It is still green in Sprucewold but there are a few beautiful red leaves here and there in the forest. As the 2026 season comes to an end I’d like to acknowledge and thank all the Sprucewold Association’s (SA) volunteers who help make our events and activities successful.

Thank you to the SA Social Committee who organize, serve, and–the big one–clean up! Each member is readily recognizable with our new Sprucewold aprons and able to lend a hand as needed. Each gives time as they are able; some come from beginning to end, some come to one event, and some are able to commit to all our events. Thank you to one and all: Leigh Pumilia, Holly Fischer, Rachel Romanowitz, Elaine Rittershaus, Elisa Goldsmith, Jody Lorence, Suzie Roche, Pat Thompson, Maria Lehman, Kim Sullivan, and Barbara Tobias.

The new SA Sign Committee of one: Barbara Tobias who made new name signs for the street boards. Next steps will be new street boards. Thank you, Barbara.

The SA Sprucewold Column for Boothbay Register Committee 2026 was Elaine Rittershaus, James Rayball, Mary Otto, Ralph Kimball, Doug Reilly and Liz Fasulo. Thank you for your information, insights, and reflections on life in an historic log cabin summer colony. There is always room for more volunteer columnists, over the winter if thoughts come to you of a column you would like to write please let me know.

Thank you to all our officers. President: Annaliese Rittershaus Neff, First Vice President: Jeanne Koenig, Second Vice President: Danielle Bazinet, Secretary: Elaine Rittershaus, Treasurer: Artie Sullivan, and Keeper of the Directory: Danielle Bazinet. Treasurer Artie Sullivan has done a tremendous job going through the by-laws and bringing the SA up-to-date and into 2026. When responding to the dues letter this fall please make certain to make all your information current because that information goes into the directory.

The SA Firewise Committee had a successful year with more cabin owners signing up for the annual Chipping Day than ever before and bigger piles of branches and trees collected. This activity was covered by State of Maine fire safety grants until this year. The SA picked up the tab and ran a raffle that raised almost $600.00 to help cover the cost. Thank you to Randy Lehman, Curt Audin and Doug Winter and all the volunteers who stepped up.

Going forward, a new group created at the annual meeting is our Historic Research Committee consisting of Melanie Wold-Martin, Jeanne Koenig, Mimi Giguire, Elaine Rittershaus, and Artie Sullivan. We are so fortunate to have Mimi Giguere who is president & CEO of Atelier Giguere, LLC and has done all the ground work on our history project. We will meet on Zoom over the winter.

Sad news that Ross Maddocks passed away on Aug. 31, 2026. Ross’s family history in Sprucewold goes back to the beginning of our summer colony in 1914. Our sincere sympathy goes to Kathleen and their family. See his full obituary in last week’s Register. A boat parade (weather permitting) will muster on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. and can be seen from the Boothbay Harbor footbridge and the Boothbay Harbor Inn.