2018 LOCAL TAX PAYMENT INFORMATION

TAX PAYMENT INFORMATION

CHINA

First half payment due Friday, Sept. 28.
Second half payment due Friday, March 29, 2019.

VASSALBORO

First quarterly payment due Monday, Sept. 24.
Second quarterly payment due Monday, Nov. 26.
Third quarterly payment due Monday, February 25, 2019.
Fourth quarterly payment due Monday, April 22, 2019.

WINDSOR

First half payment due Sunday, Sept. 30.
Second half payment due Sunday, March 31.

WINSLOW

First quarterly payment due Friday, Oct. 12.
Second quarterly payment due Friday, Dec. 7.
Third quarterly payment due Friday, March 8, 2019.
Fourth quarterly payment due Friday, June 7, 2019.

These compiled from the China and Vassalboro town reports (town meeting warrants) and the Windsor and Winslow websites.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Flu-Fighting Facts

(NAPS)—The flu is nothing to sneeze at. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza has resulted in between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses annually since 2010. The best way to stay out of such statistics, the CDC says, is for everyone who is eligible and at least 6 months old to get a flu shot as soon as the vaccine becomes available.

To help, all CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations have the vaccine available seven days a week with no appointment needed.

Study Shows

That may be just as well, since the annual survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CVS Pharmacy [1], found that two-thirds of those surveyed get a flu vaccine every year or plan to get one this year, a 5 percent increase from last year.

One reason so many are flocking to get the shot is the knowledge of last year’s flu season—which according to the CDC had flu levels that were the highest observed since 2009. Twenty-two percent of those surveyed[2] say that knowledge of last year’s severe flu season makes them more likely to get a flu shot this year. On a similar note, among the 27 percent of parents of children under 18 whose child did not get the flu vaccine last year, 26 percent say they are more likely to get their child vaccinated this year after learning about the notably high flu levels during last year’s flu season.

The percentage who get vaccinated at a pharmacy stayed at 22 percent, but the percentage of employed adults who get vaccinated at their workplace fell from 22 percent to 15 percent while those who got vaccinated by a health care professional rose from 44 percent to 48 percent.

The survey also found that doctors’ opinions (39 percent), where insurance is accepted (38 percent), and convenience (33 percent) rank among the top three factors in determining where to go for the shot. The flu vaccine is a preventive service under the Affordable Care Act, so it’s fully covered and available at no cost through most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B.

Nurse’s Advice

“Surprising to many, it can actually take up to two weeks for the flu vaccine to build immunity,” explained Angela Patterson, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer at MinuteClinic. “Because of this, CVS Pharmacy recommends patients get their flu shot as soon as the vaccine becomes available to ensure patients are the most protected before flu season peaks. Furthermore, influenza strains tend to change each year, so it’s very important to get vaccinated annually to make sure you are protected.”

What Else You Can Do

Here are four suggestions:

1. Stay home if you’re sick. The survey found that two out of three respondents would still go to work if they had flu-like symptoms.

In fact, flulike symptoms haven’t stopped some people from going out in public in general:

  • 28 percent have gone to the supermarket
  • 12 percent have picked up a child from school or day care
  • 10 percent have taken public transportation.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based cleansing gel.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.

Learn More

Consumers can visit www.CVS.com and www.MinuteClinic.com for further information and to find a nearby pharmacy or clinic. Customers get a $5 off $25 coupon when they get the shot at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic.

[1] Survey was conducted in the United States by The Harris Poll on July 12-16, 2018, among 2,020 adults ages 18 and older.
[2] U.S. adults surveyed who did not get a flu shot last year.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Moose hunting season is underway; what is the status of the herd

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

The Maine moose hunting season is underway. It has not always been that way.

The moose hunting season was reintroduced in 1980 on an experimental basis, when 700 permits were issued to residents. At that time, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife estimated the moose population to be in the vicinity of 20,000 – 25,000 animals.

A campaign was begun in 1983 by a group of moose lovers to place the moose hunting question on a referendum ballot. The initiative failed. The legislature subsequently gave the DIF&W the authority to establish the number of moose permits handed out each year, while maintaining control of the moose lottery.

In 2002, for the first time in 21 years, state wildlife biologists recommended reducing the number of permits, for fear that the moose population may have been on the decline. There had been a high level of calf mortality with the culprit possibly being the tiny blood-sucking ticks that have become so numerous in recent years. Ticks killed more than half of the moose calves in northern New Hampshire during a peak year. It was feared the same was happening in Maine.

After expanding for most of the 20th century, the moose population of North America has been in steep decline since the 1990s. One solution to this problem is for the legislature to allot more funds so more research can be done regarding the density of the moose population. Something they have failed to do.

This year, Maine issued 2,500 moose hunting permits.

In northeastern North America, the moose’s history is very well documented: moose meat was often a staple in the diet of Native Americans going back centuries, with a tribe that occupied present day coastal Rhode Island giving the animal its name. The Native Americans often used moose hides for leather and its meat as an ingredient in a type of dried jerky used as a source of sustenance in winter or on long journeys. Eastern tribes also valued moose leather as a source for moccasins and other items.

The moose vanished in much of the eastern U.S. for as long as 150 years, due to colonial era over-hunting and destruction of habitat.

European rock drawings and cave paintings reveal that moose have been hunted since the Stone Age.

Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression. In terms of raw numbers, they attack more people than bears and wolves combined, but usually with only minor consequences.

When harassed or startled by people or in the presence of a dog, moose may charge. Also, as with bears or any wild animal, moose that have become used to being fed by people, may act aggressively when food is denied.

A bull moose, disturbed by the photographer, lowers its head and raises its hackles. Like any wild animal, moose are unpredictable. They are most likely to attack if annoyed or harassed, or if approached too closely. A moose that has been harassed may vent its anger on anyone in the vicinity, and they often do not make distinctions between their tormentors and innocent passers-by.

Moose also tend to venture out onto highways at night. In northern Maine, especially, moose-vehicle collisions are common. The problem with that is the center of mass of a moose is above the hood of most passenger cars. In a collision, the impact crushed the front roof beams and individuals in the front seats. Collisions of this type are frequently fatal; seat belts and airbags offer little protection. In collisions with higher vehicles, such as trucks, most of the deformation is to the front of the vehicle and the passenger compartment is largely spared.

Moose lack upper front teeth, but have eight sharp incisors on the lower jaw. They also have a tough tongue, lips and gums, which aid in eating woody vegetation. A moose’s upper lip is very sensitive, to help distinguish between fresh shoots and harder twigs. A moose’s diet often depends on its location, but they seem to prefer the new growths from deciduous trees with a high sugar content, such as white birch.

Moose also eat aquatic plants, including lilies and pondweed. (We could sure use a few of them on Webber Pond). Moose are excellent swimmers and are known to wade into water to eat aquatic plants. This trait serves a second purpose in cooling down the moose on summer days and ridding itself of black flies. Moose are thus attracted to marshes and river banks during warmer months as both provide suitable vegetation to eat and as a way to wet themselves down. Moose avoid areas with little or no snow as this increases the risk of predation by wolves and avoid areas with deep snow, as this impairs mobility.

So, moose are a vital commodity to Maine, and we must do what is necessary to preserve them, and continue to harvest them responsibly.

Can anyone answer this question? If you have a legal moose hunting permit, you are on your way to the hunt, and you collide with a moose and kill it – and you survive – does that count as your moose, or can you continue to the hunting zone and claim a second moose?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

When was the last time the New England Patriots lost three games in a row?

Answer can be found here.

Roland’s Trivia Question, Week of September 27, 2018

When was the last time the New England Patriots lost three games in a row?

Answer:

2002.

Legal Notices, Week of September 27, 2018

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice September 20, 2018.

If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-A MRSA 3-804.

2018-256 – Estate of ROGER A. RICHARDS, SR., late of Harmony, Me deceased. Peggy Roy, 56442 Griffin Road, Callahan, FL 32011 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-257 – Estate of DOROTHY A. BELANGER, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Russell J. Belanger, 278 Ridge Road, Fairfield, Maine 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-258 – Estate of BEVERLY K. CARSLEY aka BEVERLY E. CARSLEY, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Kerry D. Carsley, 12 Wentworth Avenue, Newport, Me 04953 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-259 – Estate of ARLINE D. FOWLER, late of Madison, Me deceased. Shirley A. St. Peter, 899 Eastern Ave., Holden, Me 04429 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-261 – Estate of BONNIE K. GENNA, late of Detroit, Me deceased. Anthony J. Genna, 589 Troy Road, Detroit, Me 04929 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-265 – Estate of DENNIS W. STRATTON, JR., late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Karla Stratton, 276 Green Road, Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-213 – Estate of DONALD B. MacDONALD, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Mark Cooley, 57 Bemis Road, Harmony, Me 04942 and Shawn H. Sherman, 692 Bangor Road, Benton, Me 04901 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-268 – Estate of WILLIAM H. TOTH, SR.B, late of Mercer, Me deceased. William H. Toth II, 3816 Stevens Road, Syracuse, NY 13215 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-269 – Estate of EDWARD C. ST. PETER, late of Bingham, Me deceased. Teia Marie Goodwin, 28 Morrison Avenue, Clinton, Me 04927 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-213 – Estate of DONALD B. MacDONALD, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Mark Cooley, 57 Bemis Road, Harmony, Me 04942 and Shawn H. Sherman, 692 Bangor Road, Benton, Me 04901 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-271 – Estate of LILLIAN R. ELLIS, late of Madison, Me deceased. Carol Shibley, PO Box 92 Madison, Me 04950 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on September 20 & 27, 2018
Dated: September 17, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(9/27)

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, ss
SKOWHEGAN, ME
PROBATE NOTICES

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW

Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be October 3, 2018. The requested appointments may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-A MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.

2018-253 – Estate of ZACKAHRIA ANTHONY STEWART. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by Kristen Stewart, 21 Garfield Street, Madison, Me 04950 requesting minor’s name be changed to Zackahria Anthony Schinzel for reasons set forth therein.

2018-255 – Estate of BRENDA STARR GROS. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Brenda Starr Gros, PO Box 61, Jackman, Me 04945 requesting her name be changed to Brenda Starr Stevens for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: September 17, 2018 /s/Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(9/27)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: The meaning of “Unity”

by Debbie Walker

One of the definitions for the word Unity is ‘harmony.’ If the town fathers named the town of Unity for its harmony I’ll bet they never pictured this past weekend. The Common Ground Country Fair is the ultimate of proof of unity (harmony) in their little town.

Once a year, the third weekend of September, MOFGA sponsors the Common Ground Country Fair, in Unity. MOFGA is the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener’s Association (Website is www.mofga.org/the-fair/schedule). If you weren’t able to attend and are curious that website is full of information.

It seems a lot of people look forward to the experience of the fair. In fact last year it is said that 60,000 people from all over the country were on those grounds. If you look up their website your questions as to ‘why’ will be answered. The content is amazing.

There is education of value to many different ages and interests. There are demonstrations to peak a curiosity into a possible serious interest. There are many activities for children of all ages. There are foods you may never have experienced before. There are also entertainers.

Unity is a small town surrounded by small towns. Sixty thousand people affect each one of these towns. It looks to me like this fair may be a little inconvenient, three days a year, for residents due to traffic, however it is great for the merchants of Unity. The surrounding town’s merchants must also enjoy the extra business brought their way with them doing little to no marketing for such. Today I saw something else.

On a day I was out riding without my yard sale/thrift store shopping buddies (and I was on my way to a meeting) I couldn’t believe all the yard sales set up in private yards and parking lots! Just think, all that traffic and they didn’t have to advertise. If I think of it next year I will try to remind everyone of the fun to be had at the Common Ground Country Fair or in surrounding towns!

I’m just curious about one activity. Who would and why would anyone want to be part of the Harry S Truman Manure Pitch contest? (It was listed on their site!)

In the spirit of the weekend I am adding these little jokes I found in Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac:

Gardening is cheaper than therapy……………and you get tomatoes.
A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.
How well is your garden going to grow? ………. Only thyme will tell.
Why did the gardener quit? ………… His celery wasn’t high enough.
Why didn’t anyone laugh at the gardener’s jokes? …………..They were too corny.
What’s the gardener’s favorite sport? …………..Squash
Why was the gardener so busy over the weekend? …….. He had a really long Honeydew list.
Garden Wisdom: ……. The best way to garden is to put on a wide brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig.

OK, OK, now I am just curious if I will be allowed to write again! Thanks for reading, don’t forget about our website and please send me any questions or comments to dwdaffy@yahoo.com.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Yellow Rolls Royce/Umbrellas of Cherbourg Excerpts

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Yellow Rolls Royce/Umbrellas of Cherbourg Excerpts

Cinema Sound Stage Orchestra, Somerset records, LP, 1965.

Rare photo of D. L. Miller

The 1964 films, Yellow Rolls Royce/Umbrellas of Cherbourg generated original musical sound tracks. The above release had no connection with the originals. The Cinema players were hired by D.L.Miller, a fascinating businessman worthy of a biography while the group consisted of Hamburg Philharmonic musicians.

The Ray Charles Singers

Miller created Somerset because of the huge demand and success of of other labels’ low priced LPs. He then scouted for talent among a variety of superb musicians – conductors Sir Adrian Boult, Horst Stein, Hugo Rignold, singing group the Ray Charles Singers etc. His arguably most well known 101 Strings, recorded a pile of albums that sold millions and are still popular.

Riz Ortolani

Film composers Riz Ortolani (1926-2014, Yellow Rolls Royce) and Michel Legrand (1932, Umbrellas) have left sizable legacies. Their music on this record is imbued with charm and carefree gaiety. Interestingly, Ortolani plagiarized a passage from Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances for one of the Yellow RR tunes. While I generally like Le­grand’s music better for its consistently beautiful qualities, I was eager to hear Ortolani’s excerpts because of my previous lack of any familiarity with him. What I heard was okay but with a few bland moments.

Michel Legrand

All in all though, the record can be heartily recommended to film music connoisseurs and any other interested collectors.

It has been out of print for many years yet copies are listed for sale on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

SOLON & BEYOND: News from the Solon Elementary School

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

My thanks go out to the Solon Elementary School person who sent me the Solon School Newspaper to share with you. Welcome To New Staff: We want to welcome two new social workers to our school. Beth Higgins has worked in RSU #74 for a number of years. This year she will work at Solon, Garret Schenck, and Carrabec High School. Lacey Frost is a new social worker who will work at all four district schools. She previously worked as a social worker at MaineGeneral Medical Center.

Another new staff member at our school is Elaine Jillson, who joins our Special Education Department as an educational technician. Mrs. Jillson worked at Carrabec Community School before coming to Solon.

We also welcome Heidi Day, our new physical education teacher. Mrs. Day has taught P.E. for eleven years at Noble High School in Berwick. She is a Carrabec graduate who got her degree at UMF.

Natalie Costello will work as a math interventionist for the first 12 weeks of the school year through a STEAM Grant that RSU #74 wrote in collaboration with RSU #13 and RSU #59. Ms. Costello will work with students in grades 4-6 to help boost their math skills. She will work in Bingham for the second 12 weeks of the year and in Madison for the last 12 weeks.

At Solon Elementary School, we welcome back Ms. Annie Griffith as our preschool assistant teacher. Miss Annie worked with us two years ago and took last year off to spend with her new baby. We are glad to have her back this year.

Open House will be held at Solon Elementary School on Wednesday, September 26, from 6 – 7 p.m. Enjoy refreshments, visit the classrooms, and shop at the PTO Book Fair.

Solon Elementary School has a very active PTO, which has provided lots of special activities and items for our students over the years. Please consider joining the PTO. For information, contact PTO President Alicia Golden or the school.

The PTO generally meets on the second Thursday of each month, at 6 p.m.

Remember to send in your box tops for education labels! Every box top helps the PTO raise money for school activities.

The PTO is looking for new parents to join them. They look forward to new members from our new families.

Have been very upset about the proposed CMP Corridor lately, and looked up some old clippings I had saved. One of them isn’t too old, it was from the Maine Sunday Telegram, September 24, 2000, and the headline is; Flagstaff: Maine’s most unusual lake. Paved roads, burned trees and other remains of two towns lie beneath the man-made lake’s shallow waters. It was written by Michelle Pavitt, and I am going to print some of her observations. She says she was surprised “to learn that Flagstaff Lake is a man made water body. But I would never have guessed that the lake was the watery grave of two former towns. CMP bought Flagstaff residents’ property, buildings were either moved or simply razed. Before flooding the 18,000-acre flowage area, woods crews clear cut the region, then set unauthorized fires to finish clearing the timber. The land remained in that barren state through the winter of 1950. By spring thaw, the towns were submerged under 12 feet of water.”

Must stop there for now in order to get Percy’s memoir in this weeks’ column. I know how much many of you like his words of wisdom! The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. by Dante Alighieri (ca. 1300).

Letters to the Editor: Others need to pitch in

To the editor:

On Saturday and Sunday September 15 and 16, with the encouragement of Richard Dillenbeck and along with other China residents, I and a “team” of three other members participated in an organized trash pick-up along Lakeview Drive. Our group consisted of myself and my wife Nan, and Mary Benziger and Donna Loveland. Together, we policed, to use the military term, the portion of Lakeview from the Route 3 intersection to the China Diner. As a result of this activity, I have a number of comments.

First, over the two days, we picked up about seventy-five (75) pounds of trash and returnable bottles. One of those bottles, by the way, contained a needle; no one was injured. This is over a length of highway about a mile and a half, from both sides. And, as I have told many people, this year seems to be better than most, having observed much of Lakeview close-up while riding my bike. One of the most disturbing facts about this debris was the number of nip bottles and beer cans. There are obviously some very impaired drivers along our roads; just what we need with distracted driving. Also, even though all four of us were wearing fluorescent clothing to show up better, few if any drivers slowed down at all as they passed us. This included dump trucks and tractor trailers that gave us a good breeze.

The other thing that became very obvious as we moved about was the simple fact that this is not really an activity that is suitable for older folks. While all four of us are in very good physical condition, relative to our age, we are “getting along in years.” Granted, our timing could have been better; we started on Saturday after noon, and it was hot and humid. On Sunday, three of us, my wife not included because of some physical issues left over from the day before, got started earlier and finished the job. My point is this. We very likely will not participate in this very worthwhile activity again due to the potential toll on our bodies. It is physically challenging, what with the climbing over guard rails, wading through potentially tick-bearing grasses and climbing up and down hillsides along the roadside. Other community members need to pick up the ball.

We all want to leave a positive legacy for those who come after us. Having and sharing a positive and constructive view of the way we deal with our environment is one of the best ways to start that process. It would be wonderful to see families, school groups, youth organizations and any younger citizens outside helping to undo the damage caused by the, hopefully, small percentage of our population that drinks and drives and stupidly throws trash out of their car windows as they move along our roadways. Safety is obviously a prime concern when venturing out into this kind of activity and care must be exercised. However, our world’s environment is balancing today on a very risky tightrope and it needs to be protected in any way possible.

In conclusion, I admire Mr. Dillenbeck’s devotion to this cause and I’m glad that Nan and I and others were able to contribute to its success. However, this wasn’t a “one shot” deal and others need to step up to further the cause. Thanks in advance.

Bob Bennett
South China

Letters to the Editor: Re-paving and closing early a waste

To the editor:

It seems ironic the town [of China] decided to re-pave the road to the transfer station and nearly simultaneously cut the hours the transfer station itself is open. And how does a 3 p.m. closing time help residents who work regular jobs?

What a waste!

Geoff Hargadon
South China