Such a cool, sparkly Sunday night: the wind cleared away any clouds to show off the stars and the beautiful first quarter moon. By Monday night, the thinnest of cloud cover hid most everything.

Serious news first: last week there were a few attempted and unfortunately successful robberies in the area. Sounds like it would be very smart to be sure our doors are locked.  

This Wednesday, March 20, the RSU holds a regional meeting on the 2013-2014 school budget. The Finance Committee will talk about plans to trim costs and find savings, while taking care of academics and facility issues. This week’s meeting is from 6-9 p.m. in the Wiscasset High School Library. Next week a similar meeting will be held at the Windsor Elementary School, from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday, March 27.

Lots of laughs at Town Hall at the Annual Board Game Day. Westport families and friends enjoyed silliness, spirited competition, and making new friends. Couldn’t believe how the time flew by! Thank you, Westport Community Association, for bringing good munchies, card games, board games, guessing games, and many more to choose from. Next time hopefully we’ll remember to bring chess. Speaking of next times, is there interest in an island cribbage tournament?

More than veggies are growing at Squire Tarbox Farm: four Tamworth x Red Wattle pigs have arrived with others on the way. Once the market season starts (sometime in May) you don’t need to head off the island to “shop local.” Each Wednesday afternoon you can visit the Farm to buy produce and swap garden tales and recipes with Angie and crew. Check out www.tarboxfarm.org to join the Community-Supported Ag program (and see their pigs!)

Did the Human Resource Committee say it was their 7th Annual Newsletter? That’s something,  island residents who match a few dollars, donations, talents and a lot of time to help provide a bit of assistance.

I like this new idea of a weekly bulletin or website full of things we can do for barter or pay, of items for sale or trade. Seems like a regular online resource would help residents find a new home for an old stove, trade services or tools, and connect local businesses with new customers.

Please take a few minutes to look at the Newsletter’s back page. Any ideas you have about the community bulletin board/newsletter (or to join the new mailing list), let Sarah Rhinelander know at 207-882-4022 or email sarah@sarahrhinelander.com/. If you’d like to join the “calling tree” to get a phone call during storms or for a wellness check (a good back-up plan, seems to me), just return the form to the HRC, c/o the Town Office at 6 Fowles Point Road.

Keep those snowshoes handy! I bet there’ll be snow in the woods this Friday when one of our favorite nature educators, Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association’s Lynne Flaccus, leads a workshop on winter tree identification at Hidden Valley Nature Center.  

Have you hiked or skied at HVNC?  Lots of beautiful woods off the Egypt Road in Jefferson (between Routes 194 and 215). The workshop is at 10 a.m. Please register by calling 207-200-8840, email codey@hvnc.org or go online www.hvnc.org/. A donation of $5 is suggested. If the snow is deep and you don’t have snowshoes, you can rent them.

Scratch out June 29 as Town Meeting. Because of the RSU budget vote schedule, our Town Meeting now will be June 22; that’s summer, right? Still waiting on spring at mewbarnes2@yahoo.com or 207-882-6055.