Outside activities return to VCS; other good news

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

VASSALBORO, ME — Vassalboro School Board members got quite a lot of good news at their April 13 meeting.

Assistant Principal Greg Hughes shared the first item, in his administrator’s report: extracurricular programs are being scheduled again, after two years of pandemic-induced hiatus.

He said one field trip has already been held and two more are planned before the term ends. In-school programs like the book fair and group discussions of shared problems are back, too.

“It feels really good,” Hughes said. He thanked members of the Vassalboro Community School (VCS) Parent-Teacher Organization for their help.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer joined Hughes in thanking PTO volunteers. He added another piece of good news: enough four-year-old students have enrolled so next year’s pre-kindergarten will have two sections.

State funds will pay almost all the costs, Pfeiffer said, including a teacher aide for the second class and furniture and supplies for the additional classroom. The local school budget will fund a second pre-kindergarten teacher.

Previously and this year, the superintendent said, after the single pre-kindergarten class was full VCS administrators helped parents enroll their children in out-of-town programs.

Finance Director Paula Pooler had yet more good news.

The audit for the prior fiscal year, 2020-21, showed the food service program was in the black, for the first time in several years; and this year, so far, it still is, she reported. For the current year, overall spending is on target; there is no indication the total 2021-22 budget will fall short.

Next year’s budget, approved unanimously on a first (preliminary) reading by school board members, totals $8,722,176.29. That figure is an increase of more than $400,000 over the current year.

However, state revenue is also up, with the result that if $80,000 is taken from the school’s surplus account (deliberately increased in previous years, Pfeiffer said, so that it could be a revenue source), the school will ask for a little over $77,000 less from Vassalboro taxpayers next year than this year.

Budget committee and school board members were scheduled to review the proposed budget at an April 19 meeting. Vassalboro voters will make final decisions on 2022-23 school spending at their open town meeting June 6 and will reaffirm or reject the budget by written ballot June 14 (the so-called school budget referendum).

Pooler emphasized that higher federal funding due to the pandemic is a big contributor to this year’s and next year’s budgets. When federal funds decline, local spending will need to increase again. Meanwhile, she said, Vassalboro (and its former partners in AOS [Alternative Organizational Structure] #92, Waterville and Winslow) are making sure they get everything they’re entitled to.

In other business April 15, school board members accepted several resignations, including that of assistant principal Hughes.

Principal Megan Allen resigned earlier this spring. Board Chairman Kevin Levasseur opened the meeting by denying a rumor that she and Hughes had been fired. Only the school board could fire them, and the board did not do so; they resigned, for their individual reasons, he said.

Allen wrote in the March 27 school newsletter that she resigned because her experience as principal showed her that “I am a teacher at heart and belong in a classroom.” She plans to work at the college level “to teach future teachers” and to return to middle-school teaching.

A 13-person committee, including school personnel and members of the public, was scheduled to start reviewing resumes of applicants for Allen’s and Hughes’ positions on April 14. This committee, Levasseur told audience members, cannot accept additional volunteers; because it deals with personnel, deliberations are by law confidential.

However, he and Pfeiffer said, volunteers are welcome for other tasks at VCS, including playground and cafeteria monitoring and assisting with a planned library reorganization. There are plans to post volunteer opportunities on the website, vcsvikings.org.

Board member Jessica Clark added that librarian and media specialist Melora Norman is choosy about her volunteers: she wants people who will follow her instructions, not try to tell her how things should be done. Board and audience members smiled understandingly.

Clark asked Pfeiffer what he and other administrators are doing to reduce the number of remote days, when too few staff are available to cover all classes.

“We need people,” Pfeiffer replied. He thanked VCS personnel who have filled in when colleagues are out sick.

The problem is not just local, he added, citing the state-wide shortage of teachers and especially substitute teachers and the difficulty many schools have retaining staff. In an April 12 letter posted on the website, Pfeiffer wrote that during this school year 21 Maine principals have “left their positions” and there have been “22 changes in superintendencies,” including 15 retirements.

After the April 19 budget meeting (and follow-up meetings if needed), the next regular Vassalboro school board meeting is currently scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17.

Select board approves trail at Spectacle Pond; postpones decision on background checks

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by Mary Grow

VASSALBORO, ME — Vassalboro select board members approved four of the varied items on their April 14 agenda, one formally; rejected one request; and postponed other decisions for more information.

By a unanimous vote, they approved a trail agreement with the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) for maintenance of the Spectacle Pond Trail, a loop trail off Cross Hill Road across state-owned land to the east shore of Spectacle Pond.

John Melrose, speaking for Vassalboro’s Trails Committee, said the agreement codifies existing arrangements. The trail will remain a “primitive hiking trail” for “walking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing,” but no motorized use; and IF&W can close the trail or terminate the agreement at any time for any reason.

Vassalboro is to maintain the trail and oversee its use and condition. The town may put up an informational kiosk at the road with a map and trail rules, and Melrose intends to discuss with IF&W officials putting markers at trail intersections and providing roadside parking.

Because of the steep descent, Melrose doubts the Spectacle Pond Trail will be heavily used.

Without voting, select board members approved Town Manager Mary Sabins’ first draft of the warrant for the June 6 (open meeting) and June 14 (written ballot) annual town meeting.

They added a non-binding question to the written ballot asking if voters want a new town ordinance that would govern solar development in town. The advisory question was suggested because town officials spent time drafting a Mass Gatherings Ordinance that voters rejected in November 2021.

That ordinance was presented in anticipation of a country music festival on Nelson Road this summer. Some audience members said they believe the festival is still scheduled, for July.

Also approved without a formal vote was Sabins’ proposed job description for a new town employee whose responsibilities would include running the recreation program. Given the more extensive duties listed, the job was retitled Community Program Director. Sabins said she had received no negative reactions from people currently heading recreation activities.

The town manager had a request from the Municipal Review Committee (MRC), the body representing the Maine municipalities that invested in the closed Fibreright trash recycling plant in Hampden, for financial support as the MRC looks toward buying the facility. Selectboard members agreed with her recommendation that they ignore the request.

Select board members put off a decision on Codes Officer Ryan Page’s recommendations for higher permit fees until Page talked with planning board members (their next meeting is May 3, he said) and until they hold a public hearing on the proposed increases.

The decision on adopting a salary schedule was also postponed. Board member Chris French was ready to act, but Chairman Robert Browne and member Barbara Redmond wanted to wait until after town meeting voters act on salaries proposed in the 2022-23 budget.

A proposed background check policy was postponed for rewriting to limit it to employees and volunteers who are not already covered and who work with children. One suggestion was to add requirements to individual boards’ bylaws, where appropriate, instead of creating a town policy.

Sabins and others said employees, firefighters, first responders and other groups already have background check requirements. Sabins said she did not think it appropriate to ask people who have served for years on committees like the planning board or the budget committee to undergo background checks.

The April 14 meeting was delayed for almost an hour as select board members met in executive session with town attorney Kristin Collins. During the wait, audience members talked in the town office lobby about drug dealing in town, the condemned former church building in North Vassalboro and other issues.

They brought up the church building with select board members near the end of the meeting. The church has been condemned as a dangerous building, and town meeting voters are asked to approve $25,000 for demolition.

Residents who spoke want faster action. People are living in the building, they said, although it has no electricity, running water or sanitary facilities, creating a potential fire hazard as they use a stove to keep warm.

Browne told them the situation is being addressed.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

China select board unanimously approves 38-article warrant

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by Mary Grow

CHINA, ME — China select board members have unanimously approved the 38-article warrant for the June 14 annual town business meeting.

The April 11 select board meeting was preceded by a very short budget committee meeting, at which that board endorsed revised wording of two articles.

A public hearing on the warrant is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, May 9, before that evening’s select board meeting. All 38 articles will be voted by written ballot June 14, so the May 9 hearing will be the only official public assembly at which questions can be asked and answered.

Select board members further agreed that a straw poll will be conducted June 14 asking those who vote that day whether they prefer a written ballot or an open town meeting.

June 14 voting will be in the former portable classroom behind the town office, with a moderator elected at 6:55 a.m. and polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As during previous elections, the driveway from Lakeview Drive will be closed; vehicle access will be off Alder Park Road just south of the town office complex.

In other business April 11, select board members unanimously accepted the higher of two bids for the Harley Davidson motorcycle (taken in part repayment of a business loan from the Tax Increment Financing [TIF] Fund’s revolving loan program). Michael MacFarland bid $5,100.

They unanimously approved Anita Smith’s request to use $16,465 from the current year’s budget for groundwork and a building in the China School Forest (which Smith proposed renaming the Community Forest at China School).

Smith, a retired China teacher and for many years a manager and guardian for the forest east of China Primary School, said she got three companies’ prices for a building that will become a winter classroom. She chose a 14-by-32 building made by Backyard Buildings, the Amish company in Unity, for $16,465, including delivery.

Smith told select board members she has volunteers – and welcomes more – to clear the building site. A gravel pad will be installed.

Central Maine Power Company said running electricity to the building site would cost $20,000, she said. Therefore she intends to add propane heaters and a portable battery-powered generator, as well as finishing the interior and adding enough gravel to the access way to accommodate propane trucks.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said there is more than $27,000 left in the 2021-22 budget to pay for the building.

Smith has requested $12,000 for the 2022-23 forest budget. The request is included in Art. 5 of the town meeting warrant, which asks voters to appropriate a total of $82,575 for town boards and committees.

The next regular China select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 25. Hapgood issued a reminder that town departments will be closed Monday, April 18 for the Patriots’ Day holiday.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated. The size of the building at the China School Forest building was previously stated to be 13-by-42 feet. It should instead be 14-by-32 feet instead. (Correction supplied by Anita Smith.)

Windsor select board awards roadside mowing contract

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by The Town Line staff

WINDSOR, ME — At their March 15 meeting, the Windsor Select Board awarded the 2022 roadside mowing contract to Pierce Works, LLC, of South China, among the three select board members in attendance, Ray Bates, Ronald Brann and William Appel Jr. Absent were Richaed Gray Jr. and Andrew Ballantyne.

The contract calls for a one-time roadside mowing of all town-maintained roads in Windsor for $2,500, two-time mowing for $5,000, and both sides of the road for roadside brush cutting at $2,000 per mile.

Town manager Theresa Haskell presented the monthly numbers for the transfer station. Revenues were up $1,520.70 for February and up $1,142.64 from this time last year.

In other business, the property at 92 Barton Road is in foreclosure status due to unpaid taxes in the amount of $2,718.90, including all fees and interest. Craig Preo asked the select board to accept a cash payment of $2,718.90 to cover the current back taxes and interest. Select board members unanimously approved issuing a quit claim deed for the amount.

Dennis Strout and Kevin Ready were present to request approval to purchase a new firetruck for the town. Haskell will seek legal advice and provide an update at the next select board meeting.

Resident Jerry Nault discussed with the board the topic of the moratorium for solar farms and creating an ordinance. The planning board scheduled a meeting for March 21.

The town manager noted the Maine Legislature has a proposed LD 259 which would increase waste handling fees imposed on the landfilling of municipal solid waste, and construction and demolition debris. This would increase municipal solid waste from $1 to $5 per ton. Construction and demolition debris would increase from $2 to $10 per ton.

Haskell also informed the board of her discussions with the Maine Department of Transportation regarding the poor condition of Rte. 105. DOT responded the road is due for work in 2023. She has requested the DOT to take care of some of the bad spots before 2023 due to the extremely dangerous situation that needs to be addressed.

Jeffrey Murch was unanimously approved to be appointed to the planning board.

The next board meeting was scheduled for March 29.

China Broadband Committee (CBC) members enthused about new expansion possibility

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by Mary Grow

CHINA, ME — China Broadband Committee (CBC) members are enthusiastic about a new possibility for expanding internet service in China, and so are officials at the possible providers, the Unity-based telephone and communications company Unitel.

However, both parties emphasized during an April 6 discussion that nothing is guaranteed, and that financing is likely to remain a challenge.

They plan to meet together again at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the former portable classroom behind the China town office.

Unitel was acquired in March by a company called Direct Communications, based in Rockland, Idaho. The web says Rockland had a population of 246 in 2019 and is currently estimated to have 277 residents.

Unitel’s Director of Internal/External Support, Jayne Sullivan, told CBC members that Direct Communications is a third-generation family-owned business, similar to Unitel, which was founded in 1902. Recently, she said, Direct Communications has been buying small companies like Unitel all over the country and helping them expand their broadband offerings.

Sullivan said Unitel officials welcome backing from Direct Communications. Unitel’s first fiber was installed in 2015, Director of Network Operations Michael Akers said.

Unitel and Direct Communications are working with other area towns. Some, like China, are beginning discussion, while some are drawing close to agreements. Akers said nine other towns are ahead of China.

Competition would not necessarily delay work in China if the town and the company reached an agreement and China officials and voters endorsed it. “We’re pretty nimble; we get a lot done quickly – sometimes,” Akers said with a smile.

Consensus was that the first step is for Akers and/or Lead Communications Technician Scott Turgeon, who also attended the April 6 meeting, to survey China to see what infrastructure is available and what is needed. Planning the survey involved discussion about ground-clearance requirements for wires on utility poles.

The new information, combined with results of the Hawkeye Connections survey in the summer of 2021 and other information CBC members have collected, will lead to a cost estimate. Akers intends to forward Hawkeye’s information to Direct Communications engineers in Idaho for analysis.

Financing was a major discussion topic. CBC members’ goal is to provide service to everyone in town who wants it without asking China taxpayers to pay part of the bill.

Funding options include China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) money (the revised TIF plan allocates $30,000 a year to broadband for the next 10 years); American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other federal funds sent to the State of Maine, Kennebec County and the Town of China; and grant programs.

Most federal and state programs benefit areas that lack any service, or adequate service, and by many initial definitions of terms like “unserved” and “underserved,” China is considered adequately served. However, John Dougherty from Mission Broadband, the CBC’s consulting firm, said definitions are changing, in ways that might make China more grant-eligible.

Akers said Unitel works with Mission Broadband in other towns; he is pleased to work with them in China. He called Dougherty “the guy for the grants.”

VASSALBORO: Three candidates on June 14 ballot

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by Mary Grow

VASSALBORO, ME — Vassalboro residents will have three candidates for three open local positions on their June 14 election ballot.

Town Clerk Catherine Coyne reported that Frederick L. “Rick” Denico II is the only candidate who filed nomination papers for a seat on the select board. Robert Browne, whose term ends this year, is not seeking re-election.

The two candidates for two seats on the school board are incumbent Jessica Clark and Amy M. French. School board chairman Kevin Levasseur is not running for another term.

Polls will be open for Vassalboro’s June 14 election from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the town office.

The open town meeting at which voters set the 2022-23 municipal and school budgets and decide town policy issues is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 6, at Vassalboro Community School. The June 14 voting will include acceptance or rejection of the school budget that is approved at the June 6 meeting.

Vassalboro planners approve minor exterior changes at Kennebec Water District

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Kennebec Water District treatment plant in Vassalboro. (Internet photo)

by Mary Grow

VASSALBORO, ME — Vassalboro Planning Board members quickly and without dissent approved a minor exterior change at the Kennebec Water District (KWD) treatment plant at 462 Main Street (Route 32), between East and North Vassalboro.

KWD Water Quality Manager Robbie Bickford said the plant was opened in 1993 and is due for upgrades, both to replace aging equipment and to meet current requirements, like updated earthquake standards and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

The pending project is to replace the chemical feed system, including two 18-foot-diameter tanks inside the building. The building was built around the tanks, Bickford said. To get them out and new tanks in, KWD needs to add a door and to pave a small area that is now grass so heavy equipment can go over it.

There will be no other external changes, Bickford said, except a temporary sign during construction acknowledging financial support from the state Drinking Water Program’s revolving fund.

Planning board members had questions about disposal of chemicals and other safety and environmental issues. Satisfied with Bickford’s replies, they granted the permit.

Bickford said this project, like so many others, is delayed by supply chain hang-ups. He expects work to start in late summer or fall 2022; once started, it should be finished within 180 days, he said.

KWD has no plans to expand the Vassalboro treatment plant, he said. In the 1990s, KWD supplied water to large mills in Waterville; now that its customer base is mainly residential, it operates at about one-third capacity.

The ban on swimming in China Lake’s west basin is to protect water quality. Asked why motor boats are allowed, Bickford had a triple answer.

KWD officials want to accommodate recreational activities as much as possible, he said; and since petroleum products tend to float and KWD’s intake pipe is at the bottom of the lake, it is unlikely that any gas or oil would reach the treatment plant; and if any did, it would be mixed with so much lake water as to be insignificant.

“The solution to pollution is dilution,” he quoted.

China Primary School’s faculty lounge gets a nice face lift

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Faculty at China Primary School enjoy their redecorated staff room. (photo courtesy of Melissa Robbie)

Submitted by Melissa Robie Calouro
Pre-K teacher at CPS

As most people are already aware, teaching young children is already an exhausting profession – but with quarantines, masking, and social distancing, the last couple of “Covid” years have brought teachers to a new level of exhaustion! Our China Schools Parent Teacher Organi­zation (PTO) noticed this and wanted to show their love and support in a way that would be useful to our staff every day.

They noticed our staff room was dated, plain, and downright gloomy – so a team of parents set out to revitalize our break space – as a surprise! They worked tirelessly gathering donations from area businesses and set to work over Christmas break to transform our break room into a truly magical and relaxing environment. They painted all the walls and cabinetry (including mailboxes!) in coordinating bright aqua and tranquil grays with a splash of sunshine yellow.

The newly-renovated staff room at the China Primary School, through the hard work of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization. (photo courtesy of Melissa Robbie)

They equipped the room with:

  • New coordinating curtains;
  • Two brand-new microwaves;
  • A brand-new Keurig – complete with coffees, teas, hot chocolate, insulated cups/lids, creamer and sugar;
  • A brand-new refrigerator, fully stocked with healthy snacks and lunch options as well as sparkling waters and sodas;
  • A popcorn popper with popcorn kernels, popping oil, and popcorn seasonings;
  • A dining room table with chairs adorned with a fruit bowl and candy dish;
  • Two comfy chairs to sit back in;
  • A side table with a lamp to provide soft lighting;
  • A bar with bar stools to increase capacity and aesthetic;
  • A gorgeous painting of the ocean (painted and donated by a CPS parent);
  • Silverware, kitchen utensils, kitchen towels;
  • Shelving with decorations.

Specific PTO members and their families who dedicated hours into planning and the physical transformation of our staff room:

Megan Randazza, Bobbie and Ben Weymouth, Rebecca & Tim DeWitt, Raigan and Curtis York, and Percy O’Clair.

Community Donors:

Lakeview Lumber – Monetary donation;
Bry-Ann Mattingly – a parent and local artist who painted and donated the gorgeous ocean painting;
Bruce & Kathy Plaisted – bar stools;
Central Church — 2 microwaves and new Keurig coffee maker;
China Schools PTO – money, time, ideas, and effort;
Home Depot – Gift card;
Lowe’s – 5 gallons of paint.

(photo courtesy of Melissa Robbie)

The school staff had many positive feedbacks for the project:

“Every single teacher who walked into that room this morning instantly felt the love! We are so incredibly lucky to have parents and a community like ours who make us feel so appreciated in these crazy times. I’m looking forward to many lunches and laughs with my coworkers in the beautiful space you all created for us!” – Alyssa Bentley, Fourth Grade Teacher, at China Primary School.

“Everyone is so blown away at seeing this wonderful expression of appreciation from our PTO and community! Thank you to all who contributed to this project. We appreciate your generosity, time, and efforts. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!” – Linda Bengtson, administrative assistant at China Primary School.

“This beautiful makeover was just the morale booster we needed. Thank you so much for all of the hard work and creativity that you all put into this project!” – Lori Maxim, fourth grade teacher, at China Primary School.

“What an amazing transformation! Thank you so much for creating such a peaceful, warm, and inviting space for us to enjoy. Every detail was completed with such love!” – Melissa Robie Calouro, pre-K teacher, at China Primary School.

“It was so wonderful to walk into this beautiful surprise! Thank you to everyone who helped make this project possible. We are so fortunate to have you.” – Kathy Jacobs, special education teacher, at China Primary School.

“Just incredible! My mouth seriously dropped when I walked in. Such a wonderful present. Thank you all so much for all of your hard work!” – Brittany Dunn, kindergarten teacher, at China Primary School.

“I don’t even have words for it! It felt like a whole different place. I’m still emotional thinking about it. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!” – Jennifer Gledhill, third grade teacher, at China Primary School.

Roderick receives MPA award

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Mackenzie Roderick

CHINA, ME — Mackenzie Roderick, of China, a senior at Erskine Academy, has been selected to receive the 2022 Principal’s Award, Headmaster Michael McQuarrie announced. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principal’s Association, is given to recognize a high school senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership.

Roderick is a consistent high-honors student in a highly competitive academic program that includes all classes taken at the honors or accelerated level and numerous Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses with nearby colleges. She has received recognition and accolades from within and outside of the school for her standout accomplishments in the classroom, athletics, and voluntary community service. Roderick has been awarded for outstanding achievement in calculus and statistics, excellence in Spanish, top performance in student council, and she is the Valedictorian for Erskine Academy’s class of 2022.

“Mackenzie is universally respected and esteemed by the school community. She is an exemplary student, school and community citizen, and a fine representative of Erskine Academy and young people. Mackenzie personifies the school’s core values of scholarship, leadership, stewardship, and relationships,” noted Headmaster McQuarrie when making the award.

Swift announces candidacy for House District #62

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Pam Swift

PALERMO, ME – Pam Swift, MD, a Democrat from Palermo, has announced her candidacy for Maine’s House of Representatives in District #62, which includes the communities of Palermo, China, Somerville, Windsor, and Hib­berts Gore.

“With decades of work experience in both healthcare and agriculture, I understand that the well-being of our families is fundamentally tied to affordable healthcare, access to nutritious food, and the health of our soil, air, and water,” Swift said. “My education and lived experience will make mine a valuable voice in the Maine Legislature.”

Swift earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, but later decided to pursue a medical degree. After graduating from medical school and completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology, Swift joined a large practice that specialized in high-risk obstetrical cases, where she worked her way up to full business partner. After 23 years practicing medicine, Swift returned to her animal science roots and purchased a farm in Palermo with her husband, Don, where they raise grass-fed sheep, free-range organic laying hens, and acorn-fattened pigs.

Swift is serving her second term on the select board, in Palermo. Although the board’s three members span the political spectrum, they work together with the common goal of doing what’s best for the community as a whole. Most recently, the select board worked cooperatively with the Palermo Volunteer Fire Department and Liberty Ambulance to create a new service for Palermo residents that will provide a more rapid response as well as a higher level of emergency medical care.

As a representative, Swift would focus on ensuring her neighbors have access to affordable healthcare, reducing the cost of prescription medications, and preventing and treating opioid addiction. She is also interested in issues related to food sovereignty, supporting Maine’s small family farms, and dealing with the threat imposed by PFAS (or forever chemicals). Regarding the environment, Swift notes observable changes that concern her. Due to drought, there have been years where she’s had to start feeding her sheep hay in August instead of December because the grass didn’t grow back after the first round of grazing. This dramatically increases the cost of production. Also, milder winters mean more ticks in the spring and fall resulting in a higher risk of contracting tick-borne diseases, not just for people, but for horses, cattle, and dogs as well. And Brown-tailed moths, the new scourge, are negatively impacting both quality of life and businesses—especially those involving tourism.

“In my previous work as a physician, and now as a member of the select board, I have a proven record of working effectively with people from all walks of life,” Swift said. “As a candidate, my goal is to help create and pass legislation that will lead to healthy, fulfilling lives for my fellow Mainers.”

Swift, who has qualified for the ballot, is running as a Clean Elections candidate.