Bethel

by Donald G. Bennett

Coming Up:

On Monday, May 17, the Bethel Selectmen meet at the town office.

On Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m., Woodland Cemetery Committee meeting at Stan Howe’s, 18 Broad Street, Bethel.

Saturday, May 29, is the date for this year’s Faye Taylor art show for students in grades 1-6 in SAD 44.

Saturday, June 5 is the date for this year’s Fishing Festival — new for this year is the venue, Angevine Park.

And this week’s news is:

Tom and Marcey White were off to North Carolina last week for a meeting with Franklin Graham to get final approval for Tom’s sculpture of the parable of the “Sower and the Soils” which will be created in an eight-foot size work for the Billy Graham Library. Tom is also working on final blue-prints for the Gold Star Mom and Medal of Honor Recipient Medic Clarence Sasser from the Viet-nam conflict. These two sculptures are intended to be presented in life size for the 40-foot Wall of Honor Veteran’s Memorial in Angleton, Texas.

Marcey White has been on the road checking out foundries for casting bronze. She has made a trip to Oklahoma and is packing for a trip to Arizona.

Gould Academy: Also last week Gould Academy announced a new Laptop program where every student and classroom teacher will receive an Apple MacBook this coming fall.

Last Thursday and Saturday, Gould presented its annual spring musical titled “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Kathy and I regret not being able to make it. We heard good reports from Sunday River neighbors and musicals are our cup of tea.

Bethel Inn news: Diana Polli (a long-time inn veteran) at the Bethel Inn sales office seemed very pleased with the month of April. Fifteen groups met or stayed there in April. These included the Bethel Area Non Profit Co-op, the Trust for Public Lands, a meeting that Senator Susan Collins at-tended, and twenty attendees at an NTL American University conference. One of the groups fell into the category of the unusual — the Quebec Labrador Foundation. This group was investigating park areas and the guests were mostly from the Middle East. Finally, and another different name, a Bournemouth group from the UK were inn guests.

Faye Taylor Art Show: This year’s student art show on May 29 at the Bethel Historical Society’s Moses Mason house will cover the popular subject of skiing. Here is a chance for artists to show their talent for action figure drawing. At the Elements Art Gallery in Philbrook Place, Sara He-meon, the gallery owner, has an exhibit by Sandra Curro from Biddeford of skier art based on vari-ous ski people at Sunday River. The gallery is an excellent spot for young artists interested in en-tering work in this year’s show to see different varieties and perspectives of artwork that should help them shape their ideas for drawing and painting.

Exploring Columbian forest parks: E-mailing with Jim List this winter, he told me that he and Henrietta were cramming as much Spanish language into their conversations as possible getting ready for a trip to Columbia. Parks and recreation are a big part of their professional background and experience.

Back in Bethel, I asked how they made out — here’s his reply. “Columbia was fantastic. There was a definite military presence everywhere when we arrived, but we came to find out they were pre-paring for a visit from “El Presidente” the next day. The Colombian people we saw were without exception the sweetest people I have seen, very industrious and good-natured. High points in na-ture — first, staying at 6,200 feet in a cloud forest; next hearing howler monkeys; tops, seeing a quet-zal. Our cook was temporary, actually lived in Bogota. When she heard we had a layover there of 8 hours on our return, she arranged to pick us up at the airport. From there she and her husband gave us a grand tour of the city and then fed us at their home — then making sure we got back and to the correct gate at the airport. They spoke no English, and our Spanish never did rise above fran-tic referrals to the Spanish/English dictionary and phrase-books. (I had to look up quetzal; they are strikingly colored birds, bright reds and greens, found in forests and woodlands, especially in hu-mid highlands.)”

Jim List is an advisor, administers, works on and has directed development of extensions to the Bethel Pathway. Jim and Henrietta are Hanover residents.

At BIG Adventure Center: At noontime Saturday, I got my first chance to look inside the laser tag arena. Our grandsons had been through the course many times but I had no idea what it looked like. The Center has added new player sets of equipment including upgraded computers and com-munications. More sets of player equipment are in the pipeline so that all players can participate with fully functioning gear. The arena is a multi level maze — more than just a network of alleys and ramps — all in the dark. My guide said the real playing environment comes active when rap-idly flashing lighting and what I would call really weird, spooky, pulsating sounds come on for game time.

Dave Williams from Falmouth is Center manager now. Tim, Bethany, Yves, Colin and Matt make up the crew. Saturday they were waiting for a birthday party crowd to arrive. Since the Oxford Plains Speedway owners took over, their remodeling of the “front office” and lobby has given the whole entrance area a more spacious appearance. A computer on the wall in the social center dis-plays player scores and game progress for those interested in seeing what’s happening in the arena.

At the River View: More view has been added to the river view for guests and owners staying at the resort. Foliage growing on the embankment east of the buildings has been cut down opening the view. Along with clearing, attractive groups of young birches that were previously hidden defi-nitely add to the viewing scenery.

Department of Who Cares: Kathy and I did not see a Maine license plate all winter. The first Maine car we saw was when we got to the South Carolina welcome center off Interstate 95 on our way home. Then we saw three Maine plates. One of the three it turned out stayed overnight at the same Best Western in Walterboro, S.C., where we stayed.

From Nancy Brown:

Pastor Geoff Gross of the Bethel United Methodist Church will leave the Bethel church at the end of June to become pastor at the West Cumberland Methodist Church. Pastor Gross has served the Bethel church for seven years. The new pastor will be Carol Stevens who currently serves the First United Methodist Church in Boothbay Harbor. Effective July 4, the Sunday worship service at the church will be 9 a.m.

Muriel Butters recently returned home from a one-week visit with her daughter and son-in-law, Lottie and Bruce Stevens in Bar Harbor.

Sharon Kaiser hosted a Mother’s Day lunch on Saturday, May 8, at the home of Betsy and David York. Also attending were Susan Leighton and her daughter Sarah, Polly Davis, Dorothy York, Tashawna York, Kristy York, and Kyle York.

Dorothy York had Mother’s Day dinner with Travis York and Amy Robinson at the Sudbury Inn on May 8.

Jane Young celebrated Mother’s Day on May 8 with dinner at the Sudbury Inn with her daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and John Marzilli, and her son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Melissa Young.

Marie Witter will celebrate her 90th birthday with a party on May 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Gilead Town Hall. Everyone is welcome and cards will be appreciated.