This week we say a sad goodbye to what could well be our longest serving neighborhood columnist, Jefferson correspondent, Peggy Flagg.

For almost 20 years, my wife Judi and I have been “permanent transplants” to Maine’s beautiful Midcoast area in Newcastle. For 17 of these years I have worked Wednesdays at The Lincoln County News. In fact, they refer to me as “Wednesday Ernie.”

For those that side with Mr. Craig Elliott’s sarcastic appreciation of Damariscotta’s attempt to maintain its individuality, I am puzzled as to why you would sell your lifestyle so cheaply. (“Thank you Damariscotta,” LCN, 8/8/13, Page 13A)

Waldoboro firefighters were understandably grumpy early this week when news broke that a man had been arrested for threatening another man with a knife while waiting for the Waldoboro Fire Department’s 175th anniversary parade to come through on Saturday.

I was interested in reading the Letter to the Editor from Otis Page of California on the names of Damariscove Island and the Damariscotta River. (“How did these names come to be?” LCN, 8/8/13, Page 4) I remember Otis. We called him Poppy at Lincoln Academy. I was in the class of 1947 and he was in the class of 1949.

The kids will be going back to school in another month or so.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could have wanted Route 1 in Maine to look like Route 1 in Massachusetts, but it’s understandable if some people felt that a wider road is a safer road and a faster road is a more convenient road.

Long-time Damariscotta residents frequently pine for the days when their police force was primarily composed of one man, the late, legendary George Hutchings.

Fifteen months ago, when The Lincoln County News hired me to report on events in Bremen, Jefferson, Nobleboro, Somerville and Waldoboro, I was a relative rookie with less than four years of full-time reporting experience under my belt and little knowledge of the people and events of Lincoln County.

I have recently been informed that Jefferson has fired two art teachers. If this is correct I would like to point out how unfortunate this act is.

We hate to admit it but we can see Labor Day from here.

We have been told by Maine Department of Transportation spokesperson Steve Bodge, that the widening, straightening and curbing of two miles of Route 129 is for reasons of “safety” and “drainage.” This is hogwash. Anyone who lives down here knows that there have been no accidents along this stretch due to road conditions (zero) and that the minor drainage problems can be accomplished in any number of smaller ways.

I would like to start out by saying that I normally support the Select Board of the town of Waldoboro, but in this case I feel that they only have their own personal agenda, which is to punish the police department.

Next Tuesday, July 23, in Jefferson a small number of residents are going to commit the town to a course of action.