Inevitably, I get things wrong, or askew, from time to time. Claudia Coffin, our town clerk and treasurer, called me to set these things straight: Although the selectmen agreed to the purchase of the school's grounds tractor, it is the town itself which must approve the expenditure, since it is a loan. Therefore, Monday, Oct. 6, there will be an informational meeting on this issue, at 6:30 p.m., following the selectmen's meeting, leading up to a special town meeting scheduled for Monday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m., for Edgecomb townspeople to give said approval. Please put these important dates on your calendars, and plan to come. 

My other error: the Lallis/Church property swap is still in limbo. At our 2006 town meeting, in warrant article 42, we, the town, authorized the selectmen to deal with the approximately 90-acre lot acquired in a tax foreclosure by identifying two or more house lots for future sale, by negotiating with the Boothbay Region Land Trust to enable the establishment of easements for trails leading from the Schmid Preserve to the Zak Preserve, and resolving any other outstanding liens against the property.

The above paragraph is a loose paraphrase of what was said at the time. (If you keep your town reports, you can double-check me.) No mention of a land swap. Claudia believes that this authorization should be rescinded, and a new authorization vote taken, before the long-discussed land swap can occur. I hope the selectmen will include this as a warrant article for this special town meeting coming up. Please call or email them (you can do it through the Edgecomb town website, www.edgecomb.org) to urge that they do so. Lallis vs. Church has dangled too long. (And remind everyone that "Church" in this instance is a family name, not an ecclesiastical institution.)

News from the Salt Marsh Schoolhouse: Leila Ripley, Su Ripley's daughter, has found, among her family's possessions, the original Salt Marsh School bell! She has presented it to Susie Stephenson, who is in ecstasies. Just now, Susie has a genial group of knitters who come for tea and conversation as they create socks and sweaters and scarves. She is eager to put together a time capsule, if former Salt Marsh students or their descendants are willing to let her have any mementos from the years 1844 through 1954.

Meanwhile, over the Mt. Hunger Ridge and down Route 27, our modern Edgecomb Eddy School is full of news. Item 1: The first student Performance Festival of the year will be presented by the fifth graders on Thursday, Oct. 2, beginning at 2:05 p.m. in the lunchroom. Attendees are asked to wait in the foyer until the doors to the lunchroom open, because music classes will be going on before the stage is cleared for the performance.

Item 2: Kids and staff both are excited to bring to Edgecomb Eddy the Bikes for Books program, sponsored by the Bay View Masonic Lodge of East Boothbay. Students will be given a reading journal in which they should record the books they've read, and complete a short assignment for each. Every EES student is invited to take part in this program but those who do so should have their parents sign an approval form, showing support for this program. Call the school, 207-882-1515 for details. The rewards at the end of the year, besides the obvious delights of reading, may include a brand new bike, along with a safety helmet.

Item 3: Edgecomb Eddy has received a generous donation for our children — a library card has been purchased at Skidompha Library in Damariscotta for each student. This gift comes from Nort and Carole Fowler, Edgecomb residents and supporters of libraries, who hope to instill a love of reading in our children. All you, the student, have to do is go to Skidompha and inform the librarian that you are an EES student, for a card to be provided you. This also applies to Edgecomb children attending public junior high and senior high school at area institutions, so please help spread the word. Skidompha Library hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. What a wonderful opportunity to kick-start the Bikes for Books program!

Item 4: The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department's local officers, while patrolling school zone areas throughout our county, have become very concerned about the speed at which some drivers pass by schools. This is a reminder for drivers passing Edgecomb Eddy, The Center for Teaching and Learning, and even the road leading up to the Deck House, that speeding through a school zone can result in fines of up to $500.

Down Bravo Avenue: Let's hear it for the Fowlers, for providing kids with library cards! Let's hear it for the Bay View Masonic Lodge of East Boothbay for including Edgecomb Eddy in their Books to Bikes program! Having just mentioned CTL, hurrah for their year-long study of water systems, including wonderful field trips to the Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve in New Harbor, and to Reid State Park, where they took measurements for the Gulf of Maine Institute.

We never tire of singing praises, here at 234 River Road, 207-633-2978, and jocam@tidewater.net.