When the Edgecomb Eddy School won a bronze medal from the Healthier U.S. School Challenge, the gift of a salad bar came with it! It is set up daily in the cafeteria, so the children can serve themselves what Principal Lisa Clarke calls "a polite portion" of fruits and vegetables, before coming through the lunch line to get their hot meal.

The students and staff are positively gleeful about this new addition to the school. They continue to work with Master Gardener Becky Benton, and members of the FARMS team to promote healthy food choices.

All this segues nicely into the next news tidbit: Heather Burt, Executive Director of FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools), was the featured speaker at Spectrum Generations Coastal Community Center's final National Nutrition Month luncheon this week. 

FARMS is planning a community kitchen to open this coming fall, where everyone can come to learn and share cooking, preserving and gardening tips. Heather, the daughter of Stephen and Andy Burt, has long been a nutrition/local foods activist, and is now going for a master's degree in nutrition. 

Candidates for Edgecomb's 2013-14 officers are Jessica Chubbuck for Selectman, Sarah Clifford for School Board, Barry Hathorne and Gretchen Burleigh-Johnson for Planning Board, Deb Boucher for Tax Collector, Scott Griffin for Road Commissioner, and Claudia Coffin for Town Clerk and Town Treasurer. That is, they have all taken out papers, but some had not been returned at time of writing. 

The latest word on library funding is that $2,000 will be recommended for each, the Wiscasset Public Library and the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library. Once these amounts appear in the town warrant, they cannot be increased during town meeting, unless a petition for a separate article can reach the selectmen before the warrant goes to the printer.