Issue 17
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Hello! In an effort to make each newsletter more accessible, we will start denoting links as outlined below. Let us know what you think! [Read my take on paywalls here (F).]
F = free article or resource
PPH = Portland Press Herald
LSJ = Lewiston Sun Journal
TBC = The Bethel Citizen
FB = Facebook
IG = Instagram
Quote of the week
“Go jump in the Gulf of Maine.”
— Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (in response to the DOJ’s request (F) for personal voter information)
The Dark
Here are a few hard truths this week — but remember we’re in this together!
An invasive, carnivorous plant (PPH) has been found in 8 lakes and ponds around southern and western Maine. How…exotic!
Invasive species put local ecosystems, and the sports they sustain, at risk. If carting boats and rafts from place to place is your thing, make sure you’re protecting Maine waters - and avoiding hefty fines - by following detailed instructions (F) to “clean, drain, and dry” your vessel.
See pictures of swollen bladderwort here (F) and exercise caution if you’re visiting one of the following bodies of water: Horseshoe Pond in Chesterville; Lake Arrowhead in Limerick and Waterboro; Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro; Milton Pond and Northeast Pond between Lebanon, Maine and Milton, New Hampshire; Mousam Lake in Acton and Shapleigh; Murdock Lake in Berwick; Pleasant Pond in West Gardiner and Richmond; and Tilton Pond in Fayette. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
The name “Molly Ockett Day” (TBC) is back for the festival that takes place on the Commons each summer. While we all love a good town gathering, we wonder if it’s possible to put something on that both centers the townspeople of Bethel while not inviting opportunities for harmful appropriation (F) (search “Molly Ockett Day” in the Team Bethel Facebook group to learn about the float disaster of 2019). For many, this festival comes with painful memories of non-Native people imitating indigenous culture and an earnest desire to educate about the life and legacy of Abenaki woman Mali Agat through partnerships with the Wabanaki. You can begin to learn about her through the Bethel Historical Society here (F).
The Light
Yes, good things are happening — here’s proof!
Project Lifeline, a new healthcare collaboration in Portland (F), is providing pregnancy and postpartum healthcare to folks who are unhoused and dealing with addiction. Can interventions like this help relieve stress on Maine’s dysfunctional foster care system (F) by getting families the support they need before it’s too late?
Project Lifeline director, Alane O’Connor, estimates annual operating costs to be as little as $100,000. It makes us wonder what else could be done with the enormous $673,865 that Bethel is spending on police (F) this year. That number does not include expenditures on Bethel Rescue and the Bethel Fire Department.
Imagine a world where community funds and taxpayer dollars are directed to resources aside from police departments in a podcast episode with the brilliant Brittany Packnett Cunningham. Listen on Apple (F) or Spotify (F).
Northern Forest Center has awarded more than $70,000 in grants to 20 organizations (F). These funds support projects that help get more people involved in outdoor recreation. Local recipients include Mt. Abram, Mahoosuc Kids Association, and Inland Woods and Trails.
The town of Winthrop is considering an AI policy (LSJ) that would guide how and when officials can use the technology. The policy includes stipulations that disciplinary actions can be taken against folks who misuse AI.
Some education funds are restored (F). Maine will receive more than $20 million originally withheld by the federal Department of Education on July 1. The money is used for five grant programs supporting teacher development, adult literacy, English language instruction and more.
Note: This might be the last time we include Trump’s funding abuses in The Kindling. Is it really “good news” when funds are restored or is it an abusive tactic to take away something that is rightfully ours, make us use all of our energy to beg for him to restore funds, and then kiss his ass when he finally does? Rinse and repeat. We’re kind of over it but would love to know where you stand.
Your Maine Action Kit
Pick one and then dive into a book.
Learn how to DIY home repairs. Are you a single-family homeowner who needs home repairs? Community Concepts can help! From building ramps to basic home repairs, if you can provide labor, they will provide the materials and a supervisor to guide you through the work! Contact them today to see if you are eligible. Call 207-333-6459 or email mdeschaine@community-concepts.org
Join the planning board. There is an opening on the Bethel Planning Board. For more information, contact the Bethel town office (F) at 824-2669. Want to connect to folks in town government? Let us know and we’ll make it happen!
Check for ticks. And if you find one attached to a loved one? Consult your doctor while you wait on test results (F) from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tick Lab.
Have energy and anxiety to burn? Check out the Action Kit Archive here (F), for more ideas! Another option? Reply to this email and let us know what issues you want to mobilize around. We are connected with organizations who are looking for people power!
For when it all feels like too much
Get OUT. Join OUTMaine (F) at Valentine Farm from 11-1 this Sunday, August 3, for a special (and free) OUT in the Park event. They are collaborating with Mahoosuc Land Trust, the Gemini Cafe and Bakery, and Village Blues by Rebecca Zicarelli to bring an amazing, kid friendly, intergenerational gathering of awesome folks together. Happening at the same time as the indigo harvest, the event will include special non-indigo harvest related things before ending at the indigo harvest / upcycle fair. Register here (F) so there are enough pastries for all of us!
Give blood. Give some of your blood (and let’s be real, your time) to help bolster a perpetually low- and always needed- supply. In return you’ll get juice and snacks, as well as the feeling of knowing you have helped someone, somewhere. Sign up here (F) for the blood drive in Bethel on August 8. You can find other dates and locations on the Red Cross website (F).
Scream. Anyone who has screamed alone in their car () knows the sense of release it can provide. A group in Chicago took it a step further and started a scream club (F). They meet once a week to let go of stress, pressure, and pain - by screaming into the open air. Should we start a Bethel chapter?
Donate. The Bethel Rotary’s annual yard sale (TBC) is coming up (August 5-11) and they want your stuff. Email info@bethelrotary.org for more information or to schedule large donations.
Mark your calendar
It’s a busy week! See an ever evolving list of community events on The Kindling’s calendar here (F). Subscribe to our google calendar while you’re there!
Friday - Monday: Check out a movie at The Gem theater
Friday, August 1: CEBE Repair Cafe in Norway (5pm-7pm)
Friday, August 1: BAAM at The Gem presents Little Wings (7:30pm) [Tickets are “pay what you a can” and include a $0 option!]
Saturday, August 2: Bethel Farmer’s Market (9am-1pm) (see hours for other area farmer’s markets on our event page)
Sunday, August 3: Indigo Harvest Festival and Upcycle Fair at Valentine Farm with Rebecca Zicarelli (10am-3pm)
Monday, August 4: Bethel Democrats at the Bethel Library (4:30pm-6pm)
Wednesday, August 6: Bethel Town Select Board meeting to discuss policing and questions for Oxford County Sheriff (6pm-8pm)
Saturday, August 9: Inland Woods and Trails Volunteer Trail Work at the Bethel Community Forest (9am-12pm)
Tuesday, August 26: Beavers of the Androscoggin MLT Benefit Paddle with Bethel Adventure (9am-1pm)
Help!
The Kindling is at its best when contributions are coming from you. Let us know what we should include in the next issue by responding to this email or making a newsletter submission here (F).
Til next week,
Michelle and The Kindling Crew
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