This past week, I was happy to hear from Ed and Bonnie Jesteadt who live on Gammon Pond in New Portland and are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Partnership with the people of the Tyhume Valley located in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape Province, Africa about 120 KM in from the city of East London on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

The Jesteadts’ visit started earlier this month when they traveled 12,000 km and a 15-hour plane ride from JFK to Johannesburg, South Africa then hopped another plane to East London.

Jesteadt said there were 21 people in their group all were either members of the South Africa Partnership or supporters of the work there. “The mission of our partnership,” said Jesteadt, “is to alleviate the legacies of apartheid (1948-1994) hunger, poverty and disease. We provide support by assisting the elderly and poor with their vegetable gardens, by supporting a poultry project that provides eggs to families for nutrition and to sell and by supporting a local doctor, Dr. Norma, who since February 2007 has gone from zero patients to 84 providing antiretroviral drugs and associated tests and therapy free to those suffering with AIDS and TB.”

Bonnie and Ed Jesteadt, pose on the southern tip of Africa with Bonnie standing on the Atlantic side of the line and Ed on the Indian Ocean side. The couple lives in New Portland and is on a mission in Africa. While there they saw dozens of whales just a few hundred meters from the coastline. Jesteadt said “she is a marvelous woman and a superb doctor.” It was great said the Jesteadts to be able to walk with the elephants.

Aug. 18 the Jesteadts said goodbye to 15 of the 18 people making the trip including Rev. Scott Planting, pastor of the Fairbanks and New Portland churches and Sarah Nadeau of New Portland as well as several others from the State of Maine, New Jersey and Florida.

Six of the group, including the Jestadts, have taken a road trip from East London across the southern coast of South Africa to Cape Town. Monday the group visited Robben Island Historical Site of the “home” to Nelson Mandela and many other political prisoners during the apartheid era.

Howard and I were sad to learn that there will be no parade this year at Coburn Gore. We have never missed one on Labor Day weekend and it will be a loss to so many who came each year to see the event. We always loved their costumes.

However I can see where it will be a busy Sept. 17 weekend with New Portland Fair and the Thomaston Appraisal Coach arriving the same day for Antique Appraisals on the Camden National Bank lawn from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The cost for the appraisals is $5 per item or five items for $20. The proceeds will benefit the Kingfield Pops and the Festival of Arts Downtown Committee. The 9th annual Kingfield Pops will be held June 25, 2011.

It was good to see one of my Central School classmates, Joyce Rainondo of Manchester, Conn., this past week at the monthly dinner at the Community Church at the West Village. Joyce is visiting her sister Helen Atwood in New Portland.

It’s a busy month coming up don’t forget the Seniors meet on Sept. 6 at the First Baptist Church at noon; just bring something for potluck and join in the fun. Sept. 11 is the benefit supper for Braden Churchill at Webster Hall from 5 to 8 p.m. with a spaghetti feed and a good cause. Sept. 13 the members of the Norton Wuori American Legion and Auxiliary will meet at the Legion Hall for a 6 p.m. supper followed by meetings.

Don’t forget to send cards to all our senior friends Bessie Corson at Orchard Park Nursing Home in Farmington, Florence Hall, Merlin White and Joyce Howe at Edgewood Manor nursing Home in Farmington and to Joan Corson at 150 Congress Street in Rumford.

I can’t believe I read an e-mail and it said stay up until 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning and you will see two moons when Mars came within 34 million miles of Earth stating that this would not happen again until 2287. Well I struggled to stay awake and watched and watched for a half hour. I told lots of friends and they stayed up but one of them called NASA in Florida and they said it was all a HOAX. Well, you live and learn...

In the meantime I think someone is trying to do me in... just recently I went to bite into a slice of bread and there embedded in the bread was a thumb tack... then I took the last mouth full of a beautiful blueberry pie I had just made and inside was a big rock all black and smooth. I’m wondering what’s next.

E-mail me one of your bad experiences at ldscoop@yahoo.com.