BETHEL – Registration for the Bethel Historical Society’s winter-spring course, “Topics in New England History,” will continue until Thursday, March 13.

Part of its educational programming for 2008, the course, during March and April, will offer a detailed discussion of five topics in New England history.

The first session will be held Thursday, March 13, and continue each week, March 20, 27, April 3, 10, beginning each evening at 7:30 p.m.

Society Executive Director Stanley R. Howe will conduct the course. He has lectured, written and published on New England history topics. He has also taught history at several colleges and universities and served on graduate committees. He possesses experience as a facilitator for the Maine, New Hampshire and New England Humanities Foundation programs.

Howe holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Maine, an MA in history from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in history from the University of Maine.

The cost of the course to nonmembers will be $25 and to society members, $20. To register, call the society at 824-2908 or 800-824-2910 or use the e-mail address at [email protected]. The course is scheduled to be held at the society’s Regional History Center’s O’Neil Robinson House.

The Maine Historical Society’s January issue of its quarterly, “Maine History,” offers several articles on “Mind, Body and Spirit: Maine’s Therapeutic Landscapes.” One of the articles is titled “Dr. John George Gehring and his Bethel Clinic: Pragmatic Therapy and Therapeutic Tourism” by society life member and board of trustees secretary William D. Andrews of Newry.

The article contains numerous photographs from the society’s collection and discusses the work of Gehring, who brought people to Bethel from around the United States to deal with their well being. One was William Bingham II, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio, who became a resident and spent his life making philanthropic gifts to Bethel and the nation.

Copies of this issue are on sale at the society’s museum shop, which is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

More information about the society and its activities may be obtained by calling 824-2908 or 800-824-2910, e-mailing [email protected] or visiting www.bethelhistorical.org.