Bethel Living #57 June / July 2023

Bethel LIVING

CUSTOM BUILT TIMBER FRAME 292 SABATTUS ROAD LOVELL, ME 04051

3 beds • 3 baths • 3,146 sq ft • $2,100,000

Custom Built ‘’Andy Buck Timber Frame’’ Home designed by Andrea Warchaizer!

This home is tucked in off the road on 15.5 acres of serene privacy including a Traditional Wood Fired Sauna, *EXCLUSIVE HIGHLIGHTS of the home include* Marvin Windows and Doors,* Rocky Mountain Hardware Door Handles, *Doug Fir Trim throughout, *Leaded and Stain Mahogany Entry Doors, *Custom Milled Red Oak Floors, * Sip Panels, * Wara Juraku – Japanese Organic Stucco, * Radiant Heat System in 1 ½ Grout, * 30 Feet Cathedral Ceiling in the Grand Living Room, * Gourmet Kitchen with Vermont Soapstone Counter Tops, Viking Appliances, Crown Point Kitchen Cabinets. Pantry, * Large Back Deck, *Screened Porch, *Large Mudroom, with plenty of space inside and out for entertaining or relaxation in Western Maine’s 4 Season Activities. Fly into Fryeburg’s Eastern Slope Regional Airport, close to North Conway, NH, Portland, Sunday River, Bridgton, and part of the ‘’renown’’ Fryeburg Academy School District!

Carol Chaffee

REALTOR ®

C: 207.240.1641

O: 800.450.7748

carol.chaffe@beangroup.com www.carolchaffee.com

Publisher’s Note

Our June / July issue is bursting with entertainment, including a report on Leighton’s of West Paris and their incredible collection of minerals and gems, plus an update on WHAT TV’s efforts to keep up with media modernization. Our story on the Wheeler Mica Mines details how this family is stewarding their treasure and inviting the public to enjoy a unique setting. Find out what’s trending for spring plantings at Pooh Corner Farm, meet Head Gardener Corey Kotfila at McLaughlin Gardens, and add Janet Willie’s Shy, Novice and Closeted Art Show to your calendar. Bake a Rustic Tomato Pie and sip some Watermelon and Blackberry Sangria. Add the entire Bethel Area Chamber’s Events Listing to your summer plans! A long and glorious season stretches before us, but as always, when October rolls around the days will seem to have passed in the blink of an eye. Enjoy them all!

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. Reproduction 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.

supplied by: Corey Kotfila

Cover photo

Features Editor: Nate Scott

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

Laurie Ann Knowles PUBLISHER

Leighton’s of West Paris with

Brett Leighton

by Laurie Ann Knowles

It’s a good thing Brett Leighton was born on the third rock from the sun because he would have been really bored on an ice giant like Neptune. His lifelong fascination with Maine’s pegmatite minerals is so all encompassing that he sweats stone. Brett has mined in Stowe, Maine for amethyst, Georgetown for tourmaline and Topsham for beryl, bringing his kids along to help find gems. He mined with Gary Howard from the mid ‘90s til 2005.

Originally from Downeast Maine, Brett has owned jewelry and mineral shops in Millinocket, Farmingdale, Machias, Blue Hill, Boothbay Harbor and Wells. Three years ago he moved his business from Machias to the original location of Perham’s of West Paris. Which makes the perfect match for his deep love of Maine’s gems and minerals, many sourced from Oxford County mines. Brett knows all the miners, has deep connections with many jewelers and lives to design, create and exhibit spectacular quarried specimens. He spends his spare time cleaning rocks and minerals and his shop is chock-a-block full with huge displays of mind bogglingly rich and dazzling Maine minerals. He designs and carries gold, silver and platinum set jewelry, and has provided part of the inventory and specimens on display at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Brett offers talks to mineral clubs on tourmalines and mining. He wholesales to most all of the mineral and gem shops in Maine and says there are very few outlets he doesn’t know about.

Now, he his thrilled to be operating out of Perham’s old building, one of Maine’s most historic rockhounding locations. For many,

many years Jane and Frank Perham promoted their store as a gem and mineral haven for rock aficionados from near and far. Originally opened in 1919 by Frank’s parents, the Trap Corner location was the destination not only to purchase gems and minerals, but also to touch and discover the world revolving around one of Maine’s most precious natural resources. After decades of service to the community and to visitors from all over, it ended with Jane’s final sale and closing in 2009. The property sat quiet for a dozen or so years with little to no action until finally, along came Brett Leighton, his wife Michele and their truckloads of rocks and gems.

Of course, Brett’s connection to Oxford County rock stretches back to well before this latest store relocation. In 2005 he met Gary Freeman, owner of Mt Mica and the Plumbego Mines, leading to a collaboration that sold literally tons of prized specimens to jewelers, museums and at various public and private shows in far flung locations.

Clearly, Brett loves what he does, is passionate about his new location and all the connections he’s built over time. Oxford County is

“ LEIGHTON’S OF WEST PARIS IS CHOCK-A-BLOCK FULL WITH HUGE DISPLAYS OF MIND BOGGLINGLY RICH AND DAZZLING MAINE MINERALS.

lucky to have him right here at the epicenter of a resurgence in mineral exploration. Stop by and see the overwhelmingly impressive and beautiful inventory he’s got on hand. And don’t hesitate to bring the kids, because outside the store there’s a treasure mining pile where everyone can be a kid for 10 minutes — and it’s free!

And by the way, Brett’s favorite type of music? Jazz!! Just kidding . . . it’s Rock.

FMI visit leightonsofwestparis.com, stop by Leighton’s of West Paris at 194 Bethel Road, West Paris or Call (207) 674-2166

Enshrined in the first amendment of America’s Bill of Rights is every citizen’s entitlement to freedom of speech. Free speech is a fundamental touchstone of our democracy, keeping the “haves” accountable and affording the “have nots” an opportunity to course correct when necessary. Quality information, easily accessed by the general public, is an essential prerequisite to the vitality of our communities and the effectiveness of our systems. In a world where media-fed narratives are intrinsically tied up in the desires of advertisers and lobbyists, publicly created and funded media outlets — particularly those in rural areas — play an increasingly crucial role. The Maine State legislature has long recognized the value of locally born, unadulterated content and mandates support for public access television.

Under Maine law, cable companies are required to set aside a percentage of their gross revenues for public, educational and governmental (PEG) access channels. This funding is used to cover the costs of operations. PEG channels must be available to all cable subscribers as part of their basic service package. To even the playing field a bit more, the state also requires cable companies to reserve a lower channel number for public access content. Western Hills Access Television (WHAT) is our region’s PEG station, providing coverage of many of our area’s town meetings, community and school events throughout the year. For Spectrum subscribers, WHAT TV is broadcast on channel 11 or 1302, with additional live coverage on the YouTube channel “Western Hills Access Television 2023” and a website offering video on demand spanning the greater part of the past three decades.

Counter to the edited sound bites of

by Meryl Kelly

political proceedings found on large cable networks, WHAT TV presents its content in raw form, free from all editing or elicitation of a particular viewer response. This makes it the most trustworthy source for watching town meetings and staying involved in the happenings of our local government for citizens who cannot attend events in person. A fact that the station’s Community Liaison, Brooks Morton, considers as critical to the mission of the small station. The opportunity to engage in the community with your own eyes and ears doesn’t ensure things will always go your way but it does bring a level of clarity to the nuisances of local governance while empowering citizens to get involved on a variety of levels.

After a change of roles in 2019, Josh and Brooks Morton, a father and son duo, took the helm of WHAT TV together; operating the switchboards, engaging the community and creating content with the help of long-time contributor Jewel Clark. Josh, as Station Manager and Technical Engineer, has embarked on the arduous task of modernizing station operations. He has spent much energy upgrading equipment and digitizing the expansive historic catalog of VHS tape footage, which captures countless celebrations and events of our community’s past. Digitalization will increase access to these nostalgic time-capsules by allowing footage to be viewed through the WHAT TV website in their “Archives” section. WHAT TV has also put forth considerable effort and resources to install cameras for the live broadcasting of Bethel Board of Selectmen meetings and other business in Town’s Meeting Hall, making coverage of these important community proceedings no longer dependent on volunteer availability.

Former Station Manager Wayne Howe has transitioned to the role of Programming Director, choosing what goes on air. Along with Wayne and the Mortons, there are two other Board Members — school rep James Haines and long time contributor Richard Melville — that support the station in operating a continuous loop of 24/7 programming. The station has been sustained through the years by the dedication of many workers, supporters and content creators and with the advances in technology its work is reaching an exciting new stage. Content creation is an ever-evolving task. WHAT TV is not only an avenue for unedited community history but an opportunity and resource available to students and community members alike. Individuals are encouraged to borrow equipment for their own audiovisual projects and the hunt for volunteers to record community events

and create new programming is ongoing. Passionate volunteers, like Jewel Clark, have spent many years focused on ensuring coverage of community events, so a trip down memory lane is always just a couple of clicks away.

For the past 30 years Western Hills Access Television has occupied various small (always windowless) rooms tucked into the hallways of Telstar Middle and High School while working to maintain the crucial bridge between what was and what could be. Evolving with the times and offering opportunities for collaboration, community and engagement all along the way.

If you have ideas for shows or would like to support this small but mighty station you can reach out to the station manager at josh.whattv11@gmail.com or visit us at westernhillsaccesstelevision.org

New Life for an Old Mine

by Meryl Kelly

Traveling between Mine 1 and Mine 2 on the well-worn roads and deer paths surrounding Wheeler Brothers Mica Mines evokes a feeling of nostalgia for the untamed childhood many of us enjoyed in the wild woods of Maine. As we walked, John Wheeler, my guide, pointed to areas in the forest where he had cleared the black cherry and the moosewood to let the birch thrive. One could almost envision — transposed across the landscape — generations of Wheelers moving through the woods, stewarding the land and enjoying the riches afforded to all who dig their family roots deep into a place. Kids tromping through the forest, jumping from rocks and hunting for treasures. Adults doing the same. The secret spots and thoughtfully placed monuments scattered across the grounds, paying homage to those

who came before or departed too soon, not only honor their family lineage but represent their deep connection to the very earth we tread upon.

Though the Wheeler family has lived in Bethel since 1792, the establishment of the family mica mines came much later. In 1954, brothers Roger, Ted and Abe Wheeler recognized the potential for quality mineral extraction on their land surrounding Pine Mountain in Gilead, due to promising showings of pegmatite. During that time the abundant reserves of feldspar, beryl, and high-grade plate mica prompted widespread mining operations across Oxford County. Armed with scant knowledge of mining, the brothers, with the help of friends, initiated operations. Though they entered the industry in the pursuit of beryl, family lore recounts that following the first blast the air

was filled with mica, blanketing the ground as it fell. The decision was obvious, they would mine mica. This marked the beginning of a decade characterized by family matriarch Marilyn Wheeler as “feast or famine.” Sometimes mica rained from the sky and sometimes the high-quality deposits seemed elusive. Regardless, when the Wheelers prospered, they shared their success generously.

Between prospecting the land in Gilead and staffing the mica processing and trimming store they established on Bethel’s Main Street the Wheelers employed many area locals. The work was back-breaking but together they mined and processed thousands of pounds of high grade muscovite mica, all while cultivating enduring multigenerational friendships with other area families. The final blasts on Pine Mountain were made in the early sixties after the increased importation of low cost mica from abroad prompted the end of most mica mining operations in the United States.

When formal mining ceased in 1962, the Wheelers chose to maintain public access to their property, ensuring its preservation under their care for the next half century. In 2020 Roger’s sons — Roger, Tim and John — formed Wheeler Brothers Enterprises as a vehicle for operating a rockhounding business on the land. After considering all of their options, the brothers decided to focus their

energy on encouraging land use by avid and novice rock hounds in the warmer months, while continuing to keep their trails open to snowmobilers and snowshoers in the winter. Since the goal during the operational years was focused primarily on the extraction of mica, the dumps still hold remarkable specimens of garnet, black tourmaline, various types of quartz and beryl, and other minerals. During the rockhounding season — May until first snowfall — guests are welcome to visit before 8am or after 4pm for walking and sightseeing, but the hours in between are reserved for those who pay to dig. In this way the Wheelers assure an authentic experience for those prospecting. Limiting the number of patrons affords guests a relaxing experience rather than a crowded freefor-all.

For guests with an interest in a more structured experience, the Wheelers offer a 1.75 mile walking tour with a guide who is well versed in the history of the Mines — its minerals, local geography, flora and fauna. Participants of these tours also get an opportunity to search for minerals and are supplied with guidance, tools and buckets for their finds. Guests who would like to regularly visit the scenic and secluded trail system can purchase a “Friends of the Wheeler Mines” hiking and walking pass which allows year round convenient access for a limited number of patrons. The brothers

have worked with area school programs to offer some geology and local history education in addition to handson rockhounding experiences. With kids 7 years old and younger admitted for free, the Mines offers a perfect family-friendly outing. A long-standing relationship with the Wild River Snowmobilers Club ensures that trails are groomed throughout the winter, allowing access to the Mines with their spectacular icicle formations and the stunning view over the Androscoggin River Valley.

Before Bethel was a ski town it was a bustling community of loggers, farmers and miners. The Wheeler Brothers Mica Mines is just one remnant of

our community’s rich past of working the land. The Mines and the surrounding woodlands stand as a living museum, offering a poignant narrative of the men and women who carved a path through the unforgiving earth, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of rural Maine. As guests visit the mines, the stories surrounding its origins resonate, urging us to honor the past while we continue to evolve into the future. As the next generation of Wheelers consider how best to manage the land, one assurance can be made: their land will remain largely undeveloped and available to be enjoyed by all.

FMI: Website: www.wheelermicamines.com • Email: wheelermicamines@gmail.com

Address: Mine Road, Gilead Maine

Beautify your Home with Pooh Corner Farm with Margaret Manbeck

by Laurie Ann Knowles

It’s always a good idea to turn down the Bog Road on a trip through West Bethel at this time of year because down at the end there’s quite a springtime treasure —Pooh Corner Farm!

Since 1985, Pooh Corner Farm has been sprouting, blossoming, blooming and beautifying the Bethel area, thanks to the creativity and green thumb of Carole Duplessis. In the past few years her daughter Margaret Manbeck has taken over the wheel barrow and — with Carole’s help — is carrying on the business; following new trends requested by her customers and inventing some of her own. With over 5,000 sq. ft of greenhouse and a year-round garden, gift center and florist, they offer a large selection of annuals, perennials, vegetable seedings, soil and mulch. Margaret recommends mixing herbs and vegetables into the flower gardens close to your house or kitchen for easy use. Planting seedlings now will provide fresh produce this summer right from your dooryard. This gardening season, customers are seeking out plants that attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Annual pollinators include Fuchsias, Snapdragons, Cosmos, Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia), Zinnias and many more. Perennial pollinators include Catmint, Butterfly Weed, Lavender, Beebalm, Echinacea, Lilacs and the list goes on. Everyone likes low-maintenance plants, whether they be deer-resistant, drought tolerant or native to our growing zone. Margaret and Carole give

personal recommendations on what will work best for your specific growing conditions and goals. Another trend is for not only beautiful plants, but ones that give dual use, whether that’s a cut flower garden or edible plants, such as vegetables and herbs. Margaret and Carole often reference the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. This is a free resource that offers lists of plants that will thrive in Maine’s short growing season. You cannot have your own beautiful and healthy garden all summer if you don’t get plants in this growing season!

Swing by 436 Bog Road in Mason Twp grab your gardening needs! And visit poohfarm.com, stop by , or call 207-836-3276

“ SHE TURNED TO THE SUNLIGHT, AND SHOOK HER YELLOW HEAD, AND WHISPERED TO HER NEIGHBOR:

“WINTER IS DEAD.”

– A.A. MILNE

Bethel’s very own Main Street cafe and bakery, established December 2022. Handmade and naturally leavened breads, pastries and bagels with a full espresso bar and 28 cozy seats inside. Our open kitchen is in full  view so you can see the baking magic happen right in front of you!

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With digital banking, we don’t need to be close by or even open!

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TAKE US ANYWHERE

There are over 170 branches in Maine and over 5,000 in the USA where you can make transactions just like you do at Oxford FCU.

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There are over 170 credit unions in Maine and over 5,000 in the USA where you can make transactions just like you do at Oxford FCU.

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rom youth savings accounts to making retirement plans. We are here

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IT’S PERSONAL

We will guide and suppor t you through good times and bad. You will always

IT’S PERSONAL

We will guide and support you through good times and bad. You will always speak to a real person right here at Oxford FCU who puts your needs first.

the Oxford FCU difference.

McLaughlin Garden

with Corey Kotfila, Head Gardener

by Laurie Ann Knowles

Acentury old landmark in downtown South Paris, McLaughlin Garden sits on a two-acre plot with an historic barn and homestead, all under the stewardship of the nonprofit McLaughlin Foundation. Head Gardener Corey Kotfila came from Massachusetts to UMaine Orono to attain a degree in Forestry and quickly formed an interest in plant ecology. A move to South Paris introduced him to the Garden where he immediately applied for work and is now in his third season as Head Gardener. Corey is very enthusiastic about Maine’s native orchids and has been working to introduce a dozen or so of these beautiful plants, some known as Lady Slippers, to the Garden. Corey also focuses on the reclamation of overgrown areas around the cultivated area’s periphery. By following a register of the property’s previous plants, he is able to reintroduce many local and native species to spots where they once prospered. Working to re-establish minimally cultivated plant species that support the local environment and

McLaughlin Garden’s Mission

The McLaughlin Garden & Homestead cultivates a beautiful and healthy environment where discovery, creativity, and connections are nurtured.

attract pollinators gives all the birds, bees and beetles a big win. Corey offers lectures and is initiating an outreach to attract volunteers from local business and school organizations.

The McLaughlin Garden is home to one of the largest privately cultivated collections of lilacs in New England, offering over 125 varieties of lilacs on more than 200 trees. The Garden’s collection also includes an impressive array of native wildflowers, hostas, daylilies, astilbe, iris, phlox and ferns. Each year, the McLaughlin Garden welcomes thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the historic garden location and take part in their inspirational special programs and events.

FMI visit mclaughphlingardern.org, visit them at 97 Main Street in South Paris or Call (207) 743-8820

The Vision

We are a cultural anchor and dynamic garden, vital to the wellbeing of our lives. The McLaughlin Garden and Homestead in South Paris is a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a cultural landscape. The McLaughlin Foundation has been proud to steward Bernard McLaughlin’s renowned 1840s farmstead, gardens and public green space for more than 25 years.

The Shy, Novice and Closeted Art Show

with Janet Willie, LPN and Licensed Massage Therapist

The notion that good art is made by or through suffering is often debated, with examples and counterexamples flung about like food in the Faber College cafeteria (an excellent example, by the way, of cinematic art produced with minimal suffering). Yet it is plausible to observe that vulnerability and openness are mental states likely to unbar the gates of creativity, allowing good art to flow. Janet Willie, a shy and novice artist and professional Licensed Massage Therapist was introduced to art as therapy during a very dark period of her life. She came to this area in the late 1980s as the food manager for Hurricane Outward Bound School in Newry and currently works in end-of-life care. Her real passion however, is supporting shy, novice and closeted artists — which is how she describes herself — expose their creations to the world.

Every artist has their medium. With a roll of paper, a pot of acrylic paint and a pallet knife, Janet found she was able to release tension and depression in short inspiring spurts. She had never picked up a brush but was inexplicably able to plaster her feelings out onto blank paper — giving her some freedom, as well as a physical manifestation of her interior landscape to ponder. Janet discovered that she is a vessel for artistic expression to flow through, and that art can not only heal the artist, but can also bring meaning to others. This realization gave her the encouragement to crop and frame pieces of her work and put them up for sale. She found that people were attracted, repelled or both by the raw emotion of her pieces, and some (shockingly enough to Janet) sold! She then recognized that the struggle to create and the struggle to share one’s creations are two different challenges — that there must be many other

“closeted artists”.

THIS lead to the creation of the Shy, Novice and Closeted Art Show. Now in it’s 19th year, Janet has created a place for first-time and timid artists to share their works with others at her home and barn in downtown Bethel at 18 High Street. The show started back during the days of the Bethel Art Fair, a show for professional artists to exhibit and sell their works out on the Bethel common. Bethel Area Arts & Music (BAAM) has taken over the summer event called the Art Market, and moved it to Philbrook Place, across from the Sudbury Inn.

In the show, Janet supports all types of art in the community. Artists are mostly local, and her show has inspired a group of en plain air artists that show on the same day on Vernon Street, as well as other random artists who use Bethel’s sidewalks as their gallery. It’s a Bethel day of art appreciation! The call goes out in early June for artists and follows BAAM’s lead for the date. Not all the Shy/Novice pieces exhibited are for sale, some are just for show. It’s low-key and not for professionals, unless there is a work that doesn’t meet the professional catalogued requirements. The night before features an Art Soirée and Open House for the artists, their friends and family.

The show is a win-win situation — blossoming artists receive lots of support from each other, all art mediums are encouraged, all ages participate and all levels of experience are welcomed.

FMI on the Shy, Novice and Closeted Art show visit Facebook or call Janet at (208) 824-3889 or email Janet at janetwillie@yahoo.com

Flavors OFSummer

Rustic Tomato Pie

INGREDIENTS

• Dough for single-crust pie

• 1-3/4 pounds mixed tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate.

Place half of the tomatoes and half of the onions in crust. Combine mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, basil, salt and pepper; spread over tomatoes. Top with remaining onions and tomatoes. Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go and leaving an 8-in. opening in the center. Sprinkle with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Bake on a lower oven rack until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

Watermelon & Blackberry Sangria

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle (750 ml) white zinfandel or rose wine, chilled

• 1/4 cup watermelon schnapps liqueur

• 1-1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon (1/2inch cubes)

• 1 medium lime, thinly sliced

• 1/2 to 1 cup fresh blackberries, halved

• 1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda, chilled

• Ice cubes

• Fresh basil or mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

In a large pitcher, stir together wine and schnapps; add watermelon, lime and blackberries. Chill at least 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in soda. Serve over ice. Garnish with basil or mint.

LOCAL Events

June 4: 9th Annual SMH5K Road Race Come run with us FOR THE HEALTH OF IT! 181 Main Street, Norway WMHCC.ORG 207-744-6052

June 9: Telstar Graduation 284 Walkers Mills Rd. (207) 824-2136

June 11th: BAAM at The Gem Presents the Jacob Jolliff Band 7:00 pm at The Gem, Admission is “Pay What You Can” benefiting BAAM

June 17: Library Plant Sale Bethel Library. Get there early for the best selection on perennials and more! 9am. 5 Broad St., Bethel. bethellibraryassociation.org, 207-824-2520

June 26: Annual Bethel Area Chamber Golf Classic The Bethel Resort & Suites Golf Club. Come together for a day of networking, contests, raffles, auction, prizes, and 18 holes of fun against a backdrop of the western Maine mountains. Pre-registration required. Your support will benefit the Bethel Area Chamber and its efforts to showcase the Bethel area as a premier four-season destination. Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. bethelmaine.com, 207-824-2282

June 29th: Bethel Pride 3:00 pm - 7:30 at The Gem Admission is “Pay What You Can” benefiting Telstar High School Civil Rights Team

July 1: BAAM Art Market The Philbrook Place, 162 Main Street, Bethel. 10am - 4pm. Local artists, crafters, & artisans will be set up to showcase and sell their handmade creations. FMI: coordinator@ bethelareaartsandmusic.com, bethelareaartsandmusic.com

Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 1247, 8 Station Place

Bethel, ME 04217

Tel: 207.824.2282 • Fax: 207.824.7123

Toll-free: 800.442.5826

info@bethelmaine.com

www.bethelmaine.com

www.facebook.com/bethelarea

July 1: 19th Annual Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show This art show provides the opportunity and the encouragement for any person who considers themselves to be a shy, novice and/or a closeted artist to show their work(s) of art. All mediums, all levels of proficiency or not, from all ages welcomed. Show is from 9am-4pm and located at 18 High Street, Bethel. FMI: contact Janet Willie at 207-824-3889

July 1-2: River Rock Music Festival Sunday River. This Christian music celebration has some of the top artists in Christian music coming to perform in the mountains. riverrockfestival.com, 401-680-2420

July 4: The 4th of July Picnic & Concert Museums of the Bethel Historical Society. Celebrate our nation’s independence with an outdoor concert by the fabulous Portland Brass Quintet. 11:30am-1pm. Bring your picnic lunch, and after the presentation of colors and the National Anthem, enjoy the concert. bethelhistorical.org, 207-824-2908

July 6: Treasures from the Collection Museums of the Bethel Historical Society Beginning every Thursday through Saturday in July and August. 1pm-4pm bethelhistorical.org, 207-824-2908

July 8th: BAAM at The Gem Presents Comedian Mohtasham Yaqub 7:00 pm at The Gem Admission is “Pay What You Can” benefiting BAAM

July 8-9: Annual Western Maine Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show Telstar High School, 284 Walkers Mills Road (Rt. 26), Bethel. Gems, minerals, crystals, books, magazines, fossils, jewelry, door prizes, muse-

Photo credit: Cathy Howe

um-quality displays, gem raffle, food, and much more. Entrance fee $3, under 12 is FREE. 10am-4pm. mincoll@megalink.net, 207-665-2759

July 14-15: New England Forest Rally Sunday River & surrounding area. Regional and national rally racing pros take on the back roads of western Maine and northern New Hampshire. newenglandforestrally. com

July 14-15: The Bethel Library’s Used Book Sale under the tent at the library, from noon-5 pm on Friday, and all day Saturday 5 Broad St., Bethel. bethellibraryassociation.org, 207-824-2520

July 15: Bethel Summerfest Bethel Town Common. THE big summer party! Artists, craft, and food vendors, live music, kids’ entertainment, fireworks, & more. bethelsummerfest.com, 207-824-2282

July 15: Museums of the Bethel Historical Society - Exhibits open all day during Summerfest. 10 Broad Street, 207-824-2908, bethelhistorical.org

July 20th: BAAM at The Gem Presents Cantrip 7:00 pm at The Gem Admission is “Pay What You Can” benefiting BAAM

July 21: Big Ass Bash – Sunday River: Before the Tough Mountain Challenge kicks yours, party it off at this year’s annual Big Ass Bash! The Big Ass Bash is open to everyone and free for all ages. Bring your appetite and party pants for the ultimate pre-race celebration. Party takes over

from 5 to 9PM.800-543-2754.

July 22: Tough Mountain Challenge – Sunday River: Thrill-seeking competitors face natural and man-made obstacles on a 5k alpine terrain course. toughmountain.com, 800-543-2754.

July 22: The Gehring Legacy – Museums of the Bethel Historical Society 10:00: Coffee reception - Lobby, McLaughlin Science Center, Gould Academy, 10:30: Presentation by William F. Chapman, Executive Director of the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society - Trustees’ Auditorium, McLaughlin Science Center, Gould Academy, 11:15: Walking tours of Church and Broad Street, 12:00: Reception and remarks by Northern Forest Center staff - Grounds, Gehring House, south end of Broad Street, 1:00 - 4:00: “Golden Age of the Gehring Clinic” exhibit on view -Robinson House, Museums of the Bethel Historical Society 207824-2908, info@bethelhistorical.org

July 21-23: 23rd Annual New England Couples Golf Championship

The Bethel Resort & Suites. The perfect weekend for couples who love the game. Two day tournament, entertainment & great prizes. bethelinn.com, 800-654-0125

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP.

Same great food, same great beer, same great service!

A Maine microbrewery & restaurant, the Sunday River Brewing Company combines classic New England fare with contemporary styles. Outdoor dining in the warmer months or fireside in the winter.

6 days/week – lunch & dinner – closed Tuesdays

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Jamaican Stout