Issue for June 19, 2025
Troop #603 earns Paul Bunyan award
It rained Friday, May 23, soaking the ground and pulling the temperature into the 50s for the start of Paul Bunyan Training the next day. Scouts arrived smiling as rain is good news when working with Maine Forest Rangers – a lower chance of the Rangers being called out on a fire. Senior scouts from Troop #603 arrived at the Bolton Hill Regional Facility eager to learn, demonstrate, and train. They were met by Sergeant Scott Maddox, District Forest Ranger and Eagle Scout… by Jeffrey Morton
Bill Bonney presented with Paul Harris Fellowship Award
The Waterville Rotary Noon club has named Bill Bonney, Waterville Police Chief, as the 2024-2025 Rotary year Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient…
Town News
Select board presented with two traffic problems
CHINA – China select board members were presented with two different traffic problems at their June 16 meeting, and took preliminary steps toward solving both…
Transfer station committee discusses future of facility
CHINA – At their June 10 meeting, China Transfer Station Committee members started what is planned as an ongoing discussion of the future of the facility…
Planners prepare for ordinance discussions
CHINA – China Planning Board members held a very brief June 10 meeting to prepare for ordinance discussions, to start at their June 24 meeting…
Resident asks for action on after school traffic
VASSALBORO – Resident Albert Ferland was welcomed at the June 11 Vassalboro School Board meeting, as he urged board members and school administrators to do something about the traffic congestion weekday afternoons when parents come to pick up their children at Vassalboro Community School…
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: A matter of fairness and responsibility
from Tory Stark (CHINA) — Take a moment to visit the Town of China’s interactive tax map and search for Tax Map 63, Lot 078, located at the head of the lake. You’ll find something surprising: a parcel of land with no listed owner. This isn’t a glitch — it’s the result of a long-standing error…
PHOTOS: Flag retirement in Palermo
PALERMO — American Legion Post #163, in Palermo, held a flag retirement ceremony on Flag Day, June 14…
Whitefield Lions support local youth
WHITEFIELD — One of the many missions of the Whitefield Lions Club is to support local youth. Each year the Whitefield Lions Club Scholarship Committee chooses among deserving applicants based on academic performance, perseverance, leadership, community service and career goals. The Whitefield Lions recognizes six graduating seniors…
Renaissance awards at Erskine Academy
CHINA — On Friday, June 6, Erskine Academy, in South China, students and staff attended a Renaissance Assembly to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards…
Vassalboro Community Calendar contest underway
VASSALBORO — Each year a photo is featured on the Vassalboro Community Calendar – examples of past years are the Community School, the town office, Veterans Park; the Historical Society or pretty scenes from around town…
Erskine Academy third trimester honor roll
CHINA — List of honor roll students for the third trimester at Erskine Academy.
Winslow Jr. High fourth quarter honors
WINSLOW — List of honor roll students for the fourth quarter at Winslow Jr. High School.
Matthew Parent graduates from Clarkson University
OAKLAND — Matthew Gabriel Parent of Oakland, received a bachelor of science degree with distinction in software engineering, mathematics minor from Clarkson University, in Potsdam, New York, on May 10, 2025.
Ella Conway earns dean’s list honors
SKOWHEGAN — Ella Conway, of Skowhegan, is majoring in Media Arts Production and is a member of the Emerson College Class of 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Diana Estes named to dean’s honor list
SIDNEY — Diana Estes, of Sidney, was named to the dean’s honor list at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, Ohio, for Spring 2025.
Local happenings
EVENTS: Step Back in Time: Historic Walking Tour of South China Village
So.CHINA — The China Historical Society invites the community to explore the rich history of downtown South China during a special walking tour this Sunday, June 22nd, at 5:00 p.m. Participants will meet in the South China Community Church parking lot, located across from the old South China Library, for an engaging journey through the village’s past…
EVENTS: Summer blood and platelet donations vital to avoid blood supply impact
CENTRAL ME — Upcoming blood donation opportunities will take place in Waterville on Friday, June 20, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at O’Brien’s Event Center, 375 Main St., and in Augusta, on Monday, June 23, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Augusta Elks, 397 Civic Center Drive, P.O. Box 2206…
EVENTS: Local central Maine Town Meetings schedule for 2025
CENTRAL ME – List of area town meetings. To be included in this list, visit our Contact Us page or send an email to The Town Line at townline@townline.org…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: So. China Library yard/book/bake sale
So.CHINA – The South China Library will hold a yard/book/bake sale on Saturday, June 21, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The sale will be held at the library, 27 Jones Rd., South China, rain or shine. All proceeds will benefit the library. FMI, call Cheryl, 445-2956… and many other local events!
Obituaries
FAIRFIELD – Margaret “Peggy” Lorine Genest, 78, passed away peacefully in her home, on Monday, June 2, 2025. Peggy was born in Augusta, on April 19, 1947, to Laurent and Ida Dutil…
Name that film!
Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to The Maine Film Center, in Waterville: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is July 10, 2025.
Webber’s Pond Comic
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by a local central Maine resident…
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville City Hall (new)
WATERVILLE HISTORY — This article will return to the history of a series of buildings, more cheerful than the Augusta jail(s) described in the June 5 story: Waterville’s town hall that became a city hall that was – and still is – combined with a large gathering space called an opera house… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: More China lawyers
CHINA HISTORY — The Greeleys or Greelys were early settlers in Branch Mills, the village on the west branch of the Sheepscot River shared between China and its eastern neighbor, Palermo. The China bicentennial history says Jacob Greely was a Revolutionary War veteran who moved to China after 1782… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta jail
AUGUSTA HISTORY — Before proceeding to the history of the Augusta jail, your writer wants to clarify a sentence from last week’s article. It referenced Wikipedia’s statement that after Augusta became a city (instead of a town) in 1849, “Its early city offices were in the Opera House, and meetings took place in Winthrop Hall”… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta’s civic meeting houses
CHINA HISTORY — Enough, for now, of genealogies (although two boxes about people accompany this article). This week, your writer provides summary histories of more of Augusta’s 18th and 19th century public buildings… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, July 17, 2025
Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Hannaford Supermarket! Email your answer to townline@townline.org or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!
Previous winner: STILL NO WINNER!
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | It has already been a month since my wife and I moved to camp for the summer. With the annual trek comes the installation of the bird feeding stations that are all around us. We get the usual local congregations of chickadees, nuthatches, gold finches, blue jays, woodpeckers and occasional wanderers like the house finches, purple finches and grosbeaks…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Patti Page (1927-2013), along with Doris Day (1922-2019), were two fabulous golden girls of 1950s pop music in combining outstanding musical and commercial success in pop singing (Time and space limits me from naming several other personal favorites)…
AARP NEWS YOU CAN USE
by Joyce Bucciantini | Just as April showers bring May flowers, the summer season brings a bumper crop of garage sale signs. Summer Saturday mornings are filled with savvy shoppers hunting for the best treasures. A win-win for the shoppers and the sellers…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | My dog gets excited when I say the word “dog park.” He knows he’ll see friends there. But yesterday was different. There was only one other mixed breed dog, working with his owner. “Your dog appears really alert,” I said. “Does he do tricks?”…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a term used to describe chronic lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Often, COPD is caused by inhaling pollutants, which includes tobacco smoking and second-hand smoke, but other causes of COPD can be fumes, chemicals and dust found in work environments, and genetics…