Gilead

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope everyone enjoys their holiday.

My brother, Steve McLain, was at the house last Saturday and while he was there our neighbor, Brandon McLean, stopped by with his grandmother, Linda Taylor. Brandon was collecting food for the food pantry for the Boy Scouts, so we all donated.

Steve and Lise McLain attended the senior dinner at Telstar on Sunday, Nov. 18th. They said the food was delicious as always

Lise McLain visited with her father, Gerard Dupont, at Ledgeview, and celebrated his 87th birthday with cake and ice cream. She also attended the Senior Club dinner at the Locke Mills Legion Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Her son, Joey McLain, donated to the Senior Club an oil painting that he painted as a fundraiser. The drawing took place on that day and sold tickets were placed in a large, brown, paper bag where Carol Campbell from West Bethel was given the honors to pick out a ticket. Evan McLain, who is the grandson of Steve and Lise McLain, won the painting that his Uncle Joey painted and donated. Sales from the tickets sold amounted to $169. The painting will be mailed to Evan McLain who currently lives in the country of Norway. A special thank you goes out to Joey McLain for his kind contribution to the Senior Club.

Congratulations goes out to Lise McLain's nephew, Representative Jarrod Crockett, for winning his third term in the Maine House of Representatives.

Hugh and I went to Gorham, N.H., last Saturday to check out a couple of craft fairs. Mary Tyler was set up at the one at the American Legion. After checking things out there, we went to Ed Fenn School and found some interesting crafts there. Both places had tables with items that included jewelry, knitted items, hand- crafted wooden items, handmade candles, Christmas wreaths, and food. We picked up a couple of gifts and of course, we visited the food table.

Mary Tyler called last Sunday and reported that she had seen a Bald Eagle fly across her back yard. He came from the pines on the hill and flew across the gravel pit, traveling toward Wild River. Maybe he was expecting the fishing to be better in Wild River than the Androscoggin.

Mary also mentioned that she had seen a couple of what appeared to be juvenile Red-Winged Blackbirds. Hugh and I had seen two such similar birds just before she called and thought that was what they were. We have seen the Grackle again over the past few days. Usually by now these birds have left for the winter.

Last Saturday evening Hugh and I went to Tim and Michele’s house for an early Thanksgiving Dinner. Michele and her crew, William, Annie, Ajay and Sidney, worked hard all day to produce the delicious dinner. Tim had to work all day but arrived home to help finish up and join everyone for dinner. Also attending were Michele’s parents, Leo and Ann Croteau, Berlin, N.H. After dinner, we celebrated William and Annie’s birthdays. William turned twelve years old on Nov. 6 and Annie will be ten years old on Nov. 30.

Got any news? Call 836-2987 or e-mail chapmal@hotmail.com