By now many readers of the Bethel Citizen will have heard that next week’s print edition of the paper, on Dec. 12, will be the last issue to include local columns from town correspondents. In an effort to continue to provide what I’m sure many people will agree is one of the most important aspects of a local paper—actual local news and the unique and independent voices of columnists—the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society is working with several local columnists to launch a new platform for our columns on Substack, called Western Maine Neighborhood News.
I hope you’ll support this new effort of ours! You’ll find us online at wmnn.org, where you can read the first post now to learn more about the long history of town news columns—and their value to historians and genealogical researchers. Scroll to the bottom of the post to the “Subscribe” button and click to sign up for either a free (every other column) or paid (every column) subscription, to be delivered right to your email inbox.
The first town columns will be posted to Western Maine Neighborhood News during the week of Dec. 14-20.
It certainly seems as if winter has arrived! December first is the start of so-called meteorological winter, so I guess Tuesday’s snowstorm was right on time. Still, I would have liked it much better if it hadn’t come on a day when we had to go to Lewiston, where Tony had a medical appointment.
We had planned to go directly from Lewiston to Falmouth for my eight-week post-op appointment with the orthopedic surgeon, but I called to reschedule that one to next Tuesday instead, and I’m glad I did. By the time we got home, we had both had enough of snowy roads and stressful driving.
The Greenwood Town Office closed at noon on Tuesday, and the selectmen’s meeting that was scheduled for that evening was canceled. The agenda items from that meeting will be added to the agenda for the next meeting, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.
The snowstorm provided me with an opportunity to get my daily exercise doing something practical, and I spent an hour or so clearing the walks and the ramp at the library before it opened on Wednesday morning. It was a beautiful morning, with a deep blue sky, and cold enough for the snow to be light and fluffy, my favorite kind of snow-shoveling weather.
We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at my brother Steve’s house in Sunday River, with 11 of us around the table, including two of Steve’s kids and three of his grandkids, plus Will and Rosemary. Then we enjoyed a second Thanksgiving the next day with Bob and Marita Wiser at their home in Bridgton, with Will and Rosemary and Rosemary’s sister, Marguerite.
Now it’s December, and the calendar is full of special Christmas events:
Friday, Dec. 5, and Friday, Dec. 19, from 4-6 p.m.: Greenwood Farmers’ Market and Holiday Wonderland at the old Town Hall on Main Street in Locke’s Mills. Shop for all your favorite local goods, including maple syrup, granola, eggs, delicious baked goods, fresh greens, and Icelandic wool yarn, then go “free-shopping” for donated holiday décor to round out your seasonal decorating. Donations for the Bethel Food Pantry will be collected at both December markets.
Saturday, Dec. 6, from 12-3 p.m. at West Parish Congregational Church in Bethel: Christmas Fair and Tea. Start your holiday season with a relaxing visit. Come and have a cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa with friends, along with fancy treats. Then head downstairs for the popular “cookie walk,” tiny treasures tables filled with Christmas items, and a home-baked food table.
Saturday, Dec. 6, from 12-5 p.m. at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society on Broad Street in Bethel: “Christmas at the Mason House” and Holiday Open House and Bake Sale. There will be candlelit tours of the Mason House, decorated for the holidays in 19th century style, with seasonal music performed by fiddler Monica Mann and friends and harpist Conni St. Pierre. Next door at the Robinson House, the Museum Shop will be open with plenty of unique gift ideas and a bake sale table filled with homemade breads, pies, cookies, and other holiday treats. The event is free, but donations are welcome.
Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: The Oxford Hills Ukulele Group will lead a Christmas carol sing-along to get everyone into the spirit of Christmas. This is a popular event that the church has hosted in the past, and always lots of fun.
Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. at Gould Academy’s Bingham Auditorium: Mahoosuc Community Band Christmas Concert. Ed Ryan is directing the band, which includes musicians of all ages, from 14 to 97. Donations are accepted at the door. The snow date is Monday, December 8, at 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 12, from 4-8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 13, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 14, from 8 a.m.-noon at Jackson-Silver American Legion Post #68, 595 Gore Road in Locke’s Mills: Oxford County Shriners FEZtival of Trees. This popular annual event is fun for the whole family. Here’s a poster with all the details.
Saturday, Dec. 20, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Jackson-Silver Post #68, 595 Gore Road in Locke’s Mills: Legion Cookie Walk. Purchase a festive holiday cookie box for $8, then fill it to the brim with homemade cookies for a perfect last-minute gift.
Speaking of cookies, I’ve been making quite a few and stashing them in the freezer for gifts and upcoming events. It’s gotten to the point where I’m running out of room, and trying to find anything in my chest freezer is becoming a real challenge. I’m thinking about looking for a smallish second-hand chest freezer that I can plug in at holiday cookie-baking time, although I’m afraid I’d just keep it running all the time, fill it with grocery store bargains, and never know where anything is. Although it would be kind of nice to be able to come home from the grocery store, open the freezer to put things away, and not think, where on earth did I think I was going to put this stuff?
If you have news or events you’d like included here, email me at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or call 207-890-4812. I’ll be in print next week, on Dec. 12, for the last time, but online here and at wmnn.org for a long time to come, I hope!
“What a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humor, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation, and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!” – Joseph Pulitzer
Heading to wmnn.org right now to sign up!
Thank you for the wonderful newsletter you write. Being still new to Bethel I love hearing the local happenings and news with great heart and warmth behind it.