Though this morning's temperature was still in the teens, the sun is warm and the snow is slowly receding. With daylight saving time in place, the island is acquiring the feel of spring. While we do not see new life yet on most trees and shrubs, we have had two new lives enter our world.

On March 5 Tyler and Sandy Tibbetts became parents of Trey Elliott Tibbetts, weighing 8 lbs., 6 oz. and Jennifer and Jim Wickline became parents of Sage Lee Wickline, weighing 7 lbs, 12 oz. Congratulations to both sets of parents and welcome to our new Southporters.

As perhaps you have already discovered, while Janet and Oliver are soaking up some warmth and sun, the Island Store will open at 7 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. except on Sunday when the store will open at 8 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. On March 19 the store will return to normal winter time hours.

If you need the tonic of blooming flowers to get you through this end of winter, you do not need to find the nearest flower show, but rather come to the Southport Memorial Library. Filling the south window are a line of amaryllis plants ranging in hue from white tinged with light pink to deep red, all with blossoms at least eight inches in diameter. Also on display in the library until the end of the month are photographs by Marie Kelley and Linda Redman. Linda also has some lovely note cards for sale. These exhibits are in addition to the metal work of Doug Harley.

March is birthday month for Bill Fearnside who celebrated another year (we did not ask how many) on Sunday, March 9. Frannie Johnson's great grandsons, Zachary Brewer and Kylie Michael, ages four and eight respectively, celebrated their birthdays together with Kylie's school classmates at Knick-erbocker last weekend. I am sure that was a lively gathering.

Longtime summer resident, Maggie Gat, retired from her vocation as an Episcopal parish priest on the last Sunday in January. Fulfilling a longtime dream for life in warmer weather, Maggie has settled into a new home in Sarasota, Florida. She reports that she has joined a book club, swims almost every day, explores nearby waterways in her kayak, and has a guest room ready. Jill and Don Hansen and Anne and Dick Turk both of Breakneck Hill Road, Southport, have been her first visitors. Although she thoroughly enjoys the sun, Maggie notes that she has not discarded her cold weather clothes.

A note from Mary Alice Webster includes news of their lives now settled in the sunny weather of Tucson, Arizona, although they did return to New York State for a family funeral and they are making plans to leave Tucson for the very hottest of the summer weather. Fred is busy at the University of Arizona and with the Pimo County Sheriff's Department, but he misses the fraternity of the Southport Volunteer Fire Department. They send greetings and good wishes to all their Southport friends.

Lynn Gillie Orne, as Special Needs Coordinator for Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, announces workshops open to any interested person of high school age or older who would like to help set up and run a shelter during an emergency. The workshops will teach people to open, operate, and close a shelter; identify and use available resources to assist shelter workers; work as a team to provide quality shelter services to clients; and to address common shelter problems effectively. Pre-registration is required for any of the three workshop: March 31 and April 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Boothbay Fire Station; April 8 and 14 from 6 to 10:00 p.m. at the Jefferson Fire Station; and April 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lincoln County Community Center, Wiscasset. Contact Lynn at 633-6405 or e-mail to harlyn@

gwi.net . The American Red Cross is a co-sponsor of these workshops.

Some future dates to put on your calendar include March 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Southport Town Hall the Southport Island Association (SIA) invites all islanders to the Ice Breaker party, a time to surface and celebrate the coming of spring after our winter's hibernation. A month later on April 26 from noon until 2 p.m. the SIA along with island selectmen have organized an Island Cleanup and cookout. Watch for further news about this event.

Thinking ahead to the boating season, Duane Lewis reports that the Southport Bridge will begin its timed openings April 29 and remain on that schedule, opening every half hour until September 30.