It can be hard for a town to keep its personnel long term, just like in the private sector these days (our employer thankfully being an exception).

Just ask Alna how many times it has had to hire a town clerk in the last several years (many times, for no one reason and despite having upped the pay to compete). Wiscasset has had the good fortune of not having to find a town clerk in a decade. Linda Perry came aboard 10 years ago and stayed aboard. Selectmen and staff honored Perry Aug. 19 and you might want to thank her also, for her professionalism, good nature and longevity.

Perry has a ways to go to catch up with Edgecomb's longtime town clerk, Claudia Coffin, on length of service to a town; but a decade in means plenty of institutional knowledge on Wiscasset's elections plus other town business.

Speaking of institutional knowledge, when it comes to Wiscasset schools, John Merry almost is the institution. His knowledge of the buildings and how to make them their best has helped the town through a lot and helped inform Wiscasset's future of the schools committee. As our Fritz Freudenberger covered, the selectboard and staff also honored Merry Aug. 19. The schools were not the focus, though. Merry was recognized for his 50 (not a typo) years on the fire department.

That's a lot. Thank you, John Merry, for helping keep the schools and the town safe.

Week's positive parting thought: The air feels like fall some mornings now. Here comes school, have a great year; and drivers, please remember to look for bus stops.