Week of August 30, 2018

Celebrating 30 years of local news

Getting to know the China town manager

An exclusive interview

“God and country” is a phrase that neatly sums up Dennis Heath, China’s new town manager. In an extensive three-hour interview on Friday, August 3, he told me of his life before Maine, including his family, a storied military career spanning nearly three decades, a 14-year stint as the full-time pastor of a small Baptist church, and his previous position as part-time city administrator for the town of Stonewall, Oklahoma (more)

Your Local News

Three selectmen attend workshop with town manager

CHINA — China Town Manager Dennis Heath and the three selectmen who attended the Aug. 24 workshop meeting came up with five local referendum questions the board might put to voters on Nov. 6…

TIF committee continues discussion on purchase of Bailey property

CHINA — Members of China’s Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Committee spent half their Aug. 27 meeting discussing again whether to recommend the town buy Susan Bailey’s land at the head of China Lake’s east basin…Without more parking, the state will not make improvements to the landing…

Selectmen answer questions about recycling

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro trash hauler Tom Richards attended the Aug. 23 Vassalboro selectmen’s meeting to ask what he should tell his customers about the future of recycling as the town waits for the new Fiberight trash facility, in Hampden, to open…

NOTICE! Change in upcoming issues!

Because The Town Line editor will be away for 10-days in September, the issue of September 13 will be a small one. Advertising deadline for that issue is Tuesday, September 4. The issue of September 20 will be distributed one day late, on Friday, September 21, instead of the usual Thursday. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Augusta’s Lincoln School benefits from Eagle Scout project

AUGUSTA — Alex Stewart, of Troop #479, in China, used his Eagle Project to give something back to his elementary school. He collaborated with the director of buildings and grounds for the Augusta School Department to build a covered outdoor area in an under-utilized space near the school…

Sen. Collins visits Winslow in support of local schools

WINSLOW — Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins stopped by the McDonald’s restaurant in Winslow on Friday, August 24, to show support for that location’s “Back to School Supplies Drive,” which aims to help Winslow Elementary School teachers and students by collecting donations of school supplies…

Thanks for China Lake water quality

CHINA — The fishing this year has been the best I have seen in my 20-plus years on the lake. The lake is super healthy and the stocked game fish have been catchable in the hot summer months for the first time ever…

How to take great pictures on your cell phone

PALERMO — Be sure and bring it with you to the Palermo Community Center, on Turner Ridge Rd., on Friday, August 31, at 6 p.m.,, when Ray Sheely will share his expertise in cell phone photography…

Vassalboro Days 2018 Schedule of Events

Find out all that’s going on at Vassalboro Days 2018!

Windsor Fair – Schedule of Events

WINDSOR — What’s going on at the Windsor Fair? Find out here!

School News

Dakota Bragg named Presidential Scholar at Clarkson University

Dakota Rae Bragg, of Skowhegan, a junior majoring in civil engineering, was named a Presidential Scholar for the spring 201, in Potsdam, New York…

Elizabeth Jones named to Emory & Henry College’s dean’s list

Elizabeth Jones, of Skowhegan, was named to the Emory & Henry College Spring 2018 dean’s list, in Emory, Virginia…

Kenan Estes named to dean’s list at Cedarville Univ.

Cedarville University student Kenan Estes, of Sidney, achieved the dean’s list for the 2018 spring semester, in Cedarville, Ohio. Estes maintained a 3.5 GPA while taking at least 12 credit hours from Cedarville University…

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AUGUSTA — On Saturday, September 15, Ducks Unlimited’s Kennebec Valley Chapter will host its annual fundraiser. The festivities will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m., at Le Club Calumet, on West River Road. Tickets are available by contacting Barry Mower at 623-2758 or Bill Brown at 685-4239…

Obituaries – Week of August 30, 2018

FAIRFIELD – Terri L. Boynton, 54, died on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at her home. She was born April 7, 1964, in Belfast, the second daughter of Peter R. Perry and Rowena Young Perry. The family resided in Massachusetts until the late 1970s… and remembering 4 others…

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | I’ve always been interested in folklore. It is intriguing how older generations and cultures came up with them, with most dealing with nature. While sitting around a campfire with friends last Saturday, we heard a cricket chirp in the distance..

Dan CassidyINside the OUTside

by Dan Cassidy | It’s been quite a warm summer overall and I was just reading a couple articles from our local ski areas in western Maine. Now I’m sure you remember how really hot and humid it has been over the past couple of months … but you may have forgotten the winter we endured last season….

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Zino Francescatti had a style of playing that was elegant, vibrantly alive and communicative and recorded an early ‘50s Columbia mono LP with Dimitri Mitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic in which this style truly shined…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy | Was very pleased to get the following news about a wonderful trip to Alaska from our neighbor Ronald Brown. He and his friend, Jim Provost, of Skowhegan, went on a 13-day trip to Alaska recently….

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Time passes and with that Christmas will arrive on December 25 in about 117 days. My thought is just to give you a heads up and with that some ideas…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) — A new national poll conducted by YouGov found that 91 percent of Americans believe insurance companies should not be allowed to deny coverage for people with chronic diseases whose premiums are paid by charitable organizations…

Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Insurers’ Efforts To Deny Patients Coverage