Western Maine Neighborhood News, January 29, 2026
Hello, Neighbors! In this issue, the Locke’s Mills, Newry, and Woodstock columns are free to all readers. Upgrade to a paid subscription to read this week’s Andover, Bethel, East Bethel, and Gilead columns.
Woodstock News
Linda Stowell
Winter is fully upon us now! It sure was a winter wonderland out there on Monday. I spent some time cleaning up after the driveway was plowed. I’m very grateful it was light and fluffy.
Owen Melville’s Celebration of Life was well attended on Saturday. People from many phases of his life were there to honor him. There was a military presence, and the American flag was passed to Charlie Paul, who presented it to Owen’s son, Dennis. A 21-gun salute took place outside the church prior to the flag ceremony.
Following the service, there was a bounteous buffet. After all, Owen’s favorite pastime was eating! Everything was delicious, and we are certain that Owen approved. Finger rolls, fruit, sweets, chips, chili, and mac ’n cheese were all plentiful.
It was a wonderful tribute. One notable thing was when Anna Sysko of The Gemini Cafe delivered a huge box of pastries before the service. Our friends, Amy Newman and Brent Noorda, of Florida, ordered “one of everything” to be delivered to the church in honor of Owen and his love to eat. We met Amy and Brent on a Carribbean cruise a few years back. We ended up going on a second cruise with them, and had a wonderful time. They had dinner with us several times and we established a real friendship. We have had a couple of visits from them here too! It was a very thoughtful and much appreciated gesture.
There was no church last Sunday. The decision to call it off was due to the extreme cold. Many of our members don’t enjoy going out in inclement weather, or the cold. It looks like there may possibly be more snow next Sunday, though it’s pretty early to be sure. Coming up is the Four Chaplains Sunday.
I recall the winter of ’69, and the incredible amount of snow we had. It was Telstar’s first year of operation, and the school year got off to a later start, due to the school not being quite finished. Then we had so many snow days! I really couldn’t see out the kitchen window because the snow was so high! That winter was very challenging. I don’t recall if or how many days we had to make up.
That also brings to mind a plan that my best high school friend, Cindy Russo, cooked up. The fashion of the late sixties was mini-skirts. That’s all well and good, but waiting for a bus in mid-winter with bare legs exposed was not so fun. One day, we wore pants to school (corduroys) and proceeded as usual. We were called down to the principal’s office, where we were questioned about our defiance of the school dress code. We explained, ever so politely, that it was most impractical to wear short skirts in cold weather. Our reasoning was heard, and it wasn’t long after that the dress code was changed so that girls could wear long pants to school! We remain very proud of our “resistance,” which paved the way for others.
The First Universalist Church of West Paris will be hosting a Cabin Fever Fun day on Wednesday, February 4, from 1:00-3:00. There will be a puzzle to work on, cribbage boards and cards, or bring your own game or craft. Join us for a social afternoon. Refreshments will be served. Snow date is February 5, same time and place. You can also mark your calendars for March 4, when another Cabin Fever Fun day is scheduled.
Please let me know of any events of news: lstowell@roadrunner.com
Newry News
Amy Henley
I woke up Wednesday morning thinking there was something I had forgotten to do. I was correct and thankful I remembered that the column deadline is noon. I quickly reset my reminder on my calendar and sat down to whip out a quick column before work.
Friday, we had to make a quick trip to Mexico/Dixfield for an appointment and were a bit early so we stopped at Walmart for a few items. Eliot saw a whole aisle dedicated to pool supplies and wanted to know when we would open our pool. That was an interesting conversation as it will be May at least. Funny how they stock shelves so early for something so far away. This is an especially hard concept for a 9-year-old, although I always like to see the changing of stock to more spring/summer items.
The weekend brought extremely cold temperatures and the kitchen was kept warm with the stove on cooking up some corn chowder and biscuits one day and lasagna, bread and chocolate chip cookies the next day.
We did get several inches of snow and the Town Office opened at 10am to give staff time to clean up and get to the office. The Select Board will meet the first and third Tuesdays at 3pm until further notice. A calendar can be viewed on the town’s website: newrymaine.org.
Send me your news to be added to my column to newrynews24@gmail.com.
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
In spite of last weekend’s brutal cold, I’m happy to say that Eli the Wonder Pup and I got out for a hike on both weekend days, and lived to tell about it.
Saturday morning’s short hike to Lapham Ledge in the Buck’s Ledge Community Forest really was chilly. Even though we waited until late morning to head out, the temperature was only one degree above zero, and there was a strong wind. Needless to say, we didn’t linger long on the open ledges.
I had planned to take Eli to Maggie’s Nature Park on Sunday, but then Will called to say that he and Rosemary were on their way to Portland and couldn’t remember for sure if they had unplugged the waffle iron after making waffles for breakfast—could I go and check? So I decided to head for the McCoy-Chapman Forest on the North Road (after stopping at their apartment in Bethel to ascertain that yes, the waffle iron was unplugged). The temperature was about five degrees warmer than the day before, but the real difference was the lack of wind—six degrees feels positively balmy when you’re dressed for it and the wind isn’t threatening every inch of exposed skin with frostbite.
I was glad to have gotten a couple more hikes in before hitting the trails without snowshoes became out of the question for a while. I did put my snowshoes on to get to the bird feeder on Monday afternoon, though, and then I stomped down some paths in the dog pen for Eli. The snow was so deep and powdery that I’m hoping a few other people will put on snowshoes and pack down my favorite trails before I get back out there.
I didn’t have to think about what to do for a workout on Tuesday morning—it was back to the “snow gym” to get the paths and ramp at the Bethel Library cleared off before it opened at noon. I enjoy snow-shoveling—really!—but I was glad this big snow was light and easy to handle…and I’m kind of hoping the storm that may be coming our way on Sunday misses us.
Here are some upcoming meetings and events for your calendar:
Saturday, January 31, at 2 p.m. at the Bethel Library on Broad Street: Book discussion of American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, by Pauline Maier. This is the first of several book discussions relating to the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution to be held during 2026 as part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. A remote participation option will be available for those who can’t attend the discussion in person.
Saturday, January 31, from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at the West Paris Library: Communication Workshop. Facilitators Robin Dunn and Stephanie Frykholm will lead this workshop on “How to Talk With Somebody Who Sees It Differently.” This program is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register, call the library at 207-674-2004 or email librarian@westparislibrary.org.
Wednesday, February 4, from 1-3 p.m. at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: Cabin Fever Fun. There will be a puzzle to work on and cribbage boards and cards. Bring your own game or craft and come and enjoy a social afternoon. There will be light refreshments. The snow date will be Feb. 5, at the same time.
Friday, February 13, from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Reading Room of the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society’s Robinson House: Community Mending/Repair Group meeting. This newly-formed group meets monthly to share knowledge and other resources for fixing things that might otherwise go to waste. At their first two meetings, repairs included hemming pants, darning socks, sharpening kitchen knives, and putting shoes back in service. The Feature Focus of the February meeting will be repairing snowshoes, nordic ski bindings and poles. Bring your own project (anything you’d like to fix - it doesn’t have to be the Feature Focus) and a few dollars to put into the MBHS donation box. And if you have a friend that may be interested, bring them along too! If you’d like more information on how to become involved, contact Betsey Cooper at (207) 381-0713 or email awoodenhouse100@gmail.com or Robin Nesbeda at (978) 895 2320 or email RNesbead@gmail.com
Valentine’s Day is coming, and the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society is holding its third annual Haven’s Candies Valentine Fundraiser. Chocolate speaks louder than words—tell someone how much you love them with an I Love You Box from Haven’s Candies! Order online at bethelhistorical.org/shop or call 207-824-2908.
The selectmen and town managers of Greenwood and Woodstock met this week to finalize the transfer station budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. After bids for hauling waste and recycling were opened, a three-year contract was awarded to our current provider, Casella.
The Greenwood Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, and at 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 12, at the Town Office on the Gore Road to develop the municipal budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Like all regular selectmen’s meetings, budget meetings are always open to the public.
If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you know that I celebrate the arrival of Groundhog Day each year. Even though I know perfectly well that we’ll always have at least six more weeks of winter (whether or not that prognosticating rodent sees his shadow), Groundhog Day always means the end of winter is in sight.
According to Wikipedia, “The first documented American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in a diary entry, dated February 4, 1841, by Morgantown, Penn. storekeeper James Morris: ‘Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back in for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.’”
An old rhyme goes: “February second, Candlemas Day: half your wood, and half your hay. Half the winter has passed away; we’ll eat our supper by the light of day.”
Actually, I’ve read that January 20 is statistically the midpoint of the heating season, with an average of half the degree days occurring prior to that date, and half after. If that’s the case, by February 2, we’re almost two weeks closer to spring than the old rhyme indicates, so if you’ve already gone through half your wood, it may not be cause for panic. And with any luck, the second half of winter will be at least a bit milder than the past couple of weeks.
“January is the worst month. You are fat and broke from the holidays, paler than ever, and you can’t feel your own face when you walk outside.” – Anonymous
Gilead News
Lin Chapman
I’ve started this column on Sunday, while we are waiting for the big snowstorm to hit later today. I will add to it on Monday/Tuesday with results of the storm.
On Monday, just about everything in the state was shut down. By Tuesday, there was over a foot of snow that had fallen. After a day off on Monday, SAD 44 had a two-hour delay on Tuesday. Everyone was busy cleaning up the snow, but at least it was light and easy to handle.
