Locke's Mills
It is pot-hole and frost-heave season. That means it is time to forgo the Greenwood Road and use Route 26 to get to the Norway area. It is the stretch of this road that runs from the corner of Howe Hill Road to the end of South Pond that is in the worse condition.
As readers will recall, I have been on a bit of a bandwagon to get these miles improved. OK, I live along that road and have a vested interest. The other point is that it is a highly traveled road. Lots of people live on or along it. Lots of people travel to the Norway area on this road. A lot of use and very bad condition.
Our town road crew does the best it can, but the road requires major work.
This is a town government issue. We need to budget funds to make these improvements. The next road budgeted and scheduled for repair is Richardson Hollow. When I asked Town Manager Kim Sparks when the Greenwood Road repair would come up for vote, she said it would probably not be in the next two-year plan. Maybe she and our selectmen will discuss this and move this project to sooner than that. Such a heavily traveled road needs to be in safer condition.
The Greenwood Selectmen received a request for funding for Mollyockett Day from the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce and have decided to think more about this before taking any action.
On Tuesday, March 5, Toshio Hashimoto will speak about his pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku. This pilgrimage is a journey to 88 temples on the island of Shikoku, Japan, a walk of 670 miles, to honor the Buddhist saint who founded the Shignon Buddhist religion. Mr. Hashimoto will share photos and speak of his experiences on this amazing pilgrimage which he completed in March 2011.
Many people know Toshio as the owner of Toshimobile, grower of Shiitake mushrooms, and a Taiko drummer. This program is presented by Down Home Maine and sponsored by Western Mountains Senior College. It is open to all, free of charge.
The Greenwood Fire Department is having the Rockin' Roadrunners play on March 16, 8-midnight, at the Legion Hall on the Gore Road. This will benefit the Greenwood Fire Department, Greenwood Fire Auxiliary and the Legion Auxiliary.
The advance tickets are $7 for single or $13 for a couple. Tickets at the door will be $8 single or $15 couple. There will be refreshments for sale. BYOB, no one under 21 admitted.
Marcia Smith returned to her home in Easton, Thursday, after spending almost three weeks helping out her brother, Ralph Mills, and her mother, Lorraine Larson, at their home here
Lorene Mills was in East Andover looking after her mother, Laura Hutchins, who had her pacemaker replaced and following that had to fight off a bout of pneumonia. Lorene returned home on Friday and her mother, thankfully, is continuing to improve.
The first of our native birds have laid their eggs. Hard to imagine, but the great horned owls, which may mate for life, began nesting back in January oftentimes using the nest of another large bird or the hollow of a tree. The eggs are laid a day or so apart and hatch about a month later in the sequence in which they were laid That means the first hatched generally has the advantage of being larger and stronger than its siblings. Owlets spend several weeks in the nest and then begin to walk around before learning to fly. They are reputed to trample the nest so badly that it cannot be used again. Young owls look like fluffy fire hydrants with open mouths. Incredibly cute and voracious eaters. Occasionally we are lucky enough to see great horneds. Keep your eyes open the next month or so and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of a particularly fat great horned. That will be a youngster trying out its wings.
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