Western Maine Neighborhood News, January 15, 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.
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
By the time you read this, January will be about half over, and Groundhog Day will be just a little over two weeks away. We’ve gained 25 minutes of daylight at the end of the day and three whole minutes in the morning. Sunset is at 4:29 p.m. on January 15, and sunrise is at 7:16 a.m. By the end of the month, the sun will be rising at 7:03 a.m. and setting at 4:50 p.m.
I always feel encouraged when the days grow noticeably longer. Since I can dress for the weather, it’s really not the cold temperatures, snow, and ice that I find hardest about winter (well, maybe the ice), it’s the lack of daylight. It’s much easier now that I work part-time and have generally flexible hours so I can take advantage of what light there is on the shortest days. I remember many years when I drove to and from work in the near-dark, and winter seemed so long!
Tony and I enjoyed a visit from our Colorado girls, Annie and Cait, last weekend. They arrived on Thursday, left on Sunday, and managed to pack a lot into a long weekend—a delayed celebration of Christmas, visits with family and friends, walks with Eli the Wonder Pup, and Cait even joined Katie and Lila at Mt. Abram on Saturday afternoon for Lila’s first ski lesson of the year. She and Katie skied during the lesson, then had time enough afterward for a couple of runs with Lila.
The Greenwood selectmen joined with selectmen and town managers from Bethel, Newry, and Woodstock on Monday for a meeting (and delicious meal) hosted at the Woodstock town office. We have had several of these joint meetings, facilitated by the Northern Forest Center, to discuss regional issues that affect all of our towns. Agenda items this time included an update from First Light on the progress of the broadband project, information from Campbell Environmental Group on grants to assess possible hazardous waste sites, and steps for updating municipal Comprehensive Plans.
Greenwood plans to begin the process of updating our Comprehensive Plan and will soon be seeking members to serve on a Comprehensive Planning Committee. Please let Town Manager Kim Sparks know if you are interested—call 875-2773 or stop by the town office.
Wednesday, January 21, at 2 p.m. in the Reading Room of the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society: The Bethel Library Book Club will discuss Mad Honey, co-written by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. (I just finished reading this book in four days; I couldn’t put it down, and probably would have read it in a day or two if only I could have put everything else in my life on hold.) The Reading Room is located in the back of the building, with access through the rear door on the driveway side, and plenty of parking behind the building or on Broad Street.
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. Copies of American Scripture are available for purchase at cost from both the library and the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society.
The Yarn Hub Drop-In knitting group at the Bethel Library meets on Tuesday mornings from 10-noon.
The Village Makers meet year-round on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Whitman Library in Bryant Pond to enjoy crafting and community. Organizer Liz Hatch calls herself “an obsessed knitter,” but crafters of all kinds are welcome.
Age-Friendly Community Initiative sponsors a drop-in indoor walking program at the Gould Academy Fieldhouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-2 p.m. through April.
AFCI also creates a monthly calendar to let people know what other opportunities and services are available for older citizens in our area. Here’s the schedule for January. Although we’re halfway through the month, and some of these events have already taken place, this should give you an idea of how many great programs are taking place throughout our communities.
I’m overdue for an eye exam, and my cat Carl would agree that it’s time. The other morning I dropped a pair of black shorts on the floor at the top of the stairs so I’d remember to take them down to add to the laundry, and before I got around to going downstairs, I had walked by, glanced at them, and said, “Hi, Carl!” to them…not once, but twice.
This online newsletter is intended to keep our communities informed, so if you have news, events, or photos you’d like to have included here, I hope you’ll share them with me! You can reach me by email at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or by phone or text at 207-890-4812.
“Don’t stress about your eyesight failing as you get older. It’s nature’s way of protecting you from shock as you walk past the mirror.” -- Anonymous
Newry News
Amy Henley
And just like that, we are halfway through January. Eliot and I did go sledding with the neighbors on a snowbank built by Brad Wight. Thanks, Brad! Now we just need more snow so you can make it bigger.
Over the weekend we ventured to Augusta. The first stop was to an equipment dealer because boys love to look at toys and Eliot has his heart set on a snowmobile. Next was The Red Barn for some seafood to celebrate our anniversary. The food was excellent and was ready quickly.
Next up was Sam’s Club which was absolutely crazy on a Saturday afternoon but we did meet a lovely elderly woman and her son from Canaan. She needed a little assistance and I was happy to help. We talked about where we lived and I told her we just came from lunch to celebrate our anniversary. She said her husband had passed away in the spring but they had been married for 70 years. She also had a dairy farm at one time and her son raises beef cattle. Sometimes brief encounters with people are so memorable.
Sunday was another road trip but this time to the butcher to pick up meat. The freezer is full once again and we have meat for sale. My chickens are also still producing a dozen eggs a day, so we also have eggs for sale. My dream someday is to have a farmstand where people can stop and buy meat, eggs, and vegetables seasonally. This is on the back burner but we’ll keep working towards it. For now, customers just reach out to me and we arrange a pickup time so we’ll continue on this way.
It is good to have plans and things to work towards. The ongoing project this year is to work on the barn. First jacking it and eventually siding but this is a big undertaking for a big old barn and it could take quite some time.
Make sure to check out the town’s website newrymaine.org to stay up to date on town business. Don’t forget the Town office will be closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Woodstock News
Linda Stowell
There’s been a welcome change in the weather these past few days. I’m happy to have no ice or snow on any roof, and it’s melted quite a bit in the driveway. A few days ago it was literally a skating rink. I put my grippers on my shoes and did s little shuffle while outside. I can’t begin to tell you the times I’ve fallen! My knees have borne the brunt of many falls, and I have the scars to prove it! My head has also suffered numerous bumps; several good stories to go with them too.
Twelve brave souls ventured out to get to the Locke Mills Union Church service last Sunday. There was enough of a storm to make it messy, but it stopped early on.
The Whitman Memorial Library trustees and volunteers met recently. 2025 was a great year for the library, and we are making plans to continue on with some great programs this year. The Thursday afternoon games group is a faithful crew that shows up weekly to enjoy some fun and social interactions. I know that cribbage is one game that is played. I never learned to play that although my parents and sister played.
When I was young I learned to play “Pounce”, which was a favorite. Each player has their own deck of cards. The object is to get rid of the pounce pile (13 cards) before the other players. I guess it’s a bit like playing individual solitaire, all the while playing as many cards as possible in the middle, as each suit is built. When someone plays the last card in their pile, they call out “Pounce” and all playing stops, though there may be a frantic effort to get a last card into the middle. I have played in a group of 6, and let me tell you—it gets pretty wild! Now and then someone yells to stop so we can regain some order! When the Hathaway women went on a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago, we each brought a deck of cards, specifically for playing this game.
That makes me think of other games I played when I was much younger. I never had the patience for Monopoly. I had the game Clue, and that was a fun one. I remember one called Lie Detector, and some mechanism lit up to give a true or false reading. Then there was Uncle Wiggly! This was a leftover from a previous generation, I think. Other toys I enjoyed were the Spirograph, Colorforms, Silly Putty, and Slinky. I’ll have to take a trip into the attic and see what games I find.
When I was probably about 11 or 12, I had a fabulous birthday gift one year. My parents gave me two marionettes—Hansel and Gretel—straight from Sears. I was fascinated with the way they moved by the pull of a string. The most amazing thing though, was that Bob McKeen, Sr. made me a puppet theater, so Hansel and Gretel could have a stage. It was complete with pull curtains and footlights. Fold out sides and top sections hid the puppet masters from view. This provided hours of fun for me and my friends. I have fond memories of my cousin Pam Hays being my puppet partner. She and her family were here in the summers to visit her mother’s brother, Gil Whitman. Pam and I were close in age and hung out.
Pam and sisters, Sandy and Deb, were all here. Deb is the one who returned to her family land and is here today. I’m happy to have reconnected with her through our work at the Whitman Library.
Dave and I got to the movies this week to see the Avatar movie. It was good, but in my opinion, way too long at 3 hours, and 17 minutes!
I know the flu and all kinds of crud are going around, so stay healthy.
Let me know of anything happening out there!! lstowell@roadrunner.com
Andover News
Diana Nadeau
Sincere condolences go out to the Chase and Coolidge families on the passing of Corey. She was a very brave woman, courageously battling cancer. I remember holding her as a baby while attending softball games when her dad Bob was playing and her mom Tina needed an extra hand.
There will be a masquerade ball, lasagna dinner, silent auction and raffles being held this Saturday the 17th at 49 Franklin in Rumford. All proceeds will go towards Corey’s expenses. Doors open at 5:00 pm. Online tickets are available at 49Franklin.com and will also be available for purchase at All that Jazz on Congress Street in Rumford.
