I hope you have noticed that when I title my column, Three things, I am usually on a tight schedule or have not thought about writing on one topic. I hope you don’t mind.

The first of “Three” is congratulations Boothbay Region High School Class of 2019 valedictorian and salutatorian, Lilley Harris and Faith Blethen, respectively. Getting good grades takes lots of work and these two young ladies put in a lot of time and effort to achieve those grades. Math was always my worst class so I was never in the running as a top student. I did OK in a class of 75 students at BRHS but didn’t make the “Top 10,” as the newspaper used to honor each year. Good luck to both and we’re looking forward to your graduation speeches on June 7.

Secondly, despite it being necessary, I am glad our reporter Joseph Charpentier is writing more about “regular” selectmen’s and planning board’s issues than the east side ordinance issue for nearly 18 months. I feel he did a fine job on that issue and I hope you feel the same. We will be submitting his stories in the Maine Press Association annual contest; I left the unenviable task of choosing which stories (you can only submit five) to enter into the contest up to him! Hopefully the judges in Kentucky will understand the issues of living on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and give Joe a fighting chance at an award.

Lastly, I was going to complain about the weather — who hasn’t this April and May — but then I thought about rain barrels and how those who have one must be happy for this weather. I also stumbled upon a fact I didn’t know about — that rain barrels are restricted in some states, while other states offer tax credits on rainwater capture systems. Who knew that something that falls freely from the sky could be restricted.