Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11 in Edgecomb: We will gather at the Edgecomb Town Hall at 9 a.m. to lower the flag to half-mast and hold a reading of names of those veterans from Maine who have fallen in the Iraq conflict. After the flagpole ceremony, those who wish may visit the Old Cemetery on Old County Road to salute the veterans of more distant wars.

Wednesday, Nov.14, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., come to the Darling Marine Center in Walpole for a progress report on the Maine Coastal Protection Initiative. This should be a good opportunity to make our pitch about saving a region from its maverick towns or other entities.

Put on your long-term calendar: There will be two Bypass public hearings in Edgecomb, Thursday, November 29 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 1 at 10 a.m. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available at the Wiscasset Public Library and the Edgecomb and Wiscasset town offices. Come in and read it! Or go to www.mid coastbypass.com , a special Web site by the Maine Department of Transportation. Click on Draft EIS, and then down the text to a series of links. The full download is 19MB, but you can also download it section by section. Remember, Edgecomb does not yet have high-speed internet. Start downloading a section, get up and get a cup of coffee. Download another section, go vacuum the living room. Down-load, and watch a half-hour of TV. Enjoy life in the slow lane! (And I said that with a straight face!)

The public commentary period started October 26, and will end December 21. You can send your written comments by way of the above Web site, or by regular mail to Dale Doughty, Assistant Director of Planning, MDOT, 16 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333. If you wish, please send a copy to Selectpeople@edgecomb.org for their information.

There will be several informational meetings, one in Alna, one in Boothbay, and one in Wiscasset, but the Edgecomb meetings and the last Wiscasset meetings are officially hearings. This means that your comments at these meetings will enter the record. Otherwise, your comments should be sent in writing as described above.

From the Edgecomb Eddy School: A new support group for parents/caregivers of children who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD is being formed. The group will meet at Seasons of Change (formerly Jackeroos) on Station Road in Edgecomb. For more information you should contact their office at 882-6700. Also available at Seasons of Change is an addiction support group for teens. They meet on Wednesdays.

The Fort Edgecomb Bicentennial Committee met last Sunday to discuss plans for the 2008 celebration. We are currently working on raising funds for the Bicentennial, in particular, an arts and crafts event and The First All-Maine Wine and Cheese Festival. These may well be

merged into one extravaganza! Watch this space!

We have still to plan exactly what the Bicentennial Day will consist of, scheduled for Flag Day, June 14 and possibly 15, 2008, at the Fort. Not discussed this time, but in the queue: a Small Ships Salute and several raffle and/or auction ideas. If interested in participating, you can always get in touch with me, at the contact information given below.

Savoring Maine wines and cheeses at 234 River Road, 633-2978, jocam@midcoast.com.

This column appears in the Boothbay Register, The Lincoln County News, the Wiscasset News-paper, and at www.Edgecomb.org.