Valley Grange to Make Fabric Hugs
Tag: Grange News
Wild Fibers at Evening Star Grange
On May 3, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Evening Star Grange will host a Wild Fibers from around the World presentation by Linda Cortwright.
As the editor of Wild Fibers, Linda Cortright has traveled the world to some of the most remote regions on the planet, from the Russian Arctic to the High Himalayas. She will be giving a special presentation featuring stunning pictures and unimaginable tales, highlighting the role natural fibers play in both culture and commerce. Wild Fibers is often called the National Geographic of the fiber industry, focusing on indigenous communities and their ability to adapt in the modern world.
Suggested donation is $20. For more information, contact Mildred at 207 975-5671.
Valley Grange to Celebrate Community
Guilford—Valley Grange has announced its annual Celebration of Community, to be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Guilford Grange Hall. The event includes honoring the local organization’s Community Citizen(s) of the Year. This year, the Grange will honor the Recovery Wellness Center based in Sangerville. The event celebrates the strength of rural communities with a community potluck supper at 5:30 pm, followed by a program featuring a presentation of certificates of recognition at 7:00 pm. The program includes an opportunity for guests to share testimonials and appreciation.
Program Director Walter Boomsma noted in announcing the celebration, “We always try to honor people or organizations who have their boots on the ground and give of themselves to strengthen and build our communities. These too often unsung heroes are a lifeline for our communities. The event itself brings neighbors and friends together. Even the meal demonstrates the strength and value of our communities, as the communities prepare the potluck supper by bringing dishes to share.”
The Recovery Wellness Community Center in Sangerville, Maine, located at 20 Douty Hill Road, is a community-driven, non-profit center founded in 2024 to support individuals affected by addiction. It provides a safe, sober space offering free services including peer support, All Recovery meetings, Narcan training, and career exploration.
“The Center provides many sources and resources,” Boomsma notes. “But it also proves a supportive community place for those dealing with substance abuse and addiction recovery in both traditional and non-traditional ways.”
Community Service Chair Mary Annis adds, “This is always such a great evening as we enjoy the chance to connect with each other, share a great meal, and celebrate our rural lives. So many people benefit from the Recovery Wellness Center’s work. The center is peer-led and focused on community-driven support. This is a chance to thank the organization and its people in person and maybe shake hands and give a hug.”
Additional information about the event is available at http://valleygrange.com and on the Valley Grange Facebook page.
Grange Today! 4-10-2026
Articles in this edition include:
- The Grange as a Third Space: Reclaiming Community, Learning, and Sustenance
- Statement from the National Grange on Altered Logos, Including AI-Generated Logos
- Celebrating a 90-year member!
- Grange Heirloom for April
- Support the Grange Foundation through the Common Routes Challenge
- What you need to know about AI scams
- Hamp Watch: Where is our National Grange President?
- Join us in Broken Arrow
- Grange Store Notice
- Recipes from the Heartland
- Grange Member Benefit: MemberDeals
- Grange Store: 50-year Golden Sheaf Pins
Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!
Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.
Email Scam
by Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
It pains me to say, “I hope you’re getting used to this…” but it’s become a regular attempt at scamming Grangers. If you receive an email like this, do not reply! Just delete it!
Parkman Grange Mothers’ Day Tea
Submitted by Susan Manchester, Master
The Parkman Grange is pleased to announce that their 24th annual Mother’s Day Tea will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10 am to noon. This has become a spring tradition bringing together friends and family after a long winter.
This year, the guest of honor is Katie Landry; she and her husband have 9 children. This popular event includes live entertainment, sing-alongs, lots of door prizes, tea sandwiches and desserts, tea and coffee, and a 50/50 raffle. The local scout troop will be servers.
The Grange is keeping the admission price at $5; children under 5 are free. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Sue Manchester, 207-717-6248. The Parkman Grange is located on the corner of State Hwy 150 and North Dexter Road.
Degree Day Reminder!
The Androscoggin Pomona Grange Degree Day at Manchester Grange is fast approaching! If you have candidates attending, please let Norma Meserve know!
Also, remember that candidates should bring a completed application.
Manchester Grange is located at 953 Western Avenue in Manchester, Maine
Fifth Degree Day Change
By Marilyn Stinson
207 380-3901
Sagadahoc Pomona will NOT be doing the Fifth Degree at Enterprise in Richmond on April 29, 2026.
There will be a regular meeting, and other Grangers are welcome. We will be able to do the New Alternative Welcome Ceremony.
Potluck supper at 6:00, meeting at 7:00.
Valley Grange Seeks Blanketeers
Volunteers will create blankets for children in need
Valley Grange of Guilford is sponsoring a blanket-making event on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and volunteers are needed! Organizer Pat Engstrom notes, “No sewing skills are needed. If you can measure, cut a straight line with scissors, or tie a simple knot, you can become a ‘blanketeer’ and help support Project Linus. We’ll show you how!”
Project Linus, a non-profit organization, provides handmade blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Last year’s event resulted in more than 100 blankets being completed. Since the need isn’t decreasing, Engstrom hopes to see the number of blankets made increase again this year.
“We have a great time doing this, and truly just about anyone can help. We create quite a production line, and it sometimes gets quite competitive! It’s exciting to realize we’re providing love in the form of ‘blankies’ that represent security, warmth, and comfort for kids. We consider them fabric hugs.”
While supplies will be provided, volunteers are encouraged to bring scissors, rulers, and masking tape. Light refreshments will be served.
For additional information, contact Pat Enstrom at 564-8290 or visit the Valley Grange Website at http://valleygrange.com. Valley Grange is located at 172 Guilford Center Road, at the corner of Butter Street.
Website Updates
By Webmaster Walter
We have mostly good news! Here’s a fairly complete report that’s not too technical. We’re covering several different areas and accomplishments, so read on.
Recent Site Outages
Thankfully, these have become minimal. The last reported outage occurred on Sunday and lasted only three minutes! It could be a long story, but I’m now convinced these outages were not caused by the site but were a host server problem. I’ll continue to monitor and research alternative providers.
Online Grange Directory
I’ve updated the online directory of Granges based primarily on the 2025-26 Roster Information. I also made several “under the hood” changes to make it more flexible. Your help in keeping this current and accurate is appreciated!
Your Websites and Facebook Pages
Your Grange’s online presence is becoming increasingly important! One future project under consideration is to make links available within the online directory. An obvious challenge is keeping those links accurate. If your Grange maintains an active website or Facebook page/group, please let me know! If you need assistance, let me know!
Website Subscription Program
We continue to welcome new subscribers! Yay! I’m currently emailing a summary of posts from the previous week. Subscribers can then choose which posts to view and avoid FOMO (fear of missing out). Thanks for promoting and supporting this! One important way to support subscribing is to share your news and events.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
AI is proving to be a great tool when used properly! Currently, I’m using it sparingly on this site. Some of the images are AI-created, but they are not “faked” or misrepresentations. For quite some time, I’ve used it to correct spelling and grammar of submissions. Any use of AI and automation is deliberate and reviewed. We’ll continue to make haste slowly. Think of it as good stewardship.
If you have any questions or concerns about any of this, please let me know. In my view, this is your website. I’m just the gatekeeper and overseer. Our “labors of the day” are never really finished. Together, we can make it great!