Western Maine Neighborhood News, July 2, 2026
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
Happy Fourth of July, and Happy 250th Birthday, America! It’s going to be a busy weekend around here! Here’s a calendar of some of the special events happening in the area on the Fourth of July and beyond.
Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Community Celebration, sponsored by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society and the Independence 250 Committee. Here’s the full schedule:
10:00 a.m. - Parade (Assemble at 9:00 a.m. at River Lanes)
11:30 a.m. - Patriotic picnic and concert by the Portland Brass Quintet at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society. (Preceded by a presentation of the colors and a reading of the Declaration of Independence)
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. - Party! Food, music, and games at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, including:
Zim Zam Jam - Open music jam (All voices and acoustic instruments welcome.)
Historic games and dress-up activities for children
Regional History Fair - Information tables and activities from area historical societies
Lawn games - Croquet, cornhole, and more
Grand opening of the “Connected by a Thread” quilt exhibit in the Mason House exhibit hall
Chronicle of Colors: Flags of the United States exhibit in the Robinson House
Centennials Past and Present exhibit in the Robinson House
Mason House Museum period room tours
Museum Shop specials
Hot dogs and snacks available for purchase from the “Mt. Zircon Bottle” lunch stand
Also happening all day on July 4th:
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - 22nd Annual Shy, Novice, and Closeted Art Show - Local artists (18 High Street)
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Bethel Area Arts and Music Summer Art Market (Philbrook Place, 162 Main Street)
Saturday, July 4, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Tyler Concrete, 256 North Main Street in Greenwood: Second annual Independence Cruise-in. Free admission gets you live entertainment from the Ball Brothers Band and the Fossils, Jamaican cuisine by Kool Runnings available to purchase, classic cars, and fireworks. Contact (207) 557-3785 for more info.
Sunday, July 5th, 9:15 p.m. - Fireworks Show! (Bethel Resort & Suites)
Wednesday, July 15, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Locke Mills Union Church: Public Spaghetti Supper.
Molly Ockett Day Medallion Hunt returns!
Molly Ockett Day will be held in Bethel on Saturday, August 8. In the return of an old favorite tradition, and to help commemorate America’s 250th birthday, the Molly Ockett Day Medallion Hunt, sponsored by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society and the Bethel Area Business Association (BABA), is officially underway.
The object of the hunt is to decipher a series of clues and locate the medallion hidden on public land within the town lines of Albany, Andover, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Grafton, Hanover, Mason, Newry, Riley Plantation (Sunday River area), and Woodstock.
The finder of the medallion will be awarded a cash prize of $599.99 (generously donated by Western Maine Supply and Clean Cut Painting Company) during the Molly Ockett Day festivities.
Clues, each different and more revealing, will be published once a week for five weeks leading up to Molly Ockett Day on August 8, 2026. The first clue will be revealed at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society’s July 4th Celebration.
All clues will be announced on WOXO radio on Monday mornings, starting July 6, and then published on the Bethel Area Business Association and Museums of the Bethel Historical Society Facebook pages on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m., starting on July 8.
If the medallion is not found by the time of the fireworks on Molly Ockett Day, the hunt will be terminated.
Here are the contest rules:
1. Anyone is eligible to join the thrilling hunt for $599.99 except for MBHS staff, trustees, Independence 250 committee members, and their immediate family, as well as Bethel Area Business Association Officers and immediate family members.
2. To claim the prize money, you must be 18 years or older or accompanied by a parent/guardian.
3. The finder of the Molly Ockett Treasure Hunt medallion must immediately return the medallion to Bethel Area Business Association by calling 207-890-3617.
4. The finder will receive the cash prize of $599.99 on Molly Ockett Day August 8th.
5. BABA reserves the right to discontinue the hunt if public property is destroyed, or if reports of private property trespassing are discovered.
6. The medallion will be in a clear container, and is generally hidden in or attached to something else. The medallion is not buried below ground and as the rules state, searchers do not need to destroy property to find it, this includes digging up the ground.
7. Searchers also do not need to risk personal injury to find the medallion.
8. All contestants agree that BABA, MBHS, and WOXO will have no liability whatsoever and will be held harmless of any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from acceptance, possession, misuse, or use of the prize or participation in this contest.
9. The winner grants permission for Bethel Area Business Association (BABA) and Museums of the Bethel Historical Society (MBHS) to use his or her name and photograph.
Pupdate: Lena will turn five months old on Monday, July 6! She’s been learning to swim, although she’s still a bit unsure about it. She’s an excellent retriever on land, and even brings the ball (or stick, or Frisbee) back (most of the time), and she’ll swim a couple of yards to retrieve a toy in the water, but when she reaches it, she forgets to swim and gets a little panicky, flailing around and sometimes going under. (Don’t worry, I stay right with her in the water!) I think she could really use a doggy lifejacket to allow her to build up confidence (and get much-needed exercise) while she’s too young to keep herself afloat for long without one. We do have Eli’s XL lifejacket for her to wear next year, but I may have to get her a medium-size one to wear this year so she can keep up with her friend Puck on playdates.
Speaking of swimming, I’ve been going for long swims as often as I can, usually in the early mornings when the lake is calm. Tuesday morning I swam to Rock Island and back for the first time this summer, a roundtrip that takes me slightly less than an hour. In weather like this, I’m glad for a form of exercise that doesn’t leave me hot and sweaty, but I’m really missing hiking. Between a puppy who’s too young to hike yet, and a lawn that won’t stop growing, I somehow went the whole month of June without a hike!
The First Universalist Church of West Paris is closed for the summer. Members and other people interested are encouraged to attend the Universalist Church in West Sumner from July 12- August 23. The West Sumner time is 11:00 followed by a lovely luncheon. The West Paris Universalist church will reopen the Sunday after Labor Day, Sept. 13.
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.
Newry News
Amy Henley
My vacation came and went. It sure is amazing how quickly time passes. I did accomplish several items on my list at least.
Eliot and I decided to venture to Wayne to pick strawberries at Stevenson’s. I haven’t gone picking in years and Eliot had never been. The picking was amazing and we may have gone a little overboard but it was hard not to. With six flats of strawberries, I set to work making jam using my digital canner. Although I had reservations with so many steps in the manual, it went great and I am a huge fan. I managed to can 20 jars of jam and with several flats of berries still remaining I made a couple of strawberry rhubarb pies before my rhubarb passes. While the pies baked, I set to work making a couple of loaves of strawberry bread. I also whipped up some biscuits for strawberry shortcake of course. A fruit salad was made and several quarts of remaining berries were frozen for later use. We both decided next year we better not pick quite so many.
I was convinced I could smell strawberries in the car for days and worried there was one that had rolled under the seat to rot so I decided it was a great time to clean and vacuum the car to confirm this was not the case. No strawberries were found although a few pieces of straw had escaped and possibly were where the strawberry smell came from.
The garden continues to do well besides the green beans as Betty, the pet chicken, decided they were a great snack. She has since been grounded to the barn in hopes that they can recover and the beans actually grow back. I sure do miss seeing her roaming around the yard and hopping up on my porch swing to visit.
With a stretch of good weather and a friend with hay down, we ventured to Bethel to help with square bales. Eliot enjoyed throwing hay as we only put up round bales. I was sure my dad was smiling down watching us out in the field. We used to say, “A family that hays together stays together.”
We are in a heat stretch but the mornings still start off cool which is nice for a morning run. I keep my eyes open for wildlife and so far have only seen a couple of deer.
Just a reminder that the Town Office is closed today, Thursday July 2nd, in observance of Independence Day. The Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, July 4th, so please plan accordingly.
If you have any great strawberry recipes for my frozen berries, please feel free to share them with me. If you have any news to add, please send it to me at newrynews24@gmail.com. Have a great week and enjoy the weather as it won’t last forever.
Woodstock News
Linda Stowell
Holy heat wave! It’s a little shocking to plunge into the heat and humidity from cooler temperatures. No AC for me in the house, but my window fan does a decent job. The plants and veggies love the heat, but they get very thirsty. I had deer netting put up around my sunflowers, zinnias, and cukes. I had one cleome get chomped last week, so action needed to be taken. I know there are deer close by, and last year I believe they were responsible for the destruction of several things. If it’s not something eating them from above, it’s the voles below ground.
I had a marvelous visit with my friend, Joey Riley, last week. I drove to Roxbury Pond, and we went to Mills’ Market for lunch. This time we varied from our usual subs and poutine, to a loaded pizza. It was huge, delicious, and very loaded! Even though it was cloudy, with spotty showers, we put our suits on and took to the pond. We endured numerous sprinkles, and lots of clouds, but had a great time.
There’s been a lot of activity at the Locke Mills Union Church recently. The gardens have been weeded and edged. Last weekend the church was pressure washed, and the sanctuary was cleaned. Coming up in just a couple of weeks is a public supper. It’s good to have our “summer folks” back!
The First Universalist Church of West Paris is closed for the summer. Members and other people interested are encouraged to attend the Universalist Church in West Sumner from July 12-August 23. The West Sumner time is 11:00 followed by a lovely luncheon. The West Paris Universalist Church will reopen the Sunday after Labor Day, September 13.
On Saturday, I went with Dave to Lowell, MA, where we attended the Masonic installation of his friend Will, who went in as Master. It was followed by an excellent meal at Cobblestones, a restaurant around the corner from the Masonic temple. We had the opportunity to visit with his great friends, Don and Jeanne Ouellette. It was a long day, twelve hours from start to finish, but a good one.
My apologies in advance—I don’t expect to be writing my column next week, as I’ll be out of town and not always connected to wifi.
Wishing you all a very happy 4th of July! Stay safe on the roads, in the water, and in the heat!
Please send me any news or events: lalalindastowell@gmail.com
AFCI News
Melinda Remington
Hello Friends of the Bethel Area Age-Friendly Community Initiative!
July is here, and the temperatures certainly feel like summer! Be sure to take precautions to stay safe in this current heatwave. Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and become a shade lover instead of a sun worshiper until the heat breaks. If you choose to walk outdoors, early mornings are the best time, when temperatures are somewhat lower.
Western Maine Weekly Hikes for All Ages coordinator Sue Radway notes that many of the group hikes take place earlier in the morning, before the heat gets too intense. Here’s the schedule for the current week. You can find each week’s schedule posted on the Bethel Outing Club Facebook page before Monday.
Here are some photos I took on Monday morning’s walk at Davis Park.
One of the oak trees Paul Motts initiated the Rotary club planting along the pathway several years ago is finally taking off and growing well.
Hop, skip, and spin—you don’t have to be a youngster to enjoy the games and activities along the pathway at Davis Park!
One of the best pieces of advice I know is to take time to stop and smell the roses along the way, and what better spot for that than this covered bench along the pathway? Enjoy the shade, as well as the heavenly aroma of the old-fashioned roses.
AFCI board member and occupational therapist Brie Weisman recently spoke at a meeting of the Bethel Rotary Club. She emphasized the importance of grab bars and their proper placement in order to avoid falls. AFCI offers a free home simple safety assessment that Brie performs. Just call 207-824-4444 and leave a message to arrange an assessment for yourself or a family member. Or reach out to the AFCI Community Connector, Melinda Remington
melindaremington@yahoo.com
Enjoy these fleeting summer days—they don’t last long!
Melinda Remington
AFCI Community Connector
Andover News
Diana Nadeau
Just a reminder that the Town Office is closed today, July 2nd, in observance of the July 4th holiday.
Being that the June 9 local election did not result in the third Selectboard seat being filled, as no nomination papers were taken out by prospective candidates and the write-in with the most votes is unable to serve at this time, the Selectboard voted to move forward in filling the seat before the November elections. The Special Election is to be held in 45 days, on August 10, from 2 – 6 p.m. at the Andover Town Hall. The Town Clerk will be preparing nomination papers and will notify the public when they are ready for candidates to pick up at the Town Office to attain the required signatures to run for office and the date on which they will be due back.
