LEWISTON — Did you hear? Paul Amnott is retiring. Again. He means it this time: r-e-t-i-r-i-n-g.

Amnott, a 37-year veteran for the Lewiston School Department, and long-time assistant principal at Lewiston High School, retired in June 2012.

At least, that was his plan.

A few months later, Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster got news that Lewiston Middle School Principal and Army guard member Shawn Chabot was being deployed to Afghanistan for a year; he wouldn’t be there in September 2013.

He asked Amnott if he would be acting principal at the middle school. Amnott agreed and was officially appointed.

Then word came that Chabot wasn’t being deployed after all.

In July, Lewiston High School Principal Gus LeBlanc left to become headmaster at Lee Academy.

“Oh, Paul,” Webster said, asking if he’d be acting principal. Amnott agreed, taking over in August.

On Monday night, the Lewiston School Committee hired Linda MacKenzie as the new high school principal. She starts Nov. 12.

Come Nov. 15, Amnott said he’s retiring. Since he first retired, “my wife has retired. My wife and I are going south for a couple of months. We’re looking forward to it.”

There are a lot of principals in Lewiston. No word on whether Amnott plans to screen his calls from Webster. — Bonnie Washuk