Southport friends are invited to gather at the Southport Yacht Club on Sunday morning, Aug. 11 at 11 for a community celebration of the life of Anne Grimes, who died Jan. 21 of this year. Anne served as SYC treasurer and membership chair, as well as volunteering with the Hospital Auxiliary and Boothbay Region Land Trust. The Grimes Family invites you to stop by SYC on Sunday morning to swap stories and
share memories over brunch.

Many people filled the Southport Town Hall last Saturday afternoon to remember and celebrate the life of Dick Snyder. Family and friends told stories and even wrote a poem to capture his essence among all of us. One of my favorite stories was a tradition he created to make the drive from New Jersey, a winter home for many years, to Maine more interesting. Dick create a tune that all in the car sang when they crossed a state boundary. In telling the story, son, Hugh, hummed the tune, which all of us in the audience soon joined in singing. When the imaginary trip crossed the state line into Maine, and we sang the tune, we thought, one last time, but Hugh then said his dad has now crossed another boundary line, so we sang the tune to accompany him one more last time.

The Book and Bake Sale on Aug. 1 at the Southport Memorial Library was well attended. Many people went home with delicious desserts and books to fill their cottage shelves. The next afternoon many people enjoyed the wine tasting at theSouthport General Store, along with the authors’ talks. Fortunately the rain held off for these events, but the rain has delayed the beginning of the painting of a mural on the east side of the store. Eliza Goodwin is still working on her plans and watching the weather carefully to get a full 18 hours of dry time before starting.

Callie and Denis MacWhan are in residence until Aug. 12 at their home on Pratts Island Road. Great to have them back even for a short time.

On Thursday, Aug. 8 we can attend another author’s talk beginning at 6:30 p.m. the Southport Memorial Library. The author this time is Diane Lechleitner. She will speak of her debut novel, “Faron Goss,” which is a Gold Winner of the Foreword Indies Award for Fiction. It tells the story of a boy born into a hardscrabble community, with themes of vulnerability and resilience, “as well as the magical abilities of time, friendship, and love to steady a life initially marred by neglect and tragedy.” Refreshments will be served.

If art rather than writing is your thing, also on Aug. 8 from 3 until 7 p.m. you can sign up for a watercolor boutique workshop at the Barn across from the Southport General Store. Either stop by the store or go online to do so.

More opportunities for enlightenment on Aug. 10 when you can attend a rug hooking demo at Hendricks Head Museum from noon until 3 p.m., and on Monday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Southport Town Hall, the museum will sponsor a lecture by Ed Parker, titled “Painting the Story,” part of the Donald and Joyce Duncan Lecture Series. An internationally recognized maritime artist and Southport resident, Ed Parker will speak about the inspiration, process, and storytelling involved in the creation of his whimsical and often humorous paintings. The artist has generously donated two prints of his artwork to the museum to use for fundraising; plans are in the works to offer them in a silent auction during this event.

More data for your calendars. On Tuesday, Aug. 27 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Southport Memorial Library, Ken Nomiyama will be sharing his life experiences. Mr. Nomiyama is a Japanese American who was born during World War II at Tule Lake, California, one of the 10 Japanese incarceration camps established by the US government during the war. In this talk, he will discuss the unconstitutional treatment of Japanese Americans during the war, the story of their mass incarceration, and how this experience impacted their lives. Ken will describe the effects on Japanese and American communities long after the end of the war. Ken has spoken about this subject at universities, secondary schools, and community organizations throughout New England. He is on the board of the Tule Lake Committee and is actively involved in issues related to the treatment of minority communities. Ken is a retired businessman, who lives in Newport, Rhode Island. The library is very grateful to have Mr. Nomiyama as a speaker, and we encourage the public to attend and learn more about this often neglected part of American history. If you have any questions, please call the library at 207-633-2741.

The Southport Climate Action Committee (SCAT) invites you to a public meeting on Aug. 29, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Southport Town Hall. The meeting will focus on reporting SCAT's progress on funding for Southport's climate program and potential Hendrick's Head beach improvements to protect the road and marsh areas; and discussing our approach to an emergency preparedness/evacuation plan and a climate vulnerability assessment for Southport.

We hope you will join us!