The recent Telstar/Interact Club’s Chores Day was completely booked, but if you missed it, don’t worry; AFCI’s Handy Neighbor Program provides other opportunities to get student help with outdoor chores. Remember that the students are eager (perhaps the need for Community Service credits helps!) and can help adults 65 and over by raking leaves, stacking […]

  The Common Loon is well known to everyone who lives or visits Maine. Loons could be viewed as the mascot (along with the Moose) for Maine tourism. Even people who aren’t birders, hope to see and hear a loon when they visit our area. (Photo by Jay “Mac” Davis.) Loons are large, heavy-bodied birds […]

Shorter days, more reading time. What to read? There’s plenty of kid lit; some of it is classic, the sort of thing that gets read again and again; that has something important to say. My ideas are those of an old man, so I thought I’d also consult a children’s librarian and an almost nine […]

It doesn’t look like we’ll be out of the woods with COVID-19 for quite a while.  We’re all very concerned about our health, as well as that of our loved ones and those across the world.  We’re also distressed about the many ways our lives have changed.  The Bethel Region Age-Friendly Community Initiative hopes our […]

Music education in Bethel faces two problems: isolation and numbers. Listening is a fundamental part of music education. There aren’t many nearby concerts. (It’s said, probably correctly, that you can attend a concert every day of the year in New York City.) The nearest professional orchestra performs in Portland; performers are typically a key source […]

  The Spruce Grouse (photo by Dick Daniels) is another of Maine’s boreal specialists. Boreal forests comprise a region that occurs south of the artic and is characterized by its spruce, pine and hemlock. Vast boreal regions circle the globe and can be found at low elevations as you move further north. In our area, […]

This summer we planted my cedar garden in an area that is protected by wire and situated just below the cabin by the brook. My intention was to create a safe place for northern white cedar seedlings to thrive; they are slow growing second succession trees and hungry Whitetails (deer) feast on their tasty fronds during the winter. In this small area there […]

The AFCI Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) program continues to evaluate COVID safety precautions as it pertains to our traditional rides program.  We do not anticipate serving riders for several months – until the CDC signals that it is safe to do so.  We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.  Community Concepts may be able […]