Day after snow, Route 126, Whitefield.
It’s a lovely, snowy day here in Whitefield as I write this introductory column. While sitting by a fire and watching a light, fluffy snow piling up, the birds fly from feeder to feeder enjoying the much-needed nourishment.
My husband and I are new to Whitefield and we already love this town and the folks we have met. The Lincoln County News is something we enjoy reading every week, so I was happy to hear the notion of bringing back the weekly town updates. As a retired teacher and someone with a little time on my hands, I gladly responded to the call for someone to get this column back up.
“Say something about yourself,” I was told. So here goes. My husband and I have two grown children who live far away right now. We have a dog who came from Georgia, yet she loves to romp in the snow. I enjoy gardening, knitting, reading, writing, and walking my dog.
Something we noticed when we moved into town are the many organizations to help make Whitefield a great place to live. There is a food bank, a school with a small garden and greenhouse, a vibrant Amish community, several small markets, farms that sell baked goods and cheeses, and a very welcoming town office.
But what I’d like to start this column with is the effort to open up the library. That seems common enough until you read the reason behind this venture. From the back of the 2021 Whitefield Library calendar (available while supplies last at North Whitefield Superette, Sheepscot General Store, and Country Corners): “In 2016, the select board received a letter from a second grader, Quinn Conroy. In his letter, Quinn asked the board to consider building a library.”
And that’s the best part of this story. A small farming town in rural Maine decided to begin the process of finding space and raising money to open a library because of the request of a young boy. Volunteers are making it happen. Thank you, Whitefield!
Even though times are very tough for all of us, if you can consider purchasing a calendar to help the restoration of Whitefield’s library, it would be greatly appreciated. It is slated to open in spring 2021 in the historic Arlington hall. For more information, please visit whitefieldlibrary.org.
May you and your family stay safe and well this holiday season.
Mary Dunn
Whitefield Town Correspondent
