The crowd turning up for the Firemen’s auction last Saturday overflowed the chairs provided, and the cars filled all spaces assigned and spilled onto the sides of the road. An article elsewhere in this paper, well worth reading, indicates they made about $28,000, well deserved results from all the hard work and organization skills. Before the auction began at 9 a.m., Gerry Gamage announced a special dedication to Guy
Randlett, who died in July 2023. His name is added to the Honor Roll of dedicated firemen. Then Gerry again conducted the auction from the roof of the firehouse, a location started during Covid, but seems to work very well. The Boothbay Region Fire Auxiliary provided breakfast treats for sale, so you could roll out of bed for the 6 a.m. starting time without slowing down for a home breakfast. Many thanks to the all the folks who made the day such a success.

The Southport Town Hall was buzzing later that day with friends and family of Mel Rines, gathering to help him celebrate his 100th birthday. A delicious chicken and roast beef dinner filled our tummies, and many stories about Mel’s exciting life filled our hearts with warmth and admiration. I did not know that Mel was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, or that he had written several books about his experiences both there and in business. I, for one, will be headed to the library to read those books.

If you are wondering why the mural I mentioned several weeks ago has not begun to appear on the side of the Southport General Store, the reasons are several. After drawing a lovely sketch of the project, the young artist ran out of time to complete it, and also needed some further thinking and equipment to ensure her safety as she planned to paint high up on the building. Perhaps next summer.

If you are thinking of voting in the national election by absentee ballot, note an application for such a ballot will be available Oct. 4, but you can apply for such a ballot now at the Southport Town Hall. The ballot, when it is available, will then be mailed to you.

Although open hours have not yet changed, the Southport General Store will be closed, as usual, on Labor Day, so make your purchases accordingly.

All Saints by-the-Sea summer chapel will be open for two more Sundays with services conducted by the Rev. Canon Katie Pearson. She is the Canon Pastor of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver, Colorado. Look for an article elsewhere in this paper for more information. Progress with storm damage continues with the new dock dedicated and in use, and the deck repairs in progress.

If you are reading online, a reminder the talk at the Southport Memorial Library on Tuesday, Aug. 27, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Ken Nomiyama will be sharing his life experiences as a Japanese American, born during World War II at Tule Lake, California, one of the 10 Japanese incarceration camps established by the US government during the war. In this talk, he will discuss the unconstitutional treatment of Japanese Americans during the war, the story of their mass incarceration, and how this experience impacted their lives. If you have any questions, please call the library at 207-633-2741.

Next up for all Southport residents is the meeting with the Southport Climate Action Committee (SCAT) Thursday, Aug. 29, beginning at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments with the business meeting beginning at 6 p.m. in the Southport Town Hall. The Team will give a status report of the results of the January storms on Southport, the grants Southport has received, and the status of fulfilling our first objectives for communication, development of an evacuation plan, and vulnerability studies. You can call Claire Tomlin at 305-775-2166 or claire@themarketcompany.com with questions.

Classes begin at the Southport Central School on Tuesday, Sept. 3, so please be aware of the school bus traveling our roads and any people walking. I have noticed this summer walkers and bikers who seem to think that since our roads are lightly traveled they can position themselves wherever they like, not realizing that drivers coming around a bend or over a hill have to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid an accident. Fortunately, so far for me in such a situation, there has been no oncoming traffic, but will we always be so lucky?!

Because of the Labor Day holiday, this column for next week is due Friday, Aug. 30, by 4 p.m. If you have news, please send before then. Thanks.