From Selectman Smith Climo I learned that the town of Southport has placed an offer for the Gardner property on Beach Road that includes Hendricks Head Beach.  As reported last week, the first public hearing on saving the beach for public use resulted in a unanimous straw vote to support the Selectmen taking further action. Final action, I think, can come only after an official affirmative vote of the citizens of the town.

Taylor, who is currently on Pratts Island with her parents, Marylynn and Dennis Fallon, learned to sail at Southport, went on to be an instructor at Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, and then to Tufts University where, in her senior year, in 2003, she won the women’s national championship in 420’s. So as you can imagine, the Fallons are watching the race via Internet and you can too, by Googling Fastnet Sailing Race.   

Our own round race, the Rowgatta, on August 10, was a great success with calm morning seas. Although Friday's storms may have curtailed practice time for some of our intrepid paddlers, August 10 was a bright and beautiful blue-sky day for the many spectators and participants in Rowgatta XX, the 12 nautical-mile row around Southport held each year on the second Saturday in August. In a family sweep of diverse victories, the Knowltons of Newagen garnered three separate prizes: Oldest participant Marcus Knowlton (age 84), Youngest Participant Caleb Knowlton (age 14), and Final Finisher Lisa Boyles Knowlton (3 hours,
59 minutes).

As always, Southporters were well represented with the powerful performances of John Auber, James Darrow, Jon Fauver, Caleb Knowlton, Lisa Boyles Knowlton, Marcus Knowlton, Susan Quinby and Sharma Schacknow. Special thanks go to another important group of Southporters  whose unique skills and talents made the day such a great success: Marsha Gamage, master baker and balloon squad member; Nancy Harriman, parking lot provider; Merry Knowlton, master photographer; Meredith Mitchell, balloon squad coordinator; Skip Simonds, master parker; and Dick Snyder, EOP (Emperor Of Parking). We look forward to seeing everyone once again at Rowgatta XXI in August 2014! Thanks to Susan Quinby for this report.

I heard at the Southport Yacht Club’s Arts and Craft Show that a bobcat has been seen near Horn Cove. Please let me know of any additional sightings.

Found in a wide mouth bottle floating in the Sheepscot near Newagen were two sets of car keys. One set seems to be to a Ford pickup truck. The other would start a Chrysler product.  If either set of these keys sound familiar to you, call the Brinegars at 207-633-2117.

A reminder that author Emily Barker, a longtime Southport summer resident, will be signing her recently published book, “The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic” at Sherman’s on August 17 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

This weekend on Southport will again be busy with the Firemen’s Auction on August 17, opening at 6:00 a.m. with the live auction beginning at 9:00 a.m.  

On August 18 the Southport Island Association (SIA) Annual Meeting will be held at the Newagen Inn beginning at 5:00 p.m. All are welcome.  Please bring an hors d’oeuvres to share. There will be a cash bar. An overall view of the activities of the SIA for the year will be on the agenda as well as social time to catch up with friends and neighbors.

Also at Newagen Inn on August 21, beginning at 7:00 p.m., Phyllis Blackstone will be the storyteller around the campfire. Ms. Blackstone is a professor of education at University of Maine Farmington. She requires all of her students to learn some basic storytelling techniques and to tell a story to a group of children. On August 22 and August 25 Arthur Webster will be performing in the pub.