It was quite the week, with ceremonies honoring and remembering veterans, being part of the food drive and farm visit at the Newagen Alpaca Farm, and the first snow that made me dance among the flakes with the dog, it was so pretty bedecking the dark firs and pines with white icing, it lifted my heart with childlike joy, for that I am thankful, apropos for this month. There will be many things to be thankful for coming in the next few weeks, I will begin with an opportunity for those that can to assist in making one of the events happen.

Southport Central School will be hosting a Thanksgiving Community Meal at Town Hall, Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It is free and all are welcome. Throughout the year, Southport General Store and Southport Central School have partnered up on a food education program where the students learned about seedlings, growing food in their community garden, and culminating this month, with the students joining General Store staff in the kitchen to cook up those crops for this Thanksgiving meal. What a great opportunity to show support for the efforts the students and school are making to reach out to their community, I hope many of you will attend. They are in need of one thing, this is the assistance I was talking about, they need bowls and spoons, so help them by gathering up your gently used bowls and spoons and dropping them off at the General Store during regular hours, Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The students will be using them for this event and for future community dinners.

While you drop off your bowls and spoons you can get menu details and pre-order your Thanksgiving appetizers, side dishes, wines and pies. All the orders will be made a la carte so you are able to get as much, or as little as you need. If you are unable to stop in during the regular store hours, you can call 207-633-6666 and they will be happy to assist.

While we are on the topic of the General Store, you will not want to miss the Early Bird all day sale on Saturday, Nov. 22 beginning at 7 a.m. Mark your calendars and set your alarms for the Barn’s biggest sale of the year.

• 25% Off Barn Items (7-9 a.m.) (10% Off 9 a.m.-2 p.m.)

• 10% Off Jewelry (7-9 a.m.)

Join Sweet Anne for a Thanksgiving Wine Tasting from noon to 2 p.m. and shop the Wine Room Sale.

• 10% Off Wine (All Day) • 10% Off Local Beer and Cider (All Day). Sale continues through the 27th.

The Southport Memorial Library will have several holiday season events, a bit early to mention them all, but the first will be Thursday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. The fabulous librarians will be asking you and your families help in decorating the library for the holiday season. There will be hot cocoa, treats and good cheer for all who join in the fun. There are three other events, but I will wait to tell you about them all, however, next time you are at the library you can pick up a schedule and put it on your fridge, that way you will not miss anything. There will be a Christmas Market on Saturday, Dec. 13 and the library asked me to mention this early, in case there are some of you talented artisans that might want to set up a table. There is no charge to be a part of the Christmas Market, and the library will not take any percentage of your sales, but they would very much like to have a variety of wares on offer. If you are interested in being part of this, stop in to speak with the librarians, or call 207-633-2741.

That covers events that you might want to attend or be a part of, but it is not all the news, there remain a few items for the greater good. Firstly, there is a petition requiring 50 signatures, it is worded as follows: Warrant Article: To see if the Town of Southport will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 to be paid to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry to support its services to benefit the town’s residents.

If this is something you would want to sign so that it can be voted on in March, I have been told that you must be registered to vote in Maine and be a resident of Southport. The petition can be found at the Southport Memorial Library, the post office, and the General Store.

Secondly is a reminder from Southport Island Association. With winter upon us, food programs hampered, and the holidays right around the corner, our neighbors and friends need to know our community is here to support those that may find themselves in need. If you, your family, or someone else you know could use some help covering the cost of daily essentials, the Southport Island Association is a resource for you. SIA can help with heating fuel, electricity, or groceries. They are often able to help in other ways as well, if they are aware of the need. Applications for assistance are confidential and available at the Post Office, Town Hall or the Southport Memorial Library and should be returned to PO Box 505.  Residents can also contact Carole Zalucky directly at 207-841-0577 or via email at czalucky@gmail.com with their requests. 

I want to say how appreciative I am for people reaching out to me in different ways with events and items they would like in the column. If you have things for me for the next issue, please be aware that the deadline for me will be Friday, Nov. 21 at 4:30, so I would need information by Thursday the 20th at noon.

This evening certainly has a chill to it, the dark has already arrived, beneficial rain is coming in dribs and drabs, but it is all welcome. It has been so nice to see some of the boggy areas filling up once again and to hear the sound of trickling water in culverts along the roads and small streams in the woods, all making their way into aquifers and the waters that surround this resilient, community strong place we call home.

Take care of yourselves and those around you during the week, let us be thankful for one another, and May Peace Be With You All.