BELFAST – Sixteen teams are entered in the 30th anniversary Ben Ames Williams Bonspiel to be held Thursday through Sunday at the Belfast Curling Club.

This mixed competition is named for Williams, the renowned author of more than 400 short stories and some 30 novels, including such works as “Leave Her To Heaven”, “Strange Woman” and “Fraternity Village.”

Teams from Cape Cod, Mass., Nashua, N.H., Gibson’s Landing, British Columbia, and the following clubs from New Brunswick: Woodstock, Florenceville, Fredericton, Gladstone, Saint John and Grand Manan will be represented. The host club will be headed by Skips Stan Brown, Mark Kuzio, Pat Mullen and Doc Porter.

All three winning teams from last year will be back to defend their titles. Julian and Lillian Harwood with Harry and Fran Oswin from Cape Cod will seek to retain their Class A standing. Class B champs Carmen and Bonnie Cook with Dennis and Marion Ingersoll from Grand Manan will be curling for the top slot. Class C winners from Moncton, Ed and Helen Steeves with Bob and Verna Dellahunt, will seek to climb the ladder in the winners circle.

For the past two years Ed Steeves has been President of the Canadian Curling Association, the largest amateur sport organization in the World with membership of 502,500 men, 247,500 women and an estimated 200,000 enrolled in the Youth Program. This year Steeves is also vice president of the International Curling Federation, the World group, and will become president in 1992.

An informal reception will be held Thursday evening at the club. Curling starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, runs 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and will resume Saturday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Banquets are scheduled Friday and Saturday nights.

The finals in Class A, B and C are scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday. Sponsors for the event are Belfast Motor Inn, Field and Quimby, and Yankee Clipper.

For many years Ben and Florence Williams lived on their farm named “Hardscrabble” in Searsmont. It is now owned by their daughter, Ann, and Fred Wardwell. Ben was an avid curler at The Country Club in Brookline Village, Mass. Florence sponsored this annual event for many years and provided the sterling silver bowl emblematic of this popular Bonspiel.