Stock up now for all your Thanksgiving dinner needs. Our island store will be closed Thanksgiving Day and open only from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. through the weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, giving Janet, Oliver and the staff some well-deserved hours to enjoy family and friends.

Only a few people, mostly those who live along the route for the new water line, attended the water district meeting last Wednesday night at the Southport Town Hall where the manager of the district, John Ziegra, shared much useful information.

Work on the new water line will begin Nov. 30. To quote from the BRWD website, “The scope of the Southport Interconnection & Water Tank Replacement Project is to provide sustainable fire protection for the towns of Boothbay Harbor, Southport and a portion of Boothbay.”

Last January the BRWD received a $1,200,000 Water and Waste grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as a $2,200,000 Water and Waste loan, allowing the initial survey work to begin. This fall work to lay pipe and reconstruct the Sawyer’s Pond Road up to the Standpipe was completed. Now, beginning Nov. 30, the new pipe will be laid from Four Corners (i.e. the junction of Western Avenue and McKown Point Road) using the existing trench.

The pipeline will cross the gut on the north side of the Southport Bridge and then continue in a five foot trench along the right side, heading west, of Hendricks Hill Road to Plummer Road. The pipeline will continue the length of Plummer Road, join Route 238 and continue up Sawyer’s Pond Road to the new standpipe as well as continuing to Cross Road.

There the new pipe will join the line laid two years ago by Southport along the length of Cross Road. As money is available the line will continue to the Southport Firehouse, school and Island Store. Eventually the plan is to extend the line around Southport Island, giving residents on the main roads access to a year-round public water supply.

Ziegra stressed that Dirigo Engineering and Crooker Construction, who have won the contracts for this work, are both excellent companies. They will do everything in their power to make a very messy job go smoothly. Drivers can help by consolidating trips through the construction area and using the detours as marked. Although work will allow emergency vehicles to proceed at all times, any time the work stops or slows for ordinary traffic the dollar cost increases. Daily work will begin about 7 a.m. and continue until dusk.

Since most of Southport is ledge, blasting will be necessary. Before the blasting begins, homeowners possibly affected will find fliers hung on their door explaining the work. Videos of property possibly affected by the blasting will be done before the blasts. Any damage noticed by homeowners should be reported as soon as possible to Dirigo Engineering. Site representatives Greg Ireland and Dale Harmon will also be available to answer questions and take any complaints. Two of our selectmen, Gerry Gamage and Smith Climo, are our trustees to the Boothbay Region Water District, Gerry as vice-chair, so they are also good sources of information.

The project consists of laying the pipe, pressure testing the system, disinfecting the lines, and then running the water. If all goes as planned, the project should be finished by mid-May. Watching the work on Sawyer’s Pond Road, I’d say the workers deserve all the support we can give them. They continued in rain, snow, and deep mud. Good luck, guys.

From mess to beauty. Again this year our Southport buildings will be lit for the holiday season, and the skaters will again twinkle on the pond. A glowing lobster may greet you as you pass by. The Southport Island Association is sponsoring a Christmas Lights Celebration on Friday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. outside the Southport General Store. Come join your friends and neighbors to enjoy slices of pizza with a hot drink, and to watch the lights sparkle with the flip of the switch, sing a few carols, and officially kick off the Christmas season. Parking is available at the rear of the store, at the school, and at the post office. A surprise guest will make a special appearance. Everyone is welcome.

Our Island road crew has removed the large tree across from the Grimes house on the road leading to Marr’s Point, and removed the stump creating a bit of a clearing above the parking lot for Oliver’s restaurant. Without the tree a snow plow can more easily clear the road, and the limb overhanging the road was beginning to rot, but many of us will have to get used to the more open view.

Again a reminder of the traditional Lessons and Carols service on Sunday, Dec. 7, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Southport United Methodist Church. Before the service you can enjoy supper of soup, rolls and dessert. With the display of lights, good food, and lovely traditional music we will “drive the dark away.”