SOLON & BEYOND: Town to hold preliminary budget meeting; to discuss marijuana opt-in options

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Received this e-mail from the Solon Town Office: There will be a preliminary budget meeting for annual town meeting on Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30 p.m., at the town office conference room. This is a preliminary meeting to discuss town budget issues before the annual budget meeting and the marijuana “Opt In” options for a town vote in March.

The selectmen will be attending a workshop on December 4 on the new marijuana laws and what it means for the towns.

Also Selectman Keith Gallagher is resigning effective November 28, 2019. He and his family are moving out of state in December. The selectmen are sad to see him leave. He has been a real asset to the town and brought new knowledge and insight to the board of selectmen.

The selectmen will not hold a special election to fill his seat. Instead, at the March 2020 annual town meeting there will be two selectmen positions on the ballot; one a three-year term and one a one-year term. Selectman Sarah Davis will be running again for the three-year term position.

Nomination papers will be available for the two selectmen positions and the road commissioner position on Wednesday, November 27, and due back by Tuesday, January 7, 2020. The nomination papers will be available from the town clerk and are required to have the signatures of at least 25 registered Solon voters when they are turned in.

That is all the recent news I have since I just sent my column for this week. (I will be delivering the papers on Wednesday that week because of Thanksgiving the next day.)

Hoping to give you a few laughs, I’m going to write down an old poem (October 4, 1943). It was one I had written for English I, at Flagstaff High School, I had named it Saving Gas! Some people go to the movies in cars, and that is luck, But we have to go in a breezy old truck. What do we care, if we only get there. With many a song our singing is rare. We don’t have much style, but we have lots of fun. The people of Stratton always know when we’ve come!

I received an A- for this crazy poem, we had some great teachers! But…… there wasn’t any movie theater in Flagstaff, but there was one in Stratton and my wonderful uncle loaded up his truck with as many of us who fit in safely, and off we would go to Stratton! I brings back many wonderful memories!

Now I want to tell you more about the great calendars we at the Skowhegan Adult Ed teacher-less painting class have had made. There are some beautiful special pictures painted by members in this group for each 12 months of the year 2020. Much of the work done to get these calendars finished was done by Lee York, who has been with this group of artists since the beginning. I can’t call them my students since I don’t teach them anything, but I do call them wonderful friends. Don’t know how to tell you how proud I am of these painter friends of mine and their talent shows in the paintings. If any of you are interested in purchasing a calendar you can call me at 643-5805. The money that we take in for them is going to go towards scholarships.

And now for Percy’s memoir: Don’t wait with longing for the day when better times might come your way. Discard the fears that may depress; Live now and garner happiness.

It’s such a waste to dwell on gloom. Though you have problems, find the room for loving when the path is rough; For laughter when the going’s tough.

To fully live means you must face whatever comes with humble grace. And if you mourn, turn it to praise. How much to do, how few the days!

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!