Week of March 15, 2018

Celebrating 30 years of local news

Opiates in Central Maine: The Problem of Pain

The number of Mainers who died of a drug overdose rose to 418 in 2017, driven by a 27 percent increase in deaths due to illegal fentanyl, while heroin related deaths decreased slightly, according to Maine Attorney General Janet Mills. (In the graphic, one needle equals 10 deaths in Maine.)


Her name? It’s not important. She lives right here in China and could easily be your next-door neighbor or relative. You’ve probably passed her going into the post office or exchanged neighborly smiles down at Hannaford. Maybe she goes to your church. She’s here with me now hoping her story might bring greater awareness to a problem that is hammering our communities, destroying families, and taking lives. Her son is addicted to heroin… [read more of her story…]

Your Local News

CHINA: Historic preservation, infrastructure needs top town meeting warrant

CHINA —  China voters will have an unusual number of specific decisions to make at their annual town business meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at China Primary School (off Lakeview Drive behind China Middle School). A quorum of 120 registered voters is required to open the meeting […]

VASSALBORO: Voters approve dissolving AOS #92 by large margin

VASSALBORO — AOS (Alternative Organi­zational Structure) #92 will soon be history. In a March 13 referendum vote, all three member municipalities voted by wide margins to terminate the arrangement: in Vassalboro, the vote was 81 yes to 13 no, in Waterville, 183 yes to 58 no, and Winslow 122 yes to 62 no […]

China selectmen re-discuss Neck Road fire pond

CHINA —  After an executive session that lasted more than an hour, China selectmen spent most of the rest of their March 7 meeting re-discussing the fire pond on Neck Road. The executive session was called to consult with counsel and on a personnel issue. No action was taken afterward […]

Vassalboro public hearing on budget set for March 22

VASSALBORO — The Vassalboro public hearing, selectmen’s meeting and Budget Committee meeting postponed from March 8 due to snow are rescheduled for Thursday evening, March 22, with the public hearing at 6 p.m. followed by the selectmen’s meeting and the Budget Committee scheduled for 7 p.m […]

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: Proponents of LD 922 uninformed, not concerned

PALERMO — It is alarming that those who favor passing bill LD922 are either uninformed or not concerned with the consequences of opening the fishway at the Sheepscot Pond dam to allow alewife herrings, American eels and sea lamprey eels access to the lake during spring spawning season […]

Local author releases new book

Local Mainer Michael W. Huard has just released his new sci-fi and fantasy novel Land of the Free. The story is set in the far future via the 31st century. A powerful sisterhood of patriotic female martial artists fight for freedom in a dystopian society set in post apocalyptic advanced robotic America […]

Shakespearean group to celebrate 25 years

Southern Maine Association of Shakespearean Homeschoolers (SMASH) is a small theater group comprised of homeschool families who come together from the far reaches of central Maine. This year, the group is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the play, Much Ado About Nothing. Show times are on Thursday & Friday, March 22 & 23 at 6:30 p.m., with a matinée on Saturday, March 24 at 2 p.m. […]

China Police Log for January

Speeders beware! Here is the China Police Log for January 2018 […]

Somerville’s Lily Thompson STAR student of the month

SOMERVILLE — Maine Connections Academy (MCA), the state’s first virtual public charter school, has selected Lily Thompson, an eighth grader from Somerville, as its January STAR Student. Lily was chosen due to her engagement in her lessons and her consistently excellent performance in and outside of school […]

Battle of Maine set for March 24

On Saturday March 24, the 38th annual Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships returns to Thomas College, in Waterville. The event once again will help support the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in Central and Northern Maine […]

Winville swimmers

WINSLOW/WATERVILLE — The combined Waterville/Winslow swim team placed second at the KVAC championships and fourth place at the state championships […]

-Advertisement-

TOWN OF CHINA
Town Manager

The Town of China, Maine, is currently searching for qualified candidates for the position of Town Manager. China is located near the state capital on beautiful China Lake. China has a population of 4,328. China operates under a town meeting, select board and town manager form of government. The select board is seeking candidates with management experience and demonstrated proactive leadership abilities while working in the best interest of the Town of China.

Skills in financial management and budgeting with an open, collaborative and transparent management style and excellent communication skills are desired. Salary is based on experience and training. Benefits offered include health and dental insurance, holiday, sick, vacation and personal time and retirement plan.

Please send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to:

Town Manager Search    
TOWN OF CHINA    
571 Lakeview Drive    
China, ME 04358    

* Deadline for submission is April 30, 2018 *

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: I must preface this letter by acknowledging most are not my words or thoughts, but those of a Mr. Patrick J. Buchanan, but will close with my words. The following headlines appeared in a Washington newspaper above the article written by Buchanan as follows: Race Matters in Immigration Debate, and “Trump’s recent remarks about Haiti, not really so delusional as seems” […]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OAKLAND — Will Bonsall is returning to the Oakland Public Library, Tues., March 27, at 4 p.m. This presentation will be growing wheat, oats and barley varieties that are easy for gardeners to process. He will include “pseudo grains” such as buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. Q&A period to follow […]

Thank you for found dog

CHINA — Lori Benson, of China, thanks all the kind and wonderful people in the town of China who helped look for her missing dog, Tucker. Your kindness is appreciated! He has been found and is doing well […]

Obituaries – week of March 15, 2018

VASSALBORO – Richard Charles Salmonson, 73, passed away Saturday, March 3, 2018, at his home in Vassalboro. He was born June 12, 1944, in Olean, New York, the son of Carl Arnold and Rita Lucille (Gerringer) Salmonson… and remembering 10 others…

SCHEDULE OF LOCAL TOWN MEETINGS FOR 2018 <-- click here!

Check this page to find out when your town meeting is. We’ll be updating this page as more meetings are scheduled. If you don’t see your town listed, send us an email at townline@fairpoint.net or visit our contact page!

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Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Opossums are North America’s only native marsupial. They resemble a cross between a house cat and a giant rat. At first, people were not all that thrilled about this creature supplanting itself in our environs. The animal has always been perceived as dirty and a possible threat to carrying rabies. All these theories are false. Opossums may be your best defense against Lyme disease […]

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | I own a number of duplicate recordings in which the Mendelssohn is coupled with either the Bruch or Tchaikovsky VCs; all three are central to the basic repertoire of concertos that listeners new to classical music gravitate to and rightfully so because they are very beautiful […]

Katie Ouilette WallsIF WALLS COULD TALK

by Katie Ouilette | March 22 is the date. Why? Well, we of the Skowhegan Heritage Council and you will celebrate our Maine Governor Abner Coburn’s birthday! He was born on March 22, 1803, and the Skowhegan selectmen made this Declaration: “In honor of all that Abner Coburn has done for the Town of Skowhegan and state of Maine and the exemplary life he lived, the Selectmen for the Town of Skowhegan have proclaimed have proclaimed March 22 forevermore to be Abner Coburn Day!” […]

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy | One way to celebrate Earth Day is to spruce up the Kennebec Banks Rest Area for spring. The trustees own and operate the rest area, an attractive, welcoming gateway to Skowhegan on the banks of the Kennebec River. Many friends and visitors enjoy the covered picnic tables while enjoying the view of the mighty Kennebec. It’s the same view that Benedict Arnold’s soldiers saw on their way to Quebec City on a cold October autumn of 1775 as they prepared to portage over the falls […]

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Last night I was looking through a couple of catalogs and I had to read the T-shirts. The following is my selection, hope you get a chuckle: Sometimes I open my mouth and MY MOTHER COMES OUT (Sorry Mom!) […]

FOR YOUR HEALTH

If you’ll be spending time in sun-kissed climates on your next vacation, these tips can help you keep your skin, eyes and lips protected […]

Five spring vacation tips