Western Maine Neighborhood News, January 22, 2026
Hello, Neighbors! In this issue, the Andover, Bethel, East Bethel, and Gilead columns are free to all readers. Upgrade to a paid subscription to read this week’s Locke’s Mills, Newry, and Woodstock columns. Stay warm this weekend!
Andover News
Diana Nadeau
Brrrrr is all I can say. It was minus 8 degrees this morning (1/21) when I went out to take care of the chickens. It sounds like some brutally cold air is coming in this weekend. I’m quite certain that our wood stove will be cranking.
Our six-year-old granddaughter, Harper, is coming for an overnight visit this weekend. I believe some inside activities will be in order. Probably some baking of some sort and popcorn on the stove along with some movies of her choosing.
The Northern Lights made an appearance earlier this week. I wasn’t able to see them from my backyard, but I did see some beautiful pictures posted on social media. If you have ever seen them in person it is truly an amazing experience.
There will be a potluck lunch held at the Andover Congregational Church on Saturday, January 24, at 11 am. Please bring food to share. No time to cook? Attend anyway! Drinks are provided and all are welcome. The cost is free but donations are gratefully accepted.
The church is quite the hub of our town. The Cabin Fever Reliever takes place there on certain Saturdays through April from 10-2. The next one will be on January 31.
The Andover Food Pantry uses the church as well on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 10 and serves the towns of Andover, Roxbury, Bryon, Hanover, and Upton. Christine and her hard working team do such a wonderful job with this organization.
Lastly, I would like to wish my bff of (gulp) 49 years a very Happy Birthday, I hope you have a wonderful day Velora!
Please send any news or events my way and please stay safe one and all during this record-breaking cold snap that is headed here for the weekend! diananadeau@ymail.com
Bethel News
Linda Howe
Cold weather is here and time to stoke up the wood fire. Having temperatures below zero is always a challenge. Heating with wood is a blessing and so glad to live in the state of Maine where there is an abundance of wood.
On the topic of cold temperatures, I have a friend who is a Catholic nun who spent 50 years living among the Northern Cree Community of John D’or Prairie in Alberta, Canada. During her time there she remembers temperatures at 70 degrees below zero. It was so cold that the wild horses living on the prairie would die because their lungs froze from the extreme temperatures. Now that is cold!
When winter is here there is nothing finer than a hot bowl of soup. The January 21st Soup’s On! at the Methodist Church was well attended with many fine soups, bread and dessert to enjoy! Bonnie Pooley brought to the church soup spoons that were donated by Greg and Elba Bove and they certainly came in handy. These additional spoons will be put to good use and I am so thankful to Greg and Elba. Such a kind and thoughtful gift to the church.
Back in May of 2025 Bob and I adopted a puppy from the Greater Portland Refuge Center. She was born in February and her mother and pups were surrendered to the animal shelter. We saw her on Channel 8 on a Saturday morning and drove down and made her part of our family. We named her Lady and she is a mixed breed.
Having a dog in your house makes life very lively. It keeps you moving and active which has been good for both of us. The challenge with a young dog is getting all the energy out of them. I recently got together with my friend Marilyn Swan and her two dogs, Mollie and Charlie. We took them for a walk on Marilyn’s property off the Sunday River Road. Those three dogs had a great time and it was an awesome walk. Spending time with a good friend and having those three dogs run their tails off was just perfect! Life’s simple pleasures are always the best!
This column always welcomes news and events which can be sent to lhowe7273@gmail.com
East Bethel News
Wally Ritz
These drastic changes in temperatures are really frustrating and annoying. I find myself looking at sites selling plants and seeds, which I know is way too early. It makes me feel good, though. How many of you are doing the same already?
Neil Olson attended the first fur sale in Berwick, Maine, last weekend. On January 27th Neil will celebrate his birthday. Happy Birthday from the whole neighborhood, Neil.
Those of you getting the newsletter, please help us spread the word and also offer help to those who have a tough time going through the process of signing up. Also, I could use your help in updating my phone/contact list and how you want me to get in touch. You can call me at 824-1113, email heinrichcracker@gmail.com or contact me through Facebook Messenger.
Word has it that the flu and Covid are on the uprise again. Please, protect yourself and stay safe.
Have a great week!
Gilead News
Lin Chapman
Well, January is a little over half gone. The weather has been interesting with a few nice days, really cold days and snow showers most of the time. Luckily the accumulation has been mild. We have been down and out with a cold most of the time since the beginning of the month. It just does not seem to want to go away. There certainly was no interest in going out and dealing with snow removal.
We still have no new and exciting birds showing up at the feeder. There are lots and lots of Blue Jays and Mourning Doves. We have not seen the Robin lately.
Since I haven’t been feeling well, I have not had too much contact with anyone for news. I did speak to Judy Bishop, who lives in Yarmouth, and she told me that she had attended a birthday party for a little four-year-old relative. The party was quite exciting since Mr. Drew and His Animals Too from Poland, ME were there to entertain the children. He brought several species for the children to look at and learn about. His visit was not only interesting but educational. The children (and adults) enjoyed the presentation and the chance to get up close to some of these animals that one would never get a chance to see. The location in Poland evidently is a great place to visit.
Gilead Historical Society
Historical Note: Excerpt from the GHS publication, {The Patent, by Howard C. Reiche, Jr. and Hugh G. Chapman, Fall 2005}-Harvesting Ice on the Androscoggin
“Back in the 1800’s, keeping the family warm and fed kept a Gilead farmer pretty busy. Most of what fed them was raised on his farm, and a lot of it was perishable: milk, butter, meat, etc. The vegetables and fruits could be kept a while in the cool “root cellar” under the house. Much of this food was preserved or dried in order to keep it longer. There was no handy refrigerator, or deep freeze.
The warm months had an impact on what was on the table. However, this could be changed if ice was available to the farmer. Most of the farmers had an icehouse on the farm. Very few of these have survived because they weren’t strongly built in the first place.
Usually, they were built with upright poles sheathed with rough boards. Often there were two walls about a foot apart. This space was filled with sawdust or hay for insulation. The roof was just enough to keep out the rain. As the layers of cakes of ice were built up in the winter, they were covered with sawdust or hay along the edges and between the layers, again, for insulation. It was amazing how well this kept the ice through the summer. Digging a block of ice out of the pile in the summer was always a pleasant experience.
Ice was “cut” on the Androscoggin River, millponds and on small brooks dammed for that purpose. For instance, Ingall’s Brook had a small, dammed area, which filled three icehouses. Probably, these were built by Tallyrand Lary and were used later by O. B. Brown.
Cutting on the river must have been difficult. It had to be on an eddy where the thick ice could form uniformly. Also, it had to be easily available to the oxen and horses that were used to scrape away the snow, score the ice into cakes and haul them to the farmer’s icehouse. An open winter, or one with repeated “ice-outs” must have been a serious hardship to the farmer. Also, if he sold ice to his neighbors, he had lost a cash crop. In reviewing old Gilead town records, we found no mention of people selling ice. However, the large number of Gilead boarding houses with vacationers and mill workers must have used a lot of it.
Imagine how things changed when the first refrigerator came through that farmhouse.”
(Photos from the collection of Hugh & Linsley Chapman--originally from the Emeline Heath collection)
Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
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.
According to NOAA weather data, Maine’s coldest days of the year usually fall between January 19 and 25, and it appears that 2026 is going to follow that pattern. I’m glad to have gotten out for so many hikes already this month, because the next few days look like good ones to stay inside and make use of the treadmill and exercise bike.
