Last week I promised more news about Ashley Tibbetts’s new job, which will be administrative coordinator for the Community Resource Council (CRC). As such, she will be supporting the behind the scenes operations and volunteers of the CRC's eight programs like Boothbay Rides, Food for Thought, and Woodchucks. Her last regular scheduled day for Southport will be Thursday, Jan. 9, but she will be filling in after hours to keep weekly warrants and payroll going until her replacement is hired, then coming in for a few days to help train whomever is hired on all aspects of the job and also will be available for support as the new person learns the ins and outs of it all. She says “I don't plan on just jumping ship, so it should be a smooth transition.” If you are interested, the Town of Southport is hiring a part-time administrative assistant! Strong communication skills are essential. Familiarity with bookkeeping, being organized, and proficiency with basic office equipment and software are among other qualities that are needed to fulfill the duties of the position. A notice of the availability of this job is published elsewhere in this paper and a full job description and applications are available at the Southport Town Office. They will be accepted until the right candidate is found!

I am sure many of you have noticed the tree work being done on the triangle of land between Cross Road, Route 27, and Methodist Church. Apparently a number of good sized trees were down, and Gerry Gamage is now clearing them away. A number of years ago a Boy Scout cleared the land as a project for his Eagle Scout badge, but very little stays cleared forever.

We are lucky to have our local historical society to keep track of the island’s history and stories. A reminder that the Board will be meeting Monday, Jan. 13 at 1:30 p.m.

The “Blooming Babes” are planning to gather again this Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Southport Memorial Library for conversation about plants and gardens. These gathering are open to all, usually beginning about 10 a.m.

Please keep Mollie and Wells Moore in your thoughts and prayers as Mollie has returned from the hospital under hospice care. Many of us may remember when Mollie had a tea room in town with delicious scones and other English treats, which she continued to share even when the tea room no longer existed. A vibrant, stalwart woman, a volunteer at the Botanical Gardens, who learned to accommodate gracefully to her blindness after meningitis, we hope for peace and comfort for her and for Wells.

Most of us find that life quiets down after the celebrations of Christmas and New Year's passes. We are lucky to be getting only the cold, but not the snow from the large storm crossing the center of the country. So strange to talk with my son in New Jersey this winter, and often finding him contending with snow while we here on the coast of Maine have cold but bare ground. Perhaps the snow will come as winter moves on.

When I stopped by the library on Saturday, someone, I assume, Bob, was playing the piano. How great that our library is not the silent place the Carnegie Library I grew up with was. Conversation, music, laughter all fill the spaces here, as well as quiet nooks for reading.

Now that winter is upon us please remember to send me news for this column. Life continues into the new year. May it be a happy one.