For our early readers note that the Science Fair at our island school, scheduled for today, Feb. 16, at 9 a.m. has been cancelled due to school closings. 

The students are preparing for their Winter Carnival on Saturday, March 18.  They very much appreciate donations of baskets and gently used games and toys for the auction, and they thank families and the community for donations already made.  The auction will begin at 5 p.m. with supper served at 6 p.m.  All funds raised are for the 6th grade end-of-year event.

Our Southport Island Association’s (SIA) “Winter Walk” would truly have been immersed in winter weather had it occurred as scheduled last Saturday, Feb. 11.  Constant snow all day necessitated a postponement until this coming Saturday, Feb. 18 when the forecast is for sunshine. All are welcome whether or not you are a member of SIA. Come to the Southport Memorial Library at 3 p.m. to enjoy a walk to Newagen Inn or to the Newagen landing and stay for refreshments and fellowship. If you care to bring a nibble to share, it will be much appreciated.

Note also that the memorial service for long-time island resident, Ed Thibault, will be that same afternoon, Saturday, Feb. 18 at the American Legion Hall, beginning at 2 p.m.  The Reverend Sarah Foulger will be presiding.

Our new road crew is getting a workout with many days of snow this past week. Although I am not privy to precisely what composition the crew sprinkles on the roads, I prefer what appears to be sand as opposed to a heavy dose of salt I often find in town. Not only is the salt hard on the car, but when temperatures are very low, the melt the salt causes often freezes as the temperature drops, leaving ice that I find more troubling to drive over than packed snow.  And sand is so much preferable to cinders I grew up driving over in the winter.  Thanks again, to our hard working crew.

As many of you know, I hope, your island scribe has an envelope to collect news just to the right of the door as you enter the Island Store. Rarely, however, does anyone put a note with news into the envelope even though I check into it every time I enter the store.  Thus, last Thursday, I squealed with delight when I saw not one, but two notes stuffed into the envelope. The first note was from Janet, who does use the envelope, especially to tell me when store hours change. Indeed this note said that the Island Store would be closed on Sundays for at least the next six weeks, which was really not new news as I had published that information last week.

The second note was new news, exciting new news, although, after a moment’s review, it elicited a laugh from me and then from Janet and Skip who were standing by to see my reaction.  This second note was ‘alternative’ news, and undoubtedly ‘false’ news.  The note said,  “Mr. Coulombe is going to move Rocktide to Oliver’s location.” 

Finally, as I wake up on these snowy mornings and look out to see what nature has wrought while I have been asleep, I recall the final lines of a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, called “The Snow Storm.”  I see “…the mad wind’s night work, the frolic architecture of the snow.”  Enjoy and shovel carefully.