A good crowd of parents, grandparents, swimmers and fans assembled at Hendricks Head Beach beginning about 3 p.m. on Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, for the 14th annual Leprechaun Leap to raise money for local Special Olympics. Even though the temperature was only 25 F, the sun was warm and the wind had died down. It started at about mid-tide, so the participants did not have to run very far to reach the water. Still the younger swimmers, or I should say “dunkers,” retreated quickly from the cold water.

Only several older participants, including Duane Lewis in his green shirt and green top hat, carrying a camera, waded into the sea until the water covered their shoulders and then slowly waded back to shore. In all, about 22 persons collected money for the challenge, 19 on Monday and three others at another time.

I think Channel 7 was filming this event and probably there is a more complete article with pictures elsewhere in this paper, so if you were not present on the sidelines, you can see the fun through other media. (Editor’s note: Ryan Leighton of the Register has put together a fun video of the event on the newspaper’s website.)

A goodly group gathered at the Southport Town Hall on Saturday night for the Southport Island Association SIA) sponsored Ice Breaker party. Matt Cole as SIA president welcomed everyone to enjoy the time to catch up with friends, and enjoy the food and drink available. The next SIA event will be the Island Clean-up on May 4 from noon until 2 p.m.

A number of Southporters left the island to enjoy a New England boiled dinner on Monday night, St. Patrick’s Day, at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, adding money to the Pot of Gold to support the joint outreach committee of All Saints by-the-Sea on Southport and St. Columba’s in the Harbor.

The dredging is complete in Cozy Harbor, but some drilling is necessary before the piers can go in to support an additional float at the town dock. Thanks to Mr. Coulombe for financing these projects, which will improve the docking space.

The Southport Memorial Library’s March Madness Book Sale continues through March 20, 22, 25, 27, 29 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Both children’s books and adult books are available as well as some tapes and DVD’s.

You may have already read Suzi Thayer’s article in this paper some time ago about the sculptures, which are being distributed around the state. Right now, the two pieces the Southport Memorial Library has been given are perched on the floor there, awaiting the perfect spot for hanging. Library volunteers may need to wait until the present Artist of the Month takes her work down before they can put these new permanent additions up.

The sculptor is Bernard (Blackie) Langlais from Cushing. The Kohler Foundation of Wisconsin, which deals in the preservation of art and the placement of it with nonprofits, has acquired a large number of pieces from the Langlais estate through Colby College and has been working hard to distribute and place them in nonprofits in Maine and elsewhere. They plan to create a sculpture park in Cushing and a sculpture trail on which people with a map can visit all the locations of this artist’s work.

Much like our own Mike Lewis, Langlais, who died in 1977 at the age of 58, is known for his oversized, figurative, often humorous sculptures, mostly of animals, but occasionally of humans. The pieces at the library are non-representational, made of layers of wood, one an abstract mosaic and the other a tall vertical piece with pegs. Thanks to John and Jane Lunt who travelled to Cushing to bring our pieces back to the library.

Remember the Southport School’s sixth graders’ Winter Carnival on March 22 from 4 until 7 p.m. This event is a fundraiser for the sixth grade trip to New York City near the end of the school year. At 5 p.m. you can enjoy a soup and chowder supper and at 6:30 p.m. the raffle and auction begin. Items from businesses all around the area will be offered such as a work of art by the above mentioned Mike Lewis, Casco Bay Glassworks, Bob Mitchell photos, Tidal Transit Kayak, and many more. Enjoy the kids, enjoy the food and have your check book handy to support this good effort.