WILLOW CREEK — The Willow Creek Rationing Board, chaired by James O’Donnell of the General Store, has reported one hundred percent compliance with federal rationing regulations for the first quarter of 1943 — a record that board members attribute to the community’s close-knit character and its shared commitment to the war effort.
The report, filed with the Office of Price Administration in Bangor, covers the rationing of sugar (rationed since May 1942), gasoline (since December 1942), and the newly rationed items of meat, cheese, and canned goods (since March 1943). In each category, Willow Creek’s registered households have been found to be in full compliance — no black market sales, no hoarding, no fraudulent ration coupons.
“I am not surprised,” said O’Donnell, who distributes ration books from his counter at the General Store. “The people of Willow Creek know that the men fighting overseas need these supplies more than we do. A little sacrifice at home is nothing compared to what our soldiers are enduring.”
The most significant adjustment for most households has been the rationing of gasoline. With an allowance of four gallons per week for non-essential driving, many families have curtailed their trips to Houlton and Bangor. The bus service, which continues to run on a reduced schedule, has seen ridership increase by forty percent.
“I used to drive to Houlton twice a week for supplies,” said Martha Pendelton, whose husband runs the Congregational Church’s Ladies’ Aid Society. “Now I go once every two weeks, and I plan my errands carefully. It is an inconvenience, but it is not a hardship.”
The Gazette, in response to the new meat and canned goods rationing, has launched a weekly column called “Rationing Recipes,” featuring contributions from town housewives. The first column, published this week, includes recipes for meatless stew, sugarless apple pie, and a casserole made with powdered eggs.
“The war will not last forever,” Arthur Whitcomb writes in an editorial accompanying the column’s debut. “But until it ends, we will learn to make do with less. It is not a sacrifice — it is a duty. And the women of Willow Creek are proving themselves equal to the task.”
The rationing board’s quarterly report will be posted at the General Store and at the Town Hall. Any resident who wishes to appeal their ration allotment may do so in person at the board’s monthly meeting, held on the first Tuesday of each month.