It’s been such a busy week that I’m just, finally, sitting down to write this on Friday morning.
In last week’s column, I was complaining about the cold and rain, and apparently the universe finally heard me. It was cool enough on most mornings last week to still need a fire in the stove at camp; that changed pretty dramatically this week, but it sounds like the rain is coming back, at least for a couple of days.
Naturally, the two hottest days of the year so far were the days when I was baking beans and pies for the old-fashioned Grange-style supper last night at the Pleasant Valley Commons in West Bethel. The Museums of the Bethel Historical Society held a wonderful (and wonderfully well-attended!) event there to celebrate the launch of the fifth edition of the society’s annual history journal, Goose Eye.
The speaker for the evening was Larry Glatz, who wrote the featured article for this edition, about West Bethel puzzle-maker Edwin “Ruthven” Briggs, and there was a live video appearance by special guest Will Shortz, New York Times puzzle editor and NPR puzzlemaster.
About 60 people attended, filling the old Grange hall, which has been lovingly restored over the past several years by our hosts, owners of The Commons, Celina Adams and Cameron Wake. I can’t thank them enough for their generosity, as well as their commitment to every detail of the historic renovation. And I especially appreciated the up-to-date, efficient, and air-conditioned kitchen, and Cam’s assistance in bandaging up the thumb I managed to slice with one of their super-sharp knives!
I know that Telstar seniors and their families are having a very busy week or two right now, with all of the events surrounding graduation. Here are a few other local events that are coming up.
Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m.: Annual Plant Sale at the Bethel Library. This event is always very popular, so plan to arrive early for the best selection. It will be worth waiting in line for, and it sounds like any rain that morning will be in the form of occasional showers, rather than steady downpours.
Saturday, June 7, from 9 – 11 a.m. at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: Annual Rhubarb Festival. There will be all kinds of rhubarb goodies, including pies, both rhubarb and strawberry-rhubarb. There will be some plain rhubarb available if you want to make your own. There will also be white elephant tables with all kinds of useful items. Come early, as everything sells out fast. This event raises money for the church and for the ladies’ group, The Goodwill Fellowship.
Thursday, June 19 (Juneteenth), at 6 p.m. in the Howe Exhibit Hall of the Mason House (14 Broad Street, Bethel): “Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Maine.” Mary Tibbetts Freeman, Assistant Professor of New England History at the University of Maine, will discuss the long history of slavery and emancipation in Maine before focusing on anti-slavery activism in the decades leading up to the Civil War. Professor Freeman will pay particular attention to the role of African Americans in advancing the cause of abolition in Maine and the complicated relationship between myth and historical fact in understanding Mainers’ involvement in the Underground Railroad. This free program is co-sponsored by the Hastings Homestead Museum and the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society.
Friday, July 4, at 11:30 a.m.: Annual Picnic and Concert by the Portland Brass Quintet on the grounds of the Dr. Moses and Agnes Straw Mason House on Broad Street. Bring a picnic and a lawn chair and join us for this always-popular celebration, which continues a tradition begun by the Masons when they occupied the house in the 19th century and held outdoor summer gatherings of their friends and neighbors.
Saturday, July 5, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Western Maine History Fair at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society. More than a dozen historical societies and other organizations from across the region will be participating in this event, which will feature workshops and demonstrations, games, exhibits and displays, music, and refreshments, as well as a celebration of the opening of the summer exhibit, “Neighborly Views: Selected Art from the MBHS Collection.”
If you have news or events you’d like included here, email me at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or call 207-890-4812. The next issue of the Citizen will be out next week, on June 13, but you can read the Locke’s Mills column online every week at amywchapman.com, or subscribe for free to have it emailed to you each week.
“I need to be outside. I need to be in the world and to remember that I am of it.” – John Green
