The weather turns colder, the days get shorter, and it’s time to snuggle up with a blanket and a good book or movie! The library has lots to pick from whatever your favorite genre.

Replacement of the front entrance columns is scheduled to begin November 16. Access through the front entrance may be limited at times, but the library will be open regular hours and the rear entrance will be open.

French Club is changing how it meets. They will meet in person on Nov. 18th then via Zoom on Dec. 2nd. They will alternate between in-person and Zoom meetings through the winter.

Join us for a virtual program Museum of Bad Art: Tough Times - Having a Bad Day to Dystopian Apocalypse, Dec. 7th at 7:00 p.m. Curator Michael Frank will talk about how artists have reacted to small and large, real and imagined, disasters. Registration required.

Wishful Reading meets Nov. 16th at 2:00 p.m. to discuss The Nest by Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney, and the nonfiction book group will meet Dec. 1st at 4:30 p.m. to discuss Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault.

Teen programs on Wednesdays include gaming on Nov. 17th and alcohol-drip painting on Dec. 1st. Time to get creative!

Mark your calendars for the youth services holiday party on Thurs., Dec. 16th at 6:00 p.m. featuring music, activities, crafts, and a special appearance by a holiday favorite.

The library will be closing early on Wed., Nov. 23rd at 4:00 p.m. and will re-open on Mon., Nov. 29th. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Some of you may have noticed that during the month of October officers were sporting different styles of facial hair. Ten of our officers along with 10 other York County police departments participated in the annual “Blues for Bucks” fundraiser to support the Children’s Advocacy Center of York County. York County Law Enforcement spend the month giving up their razors or don blue nail polish to raise money and awareness. The Center works in partnership with agencies and specialists to coordinate a plan of action to provide high-quality, specialized services for abused children and their families to heal, survive and thrive. The fundraiser allows the CACYC to increase resources to respond to the growing demand for services and ensure that every child and family received the support they need.

 I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Veterans that work here at Wells PD along with all those who have served in the Armed Forces protecting this great country! 

On Saturday, November 6th, the Down East Institute recovered the clam recruitment boxes that were placed on the clam flats earlier this Spring. We want to thank all the volunteers that turned out to help with the retrieval, rinsing and sorting of the contents, this was a huge success. The results will be posted on the Wells Harbor Facebook page as soon as we get them.

Construction has begun on the Wells Harbor Shellfish Lab; the foundation was dug in the first week of November and the foundation is being poured this week. We are optimistically hoping to get walls in place during the month of December, so the building will be weather tight before the snow flies.

As part of our efforts to highlight ways the people of Wells can reduce their energy use, we’d like to feature Wells residents who are using energy-saving, carbon-saving devices. If you know such a person (using solar, EV, super-insulated home, etc.) that would like to be featured, please contact WEAC Chair, Beth Widmayer.

3-QUESTION INTERVIEW: HEAT PUMPS with Wells resident, Joe Hardy

1. Describe your system

Our system consists of only one unit (Our living room is heated by wood, and we don't heat the upstairs). The heat is distributed well by a blower and directional fins. We are in the shade, so we don't run the pump for cooling very often. We also don't like to use any more electricity than we have to, though this past summer was so hot and muggy that we used it a little more often than in other summers.

2. What do you like about your heat pump?

It provides both heating and cooling. It’s efficient, and good for the planet inasmuch as the grid, at least in ME, is two thirds renewable energy and thus it’s better than the alternatives. It’s not noisy. Hardly know it’s running. Maintenance is minimal. Just have to clean the filters periodically (perhaps 4 times a year), but that is easy. We have had no call to contact our installer in four years. It does well to about zero, F. Below that it continues to work, but with less efficiency. On the very coldest nights we turn on the gas heater to supplement.

3. What was the cost and how hard was it to find an installer?

Our cost was about $5,000, less a $500 rebate from Efficiency Maine. So, it was more pricey than our gas unit. Our old system was gas. Were it not for the fact that we have solar panels to provide our own electricity, I don't think we would have saved any money. Gas is equally efficient--but contributes to climate change. Lots of companies are now installing heat pumps. With ours, the wait was about 6 weeks.