“Above the Fold”
(An introduction to each week’s newsletter from the editor of WMNN)
Hi, Neighbors! In this week’s Western Maine Neighborhood News, the Bethel, Gilead, Newry, and Woodstock columns are free to all subscribers, along with news from the AFCI—the Age-Friendly Community Initiative. Upgrade to a paid subscription ($5/month or $50/year) to read this week’s Andover, East Bethel, and Locke’s Mills columns (and all the town columns every week).
The weather has definitely felt more like fall lately, at least on most days, making it easier to believe that it’s really mid-September already. The upcoming weekend promises to be a busy one, with Harvest Fest on the Common on Saturday from 10-3, and the Mahoosuc Land Trust’s Homegrown Food Festival on Sunday from 12-4 at Valentine Farm. Be sure to get outside to enjoy the beautiful early-fall weather and sample some of the fun local activities!
Only a few hours are left to vote for Dog Mayor of Bethel. It’s been a hotly contested race; here’s the latest update on who’s leading the pack.
Andover News
Diana Nadeau
Another 9/11 has come and gone. It is unfathomable that it has been 25 years. It is one of the days in my life, I’m sure in all of our lives, that you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. It was my second year of working at Andover Elementary School. God bless all those souls that were lost and all the lives that were changed that day. I tried in vain to see the tribute lights on the top of Mount Washington last week. Too cloudy or just not good enough of a view. I have seen other folks’ pictures; it was truly stunning.
Bethel News
Linda Howe
This Saturday is the annual Harvest Fest on the Bethel Common from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.—a fun-filled day to welcome in the Fall Season. An event that has an assortment of activities, vendors and food for the choosing. The Bethel Village will be active with visitors from near and far.
Voting for Dog Mayor of Bethel closes today, Thursday, September 17, at 4:00 PM and the winner will be announced at Harvest Fest at noon. The Dog Mayor program is an opportunity to recognize one of our beloved canine companions while bringing neighbors together to celebrate the joy, friendship, and community spirit that dogs bring to Bethel. Votes are $5.00 each, with proceeds benefiting the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Bethel’s Animal Control Department. The winning dog will have their picture framed in the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce and will also receive a free grooming session from the The Local Barkin Spot Salon. Cast your final votes before time runs out at bethelmaine.com/events/dogmayor
Another event on Saturday is the monthly Rumford Point Potluck Social which takes place in the dining room at the Rumford Point Congregational UCC Church starting at 11:30 a.m. This is a potluck lunch that is open to everyone. Please bring something to share with others and enjoy an assortment of food along with good conversation.
Sunday, September 20, from noon to 4 p.m., join Mahoosuc Land Trust at Valentine Farm for the Homegrown Food Festival. See the flyer below for details.
On Saturday, October 10th, there will be a Loggers Public Supper at the Methodist Church from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. On the menu will be ham, chop suey, mac & cheese, cole slaw, rolls, and pies for dessert. During the supper there will be a speaker who will provide information about the Community Wood Bank. This wood bank is a community outreach program to help folks who need firewood for the upcoming winter months. We hope information can help folks who are in need of firewood. Please mark your calendars for this upcoming event.
This week is the start of digging potatoes to store in the root cellar. First out of the ground are the Norland Reds. They are dug in the morning to let the sun help dry off any moisture before they are put into buckets and stored away for the winter. Potatoes are easy because there is no freezing or canning to be done. Just a good back to dig the potatoes and pick them up off the ground.
This column always welcomes news and events which can be sent to lhowe7273@gmail.com
East Bethel News
Hayli Tuttle
Hello neighbors! I hope you all had a fantastic week.
This week I began working on more projects for the upcoming Saturday Market. I also got to go to Mountain Greenery with my momma and got to treat her to a couple little trinkets that caught her eye. We had a good day window shopping together as well.
Gilead News
Lin Chapman
Well, September is half over now. We are still getting more days that are reasonably warm. Every once in a while a dismal day will show up. You just make the best of it.
As usual, news is scarce around here. The Real Estate Tax Bills have been mailed out and most people have received them. If you did not receive a bill, contact the Town Office at 207-836-2115.
Mike Kelley and his crew have been wrapping up the work on the Town Hall. Hugh asked him if when he was done we could hire him to do a project for us. The old deck needed to be removed, and the cellar hole filled in. Since he had his equipment on site already, the work was completed quickly. (Even though we border with the Town this was a separate project and paid for by us.)
Gilead Historical Society
Reminder: The Annual Meeting Date has been changed from September 19th to September 26th. GHS is providing the food. Open to the public.
May’s Letters continued
Letter #8
Pension Kaufmann Lucerne, Switz.
July 27, 1905
My dear Family,
If I remember correctly I closed my last letter just as we were about to start on our second diligence ride, from Brieg to Gletsch. We left Zermatt Tuesday morning, July 18, and changed cars at Visp where we had luncheon. Then on to Brieg, all this over the same road we had travelled in going to Zermatt. (This was the first time we have had to go over the same route a second time.)
When we got into the hotel it seemed like a haven of rest for there was a big open fire in the office and ever so many people enjoying it. This little picture shows all the buildings in Gletsch; the hotel with its dependence across the Rhone, the post-office, stables, and two or three little houses. Our rooms were in the dependence so we had to leave the cheerful open fire and dash across the bridge in the wind and rain to rather bare and cheerless rooms. The beds were good and we were so tired that nothing else mattered. That night the wind whistled in a way which reminded one of Gilead.
The next morning [July 19] we were up early and after breakfast we walked to the glacier. The color was a beautiful green and it was rather weird as we went through this winding passage farther and farther into the ice. Our first day in Interlaken [July 21] was a quiet one. We had not fully recovered from the effects of Zermatt and Gletsch.
Saturday [July 22] we took the excursion of Interlaken. That was an all day trip; we left Interlaken at eight and were back at the hotel just in time for dinner at seven thirty.
Sunday afternoon we took the steamer and sailed to the end of Lake Thun and back again. It is much larger than Brienz and the villages on its shores more picturesque and the surrounding country more varied and attractive. The water in all these lakes is a beautiful green. I never saw anything like it.
Our trip to Lucerne was by boat, and by rail; by boat to Brienz then by rail over Brunig Pass. It rained all day which saved us from dust but obscured the view. [July 24] There is a quaint old covered bridge in Lucerne across the Reuss with paintings in the roof illustrating the history of the town.
July 28, Heidelberg.
The last of this letter I have written here. We came today. It was a long, hot, rather monotonous railway journey from Lucerne. Will tell you all about Heidelberg in my next letter. I am anxious for letters from Gilead. The last letter from Mother was written at Belmont and I have had but one letter from Ada. Lily’s letters come pretty promptly, I found two at Lucerne, and she enclosed one from Ethel. Am so glad that Ethel and the baby are so well.
Much love to you all and keep well please.
Affectionately,
May G. Peabody
Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmaail.com
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
We made two attempts to see the Honor Summit lights being beamed from the top of Mount Washington from the scenic overlook in the Buck’s Ledge Community Forest last week, but didn’t have any luck. Will and Rosemary picked us up on their way by on both Thursday and Friday nights, and we gathered with quite a few other folks at the overlook. On Thursday there was a cloud sitting right on top of Mount Washington, so we didn’t see anything. On Friday it was clear, and we could see the lights of the observatory, and maybe an occasional flicker of the beams if we concentrated hard. But it was a beautiful evening, and fun to gather with others, some of whom turned out to be our friends and family members, once we identified them in the dark.
Newry News
Amy Henley
It sure has been busy lately between trainings and meetings. Hopefully after this week that calms down a bit. The fall always seems to be busy trying to squeeze things in before winter hits.
The garden is almost done with just a few ears of corn left to eat. I tried cooking it this year in the Instant Pot and it was amazing and took very little time. This summer that cooking gadget has become my number one go-to.
The pumpkins have turned orange and are waiting to be moved out front for decoration once I get some corn stalks cut down. The row of sunflowers that was trimmed by the deer finally had five or six blossom.
The weekend being beautiful, we conquered the lower roofing project of the barn. It is quite the transformation.
Again, tax bills were mailed on August 26th. If you have not received your bill, please contact the Town Office to verify the correct address is on file. We attempt to find a new address for all returned mail and get it back in the mail quickly if we have no contact information for you. The first installment is due by September 30th to avoid any interest.
The Select Board met on September 16th and approved staff attending the Maine Municipal Association Convention which is being held in Augusta this year on October 7th and October 8th. They hold multiple sessions at the same time and we divide and conquer, getting as much valuable information as we can to bring back to the office.
I encourage you to check out the town’s website at newrymaine.org to keep up on meetings and other news such as closings.
The School Board meets next on Monday, September 21st at 6:30 pm.
That’s all for this week. Enjoy the beautiful afternoons we have been having as the mornings are cool and this weather only lasts so long.
If you have news you’d like to contribute, please send it to me at newrynews24@gmail.com and I’ll happily add it to next week’s column.
Woodstock
Linda Stowell
Howdy! Mid September already! Quite a change in the temps lately. I don’t mind a cooler night for sleeping, but it’s hard for me to put long pants and socks on for the chilly days. The heated lap blanket is back out and in use. Whatever it takes to keep from burning oil this winter!! I dread the fall fill-up.
It’s such a busy time of year—nearly every weekend has something going on. Coming up is the Harvest Fest in Bethel. That’s always a fun time, and hopefully the weather will cooperate. It’s also fair season. It’s been quite a number of years since I’ve been to any fair. I’m not opposed to going, but it’s gotten rather pricey, and I’m not that crazy about big crowds.
The Locke Mills Union Church held its bean supper on Wednesday evening. I’ll report on that next week. I will be contributing a couple of pounds of baked beans.
I’ve seen on Facebook that there is a missing horse in the vicinity. Maverick has been spotted by several people, but no capture yet. I’m hoping for a positive ending.
Update: Maverick was found and is now at home, safe and sound!! Great news!
I didn’t see the Mt. Washington twin lights, in honor of 9/11, but saw photos others had taken. Like everyone else, I will never forget that day. I was teaching at Crescent Park, and had just finished with a class. The teacher who picked up the class told me about the first plane hitting the tower. I turned on the TV in my room and witnessed the second plane crash. The horror of it was unfathomable, and then to learn of other planes and the scope of it all. One of the worst things was not being able to talk about it while being in a classroom all day, and just wanting to be with my family! It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed.
I made a big decision, and went to the Mahoosuc Band’s first rehearsal for the Christmas concert. I can certainly do this for the fall, and it’s probably going to be a bigger challenge than I realized. I ended up on a glockenspiel of some sort, with no markings to tell what notes they were. I know the piano set up, with white and black keys—and it was a bit like that. I fumbled along the best I could. I wasn’t too worried, because I was quite sure no one could hear anything I played! At the end of rehearsal, I was encouraged to take home a bell kit (the starter percussion set). So, I hefted that heavy thing home, along with music, and now have the task of learning something new.
I chatted with Ellen Whitney, who has been in the band since the beginning, and that took me way back. For a brief moment in my life, I taught at Telstar and directed the chorus. At that time, Ellen was in high school. She accompanied the chorus on piano, if I’m not mistaken. And, she played trombone. The thing I remember about that was the chorus I conducted was a very talented group. They easily performed 4 part choral pieces. I also remember that Scott Dennis auditioned for the All-State chorus one year. He had a wonderful tenor voice and, of course, was accepted.
My cousin Jim Bennett is directing the band for now, and that took me back to my years at PoGo U (now USM), when Jim was my band director for one year. Now, over 50 years later, here we are!
Upcoming sermons at the First Universalist Church of West Paris
September 20, Bob Neal, information to come.
September 27, The Rev. Scott Campbell
“It Is Enough”
The sermon will focus on what Rev. Campbell has learned in the pulpit over 57 years of preaching. Here is an excerpt:
“My dad, who was a preacher himself, told me when I began my ministry something that has remained with me throughout the years. He said:
Love your people. If you don’t love them, it won’t matter what you preach. And if you do love them, it won’t matter what you preach.
So, I hope that even when I haven’t gotten it exactly right from the pulpit, my people have known that I loved them. That, in the end, is what this gospel business is all about.”
I’m sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine as I write this column. What a change from yesterday, which was very breezy and rather chilly. I have a few fall flowers blooming now: asters, turtle head, and sedum. There are still patches of color where a few petals remain. There are several Jerusalem artichoke plants which have yet to bloom, but are all budded. I do not clean my gardens out in the fall, because there are seeds to be eaten in a number of the dead flower heads. The goldfinches go for the echinacea seeds.
Please send your news/events to me at: lalalindastowell@gmail.com
AFCI
Melinda Remington
Hello Folks,
I hope you are enjoying the lovely September weather. I wanted to let you know AFCI will be at Harvest Fest on Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. I hope you will drop by and visit with me and our other volunteers for a few moments. We are going to have a free raffle of a Fall-themed wreath. So please come by, sign up and take a chance!
We will have some healthy and unhealthy snacks for you, and answer any of your questions about the Bethel Area Age-Friendly Initiative (AFCI).
Also a reminder about a few events still coming up before the end of the month.
Sept. 21, Monday 12:30-2:30 pm, Tech Talk; Iphone/Ipad Playdate,
Adult Ed at Telstar HS on Monday, September 21, 12:30-2:30. Reserve your seat in this FREE session to practice using your device with friends and a facilitator by calling 207-824-2136 Ext. #1340 Limit 10, call soon.
Sept. 26, Last Saturday of month, 6:00-8:00 p.m., The Fossils/Music and Dance. This is a fun intergenerational, 50’s-90’s rewind of your favorite songs. Local musicians and vocalists lead us down memory lane as we groove to the music. (All Ages, Free, Donations suggested to support the Jackson Silver Post of the American Legion) 593 Gore Road, Locke Mills.
Sept. 29, 4:00-5:30 p.m., To Your Health presents “A Guide to Healthy Living” with guest speaker Dr. Kevin Finley of the Bethel Family Health Center. Telstar High School Library.
Sept. 30, Last Wednesday of month, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Community Supper hosted by Bethel Alliance Church, located across from Telstar HS, drive around back to the parking lot. This meal is free and donations are welcomed. “To go” meals are available.
