Issue 18

Written By MIchelle Zagardo

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Friends,

Every week we grapple with what to share in this space. Did we find the right balance of light versus dark? Are the happenings in Texas important enough to share in Western Maine? Are we exhausting our readers with relentless updates about the state of whatever this is? And is paying attention always this exhausting? When things feel extra bad, is it because we woke up on the wrong side of the bed - of course, lucky to wake up at all - or is it because things are really extra bad? And when we have those feelings, is it better to write more or just to keep things short and hyper local? Mostly, we ask each other questions with no answers. We do our best to check for typos as our heads spin from all we’ve consumed and then we hit “send”. Through the power of technology, our words reach 111 of you who continue to invite us into your inboxes each week. We are so grateful to know that you are out there, however exhausted you might be, and we wonder: What questions are swirling through your mind?

Quote of the week

“While the road ahead is challenging, we cannot lose hope. There’s work to do and I need you to stay in the fight.”

— Tim Walz, Minnesota Governor, aka Coach

The Dark

  • Beech leaf disease is starting to kill our trees (F). The invasive roundworm that carries the disease will change the forests – and the wildlife they support – as we know them, by threatening beech nuts (a key food source) and the cavities of beech trees (habitat). Help limit the spread (F) by never traveling with your own firewood i.e. burn firewood where you buy it because even a few miles can make a difference.

    • Looking for a fictional masterpiece to finish out the summer? North Woods (F) is a love letter to the natural world, and perhaps, specifically, to trees, that resonated deeply with us. Just know that the pace changes for the better about 70 pages in. By the time you read this, I will have returned a copy to the Bethel Library for you to check out!

The Light

Yes, good things are happening — here’s proof!

  • Maine’s Hire-A-Vet Campaign (F) is kicking off this month. This series of hiring events will connect Veterans, military service members and the general job seeking community to employers statewide. Events will be held in Augusta, Orono, Saco, and Farmington with details on the website (F).

  • The Maine Gun Safety Coalition is launching their first Grassroots Donor Fund. The Safe Schools, Safe Communities Initiative (F) will appear on the November 2025 ballot.

  • Mahoosuc Land Trust is in the process of acquiring a 978-acre parcel in Gilead (F) for conservation and recreation. The property features two summits – Little Bear Mountain and Tumbledown Dick Mountain – and frontage on the Androscoggin River.

Your Maine Action Kit

Pick one and then dive into a book.

  • 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!

  • Cancel a subscription. In the age of billionaires, genocide, and seemingly unrestricted money in politics, the money we spend seems to be one of the loudest ways we can communicate. To align our spending with our values, we’ve canceled subscriptions to Amazon, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Disney+, and Wix. We’re far from perfect but working to spend locally, even if it’s at a chain like the Walgreens on Mayville. How has American descent into fascism changed your spending habits? And how dystopian that we are asking that question at all?

  • Check for ticks. Tick borne illnesses are on the rise in Maine (PPH). Find a creepy crawler 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

  • 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).

  • Shop and swap. The Bethel Rotary’s annual yard sale is ON (August 5-11). Visit the parking lot of The Gem Theater to peruse the wonders that friends and neighbors have dropped off so that you - yes, YOU! - can give them a new life. The yard sale slogan tells you everything you need to know: “take what you need and pay what you can.” I left with a desk, some lamps, and a solid butcher block. New items arrive daily so visit a few times, and maybe grab some Romero’s while you’re at it!

  • Listen. A new podcast series shines the light on life in Maine. Maine Public says: “Essential Salt (free) is a collection of richly reported stories about living and working in Maine – where making a life brings the joy of vibrant landscapes and dynamic communities. But it also means grappling with tensions between rural and urban values, concerns about how to protect the water and land, and how to make sense of the past in a way that builds toward a strong future.” We’re hooked!

  • Need a bit more? Check out this post (F).

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!

Help!

  • The Kindling is at its best when contributions are coming from you. Each of us exists in different corners of the community, making us uniquely aware of what is happening in the spaces we frequent. 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

Logistical things

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MIchelle Zagardo
Next

Issue 17