Once again, Shredding on Site (SOS) is coming to Bath Savings Institution in Damariscotta. The free event will be held on Tuesday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. For several years, Chapman-Hall House and Bath Savings have hosted the SOS truck and they hope to once again fill the truck with safely shredded paper documents.

With identity theft occurring more frequently, shredding provides a safe way to dispose of all those old records and paid bills that could potentially give unscrupulous persons access to your private affairs. Shredding on Site has been in business 20 years, providing mobile shredding to businesses statewide. They were actually the first such shredding company in the state, and their employees are all bonded and pass background and drug tests. SOS trucks hold anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of shredded materials.

Now is the time to start cleaning out your attic and the basement. Bag up all those old tax returns and bank statements and come to the Damariscotta branch of Bath Savings on the corner of Elm and Main streets Tuesday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Members of the Chapman-Hall House stewardship committee will be glad to assist you in lugging the bags to the truck.

But how does this benefit Chapman Hall House? While there is no charge for the shredding, donations are most welcome. Chapman Hall House is under the stewardship of the Lincoln County Historical Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, making donations tax deductible. Maintenance and upkeep of old historical buildings is a daunting endeavor. Our current project is to reglaze the windows and replace rotted sills.

Upcoming events are the annual plant sale May 24at the Chapman-Hall House and an opening weekend event on June 13-14 that includes costumed presentations of Three Traditions — our native Americans, a settler/militiaman, and a navigator all of the middle 18th century. A yard sale is planned later in July. For more information on Chapman Hall House activities call Natalie House at 207-563-8441 or Deane Brewer at 207-563-3289.

For more information about volunteer opportunities at any of the sites, please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org.