Week of July 30, 2020
Vassalboro Capitol Hill Challenge team places third in nation
SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation has announced the top 10 programs in the country for the 17th Annual Capitol Hill Challenge™ national financial education program, generously supported by the Charles Schwab Foundation, and announce the 10 teams who rose to the top of this rigorous investment competition… Submitted by Victor Esposito
Your Local News
Selectmen set tax rate for 2020-21 at 14.35 mils
VASSALBORO — Newly-elected Vassalboro Selectman Barbara Redmond got an introduction to almost everything the board does at her first meeting on July 23. She participated in the on-going discussions of paying bills and overseeing town departments; in the annual ritual of setting the tax rate; and in the once-in-a-lifetime planning of a 250th anniversary celebration…
TOWN OF FAIRFIELD: NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Town Council will hold a Public Hearing in the Council Chambers, at the Community Center, at 61 Water Street, on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at 6:30 p.m., for the purpose of hearing public comments on the following matter…
Local businesses adapted creatively in Covid
CHINA — Maine Made Marketplace, an online store featuring Maine’s artwork and hand crafted products, grew out of necessity when, due to the pandemic, regional arts shows were cancelled. It was the brainchild of Travis and Lindsay Hill, who are leathersmiths of Hashtag Leatherworks… [675 words] by Jeanne Marquis
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LETTERS: Thanks to The Town Line
from Susan Thiem (Corpus Christ, Texas) — I will be spending my 51st summer on China Lake in a few weeks. It will be a different time (my husband passed away in April). The pandemic will limit access to many familiar areas, no Common Ground Fair, but my family’s memories will await at the cottage…
LETTERS: Living in peace, happiness
from Frank Slason (Somerville) — I am writing this as so much has been written and said about all the injustice that has been done to so many people of different colors. With that in mind, one show highlighted the actor Anthony Quinn. As they conversed about all kinds of theatrical stuff, Quinn was asked what was his favorite role…
KV Connect finds new way to help nonprofits
WATERVILLE — KV Connect traditionally hosts Waterville Green Drinks the second Tuesday of each month to raise money for local nonprofits while networking with other young professionals in the area. Since COVID-19 swept in, events have had to be canceled, but community needs continue to grow…
Waterville Creates! awarded grant for art kits for all program
WATERVILLE — Waterville Creates!, a nonprofit supporting and promoting high-quality, accessible arts and cultural programs and institutions in Waterville, is the recipient of a $2,500 United Way of Mid-Maine Community First Fund Award for the collaborative Art Kits for All pandemic response program…
Skowhegan High School class of 1963 “Tail Gate Gathering”
SKOWHEGAN — On August 29, 2020 there will be a class get together on Hilton Hill, on the very top of the hill, at noon. Members are asked to bring their lunches, chairs and masks. Beverages and chips will be provided as well as a comfort station!…
Group holds fundraisers to help purchase 230 Main St.
UNITY — There will be a fundraising event to help the Ecology Learning Center secure a home at 230 Main Street, in Unity. On Sunday, August 2, there will be a Moonrise Yoga Adventure and Sail, from 5 – 9 p.m., at Belfast Harbor…
Contest winner
SKOWHEGAN — Somerset Public Health held its third annual Dear Future Me contest and Lucia, 9 years old, of Skowhegan, took first place. She created a video and spoke as though she was talking to her younger self explaining…
Sheepscot courtesy boat inspectors
PALERMO — The 2020 Courtesy Boat Inspectors are now working weekend shifts at the boat launch at Sheepscot Lake, in Palermo. They are encouraging boaters to check their vessels for invasive plants before entering the lake…
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Notable citizens – Part 2A of 3 (New)
CHINA HISTORY — Rufus Matthew Jones was born Jan. 25, 1863, in South China, into a Quaker family. The Encyclopedia Britannica’s online version calls him “one of the most respected U.S. Quakers of his time.” Wikipedia more comprehensively lists him as an “American religious leader, writer, magazine editor, philosopher, and college professor”… [1313 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Three notable citizens – Part 1 of 3
MAINE HISTORY — George John Mitchell is usually referred to as Senator Mitchell, but that’s only one title earned by this Waterville native. His 2015 memoir is The Negotiator, another appropriate title; and one could add lieutenant (in the Army), chairman (of a variety of committees and boards), judge (federal district court in Maine), chancellor (of the Queen’s University of Belfast in Northern Ireland) and (honorary) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire… [1655 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Governors with Kennebec ties, Part 2
MAINE HISTORY — Here follows the third and probably final piece on Maine’s governors and the second that lists those with a connection to the central Kennebec River valley, with some random notes that might be of interest… [1152 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Governors with Kennebec ties
MAINE HISTORY — Since 1820, 71 people have held the office of Governor of Maine. Four of them served non-consecutive terms and get counted twice, so Janet Mills is the 75th governor. The next two articles in this historical series will provide information on governors who were born in or near, or made their careers in or near, one of the central Kennebec Valley towns with which the series began… [1804 words] by Mary Grow
FISHY PHOTO: Big ol’ yellow perch
CHINA — Tyler White, son of Nathan and Alison White, caught a big ol’ yellow perch while fishing at the head of China Lake with his dad and grandmother.
Obituaries
BENTON – Roy F. Vashon, 88, passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2020, at the Maine Veterans Home, in Augusta. Born on July 25, 1931, and raised in Waterville, the son of Raymond and Rose Vashon, he was a lifelong resident of Central Maine… and remembering 12 others.
Common Ground – Round 19: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Friday, August 7, 2020
Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Retail Therapy Boutique in Waterville! 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: Pat Clark, Palermo
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | There are times at camp, especially when the weather is oppressingly hot, that my wife and I will retreat to our gazebo, that sits under shade trees, turn on the fan, and enjoy whatever is around us. Recently, actually since the beginning of summer, we have noticed a Winter Wren that is hanging around our camp…
CRITTER CHATTER
by Jayne Winters | Donald Cote and his late wife, Carleen, have operated the Duck Pond Wildlife Center for over five decades. Five decades of 24/7 devoted care to nature, large and small, furred and feathered. While we naturally prefer to hear about the successful stories, the “feel good, happily-ever-after” anecdotes, there are certainly sad outcomes which are inevitable in this type of rescue work…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | The leaflet for this set of fragile records contains a most intriguing opening paragraph: “Johannes Brahms came by his love for music naturally, for his father ran away from home several times in order to pursue the study of music. Quite naturally when Johannes, born May 7, 1833, showed talent, his father was willing to give him instruction…”
SOLON & BEYOND
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | This will be the second column written about The Burial of Flagstaff, by Roland and myself. He wrote quite a bit about the beginning of this sad happening and it starts this way…. The decision to build the dam at Long Falls had been in the planning stages for quite some time. Up to 20 years before the first tree was cut…
INside the OUTside
by Dan Cassidy | With all the turmoil going on in not only our country, but throughout the world that has affected our lives, I try to keep my mind occupied with more positive things. What I tell my wife when she asks me “what do you plan to do today?” … I respond by saying, “I’m going to putter!”…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) — You may be feeling stressed during these challenging times, but stress can affect your physical and emotional health. Learn how to manage your stress so that you can stay healthy and cope with life’s challenges…