Whitefield Lions announce poster contest winners (2022)

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From left to right, Madyson Glidden, of Whitefield, Avery Childs, of Palermo, Aurora Peabody, of Jefferson Village, Skyler McColet, of Chelsea , and Zoie Elliot, of Windsor. (contributed photo)

For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity. The Whitefield Lions Club has announced this year’s winners of their annual Peace Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “Lead with Compassion”. Area schools who participated were Jefferson, Whitefield, Palermo, Chelsea, and Windsor. Local community members participated in judging these fine works of art. The Whitefield Lions expresses appreciation to all the families and teachers who came to the spaghetti dinner and supported their students in the awards night held on October 27. These winners will go on to the state level competition.

LETTERS: Smith has strong commitment

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To the editor:

Thank you for including my letter in support of my wife, Katrina Smith, for State Representative for District #62. While this is not an unbiased letter I think you should know the level of commitment she has to the people of Maine from a personal perspective. Katrina’s heart is for the people. Growing up in Appleton with a single mom she experienced heartache and hardship at a young age that have formed her into the leader she is today. Her community rallied around her family in their time of need and she never has forgotten what it means to help your neighbor, without respect to party affiliation, just the way Maine has always been.

Katrina also holds steady to the belief that with enough work and constant study any obstacle can be overcome, this would serve the state incredibly well in our time of great inflation and need. Katrina is my partner in our successful renovation business that works so well largely due to Katrina’s commitment to a thorough understanding of problems and an incredible ability to think outside of the box to solve those problems. I know she will bring this ability to Augusta and will find ways to advance Maine in the direction it so desperately needs to go. Your faith in Katrina will not return empty.

Thank you.

Michael Smith,
Palermo

LETTERS: Swift will defend my families reproductive freedoms

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To the editor:

Please join me in voting for Pam Swift for Maine House District #62. As a multi-term, elected member of the Palermo Select Board, Pam has a public record of working cooperatively with others. As a former physician with two decades of experience, Pam will defend my family’s freedom of reproductive choice. Pam Swift is the only candidate with these two qualifications and is the best choice for District #62.

Robert Morrison
Palermo

China workshop aims to bring area towns together

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Volunteers prepare window inserts at a previous WindowDressers workshop, in Vassalboro. (photo courtesy of Vassalboro Historical Society)

by Eric W. Austin

CHINA, ME — Planned for the second week in November starting just after Election Day, the China Window Dressers workshop is moving full steam ahead. The intent of the workshop is to build low-cost window inserts to reduce heating expenses for homeowners in central Maine. The organizers have spent the past year taking orders and visiting local homeowners to measure the windows requiring inserts, and now they are looking for volunteers to help at the upcoming workshop.

Sponsored by the China for a Lifetime Committee, a local group dedicated to philanthropic activities meant to improve the quality of life for China residents, and assisted by other local organizations, the initiative is modeled after the classic “barn-raising” community efforts of the past, with residents working together for the benefit of everyone.

Committee chairman Christopher Hahn describes it this way: “The workshop is a great chance for the community to come together and help one another during these tough financial times. Such events don’t happen as often as they should anymore in this age of Facebook and online Zoom meetings, so we jumped at the opportunity to organize this workshop. It fits right in with our mission of ‘neighbors helping neighbors.’ I hope to see many familiar faces and hopefully some new ones.”

The committee has received more than 130 orders for window inserts from over two dozen local clients across central Maine. Although the workshop will take place at the China Conference Center, orders have been open from any of the area towns and volunteers for the upcoming build workshop do not need to have ordered inserts or live in China. The workshop will run from Wednesday, November 9, through Sunday, November 13. Work shifts are divided into a morning shift from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and an afternoon shift from 1 – 5 p.m. Food will be provided by community volunteers between shifts. The first two days are devoted to putting together the wooden frames for the window inserts, while the next two days will be for wrapping those frames in plastic and foam. Sunday will serve as an overflow day if everything cannot be completed by Saturday evening.

No experience is necessary to help out, and there are still plenty of spots that need to be filled. Hahn says they are aiming for eight people per shift. The work is not complicated, and designed to flow through an assembly line process, making it easy for anyone to participate. Participants from earlier workshops will be on hand to answer any questions and provide guidance for volunteers.

For those interested in signing up to participate in the workshop, there are several ways to get involved. The easiest way is to visit the Window Dressers website at windowdressers.org. Click on “Community Builds” link on the menu at the top-right of the page, then scroll down to the China build and click where it says “Sign up to volunteer”. (Click here to go there directly.) That will take you to a page where you can choose which time-slot best fits into your schedule.

If you’re not tech-savvy, or don’t have internet access, you can also send an email to ChinaforaLifetime@gmail.com or call the China town office at 445-2014 and let them know what days you are available to help.

More information about the China for a Lifetime committee can be found on their website at chinaforalifetime.com.

EVENTS: Palermo post to hold 10th annual craft fair

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Malcolm Glidden American Legion Post #163, in Palermo, on the Turner Ridge Road, across from ball fields, will be holding its 10th annual craft fair on Saturday, October 29, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Proceeds from table fees and bake sale will sponsor sending students to Dirigo State and adopting six veterans, and filling their Christmas wish list. There is a variety of area crafters, bake sale, door prizes and a raffle with over 30 items on the list. This craft fair is in memory of Clayton and Pauline York, so all items on raffle are from their family members.

PHOTO: It’s apple picking time

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Ashley Wills, of Palermo, recently went apple picking, with a little assistance from her dog, Floyd, at the Apple Farm, in Fairfield. (photo by Ashley Wills)

Dennis Keller is NAIFA-Maine J. Putnam Stevens award recipient

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Dennis Keller, LUTCF

The J. Putnam Stevens Award is given to the person who has rendered outstanding service to their industry and community in the State of Maine. Dennis Keller, of Palermo, has been in the insurance industry with State Farm Insurance since 1985 and joined the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) shortly after that. He has mentored countless agents throughout the years, has achieved many awards and milestones with State Farm, is a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force (retired). He is devoted to his family, church, community and office staff, all of whom have been recipients of his generosity as he graciously and often sacrificially shares his time, wisdom, resources and energy.

He has achieved many other awards and milestones with State Farm, including Chairman’s Circle, Honor Club (for 36 consecutive years), Mutual Fund Leader, and Zone Senior Vice-President Club.

Dennis is a member of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, an ardent supporter of Special Olympics Maine, and a benefactor for the Fair Haven Camps, in Brooks. He recently spearheaded a fundraising campaign collecting over $10,000 to help the camp rebuild after a fire. Dennis is a perennial volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and as the oldest member on a recent build, was the first to volunteer on the roof.

Dennis and his wife, Miriam, reside in Palermo. They have two grown children, Misty, of Palermo, and Matthew, of Knoxville, Tennessee, and five grandchildren in Maine and Japan.

J. Putnam Stevens was born in Winthrop, Maine, on November 24, 1852. He was appointed General Agent of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company on September 1, 1887. Throughout his more than 46 years of service, he was intensely loyal to his fellow associates, to the industry and to his company.

The J. Putnam Stevens Award is given to the person who has rendered outstanding service to their industry and community in the state of Maine. It is not intended to restrict the award only to agents and/or advisors, but rather to recognize those people, even outside the industry, who have advanced the cause of the life insurance profession.

2022-’23 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

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Albion

Taxes due September 30, 2022
(Interest begins October 1, 2022)

China

Semi-annual
September 30, 2022
March 31, 2023

Fairfield

Quarterly

September 29, 2022
November 2, 2022
February 8, 2023
May 10, 2023

Oakland

August 19, 2022
October 14, 2022
January 13, 2023
March 10, 2023

Palermo

November 17, 2022

Sidney

September 1, 2022
(Interest begins October 1, 2022)

Somerville

Semi-annual
November 15, 2022
May 15, 2022

Vassalboro

Quarterly
September 26, 2022
November 28, 2022
February 27, 2023
April 24, 2023

Waterville

Quarterly
October 14, 2022
December 9, 2022
March 10, 2023
June 9, 2023

Windsor

Semi-annual
September 30, 2022
March 31, 2023
(Tax club due dates are the 15th of each month.)

Winslow

Quarterly
October 6, 2022
December 8, 2022
March 9, 2023
June 8, 2023

To be included in this section, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.

EVENTS: Senior dinner rescheduled to Sept. 26

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Palermo Christian Church (photo from the church’s Facebook page)

The Palermo Christian Church’s Senior Community Dinner has been rescheduled to Monday, September 26, at noon.

Sheepscot Lake Association end of season report (2022)

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by Maria O’Rourke
SLA President

The Sheepscot Lake Association has been busy throughout the season working to help keep our beloved lake as healthy as it can be. The Courtesy Boat Inspection Program had a busy and successful season inspecting boats at the impressive new boat launch at the Fish and Game Club. The three inspectors (two steady and one alternate) worked weekend shifts checking boats both entering and leaving the lake for invasive plants and other species. With 178 inspections conducted, no invasive plants/species were found. This is an important program, not only to keep unwanted non-native species from entering the lake, but also for the educational aspect. The inspectors not only check for plants, but inform boaters of the importance of doing so while demonstrating how it is done. This is imperative as the inspectors are not always at the launch and when they are not present we hope to encourage self-inspections. We all play a part in keeping Sheepscot the healthy lake that it is! Thank you to our 2022 inspectors, Wyatt McKenney, Alex Reitchel, and Brody Worth on an outstanding job!

Another program that helps to keep the lake healthy is our LakeSmart program. After being dormant for a number of years, our LakeSmart “team” is now up and running again and looking forward to conducting more evaluations in 2023! LakeSmart is run by the Maine Lakes Society in conjunction with Lake Associations throughout the state. Homeowners who are interested in helping stop erosion on their properties can sign up for an evaluation to determine the property’s LakeSmart status. Our team will come to your property to conduct an evaluation determining the extent, if any, of erosion and the “best practices” suggested to combat it, including planting natural vegetation, constructing appropriate walking paths, and diverting rainwater runoff. An extensive checklist is adhered to, established by Maine Lakes, and then the evaluation is sent to them for official review. If your property is determined to be LakeSmart you will be awarded a plaque in recognition, but more importantly you will know you are doing all you can to help keep the lake healthy. That is the best reward we could all wish to receive! Please email us at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com if you are interested in having your property evaluated for LakeSmart status in 2023. The water quality team has been conducting water testing bi-weekly throughout the summer.

Water is tested for its clarity, dissolved oxygen levels from the surface down to the deepest part of the lake, and phosphorus levels, and then sent off to Augusta DEP for evaluation/results. So far this summer we have been getting great results and the numbers indicate that Sheepscot is a healthy and vibrant lake. The latest testing was done the first week of September. Using the Secchi disk, testers were able to see more than 6 meters down from the surface! In comparison, another local waterbody with serious algae blooms has less than 2 meters of water clarity, so the 6+meter reading indicates a healthy lake. SLA held two events this year. Our annual boat parade was held on July 4, with over 32 boats participating, our best parade yet. The SLA annual general membership meeting occurred in July with good attendance. If you were present, thank you for coming! If you were unable to attend, we hope that you can join us next year. It is a great way to hear about our programs, sign up to help with any that interest you, purchase some of our merchandise or a raffle ticket, vote for our new slate of board members, and renew your membership. If you were unable to attend and would like to renew your membership, or join the association, you can do so by going to our website at https://sheepscotlakeassociation.com/. This year our guest speaker was Matt Scott from the Lake Stewards of Maine who discussed our water quality, what constitutes a healthy lake, and the issue of PFAS.

PFAS are man-made chemicals known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. They are a byproduct of plastics that resist degradation to the extreme that they are referred to as “forever chemicals.” They are linked to a number of health problems, and they are showing up in well water and in food supply around the world. PFAS have become an issue in several townships in Maine, including ours. We have been able to have the lake tested for PFAS and our lake water is considered clean with a PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) reading of 1 ppt (parts per trillion), below which the EPA considers the minimum reporting level threshold of 4 for presence of PFAS. This is outstanding and further emphasizes the health of Sheepscot Lake! You can learn more about PFAS by reading the article written by Pamela McKenney in The Town Line, as well as on the Town of Palermo website. For further information see the EPA’s guidelines.

This year we launched our SLA online store with two different shirt designs, both offered in many color options in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes as well as a tote bag. If you are interested in supporting our programs while sporting some cool tee shirts please visit the site here: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sheepscot-lake-association/. They make great holiday gifts for all of the lake-lovers in your household! If you are interested in purchasing a hat or visor, please come to our annual meeting next year!

Sheepscot is one of nearly 6,000 lakes and ponds in Maine, but it is certainly number one in our hearts. Keeping the lake healthy is our goal, and that cannot be done without the help and stewardship from the community – and that means you! Thank you to our members for your support!

Enjoy the fall and we look forward to another wonderful summer season on Sheepscot in 2023.