Hello Friends,
For our bee watchers, you may have noticed that our hive has gone quiet. I can’t be entirely certain what has happened until we are able to look inside, but it is the quietest I have ever seen it in the hive in the 5 years we have been hosting bees at Skidompha. We are reaching out to local bee experts for help with inspecting the hive, and hopefully understanding what happened.
Inspecting our observation hive is no easy thing. Unlike a Langstroth, Warre, or Top Bar Hive that are designed for easy examination, our hive is heavy and awkward, and must be removed from our wall and transported outside before we can open it up. Hopefully we can conduct that inspection later this month and get to the bottom of this mystery. Bees are mysterious and wonderful little critters, and have much to teach us about our world. We love our bees here at Skidompha, and we know many of you do as well. They are a source of joy and pride, and it is my sincere hope that we install a new package of bees this spring. We hope you continue to stay tuned as we investigate and try and learn what the bees have to tell us.
On a brighter note, the Damariscotta Genealogy and History Center Roundtable Speaker Series has a meeting next on Thursday March 12th, 2026 at 1PM. The topic for that event will be Long Lost Relatives Found Through DNA Matches: My Personal Story of my Grandfather with Cathy Orne.
Cathy Orne, a volunteer in the Skidompha Genealogy and History Center, has been doing genealogy and researching her family history for about 30 years. She is also a board member of the Edgecombe Historical Society, and fields requests from people looking for help with their family questions. Cathy will share surprises and secrets of what she encountered while researching her distant family. These meetings are open to anyone with an interest.
And before I sign off, some good news for our puzzle fans. Jigsaw puzzles are now on sale for half price – which means they are $1 apiece – at Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in downtown Damariscotta. The sale lasts through Monday, March 16. All sales benefit the Library.
Be well,
Matthew
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library