ROCKLAND – In its regular meeting Jan. 9, the Rockland City Council recognized and commended Ann Morris and Michelle Gifford for their efforts in saving the Edna St. Vincent Millay House and creating the Millay Literary Society.

Both Morris and Gifford spoke to the council during the public forum portion of the meeting.

Councilor Larry Pritchett said it was Gifford who first made him aware that Edna St. Vincent Millay was from Rockland.

"For projects like this in the community, it often takes persistence and vision of one person who then reaches out to another person," he said. "We just keep chipping away until somewhere, some way a door will open. To Michelle I just want to say thank you, and to Ann I want to say thank you for backing up Michelle."

Councilor Ed Glaser said he had to go away to college to learn Millay was from Rockland.

"When I was in college, which was a long time ago, we were studying American Poetry and in the section under Edna St. Vincent Millay it said that she was from Rockland, Maine,” said Glaser. “That was the first exposure I had and I had to go away to college to find out she was born here."

Glaser went on to say that it was important for the people that grow up here to know that we have literary greats that come from Rockland and you don't have to look outside of town.

"I feel as though the Edna St. Vincent Millay House will be a very important cornerstone in that," he said.

In another matter of business, the Council brought forth a resolve to make Feb. 22, Edna St. Vincent Millay Day in Rockland.

The resolve was read in full by Councilor Valli Geiger. It began with Millay's birth on Feb. 22, 1892, in Rockland, and outlined her literary accomplishments through out her life.

In a 5-0 vote the resolve was enacted and council urged all its citizens to to take cognizance of Feb. 22 and participate fittingly in its observance.