It seems that the first round of columns posted online went quite smoothly. Thanks to Amy Chapman and Will Chapman for making this happen. I received a few encouraging comments, so we will see what we can come up with this week. It is hard to find news in a small town this time of year.
This column posts on Christmas, and I would like to send along Happy Holiday wishes to everyone.
The rainstorm with high winds took out the power last Friday. It went out a little after 2:00 pm, but was restored by 5:00 pm. At least it came back before the temperature dropped later in the day.
Claudia Risbara stopped by last Saturday for a short visit. Her husband, Pete, wasn’t with her. I don’t think he likes to have his name mentioned in the column. Oops!
Our son, Chris Chapman, called from Virginia last Sunday. He said that they had experienced the high winds a few days before we did. He has set up a Christmas synchronized light show at their house so that the decorations are programmed to flash to the music that is playing. The wind took a lot of it down, but he and wife, Kym, are putting it back up. They do nightly shows for the neighborhood.
Not too much excitement at the bird feeder this week. Just the usual suspects that always show up. Of course, the squirrels and the turkeys try to get the good stuff before the other birds get there.
Gilead Historical Society
Historical Note: Excerpt from the GHS publication, “The Smile of Providence, A History of Gilead, Maine, by Howard C. Reiche, Jr. and Hugh G. Chapman, 2004”.-“Once the settlers’ strong desire for education for their children outgrew their ability to do it at home, they turned to the Town of Gilead. However, education like most other town affairs was affected by the dividing of Gilead by the Androscoggin River. It must have been like being in two different communities until the Androscoggin River suspension bridge was built in 1872.
At the 1835 Gilead Town Meeting it was decided to arrange the school districts so that scholars would not have to cross the river or walk more than one mile. Remember that there was no bridge across the Androscoggin River until 1872. By the 1850’s the citizens had built six one room schools in Gilead, with three on the North side of the river and three on the South side. There are references to a seventh and eighth district up the Bog Road. However, it appears they were in the disputed boundary land of the Fryeburg Academy Grant.”
Gilead Town Office
The Town Clerk/Tax Collector has been on (well deserved) vacation this past week, so not much to report. Just remember that the real estate taxes that are unpaid as of December 31st will be listed in the Annual Town Report that comes out in March.
Got any news? Email me at chapmal@hotmail.com