As we try to keep our eye on different parts of Maine, we’re going to look west to Bethel.
Morning Edition Host Irwin Gratz spoke with Savannah Sessions, a school librarian and the executive director of the Bethel Historical Society.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Gratz: When I think about western Maine in the winter, I think a lot about skiing. Ski areas could actually be open during the pandemic this winter. But it has been a very different experience for folks around that area hasn’t it?
Sessions: It has been a real outlet for people to have something to continue to do outside. By and large, it has been really positive to still have a ski season. Definitely still a cornerstone of life in western Maine.
Did you see some really normal-size crowds this year? Were they at all subdued, because some people just didn’t make the trip?
I think it has been a bit subdued. Anybody who can has moved to Bethel. People, second homeowners, are moved in. The school has enrolled like 30 new students, which in a district as small as ours, that’s a huge increase. Some days feel crowded, but other days, you know, it has been really quiet and you kind of feel like you have the whole place to yourself.
I imagine, of course, the pandemic remains a topic of conversation out there. What are people saying these days?
I think people are cautiously optimistic, as the best way to characterize our feelings. You know, Bethel is a big tourist destination. And we have, normally, a very busy summer schedule. Every weekend, there’s some huge event that draws people. I think people are looking ahead and seeing, ‘OK, 100% outdoor activities are possible.’ But people also recognize that we have new strains of the coronavirus cropping up. And it’s not over yet. But we are hopeful that we can plan things as usual for the summer and then make adaptations as we go, which is something that we’ve become quite skilled at in the past year.
Of course, last summer was tough for a lot of tourist businesses. Did most of your summer tourism businesses make it through last summer and this winter?
Most outdoor businesses fared really well through the pandemic. We had a variety of business closures over the past year, but mixed reasoning behind that. We’ve had some restaurant owners who just took this time to say, ‘You know what, it’s time for us to move on.’ I don’t think anybody went out of business for lack of community support. Businesses are kind of feeling this pent up demand for local business. People are excited to get back to what they love to do, the places they love to go. And I think the governor’s changed restrictions help people see that that’s a reality.
You mentioned you’re serving as a school librarian. Has there been a lot of in-person learning at your school?
Yeah, our schools have been open in-person the whole year. In SAD 44, in the Bethel area, it started out with probably 70% of students in person and 30% learning remotely. And now it’s kind of shifted, people have seen that schools are safe because they are following protocols. And there has been no transmission identified in the school. And so now, the school is up to about 90% in person. And because we have buildings that happen to be big enough, we are able to spread the students out. And it has been really a positive experience.
How are the kids doing?
I think they’re really happy to be together, to be able to come to school and be with their teachers and friends. And even though it is different than it was before, it’s better than being home and only seeing your family. Eating lunch at a table six feet away from other kids by yourself is definitely a different experience. But it’s certainly quieter in the cafeteria than it used to be.
There’s one thing that’s kind of maybe been brought to the fore more since the pandemic — food insecurity. The school system and having to get super creative right away and figure out how to get meals to all of our children in an efficient manner was really remarkable. People are realizing food insecurity is a huge problem. Lack of transportation is really hard. Our school districts are really spread out. And even if you have the ability to pick up food at school, you may or may not have transportation to get yourself there.
You know, we do have a tourist economy and we don’t have a lot of affordable housing options available for the service economy workers. And real estate prices in Bethel have just skyrocketed. Houses go on the market and sell within hours. Our town manager said we’ve had the fewest number of foreclosures ever. And so the town is doing well because they’re getting all of the tax bills paid. But I think that also leaves out that part of the story about those people in our area who are struggling to find an affordable place to live.
