BETHEL — When approached by the Bethel Rotary Club to partner with them in funding a Telstar Middle School literacy project, the owners of the Jolly Drayman at the Briar Lea Inn, Cindy Coughenour and Fred Seibert, presented Rotarian and SAD 44 Superintendent David Murphy with a check for $1,027.48.

Contributions were used to fund the school Literacy Project. Donations purchased 30 copies of  “A Wilderness Ranger’s Journal – Rendezvous at Devil’s Elbow” by Tim Caverly. Ten copies of the book were also gifted by the Bethel Rotary Club.

In addition, because of the gift, the author’s interactive PowerPoint presentation, including music and scenic and historic photos, will be presented to several seventh- and eighth-grade classes.

A small writer’s workshop for skilled and interested eighth-graders will be conducted by Caverly.

Lindsay Luetje, school language arts teacher, said, “Being able to meet with the author, hear him speak first hand about his experiences (both on the Allagash and as a writer) will have a great positive impact on our students. Two years ago Telstar purchased 20 copies of Caverly’s “An Allagash Haunting.”

Luetje read the book with her eighth-graders and the book was moved to the seventh-grade curriculum to align with the social studies teacher’s efforts in teaching Maine history/studies.

Luetje said that time she tied in more research and critical reading. She continued, “It’s not often that our students get to meet people who write books they read. It gives them a chance to apply their learning in an authentic way.”

The language arts faculty will sponsor a placemat competition that reflects the students’ learning about different places in Maine after reading “An Allagash Haunting.” The placemats will be judged by the Jolly Drayman owners, SAD 44 board members and Bethel Rotarians. The winning entry will be framed and displayed at the Jolly Drayman.

Caverly served as supervisor of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway for 18 years. He is a Maine author and outdoor enthusiast who has written several children’s books, including “Allagash Tails” and “An Allagash Haunting.”