Issue for January 1, 2026
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Erskine presents Renaissance awards
On Friday, December 12, 2025, Erskine Academy students and staff attended a Renaissance Assembly to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards. Tenure awards were presented to five faculty members: Jessica Haskell and Scott Minzy for 20 years of service; Gilberto Ortiz and Michael Soule for 25 years of service; and Heather Shute for 30 years of service…
Town News
Select board discusses role of new committee
CHINA – China select board members spent almost half of their short Dec. 15 meeting discussing the role of the new committee they created on Dec. 1…
Sanitary district moves ahead with quorum present
VASSALBORO – With three board members present, enough for a quorum of a five-member board, Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) trustees were able to make decisions at their Dec. 18 meeting…
Select board discusses Webber Pond fishway, Mill Hill bridge
VASSALBORO – After closing an hour-long Dec. 23 public hearing, Vassalboro select board members discussed two large projects, the Webber Pond fishway and the Mill Hill bridge replacement, and sundry other matters…
Transfer station members look at sketches for safer facility
VASSALBORO – At a 45-minute Dec. 18 meeting, Vassalboro Transfer Station Taskforce members compared two sketch plans for a safer and more efficient disposal facility. They discussed advantages and disadvantages of each and decided they need more advice from engineer Jeff Senders, head of Camden-based Senders science, engineering & construction…
Cemetery group awards tree work contract
VASSALBORO – At a short Dec. 15 meeting, Vassalboro Cemetery Committee chairman Savannah Clark updated other members about Dec. 11 select board actions. The board awarded a contract to assess tree health in six town cemeteries and approved a planned 2026 contract for stone repairs…
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: “A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is January 7, 2026.
Peter Pan Jr. production a great show at Winslow Elementary School
VASSALBORO – Peter Pan has been a staple in children’s stories and movies for decades now. Growing children’s minds, imaginations and free spirits is at the heart of the tale and Winslow Elementary brought it to life on Saturday December 13 with their amazing cast and production staff… by Mark Huard
Somerset Pet Welfare Alliance receives $15,000 grant
SOMERSET – Somerset Pet Welfare Alliance (SPWA) has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the 2025 Animal Welfare Fund of the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) to expand access to affordable spay and neuter services for dogs and cats in Somerset County…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Sen. Margaret Chase Smith topic of Lunch & Learn at Library
WHITEFIELD — The Whitefield Library’s Lunch & Learn series opens with a talk about the life of Sen. Margaret Chase Smith…The event is Wednesday, January 7, and a “brown bag” lunch will be provided…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Take a ride to the Time Travelers Toy Stop
VASSALBORO – Step into the past at the Time Travelers Toy Stop – where every shelf sparks a memory, at the Vassalboro Historical Society. Travel through time as you browse antique toys, watch the model train run, and relive the magic of classic toys and games. Starting in January they will have increased open hours! Watch for information to schedule your visit to the Time Travelers Toy Stop… and many other local events!
Obituaries
BENTON – Robert “Bob” Nickerson, 64, passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Maine Medical, in Portland, following a long illness. Bob was the oldest child of Richard and Clara Nickerson. He grew up in Fairfield, later moving to Benton where he remained until his death…
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: China town reports – 1861-1906 (Part 3) (new)
CHINA HISTORY — A separate account for “Militia” appears in the financial sections of the 1863 and 1864 town reports. The cost reported March 10, 1863, was $14,556.64, almost twice the town’s available resources. The selectmen borrowed money… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: China town reports – 1861-1906 (Part 2)
CHINA HISTORY — The China reports between 1861 and 1906 that John Glowa donated and that started this subseries include more than the selectmen’s financial summaries described last week. There is also financial and other information from and about the town poor farm and other town boards…. by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: China town reports – 1861 – 1906 (Part 1)
CHINA HISTORY — A China resident bought a bundle of old China town reports, which have fallen into your writer’s hands for her – and your – information and entertainment. Thank you, John Glowa! The earliest of the 21 reports (plus two duplicates) is for the municipal year 1860-1861, which ran from mid-March 1860, to mid-March 1861… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Last three Ballard children
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Last week’s article ended without finishing the story of Martha and Ephraim Ballard’s second son, Jonathan. When interrupted, he was living on his farm in the northern part of Augusta, on the road to Sidney, with his wife, Sarah “Sally” (Pierce), and an increasing number of children… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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: Anne Budris, Winslow
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Every fall, when we begin the depressing work of closing down camp, a group of us campers get together for the “end of the season suppah.” And, inevitably, the questions are asked of me, “where do loons go in the winter, why do they leave, and how do they know to return at precisely the time ice goes out?”…
MAINE-LY GARDENING
by Jude Hsiang | Just days after the Winter Solstice and it doesn’t seem like gardening weather outside but gardeners are always thinking about the warm days to come. We’ve already placed our main seed order: vegetables, herbs, flowers, and dye plants. But we forgot one vegetable variety in our excitement…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | When did people begin to host New Year parties? Ancient Egyptians celebrated New Year when the Nile River overflowed, usually in June. Then someone suggested, “If we change New Year to January, we won’t drown coming home from the party.” Early Romans named their celebration for Janus, a deity with two faces. One face looked backward, the other forward…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Camden’s Edna St. Vincent Millay , like so many gifted poets, lived out her life span at a very high pitch and suffered a nervous breakdown in her 50s, dying of a heart attack at the age of 58, in 1950…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) | When temperatures drop and we spend more time indoors, your HVAC system becomes one of the hardest-working appliances in your home. From keeping your living spaces warm and comfortable to circulating the air your family breathes every day, your system is busy around the clock during the winter months…