Mill Stream Grange Happenings
MSG Yard Sale
The Maine State Grange will hold its annual Yard Sale at Manchester Grange on Saturday, June 6, from 9 am to 1 pm. Along with traditional yard sale treasures, there will also be crafts, raffles, food for sale, and much more. To rent tables, call 207-213-0371. For more event information, call 207-583-7211.
Manchester Grange is located at 953 Western Avenue in Manchester, Maine.
Ocean View Grange Cleans Up!
By Larry Bailey, Master
A few of our members got together yesterday to paint the entire first floor of Ocean View. They did a magnificent job. Also, we replaced our 50-year-old cook stove with a new one. The old 10-burner, double-oven has provided wonderful service all these years, but time has aged it to the point where we can no longer rely on it.
There is a stirring of the energy here at Ocean View Grange in Port Clyde!
Grange Store Price Change
The following announcement was made in a recent Grange Today! newsletter. Be aware that this affects anything ordered from the National Grange Store, including membership awards and letters.
Grange Today! 4-24-2026
Articles in this edition include:
- Make Grange Month Count All Year Long
- Rural America Is Paying the Price for Medicare Loophole
- Senior Social Hour: A Share Your Project’s Story Submission
- View from the Hill
- Volunteer Opportunity: Share Your Hands On Automotive Know How
- Worried about the use of pesticides? Participate in research!
- Spring Into Health: Vaccination Continues to Protect Against Severe Illness
- Grange Store Notice
- 5 Tips for Gardening with Kids
- Recipes from the Heartland
- Member Benefit: Life Line Screening
- Grange Store: Veteran Recognition Pin
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.
Fraud Watch- Bereavement Scams
After the loss of a loved one, families deserve support—not scams. Unfortunately, criminals comb through obituaries, funeral home websites, and online memorials to find names and personal details they can use to target families.
The schemes include impersonating the funeral home or cemetery about payment issues, appearing as a “long-lost” relative, promising healing through “spiritual advisers,” and identity fraud against the deceased loved one.
In the wake of a loved one’s death, consider the public nature of an obituary and online memorials, and limit information that could be used to deceive you. If the funeral home calls demanding money, hang up and call them back at a number you know to be legitimate. And if a “long-lost” relative or friend reaches out, ask other family members or longtime friends if they know the person.
Fraud affects every generation, and AARP Fraud Watch Network is helping people fight back—one community at a time. By learning together and sharing information, we can better protect one another.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
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Valley Grange to Make Fabric Hugs
MSG Website Changes
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
As you know, we’ve faced outages for nearly a month, making the site unavailable. After much frustration, I’ve decided to move the site to a new server and aim to finish by April 30, 2026.
To prepare, I am removing old and outdated posts and pictures. This will smooth the transition and boost efficiency.
This is like moving to a new home. It’s an opportunity to declutter and simplify. For example, we probably don’t need to maintain a post about an event that happened three years ago.
Since most changes are happening behind the scenes, you likely won’t notice many differences right away. However, you may temporarily encounter some broken links or missing photos during the transition. These should be resolved after the move is complete.
My goal is to complete the transition this week. Some cleanup will follow. If you have site issues, please let me know. Timeless documents and resources won’t be affected. For scale, the site’s size will drop by one-third. We’ll have more space in our new home.
We will also have the opportunity to try some new things. One other important benefit is that we’ll also be able to control costs. The offered solution for the outages on our existing server would have increased our annual cost by at least $800. These days, not spending more is a savings!
If you have concerns or questions, please let me know. Your support and patience are appreciated.
We’re packing up and getting ready to move!
Celebrating Patriot’s Day
Only a handful of states recognize next week’s state holiday that many others around the country know little about. Patriot’s Day is celebrated officially only in Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Connecticut and North Dakota. The latter two recently adopted the holiday in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
With origins stemming from Fast Day, a holiday tied to a time when Maine was still a Massachusetts territory before achieving statehood in 1820, Patriot’s Day (spelled Patriots’ Day outside of Maine) was officially adopted long after statehood in 1907 and originally celebrated on April 19. It was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.
The holiday commemorates the battles of colonists against British soldiers in Lexington, Concord and Menotomy in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, which officially began hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. In fact, it was the day referenced in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn,” in which he describes the first shot fired at Concord’s North Bridge as the “shot heard round the world.” Today, the holiday is also marked by the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriot’s Day nearly every year since 1897. Click here for more historical information about what the day celebrates.
Fraud Watch- Free Trials that Aren’t
The AARP Fraud Watch Network™ Helpline (877-908-3360) is hearing from more people about misleading “free trial” offers. These schemes make cancellation difficult, if not impossible.
In many cases, someone signs up for what appears to be a free trial and then cancels before having to pay for the subscription. However, the charges continue to appear each month, and the companies make it hard to cancel them. Before you sign up for a free trial offer, review all the terms and conditions to understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, how and when to cancel, and what happens if you don’t.
Also, review your bank and credit card statements carefully and watch for recurring charges you didn’t authorize—even after you’ve canceled.
Fraud affects every generation, and AARP Fraud Watch Network is helping people fight back—one community at a time. By learning together and sharing information, we can better protect one another.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
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