TEMPLE – Who would have thought we’d have traffic lights in downtown Temple, but we did have just that this past Tuesday. You may have noticed a Maine DOT road crew working along the Farmington end of Route 43 during the past couple of weeks, and they finally made their way into Temple with heavy equipment. At long last we’re going to have some new guard rails along Route 43 as you come into the village.

Somewhere around 1,100 feet of new steel rails will replace the old wooden posts and cables that have pretended for years that they could keep a car from plummeting down to Temple Stream. The old posts were hardly new when I moved here over 30 years ago and they have had a few vehicles bounce into them over that period of time. “Sketchy” would be an appropriate word to describe their present day state.

When the work is completed in just a couple weeks, the stream-side of the road will have four foot wide paved shoulders between the travel lane and the guard rail. While the work has gone smoothly so far, I would venture to guess the crew will hit a few rocks as they drive the new posts into place. And the traffic lights may be back for a day or two so that the crew can stay focused on their work.

Temple’s September 26th Special Town Meeting elected a new Selectperson in less than half an hour. The 23 residents attending the meeting first elected State Senator Tom Saviello as moderator. He relayed Representative Russell Black’s regards and told us that he had tried to convince Russell to move to Temple and run for Selectman. But,”Wouldn’t do it.”

Tracy Dunham and Ron Rackliffe were both nominated to serve the remaining two and a half years of Jim Hollands term, but Ron declined the nomination. As no other names were offered, voting took little time and Tracy won by a landslide.

Tracy Dunham and her husband James have lived on Swamp Road for 20 years and raised two children there. Her son, Dakota, has 5 children and works at Jardens. Daughter Lillian Melancon works with adults with developmental disabilities and has a daughter of her own. Tracy grew up in Farmington and Chesterville.

Our new Selectperson would like to help Temple move forward at a time that the community is developing a vision for the future. To her, an important question is “How can we bring the younger generation in?” She wants the generation now in their 20s and 30s to know that they do have a voice in the governance of the town and would like to see them more involved in town affairs.

Immediately after the meeting, Tracy was sworn in by Town Clerk Lou Brackett and a few minutes later found herself seated at her desk facing a stack of binders and manuals. The learning curve is steep, but Tracy has the enthusiasm to fill the position. Welcome to Tracy Dunham!

Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards’ concert at Temple Stream Theater on September 24th was played to a very small audience but was thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless. The duo are Massachusetts music teachers who spend part of each summer on Drury Pond enjoying the quiet and honing their songs.

Their original music is accompanied by clarinet, guitar, harmonica, Irish penny whistle and bass guitar and range from the thoughtful (Hang On to the Day) to the melancholy (Worn Down) to the just plain fun (It Won’t be Written on My Grave).

Mark and Raianna had a lot of competition for an audience that evening with a large wedding just down the road, the annual demolition derby at the Farmington Fairgrounds and Common Ground Fair in Unity. But as they told the audience, “We all have something worth singing about.” And Mark and Raianna have something worth listening to. Be sure to catch them next year.

The September 1st program at the Theater with Brazilian master puppeteer Chico Simoes saw a full house. Nearly three dozen people enjoyed pizza baked in the adjacent cafe’s wood fired oven before the show and as 7 p.m. approached, many more filled the Theater’s seats.

The show told a simple story that included struggles with a bull, an attack by a snake, daring rescues and the birth of a baby. The colorful hand and stick puppets were clever and comical with necks that stretched in surprise and limbs that extended for some amazing break dancing. With encouragement to call out suggestions to the characters, the responses of the children in the audience were nearly as much entertainment as the show itself.

Temple Stream Theater brings unique programs to the community. They range from pure fun to deeply thought provoking and are always worth attending. Do add them to your “must see” entertainment list!

The Temple Historical Society is hosting a program this month that will highlight the connection between an apple that originated with one of our early settlers and the Underground Railroad that provided safe houses for 19th century slaves as they made their way to the Canadian border and freedom. “Of Heritage Apples and the Underground Railroad” will be presented on Wednesday, October 19 at 7 p.m. in the Historical Society room in the Town Hall. Jo Josephson will discuss how the history of the underground railroad played out in Maine and in Temple, drawing on material from Richard Pierce’s 1947 thesis “A History of Temple, It’s Rise and Decline” and several other recent books on the Underground Railroad.

A 20 minute video, produced by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and highlighting the Maine Heritage Orchard will also be shown. The orchard, located in Unity, is home to approximately 150 apples that originated in Maine including the apple developed by Cyrus Deane on his Temple farm. The Deane, or Nine Ounce Apple as it’s sometimes known, is making a comeback. Samples of the savory apple will be offered for tasting.

A small exhibit about the Deane apple is currently in the display case in the Town Hall lobby and people are invited to bring apples from wild trees on their property to the meeting. For further information contact Jo Josephson at 778-2021.

Temple residents, please call me at 778-3856 with news or announcements or if you find yourself planning your apple orchard.