Thanks to Sandra Seifert for writing last week’s, Southport news. She noted that I would catch everyone up on the budget meeting I attended just before we left for the week. The public portion of the meeting on Jan. 27 consisted mainly of representatives from various organizations asking the town for monetary assistance. Rob Hopkins was elected chair.

The presenters were: Community Band asking for $500 for a special event on June 27 at the Railway Village. About 200 musicians representing all the community bands in the state will gather to play at what is called the R. B. Hall event. Hall was a friend of John Phillips Sousa.

The Boothbay Region Health Center said 130 patients during the past year were Southporters; 60% of their costs are covered by patients or insurance payments, but 40% is not. They asked for $5,000.

To support the District Nurse the representative asked for $1,250, noting that 141 visits of the nurse’s visits were to Southport. Hendricks Hill museum asked for $10,000 to hire a director plus the $5,000 usually given. Harbor Theater asked for $1,050 to rent family movies to show on Saturday mornings for free from September through May. They are also asking a similar amount from peninsula towns.

Boothbay Region Senior Citizens Club (about 35 people) asked for $1,000. Spectrum Generation asked for $1,100. The Community Center asked for $4,000.

Then the school committee submitted their budget request in writing, but we did not see it. Questions about the budget centered on the project to replace the heating system, various specialty salaries, and the number of Southport students (currently 28 at our school and 20 tuitioned into town.) The cost per student is approximately $20,805 per year.

Requests accepted by the Southport budget committee will be printed in the town report for us to vote up or down at the town meeting on Monday, March 2. Please consult that report when it is available for more information.

Well, not a big storm, but ice impeded the scheduled Winter Walk last Saturday so now this Saturday, Feb. 15, again from from 3 until 5 p.m., you can join friends and neighbors, this time at the Southport Library for the Southport Island Association’s (SIA) annual Winter Walk. All are welcome whether or not you are a member of SIA.

The event will begin with a casual walk through the neighborhood at the tip of Southport and will culminate with refreshments and friendly conversation in the library. If walking in the winter time is not your idea of fun, you can still come to the library and enjoy the company and food. Please bring a sweet or savory to share.

As you probably read in last week’s Register, on Jan. 18, the Y-Arts competition team won the “Freddy G Excellence in Ensemble Work” award at the iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. We had the chance to see the youngsters perform their award winning piece at the YMCA Sunday afternoon. They sang and danced through several songs from the musical, “Schoolhouse Rock Jr.” I especially enjoyed the song about “The Great American Melting Pot,” the lyrics of which tell the rather befuddled school teacher that children come from many different countries so all can learn from what their grandmothers and other relatives from the “old country” tell them.

All the participants deserved the sustained applause, but I want to specially call out our Southport members: Emerson Harris, Sarah Harris, Abby Amaral, Trey Tibbetts, Fiona Bishop, Ford Harris, Jesse Ullo and Kayla Watts. Well done, everyone!

If you noticed the Firehouse flag at half mast this weekend, I am told it is probably in honor of John (Jack) Barry, the assistant fire chief in Boothbay. Jack died on Feb. 3. Jack’s picture and obituary were in last week’s Register.

I am told Ann Cochrane also died on this past weekend. Although a longtime Southporter, Ann has lived recently at St. Andrews Village. Perhaps her obituary will be in this week’s paper.

Moses is a well known family name on Southport, but many of you may not know John Moses, Al Moses’s and Maggie Gat’s brother. For those who did know John, I am sorry to pass along the news that he died at the age of 81 after a long bout with cancer. John was living in Richmond, Virginia, as he has for many years.

With so many people leaving us, it is good to hear of people coming. From Chris Joule comes news that Dr. Gibson’s house on Grandview Road has been sold, and that the new owners are busy renovating the property to their liking. I am sure the Joules and all of us will welcome them when they are in residence.