This year's island clean-up day, hosted by the Town's Conservation Commission, will be held on Saturday, May 10. Everyone is invited to gather at the old town hall at 9 a.m. to receive road assignments and garbage bags. Please plan on working until noon and then meet back at the old town hall for a cook-out featuring hamburgers, hot-dogs, chips and drinks.

Commission members will also distribute reusable shopping bags to all clean-up volunteers. These bags are being supplied to help discourage the use of plastic shopping bags that fill our landfills and litter our island roads.

Last year they had nearly 30 participants and collected 75 bags of garbage. Please, mark your calendars and plan on rolling up your shirt sleeves and joining your neighbors for this annual island-wide event. In case of heavy rain, the date will be moved to May 24. Hope to see you there!

The Community Association has sent out their annual fliers. They have included a nice card of upcoming summer events you can hang on your fridge for quick reference.

The first event, to be held on Saturday May 17 from 5-7 p.m. at the Town Hall, is the annual wine tasting gathering with an added twist. This year they are holding a silent auction. They would love as many people as possible to donate something. There are numerous talented individuals here on Westport and now is your time to shine! You could offer to cook a gourmet meal, clean someone's house, donate an art piece, give a boat ride, mow a lawn, make a delicious homemade birthday cake, teach an activity such as dancing, or computer skills, put on a lobster bake, etc. For details please call Carol Blake at 882-4267.

Treats of Wiscasset and the Community Association will be providing the wine and hors' d'oeuvres for this affair. Don't miss out on an opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new neighbors and benefit Westport while having fun. I'm looking forward to it and hope to see you all there.

Another island wide mailing went out this week as well. This one was from the Squire Tarbox Inn. Roni and Mario DePietro, Innkeepers, are making a valuable offer to all their Westport Island neighbors. Between now and June 14, in an attempt to meet many more islanders, they are offering a two for one dinner special. They included, in their mailing, a certificate for every household on the island. If for any reason, you did not receive yours, they apologize in advance and ask that you simply call them to let them know. Paul and I plan to take them up on this generous offer and we hope you will too.

The DePietros would like people to know they are working to hold a barn dance with the Greenleaf boys in the near future. Also, the former pottery shop will become a farm stand where their son, Kyle, will be offering fresh, organic vegetables.

This week I will make a large, homemade lasagna for the Thursday special at Lori's store. For information about other specials or to request a special recipe, please call Lori at 882-9300.

Sympathies are extended this week to Vera Cleaves, Barbara Perry and other friends and family of Edith Burnet who passed away last week.  Edie was a wonderful, bright, loving lady who was a teacher and administrator for many years.  Edie loved writing poems and I am including one of my favorites in this week's column:

  If you have any news or information you'd like shared in this column, please contact me at pbonyun@ gwi.net or 882-9032