Remember the dogs are due to be licensed. Hunting licenses make great presents with what they cost and all. 2000 are in the office.

Another reminder to all you November car registrations; you are not registered if you haven't been to see me at the office and picked up those new plates with the cute little chickadee on them.

Rumor has it we have two ladies interested in running for the second selectman's position in March. All it takes to get on the ballot is nomination papers with as few as 25 signatures and no more than 75. Now to get elected is another story. We will have one year term positions open for Road Commissioner, Treasurer, Second Selectman, and a two year term of 1st Selectman. A school board member for a three year term is opening up also.

Just letting you know in advance. Keep your eye on the column for updates. We have some very nice people in town. The secret Santas have been coming in for names of families that have been having it rough this year. They want to share with others the blessings that they have received in 1999.

The lights everywhere are beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The colored ones really stand out with all the icicle type lights of white. Out on Route 1 by the Christmas shop and Country Store, you can get dizzy looking from one side of the road to the other at all the decorations. I have been waiting for Gus to get his set up on the Gardiner Road. My grandchildren always want to stop and enjoy the parade on his lawn.

Another place worth the trip is the Boothbay Railway Village down on Route 27; and the Blackmans, Gary and Karen, have a nice display on their lawn and around the store. Thank you folks, for giving so much pleasure to the children and (us) not so young folks by sharing your displays. Boothbay Center has three sailboats done in different colors and angels on the gazebo -- quite a contrast. Now that's as far as I've been on Route 27 so far.

Hope you have all your shopping done and can sit back and relax. Now us last minute folks wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if we got ours done ahead of time. For me that's the best part of Christmas, hurrying here and there, forgetting this and looking for that, wondering if I have left anyone out. Then I'm real glad to find out I'm not losing it just yet. Give me a few more years and I'll have to get Inez and Neilly to do my shopping. But I'll always want to wrap my gifts for the grand-kids. What fun to see them undo box upon box to get to their special present. I feel so grateful to God for my wonderful family. Don't forget it is His Son's birthday that we celebrate at this time of year.