As longtime readers and wiscassetnewspaper.com viewers can attest, we cover bigger, ongoing local government news stories pretty wall to wall, like with last year’s principal removal controversy in Wiscasset and years ago the eventual decision to close Wiscasset Primary School. The teacher of the year story we have continued to update readers on is a whole lot lighter fare, and easier to understand and report on, but is just as important on a couple levels as the harder government news.

We might not think of teachers as part of government, and government news, but they are tax-funded, work in town buildings and carry out a public service like towns’  treasurers, town clerks and others do. Teachers just get to work and play with children, and help keep them safe, which we can all agree makes them and other school employees as vital as you can get. 

So when, for the second time in three years, Wiscasset Elementary, out of all the schools in this county, had the Lincoln County Teacher of the Year, that was not only happy news, it was news.

Whether Becky Hallowell’s journey takes Wiscasset and her to this year’s title or just continues to help Wiscasset shine in her year as County Teacher of the Year, we have let you know the latest as soon as we have the information on each new development. So stay tuned, and cross your fingers if you like until the state title holder is announced in October.

In the meantime, be proud that Wiscasset’s public servants, like Town Manager Dennis Simmons also did recently with a leadership award, are getting statewide recognition for doing their jobs so well.