Next week’s column is due on Friday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. rather than Monday because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so if you have any news for me, please send it by Friday noon.

Your help is needed to be part of a team to light up Southport on Sunday, Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. until about 1 p.m. Meet at the Southport School parking lot to join a team, get supplies and be assigned or choose a site among the school, the town hall, the firehouse, and the library. Many lights drive away the dark! Email Eden Climo at edenclimo@gmail.com or call her at 513-739-2422 if you have questions.

I notice that the Southport Methodist church is already adorned with wreaths. We need to catch up!

Last week’s paper on page 7 had two Southport obituaries, one for Peter B. Edwards and on for Philip A. Brooks, both men who had lived interesting lives, making me sorry I did not know them. Also last week’s paper had Southport news on the front page about the school and about Sarah Sherman and Gerry Gamage, who were recognized for their work on the banner project.

Sarah’s mother, Evelyn Sherman, smiled at us from Robert Mitchell’s article about the recent Boston Cane recipients. So good to see our island residents and projects receiving good publicity.

We can all participant in an island school project by expressing our thoughts either on small bits of paper at the post office or at the Southport General Store. We are asked to write a sentence or two about (1) why we love Southport and (2) what our hopes and dreams are for the island school. I hope many of you will participate because I am sure many of us are eager to see what the summaries of all our comments are.

April, many years ago, must have been a chilly month because so many Southporter I know have birthdays in the middle of November. Jane Lunt, Kathy Bugbee, Holly Smith, myself, and perhaps others I do not know about, celebrate this month. Growing up, four of my closest friends had birthdays within the same week, mid-month. Was it the depression or the pending war in Europe that drew husbands and wives so close together, or just chance?

Remember that you can get lots of help with your Thanksgiving plans at the Southport General Store. The store will completely prepare dinner or you can buy what you want as side dishes and dessert. If you do want the chefs at the store to prepare your whole turkey, you need to tell them by Nov. 20. Other items need to be ordered either online, SouthportGeneralStore.com, by phone, 207-633-6666, or in person by Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. with pick up in person on Nov. 27 from 2 until 6 p.m. or on Nov. 28, from 8 until 11 a.m.

If you’re ready to begin to record events on next year’s calendar, note that the Southport town budget meeting is scheduled for Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.