ROCKPORT —  Note well! Town offices and the Rockport Public Library ibrary will be closed on Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. In addition, town offices will be closed on Friday, July 5, but! the Library will be open both Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6.

Municipal Meetings, July 1 -8
All meetings are at the Town Office unless otherwise specified.

Stephanie Kumble keeps an eye on Rockport municipal news in her regular column here.

The Library Committee and the library’s “Discover the Possibilities” Ad Hoc Committee and other town officials will hold a working session Monday, July 1, at 3:30 p.m.

The Capital Improvement Committee will meet Tuesday, July 2, at 4:30 p.m. The Select Board will meet July 2 for a workshop on setting budgetary goals for 2013-2014.

The Camden-Rockport Pathways Committee will meet Wednesday, July 3, at 7 p.m. at the Washington Street Conference Room in Camden.

The Select Board will meet next Monday, July 8, at 7 p.m. at the Opera House, televised on Public Access Channel 22.

A Waste Water Visioning Workshop will be held Tuesday, July 9 at 7 p.m. at the Opera House, to be televised on Channel 22.

The Planning Board will meet Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Opera House, televised on Channel; 22.

Town Boards, Committees and Commissions
In addition to a wonderful complement of paid staff who keep Rockport right on track, the town is bolstered also by a wide range of volunteer boards and committees and commissions (20!), some elected by ballot vote (three), others appointed. As we head into the town’s “new” calendar year, July 1 - June 30, this would be a great time for you to check the website, or call the Town Office to see what committees currently have vacancies. There just might be a perfect opening that fits your area(s) of expertise or interest.

A complete list of committees appears in the 2013 Annual Report and on the town’s website. If you are interested in serving on a town committees, call the town manager’s Office, 236-0806, for more information. Or, stop by and pick up an “Application for Committee Service.” (Also available  on the town’s website).  

Library expansion process
The Library’s “Discover the Possibilities” process continues (Year Three), as the original grant winds down. Please note that the public is invited, in fact encouraged, to attend any and all meetings, sessions and workshops.

The July 1 working session will create a “Frequently Asked Questions” document, compiling and categorizing questions gathered from public input and other sources. The document will be used to help answer the myriad number of questions surrounding the “how we got here” expansion issue from both the process and results stand point.

Folks will have an informal opportunity to learn more about the Expansion Exploration process at various times at the upcoming Friends of the Library Book sale to be held July 11 - 14. Representatives from the Library Committee, the Library’s “Discover the Possibilities” Ad Hoc Committee and various town officials will be available Thursday, Friday and Saturday at various times with FAQ document handouts and to help answer questions. Specific times will be posted closer to the Book Sale.

The next regularly scheduled Library Committee meeting will be held Thursday, July 18, at 3:30 p.m. at the Town Office. The agenda is to be announced closer to the meeting date.

In addition, a workshop session is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, at 7 p.m. for the Library Committee, the Library’s “Discover the Possibilities” Ad Hoc Committee, the Select Board and various other town officials. The workshop will be held at the Opera House, televised on Channel 22.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Library’s 1914 founding, a rendition of the current building by artist Anne Kilham adorns the front cover and a wonderful one-page synopsis highlights some of the historical facts about the Rockport Public Library (not just its buildings!), beginning with the 1929 founding of the Library Building Association with a $5,000 bequest.

Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Plans continue for CMCA’s move from its historic Rockport home to Rockland to join the flourishing art scene in Rockland. An agreement to purchase was signed for a site at 21 Winter St. in Rockland. (Adjacent to the Strand Theater, near the Farnsworth Museum).  

The decision to move was a difficult one followed by a yearlong study by CMCA’s Strategic Planning Committee that recognized the need to move to “a more accessible location.” CMCA will continue its scheduled programs and  exhibitions at the Rockport location over the next two years.

Philanthropist Marilyn Moss Rockefeller returns to CMCA as chair of the board of trustees and will lead the $4 million fund raising campaign for the relocation process.