Heigh ho! Next week Friday, May 10, we will turn out for our town's election of officers, at the town hall, from 1-7 p.m. Then on Saturday, May 11, starting at 10 a.m., we will hold our town meeting, also at the town hall.

Preview of coming attractions: One issue to consider will be our approval of a $2 million bond so that our town roads can at last be repaired and paved, and the dirt portions re-surfaced. This will enable a concentrated improvement effort. Another year, we can consider paving the dirt roads as needed, or as wanted. The three state-aid roads (Eddy, River and McKay) are not included.

Other warrant articles will be a fireworks ordinance which, among other items, will set limits on where fireworks may be fired off, and a new zoning ordinance, combining our present Marine District Areas I and II, that is, the north side of Cross Point Road and the South Side of River Road, into a single such district.

For almost 10 years, Marine District Areas I and II have been permitted to have one acre lots, in part, to reflect the historical number of less than 2-acre lots that already exist. Inquiring minds want to know why, after a year's worth of review of the ordinance, this was the proposed change? What was the need for this?

We will also be voting on a non-binding referendum, "Do you support maintaining the status of Critical Access Hospital for St. Andrews Hospital?"

Remember, friends, to bring your 2012-13 Town Report with you. It contains the 2013-14 warrant. These books are expensive to produce, so don't count on extra copies at the Town Hall.

Deb Boucher, our tax collector, will be absent May 9, May 13 and 14. If you have urgent business, call her at 207-882-8402 before May 9 or after May 14, and she will be glad to come to the office to help you. Oh, she will be in the office on May 10, during voting hours, 1-7 p.m.

The Schmid Preserve gang invites y'all to please join them for the annual spring cleanup of trails on Sunday, May 5. Deb Sondergaard says “I was out on the preserve this past weekend and found the yellow and blue trails in really good shape, and, as yet, no bugs (lots of standing water, though)!  

“Please do bring your loppers or a pole saw, but this should be a more pleasurable hike than our typical work party. The more the merrier; we can split up and cover all the trails if we have enough people, so please feel free to invite a friend or a neighbor to come with you.

“Last year, we had hot dogs and salad afterwards, and will plan on doing something similar this year. We will meet at the Old County Road on Sunday, May 5, at 9 a.m., and will wrap it up by 1 p.m. at the latest; will probably be earlier, given the status of the trails I was just on.  If you think you might make it, can you let me know so I can make sure we have enough food?  If you want to bring something, I'll have a cooler there to keep things chilled. Thank you!  Feel free to call with questions, 207-882-6265, Deb Sondergaard.”

Bring bug repellant to be on the safe side. They say we'll have a bumper crop of mosquitoes this summer.

On the Bravo Trail: To Bill Babb, for building simple but safe and fuel-efficient stoves for people in the wilds of Guatemala, to the Edgecomb Fire Department for receiving the Spirit of America Foundation award for Edgecomb, and to Michael and Cara Gaffney who are expanding their Seawicks Candle Company to include a store at 112 Main Street in Damariscotta.  Their candles are made with soy wax.

By now, we are all aware of the work being done on the Davey Bridge. A single lane during the night, two narrow lanes during the day, MDOT figures through mid-June. Go to www.maine.gov/mdot or 207-624-3000 for details.

Testing my hovercraft at 234 River Road, jocam@tidewater.net and 207-633-2978.