Southport
Sat, 10/07/2023 - 1:15pm
Due to the rain predicted for Saturday, Oct. 7, the “bring you own” picnic planned by the Southport Island Association and the Southport Yacht Club, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Southport Yacht Club, has been postponed to Sunday, Oct. 8, same time - same place - same plans. In addition to your own picnic, you can enjoy cider, apples, and a choice of ‘dessert bites.’
Also on Oct. 8, 1-3 p.m., you can attend one more museum event at the Hendricks Hill Museum, an Open House hosted by the museum trustees. Enjoy cider and donuts along with the museum displays, and bring any question you may have. All are welcome.
News of the docent and volunteer luncheon that took place Monday, Oct. 2 comes from Nan Jackson. The luncheon was provided by the Officers and Board of the Friends of The Southport Historical Society for present and past docents and volunteers. Twenty people attended. Pumpkins, gourds and place ware with fall motifs and colors on the tables greeted everyone as they entered to chat before choosing from a variety of sandwiches from the General Store along with additional choices of items to compliment the sandwiches. To satisfy the sweet tooth, you could choose from a variety of desert items to finish off the lunch. Mari Tiwari, President of the Friends, thanked all those who had contributed their time and knowledge to guide and explain the exhibits to the numerous visitors who came during July, August and Saturdays in September. It was a busy summer with great attendance for the museum and for the special programs that were provided throughout the summer.
Our next chance to discuss climate impacts will be a public workshop on Oct. 12, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Southport Town Hall. If you missed the first two meetings, you can hear a summary of what was discussed, see a list of action items being proposed, and then join breakout sessions for more conversation. If you have questions or want to attend the meeting via Zoom, contact Claire Tomlin at Clarie@themarketcompany.org.Another opportunity for community discussion will occur during three public meetings called to discuss short term rentals on Southport. On Oct. 16, 23, and 30, a series of public meetings will be held at the Southport Town Hall beginning at 6 p.m. A citizens committee was formed this fall to bring the community together to discuss the issue of short term rentals on the island (both owner present and owner absent). Now they want to hear the residents’ thoughts on the subject. The committee will act as scribes and report the residents’ thoughts back to the town selectmen. The selectmen will then work with the planning board to see if the island’s land use ordinances need to be updated pertaining to this topic. For those who cannot attend in person, an online survey has been created to gather your thoughts on the issue - https://form.jotform.com/232644334029049. Not sure whether this data impacts the discussion on short term rentals, but at the Selectmen’s meeting last Wednesday evening I learned that the State of Maine has proposed a value of Southport property for 2024 being $811,850,000, up $60,000 from last year. “The State Valuation process, which takes about 18 months to complete, begins with the compilation of a sales ratio study which measures the assessed value of residential and certain commercial properties relative to their actual selling price.”
Less fun, perhaps, but very important! You can now get your annual flue shot without leaving the island. The Southport Island Association, in conjunction with Nathan's Pharmacy, is conducting a Flu Vaccine Clinic at the Town Hall on Oct. 19 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. All are welcome. The vaccine offered was developed for the 2023-2024 flu season. Please visit the SIA website (southportislandassociation.org) by Oct. 15 to sign up and email the SIA atsouthportislandassociation@gmail.comwith any questions. You may wish to consult with your primary care physician if you have any questions about the advisability of receiving a flu vaccination, given your personal medical history. No other vaccinations or boosters (COVID, RSV, etc.) beyond the current flu vaccine are currently included for this Clinic. Almost all medical insurance plans (including Medicare) pay for influenza vaccination. Please bring your medical insurance information to the Clinic (e.g. Medicare card, Blue Cross / Blue Shield card). The cost for those without insurance is about $30 for age 7-64 vaccine and about $50 for the high-dose "senior" (age 65+)vaccine. Cash, credit cards, and checks are accepted.
The next opportunity to mark your calendar for a Southport event is Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. for the next author’s talk at the Southport Memorial Library. Author Adam White, who grew up in Damariscotta, will talk about his recent book, a novel titled “The Midcoast,” which is set in Damariscotta. See the press release about this event in the A&E section of this paper. We have an opportunity to learn more of our history by joining the Friends of the Southport Historical Society (FSHS) on Nov. 12 for a very special trip down Memory Lane. The Public Theater in Lewiston is offering three performances of “My Witch: The Margaret Hamilton Stories,” featuring Jean Tafler in a one woman show. Tafler, as Hamilton, will take the audience on a trip from Hamilton’s home on Southport, sharing stories of her career and anecdotes from “The Wizard of Oz” along the way. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10; at 3 p.m. Saturday the 11th, and 2 p.m. Sunday the 12th. Tickets are $33 per person, but $25 per person for groups of 10 or more. If you are interested in joining your friends and neighbors to take advantage of the group rate, please call Carole Zalucky at 207-841-0577 or Anne Vartabedian at 633-6807 to reserve your spot for the Nov. 12 matinee at 2 p.m. Deadline for the group reservation is Oct. 20. To guarantee your seat, please be prepared to provide a check in the amount of $25, payable to FSHS, by that date. When you call, let us know if you will need a ride to the performance or if you can provide a ride to someone else so we can set up carpools for the day of the event. Final information about carpools will be forthcoming.
Many thanks have been given to Debbie, who has retired after delivering mail to homes on Southport for some time. Her replacement is not new to the job but has done it before from 1999 through 2004. Now Jennifer Dorwart is back. Although she lives in Edgecomb, she is glad to be working back on Southport. Another opportunity for good food along with lovely scenery will be leaving us until the next summer season. The Pub at Newagen Inn is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5- 9 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 13. Then it will close until next spring.