidewater.net and 207-633-2978.