Bethel Living Dec / Jan 2023

Publisher’s Note

It’s the Holiday Season and there is so much to do in and around Bethel! Snow is falling, restaurants are serving up winter comfort food and there are exciting new things happening all over town.

Jenn Tooley built a warm, cozy and magical treehouse that each one of us should rent at least once, Gould Academy’s ski making program is thriving and Stephanie Montgomery has come aboard as the new Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Bethel has a new Town Manager in Natalie Andrews and the Bethel Library just hired a new director: Kelcy Boles. Stop in and say hello to them — they both want to meet everyone, just not all at once. Jessie Stevens is making outdoor ovens to expand our culinary experiences and our delish seasonal recipe guide features a golden, flaky Holiday Brunch Bake and a Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham. Visit the events listings to find out the sleigh ride schedule and carol away!

As always, I am thankful to my support team. My production team is wonderful, as are my advertisers and readers – you make knocking together this magazine a joy, not a task.

Bethel Living is trademarked and owned by Laurie Ann Knowles. All rights reserved. Re production in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Bethel Living is made possible by the participation of our advertisers. We offer them our thanks and ask you to consider them first when patronizing businesses in the Bethel, Maine area.

Cover photo supplied by: Jenn Tooley

Features Editor: Nate Scott

Design: Ben Bruno and Laurie Ann Knowles for Royal River Graphics www.royalrivergraphics.com

Laurie Ann Knowles PUBLISHER

The Ski Haus Treehouse in Woodstock WITH

JENN TOOLEY

by Laurie Ann Knowles

For dendrophile Jenn Tooley (one who is passionate about trees), the best way to get closer to one of the things she loves is simple — build a house in it. Jenn spent countless childhood hours in her first treehouse in the woods of Camden, Maine. The daughter and granddaughter of arborists, she frequently climbed with ropes and harnesses to revel in the feeling of floating in the trees while the world below faded away. At a young age, she dreamt of living above it all in peaceful, leafy surroundings.

In 2017 Jenn moved to the Bethel area to take on a new physical therapy job, leaving her Sugarloaf condo open as a rental. Then, the same day her tenant offered to buy her condo, she ran into an old pal that was housesitting in a treehouse on the coast of Maine. Intrigued, Jenn became a regular viewer of the Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters”, which features a team of craftspeople creating incredible homes in nature’s canopy. She also began to follow ‘“The Treehouse Guys” on the DIY Network, another company — based in Warren, VT — that builds custom homes high in the treetops.

When a beautifully forested parcel abutting the new Buck’s Ledge Community Forest in Woodstock came on the market Jenn snapped it up and contracted with the Treehouse Guys to make her dream a reality. Specific trees of a certain diameter are required to build a house in the air. The Treehouse Guys quickly identified three hemlocks and one maple that would make an ideal “foundation”. Using locally sourced lumber to create a boardand-batten exterior with an exposed chunky live-edge base, the Guys conceived the Ski Haus Treehouse as a seamless extension of its environment. With construction and decor completed, Jenn is ready to share her adult playhouse with parties of up to four people. Electricity and a full septic provide 4-season livability, with a heat pump to warm the chilly winter nights and cool the sticky summer days. The interior features a steep pitched

Photo Credit: Matt Stagliano for Stonetree Creative

“ PERFECT FOR BIRTHDAYS, HONEYMOONS AND ANNIVERSARIES WITH FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND CRIB FEATURES AN OUTDOOR HOT TUB AND A LIVE-EDGE BAR.

ceiling with 2’x4’ construction and brightly whitewashed shiplap walls. Two lofts offer cozy sleeping spaces under the unique roofline. The finely finished floors are made of . . . wood . . . really nice wood. Really. The kitchen has an oven and stovetop with burners, a 3/4 size retro-style fridge and opens out into an inviting dining area.

The Ski Haus Treehouse is open yearround. Perfect for birthdays, honeymoons and

anniversaries with families and friends, this one-of-a-kind crib features an outdoor hot tub and a live-edge bar. It is listed on Airbnb as Tree House with Hot Tub near Sunday River. There is Ski Haus Treehouse on Facebook and Instagram, and there is a website at skihaustreehouse.hospitable.rentals where you can book directly. You can reach Jenn at 207449-2816 or email jennifertly@yahoo.com v

Bethel’s New Town Manager, Natalie Andrews

by Laurie Ann Knowles

We usually equate a small town with a less complex way of life and surely that’s true — comparatively — but if you ask Natalie Andrews, Bethel’s new Town Manager, she would give a more nuanced view. She is, after all, taking the reins of a town administration which has 12 Boards and Committees (from Ordinance Review to Recreation) and at least 15 different Departments (from Ambulance to Waste Water), not to mention an Airport Authority; an apparatus few towns of Bethel’s size require.

Natalie spent childhood summers playing in the woods, streams and hay fields around her grandparents home in West Paris. Soon after enjoying the fall fairs however she returned to whichever naval base her family called home at the time. A self proclaimed ‘navy brat’, she grew up all over the country and beyond as her father was variously deployed to Maryland (twice), California, Texas and Virginia Beach — where she graduated high school in 1987. Her favorite duty station was Edzell, Scotland. Her heart called her back here for college, where she attended the University of Maine at Orono. After school she married, hit the road again — this time with a career Army husband and growing family — to Virginia, Kentucky, New York and a whirlwind of other places. In 2010 Natalie moved back to Maine with her youngest son, who attends USM as a biology major. Her two older sons now live in Maine as well.

Natalie is really enjoying her new role as Town Manager. She must don many hats each day to keep pace with the wide variety of issues that crop up in supervising the perpetual town functions; the hours go by quickly. She attends many meetings, all while managing the general operations of the town, including: staffing the various departments, securing contracts for

fuel, electricity and road maintenance, plus the general oversight of areas outside of the Town Office - the Transfer Station and Fire Department to name but a few. She places great importance on helping to assess and coordinate the state programs which benefit the town.

The superior quality of the town personnel already in place is a comfort to Natalie as she settles in, characterizing town workers as her most important resource. She is dedicated to meeting new ideas with enthusiasm. Ongoing issues which Natalie will push to address are housing shortages, staff recruitment, sewer rates, and learning more about the concerns of both the town staff and town residents.

New initiatives crop up on a near daily basis. The Airport Authority is entertaining a proposal to support a rocketry program begun at the local schools — a venture that captures a lot of national attention. The waste water treatment facility is looking for a new truck emblem, reaching out to local schools for help in its creation. Consistent communication with the various departments heads enable the Town to keep up with the newest trends and regulations. Natalie recently spent over three hours with the Department of Environmental Protection during an inspection, learning how to keep operations at optimal levels for cleanliness and efficiency. In her free time (as if) Natalie enjoys traveling, and being with her family, which includes thirteen cows (for now) in addition to the aforementioned three sons, her daughter-in-law and her husband Mark. v

The Bethel Library Association’s New Library Director Kelcy Boles

by Laurie Ann Knowles

The Bethel Library, established in 1879, has been operated by a nonprofit organization since 1905. In mid-September the library’s board appointed Kelcy Boles to the position of Library Director, ushering in an exciting new phase for this cherished local institution. Kelcy, who has a degree in publishing, brings years of varied experience to the job. She has volunteered at libraries, designed books, led book events, supported author presentations and worked with social media to advance the power and reach of the printed word.

At age 10 Kelcy moved from Salem, MA to Ireland when her father decided to reconnect with family members living on that side of the pond. Her next move — to Hawaii — was a stunning turnabout, occasioning more warm, sunny breezes in one year than she experienced in her previous 16 in Ireland all together. During her 5 year stint in the Aloha State the high cost of living required working several jobs at all times. She was employed as a server, a veterinary assistant, a bee keeper and an artist’s assistant — as well as a slew of other jobs. Tiring of all that fantastic weather, Kelcy came to visit a friend who was moving to Bethel and fell in love with our community. “Here in the Bethel area, people are kind to one another, and that sense of community feels welcoming and good,” she related. When she found that the library position was open she applied, landed the job and made the move! Kelcy hasn’t lived in a snowy environment since age 10, but she loves to hike and spend time in nature and looks forward to delving into all the winter sports.

Kelcy feels that the library has a great deal of untapped potential. “The building is adorable and needs some TLC,” she acknowledged. There are plans to spruce up the physical plant while adding new programs, events and outreach. Kelcy recently coordinated a Thanksgiving Reading with the

Gem Theater and she has plans for a reading at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society in early December. A weekly story time for children will begin as soon as Kelcy finds enough volunteers to set up a regular schedule. The library will help create a Community Quilt with Donna Gillies and will offer poetry classes in April to celebrate Poetry Month. She also aspires to have a bookto-movie series with the Gem Theater. Kelcy is always open to ideas and wants to learn how the community can benefit most from new initiatives. She wishes us all to fully utilize the library as a source for inspiration, education and creativity.

And of course, Kelcy loves books. She’s always found parts of herself reflected within books and wants everyone, especially kids and teens, to have the same experience. Every person in Bethel can enjoy the pleasure of escape — and expansion of imagination — that a special book from the library’s shelves can provide. She wants our library to become a community space where people come together to learn and grow as a tranquil society. Kelcy is making plans with Crescent Park School to see how she can best support them with books, programming and more options for educational growth. She is also working with the Northstar Program, interacting with teens while soliciting Telstar’s help in giving the library’s second floor space a more welcoming vibe. Stop by the library and say hello. Welcome Kelcy to town, check out a good read and refresh your memory of the cozy and alluring space that we are so lucky to have just off the Bethel green. The Bethel Library is open every day but Sundays. v

FMI on the Bethel Library, it’s upcoming programs and to learn more or share ideas with Kelcy you can email her at boles.kelcy@gmail.com, cal 207-824-2520.

Moving Beyond Status Quo with Gould Academy

by Meryl Kelly

There’s always something new percolating on the Gould Academy campus because let’s face it — in the competitive world of academia maintaining the status quo means falling behind. Two exciting initiatives that have recently caught our attention here at BL might be summed up respectively as ‘The Tree of Life’ and ‘Tree to Ski’.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Belonging.

The Tree of Life is an elemental archetype across cultures and epochs that speaks to the fundamental truth of our connectedness. It is often wryly observed at this time of year that you can pick your friends but not your relatives. Yet at the most elementary level we are, without doubt, all related. The exploration of how to honor that fact by behaving toward each other in ways that lift us all is heavy work, demanding yet delicate — crucial to the well being of each of us.

At Gould Academy this moral precept led to the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. The DEI Task Force, led by college guidance counselor Maggie Davis, began its work by forming a comprehensive framework to address six focus areas: Institutional Review, Campus Culture and Mental Health, Engagement and Outreach, Training Opportunities, Hiring Practices and Curriculum Review. To begin drawing a blueprint the task force initiated a listening tour. They got to work identifying goals and executing a concerted effort to encourage alumni, students, faculty and parents to share their stories, concerns and ideas for the future. The end result of this exercise made one thing clear: Gould had work to do and that work would require a dedicated leader.

PHOTO CREDIT: CAIT BOURGAULT

In August 2021 Gould Academy found that leader in Stephanie Montgomery. Hired as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, she has been charged with implementing the 3-Year Comprehensive Plan put forth by members of the Task Force and supporting the school in its ongoing effort to examine the past — teasing apart the tendrils of institutional process that have offered shelter to tones (and occasional songs) of racism and other exclusionary behaviors and beliefs. After the hiring of Ms. Montgomery, Head of School, Tao Smith worked with the Task Force to include the word ‘belonging’ in her title to reflect the school’s conviction that without belonging the rest can never come. Talking about race, gender, social and sexual exclusion is always an uncomfortable conversation. With this understanding Ms. Montgomery has moved forward with intention as she and the DEIB Task Force strive to create a shared vocabulary for members of the school community to think globally while also communicating clearly about all aspects of student life.

Ms. Montgomery brings to this endeavor years of education, travel and experience as both a former Gould parent and Trustee. Her breadth of perspective informs an approach that attempts to balance perception in the wider community with exploration of various values inside the educational halls. To say the push for DEIB Programming has been entirely smooth sailing would be a fallacy.

Given the national temperament surrounding concepts such as critical race theory, the DEIB investment at Gould has required a more holistic approach. Intrinsic to all tough conversations is the resistance to the hurt it can conjure. Confronting that hurt with compassionate conviction is paramount to the multifaceted healing journey. Inclusiveness requires that these moments of push back be engaged and made part of the overall process, not ignored or rebuffed.

The practice of consuming varied and plentiful data, empirical and testimonial, encourages students to refine the act of thinking, leading to a proficiency that has endless advantages. Information is not fact; the truth can be slippery; but opening ones eyes to the world outside of ones experience, examining complex problems from many angles, empathizing with perspectives one will never embody — then employing the insights that flow from this applied curiosity contributes to a deeper understanding of the world and the people in it. And that cannot be a bad outcome. Through shining a light on issues of DEIB, students have been granted many opportunities to share with each other, to learn from guest speakers, artists and academics (local, regional and beyond) all in an effort to strengthen community bonds and formulate individual conclusions where the head and the heart meet.

A loftier ambition is that the strengthening of the micro community at Gould Academy will extend beyond the property boundaries and continue to integrate the school and its students to the Bethel community at large. School leaders believe that through thoughtful engagement with town governance and local organizations students will feel more connected to the community that hosts them. This sense of belonging will not only contribute to positioning Gould in the best light to recruit talented students from a gamut of backgrounds, but will also make way for conducting hard community conversations and tackling underlying issues that face the Bethel community.

Ms. Stephanie Montgomery, Director of DEIB

Ski and Snowboard Building Program

On a lighter note, the Tree to Ski class (as it’s been dubbed by Chris Hayward, the Director of Experiential Learning) refers to the Custom Ski Building Program, which offers the opportunity for a limited number of senior students to utilize the IDEAS Center for the creation of their own custom pair of skis. A little over five years ago Gould faculty member Billy Ayotte decided to combine the highly lauded Competitive Ski and Snowboarding program with the resources available in the IDEAS Center. The Marlon Family IDEAS Center — which stands for Innovation, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Arts and Science —boasts an entire floor of dedicated “maker” and design thinking space that supports innovation and collaboration through building creative confidence. There are three fabrication areas: the Design Thinking Studio, the Physical Fabrication Studio and a Media Room which together provide space for foundational design and engineering classes as well as higher level robotics projects, 3D Printing and CAD programming.

In the ski and snowboard building program students participate in all aspects of fashioning the final product, from selecting and sourcing their wood for the cores from Western Maine Supply or Rare Woods in Mexico, to working with local woodworkers to shape the skis and their components, to the actual construction and using of wood veneer and laser cutters to create elaborate personalized designs. The student’s enthusiasm for the program was immediate and universal. Recent upgrades have doubled class size to twenty students per year, which is a big jump but still falls far short of student demand. The popular class has also started to manufacture custom skis for community organizations such as The Bethel Outing Club and The River Fund, which will be auctioned to support local outdoor recreation programming. The creation of the class embodies the purpose of the IDEAS Center, paving the way for wonder and opening doors to innovative creativity as the students learn to interweave academic pursuits into their daily interests. v

PHOTO CREDIT: CAIT BOURGAULT

Emily Delamater Photography

Building Wood-Fired Ovens with Jesse Stevens

by Meryl Kelly

Jesse Stevens has found a unique way to combine three life shaping passions into one organic whole. He is an artisan baker who also grows mixed orchard crops on his tree farm, i.e. perennial trees that produce fruits, nuts and berries — while constructing woodfired ovens around the state in his spare time. This is a man that can come to your house, build you an oven, start the fire with his own wood, then bake you a loaf of nut bread for dinner.

Twenty years ago Jesse set out to create a hearth at his home to infuse his son’s childhood with beautiful memories. His then father-inlaw, a long time mason, helped Jesse parlay his talent and passion for baking into creating an efficacious outdoor wood-fired oven. The project was so successful that it lit a fire in Jesse to branch out, developing his skills and offering his services to private community members, restaurants and educational programs alike.

Throughout the years he has worked with wood-fired oven impresario Pat Manley to fine tune his skillset; learning how to give each new project an “in front of the fire” perspective. Fabricated in brick, clay and/or cob, his stove designs are beautifully built for aesthetic harmony, while also being skillfully engineered to produce quality bread and foods. He has worked on some of the most prominent commercial wood-fired ovens in Maine, including those at Nezinscot Farm, Bonobo Pizza and the legendary Fore Street restaurant. In addition to commercial jobs, Jesse travels around Maine building custom residential units; notably creating a woodfired oven for an island home made primarily of indigenous materials. An accomplishment which etched another check mark onto his resume of expertise.

Wood fired ovens can be as big and

complicated or as small and simple as each client envisions, but dependable performance remains the bedrock of each design. For the Distell family of Bethel, Jesse’s design included a cover to extend the outdoor cooking season well into the colder months. The owners were delighted with Jesse’s “flexible and detail oriented style” and they’ve been baking bagels and pizza at home ever since. Recently, he partnered with local chef Anna Sysko and her friends to construct a tandoor oven on her property. Participants were able to help with each step of building the tandoor, all the way through to cooking and feasting together once it was complete.

When he is not working on residential projects he conducts a variety of workshops as well as leading experiential programming for educational centers at schools and summer camps. During the warmer months at Morning Glory Farm — the site of a Jesse Stevens-led workshop — their massive community-built wood-fired oven is opened to the public for a monthly get-together, lovingly referred to as Ash Wednesday. People gather, bringing dough, prepared dishes and fresh garden veggies to be cooked then shared and eaten by the group. With picturesque mountains and gardens as the backdrop, the time spent waiting for each dish to come from the oven is filled with stories and laughter.

And that’s the magic that lights Jesse’s spark: home is around a hearth. By the end of each project — as the clay dries and firms in the sun — so do the friendships created during the process. The engagement with his “coworkers” — whether they be ticket paying adults, students originally attending simply for credit or a group of close-knit family and friends — is a consistent and cherished takeaway from every build. This special Maine-tinged hygge transcends the moments of construction and strikes at a larger something. A soul purpose which perhaps wasn’t the initial ambition, but slowly came into focus as Jesse began to recognize the ripple effects of his endeavors. People indulging together in the primal act of fire and food opens a space where relationships are built and real community bonds develop. v For booking for stove builds and workshop requests email

Jesse at systrees@gmail.com

HolidayRecipes

Holiday Brunch Bake

The golden, flaky crust makes this a beautiful, memorable dish that’s sure to impress.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package frozen puff pastry

• 6 eggs

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 dash hot pepper sauce

• 2 packages frozen chopped spinach

• 4 slices thick bacon

• 1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• 1 cup chopped red peppers Recipe Credit: Delish.com

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Unfold pastry sheets. Roll out 1 sheet to 11-inch square; set aside. Roll out remaining sheet to 12inch square; use to line bottom and side of greased 9-inch springform pan.

2. Scramble eggs and remove 1 tablespoon to set aside. Mix ricotta, pepper sauce, and spinach with remaining eggs. Layer half each of the bacon, cheese, egg mixture, and peppers in pastry-lined pan. Repeat layers. Cover with remaining pastry sheet; fold edges of pastry under and tuck inside pan. Brush top with reserved egg. Cut slits in top crust with sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run small knife around edge of pan to loosen crust before removing rim. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

This zingy retro classic glazed ham is a stunner set in the center of a table, and just a few easy sides short of a fantastic feast. Beyond the eye-popping pineapple rings and bright maraschino cherries, the glaze lends a shine and texture to the ham’s caramelized crust.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8-lb. smoked half bone-in spiral-cut ham

• 1 1/2 c. pineapple juice

• 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. hot sauce

• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice

• 1 (20-oz.) can pineapple slices, drained

• Maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust a rack to lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°. Wrap ham in aluminum foil, fat-cap-side up. Set ham on a rack in a large roasting pan and fill bottom of pan with about 2” water (about 4 cups, depending on the size of the pan). Bake ham until the internal tempera ture reaches 120°, about 1 hour 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the glaze: in a small saucepan, bring pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, and allspice to a boil. Re duce heat to medium-high and simmer, swirling occasionally, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove from direct heat, and set aside atop the stove to keep warm.

3. Carefully remove the roasting pan with the ham from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Brush the ham all over with the glaze. Arrange the sliced pineapple all over the ham, securing each slice with a few toothpicks. Add a maraschino cherry to the center of each pineap ple slice and secure with a toothpick. Brush top of ham, pineapple, and cherries with more glaze.

4. Return ham to oven uncovered to keep baking, basting with more glaze every 15 minutes, until heated through, about 45 minutes more. Re move from the oven, and brush with remaining glaze. Serve warm.

Recipe Credit: Delish.com

LOCAL Events

December January Events

Country Christmas in Bethel – Experience the Christmas Season in the postcard - perfect village of Bethel. Shop locally, meet Santa, enjoy the lights, take in a performance. Horse drawn wagon rides through histor ic Bethel village – Free! Meet on the corner of Church Street and Main Street, 1pm to 3pm Saturdays December 3rd, 10th & 17th Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. bethelmaine.com/country-christmas 207-824-2282

Dec. 2: Cookies with Santa Bryant Pond and Woodstock Elementary School. 6:00pm-7:30pm. Tree Lighting by Santa on the town common of Bryant Pond near the post office. Everyone is welcome to come to Woodstock Elementary School where you can enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, games and activities while visiting with Santa. FMI: 207-665-2228

Dec. 3: Christmas at the Mason House Museums of the Bethel His torical Society. Visit Bethel Hill’s oldest surviving home to experience Christmas at the Mason House. The first floor period rooms in the 1813 Mason House will be decorated in traditional 19th century style and lit by candles. Step back in time as you enjoy holiday music and refreshments. 3pm to 5pm. Free, but donations welcome. bethelhistorical.org, 207-824-2908

Dec. 3: Breakfast with Santa Crescent Park School. 8:00am-12:00noon. Pancake breakfast with Santa, silent auction and book sale. 19 Crescent Street, Bethel. 207-824-2839

Dec 3: Demo Day Sunday River. This is your opportunity to try out the newest equipment from your favorite ski brands. Receive a $50 coupon off a pair of skis at Sunday River Sports when you sign up. sundayriver. com, 800-543-2754

Dec. 4: Santa Sunday Sunday River Ever seen hundreds of Santa’s skiing/ boarding down a mountain? All proceeds benefit The River Fund Maine.

Registration information can be found at sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754 Dec. 3: Christmas Tea and Fair West Parish Congregational Church. 1:004:00pm. This is a great way to start the Christmas season with a relaxing tea and special goodies. Crafts, tiny treasure and baked goodies are available downstairs in the dining room. The church welcomes a return to a tradition which was put on hold by the pandemic. bethelcongregation alchurch.org, 207-824-2689

Dec. 6: Telstar Winter Concert 7:00pm. Telstar High and Middle School’s choruses and bands perform their winter concert. Telstar Region al High School, 284 Walkers Mills Road, Bethel. 207-824-2136

Dec. 8: BAAM’s Youth Open Stage featuring special guest Buffalo Nichols Join BAAM for their monthly Youth Open Stage. Musician Buf falo Nichols will join Open Stage to offer feedback and support to young performers hoping to learn how to perform on stage with confidence. Bring an instrument, your dancing shoes, or your voice. All talents and types of performance are welcome. Sign-ups begin at 5:30 with perfor mances beginning at 6:00. Performance slots are reserved for youth ages 5-30 years old. This event is free and all are welcome to come and enjoy the show. This series is made possible by funding from the Davis Family Foundation. Thursday December 8th, 5:30-7:30 The Gem, 48 Cross Street, Bethel, ME. Bethel Area Arts & Music www.bethelareaartsandmusic.com

Dec. 9: Please join us in welcoming Buffalo Nichols to Bethel. Since his earliest infatuations with the guitar, guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Carl “Buffalo” Nichols has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? After cutting his teeth between a Baptist church and bars in Milwaukee, it was a globetrotting trip through West Africa and Europe during a creative down period that began to reveal the answer. “Part of my intent, making myself more comfortable with this release, is putting more Black stories into the genres of folk and blues…Listening to this record, I want more Black people to hear them selves in this music that is truly theirs.” That desire is embodied in his

self-titled debut album that was performed on The Late Show with Ste phen Colbert. Tickets are “Pay What You Can” with proceeds benefiting future BAAM programming. https://thegemtheater.com/special_events/ baam-presents-buffalo-nichols-the-gem/

Dec. 11: Mahoosuc Community Band Christmas Concert Gould Academy Bingham Auditorium. The band, under the direction of Jim McLaughlin, will perform traditional and classical favorites. Several Gould Academy students have joined the Mahoosuc Community Band. Re freshments following the concert. Donations welcomed at the door. FMI: facebook.com/Mahoosuc-Community-Band

Dec. 17-18: Winterfest Weekend Sunday River. Welcome winter with the opening of night skiing, torchlight parade, fireworks, a visit from Santa and much more. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Dec. 17: Light Up Main Street Holiday Parade – Decorate your vehicle with your brightest décor, blast the holiday tunes, and parade up Main Street spreading Christmas cheer! All are welcome to join or watch. bethelmaine.com, 207-824-2282

Dec. 18: Living Nativity Bethel Town Common. 5:00pm. Actors and live animals recreate the Nativity scene, then enjoy refreshments afterward at the Dr. Moses Mason House. FMI: facebook.com/BethelAl lianceChurchBethelME

Dec. 26-30: Holiday Week Sunday River Celebrate the holidays with activities and events for the whole family all week long. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Dec. 31: NYE Celebrations. A party in the Mahoosuc Room for the kids and a party in the Foggy Goggle for the grown-ups. Midnight fireworks show. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Jan. 1: 37th Annual Carter’s Last Stand Carter’s XC Ski Center. Come ring in the New Year at Carter’s with a Nordic ski or snowshoe! Log your kilometers with Strava & post to social media with our specific tags and be entered to win a raffle prize. Also log the most KM on our trails that day and win a prize! Prizes will be given to top 3 finishers! cartersxcski.com, 207-824-3880

Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation offers adaptive ski, snowboard and snowshoe lessons and volunteer opportunities at Sunday River, Pleasant Mountain, Mt Abram, Black Mountain of Maine, Sugarloaf, and Saddleback on a number of days throughout the winter season starting on January 2, 2023. For more information contacts at info@maineadap tive.org or 207-824-2440.

Jan. 7: Indie Demo Day Sunday River. Test out the latest and greatest equipment from amazing independents ski and snowboard brands. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Sleigh

Rides at

The Bethel Inn Resort

A 30-minute trip around the property. Leaving on the half-hour, pm-7:30pm. $20 for ages 11+, $15 for ages 4-10, free for 3 and under with an adult. bethelinn.com, 207-824-2175 to reserve.

December 17, 24 – 31, 2022

January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023

February 4, 11, 18 – 25, 2023

Jan. 8: Free Community XC Ski Days for kids from SAD #17 and SAD #44 and RSU #10. Carter’s XC Ski Center FREE trail passes for all students from these districts on January 8, January 29, February 12, and March 12, with a family-friendly celebration on the last date. Scavenger hunt, obstacle course, food truck, fire pit, snacks and hot cocoa, and prizes. cartersxcski.com, 207-824-3880

Jan. 9th-13th: Kids’ Week Sunday River. Kids’ Week is a celebration of skiing families with a number of activities and events for kids, including fireworks, special visits with Eddy and Betty the Yetis and discounts on tickets and lessons when you book lodging. sundayriver.com, 800-5432754

Jan. 22: Wooden Ski Day Free trail pass for folks on wooden skis, but any kind of skiing is accepted! Dig out your vintage or retro Nordic ski clothing and get in the spirit of celebrating the history of Nordic Skiing. Prizes will be given to 3 winners based on the following categories in a Ski Parade at 1pm: Most Old-Timey or Traditional Nordic Ski Wear, Retro Ski Wear and finally most creative overall! Ski historian, Glenn Parkin son, from Maine Ski & Snowboard Museum, will share his knowledge of Nordic ski history. Bring your ski artifacts to learn more. Live Music at

2pm with Singepole Trio Band. Norway Brewing Co. will be serving beer at 1pm. Profits will benefit Maine Ski & Snowboard Museum. Costume parade starts at 1pm. Wild River Kitchen food truck will be open from 9am to 5pm. cartersxcski.com, 207-824-3880

Jan. 23-27: Seniors Week Sunday River. Celebrate with special activities and deals for 50+ throughout the week. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Jan. 29: Free Community XC Ski Days for kids from SAD #17 and SAD #44 and RSU #10. Carter’s XC Ski Center FREE trail passes for all students from these districts on January 8, January 29, February 12, and March 12, with a family-friendly celebration on the last date. Scavenger hunt, obstacle course, food truck, fire pit, snacks and hot cocoa, and prizes. cartersxcski.com, 207-824-3880

Feb. 3-5: Pride Weekend Sunday River. Our LGBTQ weekend fea tures stellar skiing and riding, special events, including a themed party, fireworks, and après-ski socials, all hosted by Sunday River Resort in association with The OutRyders, New England’s largest LGBTQ ski and snowboard club. sundayriver.com, 800-543-2754

Making our happy place your home. Visit CassieMason.com