Issue for March 20, 2025
Pi Day at VCS
Two seventh-grade girls won the annual Pi Day contest at Vassalboro Community School on March 14 – the same two who won as sixth-graders last year, in reverse order. The contest requires reciting from memory as many digits as possible of pi – an endless number defined as the “mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159.” Principal Ira Michaud said this year’s winner was Mariah Estabrook, who memorized 347 digits. In second place was Sarina LaCroix, with 328 digits…
Town News
Residents cite opposition to Pine Hill Subdivision; Select board approves project
PALERMO – More than two dozen residents attended the Palermo Planning Board meeting on Thursday, March 13, to voice concerns and raise questions during the preliminary hearing to approve a proposed 12-unit subdivision on Hostile Valley Road… by Jonathan Strieff
Budget committee makes recommendations on ‘25-’26 budget
CHINA – Five of China’s seven budget committee members met March 17 to make their recommendations on the select board’s draft 2025-26 budget…
Palermo rep suggests PAYT at China transfer station
CHINA – At the March 11 China Transfer Station Committee meeting, member Bob Kurek shared his calculation of the economic benefit of charging all users a per-bag fee to dispose of trash at the China facility…
School board honors girls basketball team
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro School Board members began their March 11 meeting by recognizing the Vassalboro Community School girls’ basketball team, who won the 2025 Sheepscot Valley Athletic Conference championship with a 12-0 record…
Select board looks at budget version five; ready for presentation
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members spent their March 13 meeting going over two familiar documents, the draft 2025-26 budget (now in version number five) and the personnel policy they have been discussing at intervals since the end of May 2024…
Erosion control discussed by conservation commission
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members spent their March 13 meeting going over two familiar documents, the draft 2025-26 budget (now in version number five) and the personnel policy they have been discussing at intervals since the end of May 2024…
Emmett Appel receives MPA Principal’s award
WINDSOR — Headmaster Jamie Soule has announced that Emmett Appel, of Windsor, a senior at Erskine Academy, in South China, has been selected to receive the 2025 Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, recognizes a high school senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership…
Veteran columnist Marilyn Rogers dies at 95
SKOWHEGAN — Marilyn Houston Rogers-Bull, 95, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at the Cedar Ridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, in Skowhegan. Marilyn was born April 29, 1929, in the village of Flagstaff, the daughter of Dorothy Steven Jones and Benjamin Houston and step-father Clarence Jones…
Abigail Sewall named to dean’s list at Plymouth State
JEFFERSON — Abigail Sewall, of Jefferson, has been named to the Plymouth State University dean’s list, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, for the Fall 2024 semester.
Jasmyne Mills named to Fall 2024 dean’s list
AUGUSTA — Jasmyne Mills, a member of the Class of 2027, from Augusta, has been named to the Fall 2024 dean’s list at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts.
Emily Carlton named to Fall 2024 dean’s list at Hofstra
OAKLAND — Emily Carlton, of Oakland, excelled during the fall 2024 semester at Hofstra, in Hempstead, New York, achieving the dean’s list. Emily’s major is Drama.
Springfield College recognizes dean’s list students
CENTRAL ME — Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts, recognizes dean’s list students for the 2024 Fall Semester. They are William Banks, from Jefferson, whose primary major is physical education, and Kaitlin Morrison from Winslow, primary majoring in communication sci & disorders.
Cassondra Heath named to dean’s list
CENTRAL ME — Cassondra Heath, of Liberty, was named to the Commonwealth University-Mansfield dean’s list for Fall 2024, in Pennsylvania.
Endicott College announces local dean’s list students
CENTRAL ME — Endicott College, in Beverly, Massachusetts, has announced its Fall 2024 dean’s list students. The following students have met the requirements…
WPI announces Fall dean’s list
CENTRAL ME — A total of 2,393 undergraduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in Worcester, Massachusetts, were named to the university’s fall 2024 dean’s list. The following students were named to the dean’s list for Fall 2024…
ICE OUT 2025? Take a guess. Win a prize!
CHINA — Write down your best guess (one per person) and send it to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358, or email us at townline@townline.org with the subject “ICE OUT 2025“. If more than one person guesses the correct date, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. Get your guess to The Town Line office by noon, Friday, March 21, 2025…
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: “Yo, Adrian!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is April 3, 2025.
Webber’s Pond Comic
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by a local central Maine resident…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Battle of Maine on tap March 22
WATERVILLE – The 43rd Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships will be taking place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Champions, in Waterville…
EVENTS: Benefit supper to help defray costs as family deals with cancer for second time
PALERMO – Local community members will be hosting a benefit spaghetti supper, raffle and auction for Heather Bragg and her family. This will be held on Saturday, March 22, from 4 – 6 p.m., at the Palermo Consolidated School…
Obituaries
WATERVILLE – Mark Stuart Kierstead, 80, of Waterville, died on Thursday, February 27, 2025, following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born in Peabody, Massachusetts, on December 8, 1944, during World War II. He was the single child of Emily Beatrice (Kelley) Kierstead and William Fowlie Kierstead…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Classic Western Movie Brunch
WATERVILLE – Maine Pine Catering’s next Classic Movie Brunch will take place on Saturday, March 29, at 38 Gold St., in Waterville, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. This will include a classic John Wayne film and a delicious western breakfast. Extra points if you wear spurs. Doors open at 10 a.m., breakfast served at 10:30 a.m., movie starts at 11 a.m…. and many other local events!
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…
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Vassalboro Ctr./Getchell’s Corner (new)
VASSALBORO HISTORY — When Henry Kingsbury started his detailed description of the Town of Vassalboro in his 1892 Kennebec County history, he named six “post hamlets” and five “prominent localities.” Each post village was also a “manufacturing and mercantile” center, he said… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Windsor High Schools
WINDSOR HISTORY — Last week’s story covered primary schooling in the Town of Windsor, south of China and Vassalboro and east of Augusta in the Kennebec Valley. This week’s article will add a bit of information on Windsor high schools, plus a biographical sketch of an early area settler who was Windsor’s first primary-school teacher…. by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Windsor Primary Schools
WINDSOR HISTORY — The area was first settled in the 1780s, mostly by people moving inland from Bristol and Damariscotta via the Sheepscot River. Organized around 1790 as New Waterford Plantation, it became Malta on March 3, 1809, Gerry in 1820 and Windsor in 1822…. by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo residents – Part 2
PALERMO HISTORY — In case readers have not had enough genealogical confusion, this article continues with information about Palermo’s first three school committee members, elected in January 1805, and their families. Christopher Erskine, Stephen Marden and Samuel (or Samual) Longfellow were leaders among Palermo’s early settlers…. by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 10, 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: Robin Marchesi, Vassalboro
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | More and more in recent days, I have seen and heard of the return of the red-winged blackbird. It is the first of migrating birds to return in the spring. A sure sign that spring is near…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | In his fascinatingly detailed Voyages, Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635) wrote of traveling up the Penobscot River in the following entry for September 5th, 1604…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than two million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the United States a year. If you or someone you care about is among them, take heart: These days, the vast majority of people with cancer survive the disease…