FOR YOUR HEALTH: Stock Up On Healthful Food

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Here’s a cool idea for troubled times: Stock up on healthful, veggie-ful frozen foods.

(NAPSI)—During these challenging times, people are avoiding the supermarket and, instead, stocking up on shelf-stable and frozen foods. Unfortunately, these can often be loaded with preservatives and lack nutrition. Many families also resort to take-out foods that can be high in sodium, hydrogenated fats and refined sugars.

“The best solution is to find healthy, prepared products that can be purchased in bulk at the supermarket, online and delivered to your doorstep,” advises consumer trends expert Merilee Kern.

One of Kern’s personal favorites is Veggies Made Great, which offers easy, family-friendly and delicious veggie-rich meals and snacks such as muffins, frittatas and veggie cakes. They can fill freezers and keep families healthy—even during stressful times.

Vegetables including carrots, zucchini and kale are the first and primary ingredients in any Veggies Made Great item, and all are free of gluten, soy, peanuts and dairy. Available in the freezer section, each is individually wrapped and can be quickly and easily heated in the oven or microwave. It’s an easy and tasty way to have veggie-driven nutrition on the menu every day.

You can find them at www.TheHealthfoodStore.com and locate retailers at www.VeggiesMadeGreat.com.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo

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The Branch Mills Library in the 19th century. (Internet photo)

by Mary Grow

Palermo is the only town in this series that is not in Kennebec County. The boundary line between China on the west and Palermo on the east is also the line between Kennebec and Waldo counties. It runs through Branch Mills, formerly Palermo’s main commercial center.

It is not Palermo residents’ fault that they don’t live in Kennebec County. In 1760, all of Maine was organized as Lincoln County; divisions since then have created the present 16 counties. In 1789, part of Lincoln County, not including current Palermo, became Hancock County. On Feb. 7, 1827, Waldo County was created from parts of Hancock and Lincoln counties and included Palermo.

On Feb. 23, 1827, historian Millard Howard says in An Introduction to the Early History of Palermo, Maine, (second edition, December 2015), Palermo voters unanimously asked the legislature to add them to Kennebec County. Their request was not granted.

Nor is Palermo part of the Kennebec River watershed. Instead, the town is doubly in the Sheeepscot River basin. Branch Pond and Branch Mills, on the western edge of the town, are on the West Branch of the Sheepscot, and Sheepscot Pond, which fills about a third of the southern half of Palermo, is on the main stem. The two rivers join well south of town, between Coopers Mills and North Whitefield.

A multitude of small ponds are scattered through northern Palermo; not all have names on the contemporary Google map. Named ponds include, in a northern tier and moving from east to west, Prescott, Nutter and Chisholm.

The next tier south, approximately east of Branch Pond, includes, from east to west, Bowler, Foster and Belden. South of them are Dowe Pond on the east, not far from Branch Mills; Saban Pond and to its south Bear Pond, about mid-way between the eastern and western boundaries; and Jump Pond, south of Foster Pond.

Beech Pond, near Greeley’s Corner (or Greely Corner, or Center Palermo) between Parmenter and Cain Hill roads, is the final named pond north of Route 3. South of the highway, Sheepscot Pond has a tiny nameless blue spot on the map to its northwest; Turner Pond, shared with Somerville, on its southwest; and on the southeast another blue spot identified as Deadwater Slough.

According to Howard, Stephen Belden, his wife Abigail and their son Aaron were Palermo’s first settlers, in 1769. Their second son, Stephen, Jr., was born in 1770, the first settlers’ child born in Palermo.

The Beldens chose not to homestead beside Sheepscot Great Pond, as Sheepscot Pond was then called. Howard suggests they chose a more secluded location because they were squatters with no legal title to the land and did not want visits from agents of the Kennebec Proprietors, owners of a large tract 15 miles on either side of the Kennebec River.

Howard locates the first Belden homestead only by late 20th century owners Robert and Susie Potter. Later, he said, the Beldens moved to the shore of what was then Belden, and later became Bowler, Pond.

Other people who arrived in the 1700s, according to Howard (who did a great deal of research in early documents) were Hollis Hutchins (1775), who, Howard says, settled “in the lower Turner Ridge area”; Jacob Greeley, Jr, (1777) and John Foye (1778), near Beech Pond; and Jonathan Bartlett (1788), who built the first sawmill on the Sheepscot south of Sheepscot Great Pond.

Other early names Howard mentions include Albee, Boynton, Bradstreet, Cressey, Lewis, Turner and Worthing. Ava Harriet Chadbourne’s Maine Place Names and the Peopling of Its Towns (1955) adds Bowler, Clay, Longfellow and Waters in the 1770s and 1780s. Many settlers had large families who intermarried through the generations. For example, Howard says Hollis Hutchins’ five sisters married into the Albee, Boynton, Cressey, Foye and Turner families.

The area was first called Sheepscot Great Pond Settlement. After an 1801 survey of 27,100 acres by William Davis of nearby Davistown (now Montville), it was organized as Sheepscot Great Pond Plantation. Howard says the first clerk of the plantation was a well-liked 24-year-old doctor from Vermont named Enoch P. Huntoon.

Immediately after the plantation was created, 55 residents asked the Massachusetts General Court to make it a town and to name it Lisbon. The requested name, Chadbourne and Howard explain, was part of a trend to name Maine towns after important foreign places – hence the famous Maine road sign that lists seven foreign countries honored in Maine plus Naples and Paris (but omits Belgrade, Lisbon, Palermo, Madrid, Rome, Sorrento and Verona Island).

The Lisbon on the sign is the Androscoggin County Lisbon between Lewiston and Brunswick, not the one requested in Waldo County. Lisbon was settled in 1628, its website says, and incorporated as Thompsonborough in June 1799. In December 1801 residents asked the Massachusetts legislators to
change the name to something less cumbersome, suggesting Lisbon. On Feb. 20, 1802 (after Sheepscot Great Pond’s petition was filed but before the legislature acted) Thompsonborough became Lisbon.

Sheepscot voters looked for another capital. They also realized that the P. in Dr. Huntoon’s name stood for Palermo. On June 23, 1804, the Massachusetts General Court approved the incorporation of the town of Palermo. Howard wonders if local residents realized Palermo in Sicily had been an important medieval center and, in his opinion, was a better choice than Lisbon.

Early transportation in Palermo was by the Sheepscot River and by trails. One of the functions of a town government was to lay out, build and maintain roads; Howard says Palermo officials were especially active from 1805 until about 1820. The first road linking the southern settlements with northern Palermo followed a route approximated by the present Turner Ridge Road (which joins Route 3 from the south at Greeley’s Corner, east of Beech Pond); Parmenter Road (which goes north off Route 3 west of Beech Pond); and Marden Hill Road (Parmenter Road’s name north of the four-way junction with Nelson Road and Belden Road). Marden Hill Road continues northeast to connect with North Palermo Road.

The southern end of town gradually lost importance. By the 1820s, Howard mentions five centers along or north of present Route 3: Branch Mills; Greeley’s Corner; Carr’s Corner on the North Palermo Road west of Prescott Pond; Ford’s Corner, where the North Palermo and Chisholm Pond roads meet; and East Palermo, the junction of Banton Road and Route 3.

A “center” would have at least one public building and/or business and a cluster of houses. The public building might be a post office; at various times, Branch Mills, Center Palermo, North Palermo and East Palermo had one. In the 1860s, Howard says, Greeley’s and Carr’s corners each had at least one store, at least one church and a school.

Howard found that Palermo reached its greatest growth in terms of population around 1850. He cites a series of census figures: 1790, 164 people counted; 1800, an almost threefold increase to 444; 1820, 1,056, the first count over 1,000; 1840, 1,594; 1850, the highest recorded, 1,659. A gradual decline began with a loss of almost 300 by 1860. By 1890, the population was again below 1,000, at 887. Howard’s list stops at 1950, when the population was recorded as 511. A steady increase began in 1970, and the 2010 census recorded 1,535 inhabitants, almost back to the pre-Civil War high.

The old Dinsmore Mill, in Branch Mills. (The Town Line file photo)

The 1886 Gazetteer of the State of Maine says Branch Mills was then the largest village, with eight mills. Center Palermo had a “board and shingle-mill” and a stone quarry; East Palermo had two lumber mills; and North Palermo had a factory that made drag-rakes.

One of the mills in Branch Mills was the Dinsmore Grain Company Mill, on the China side of town. The mill building and its associated dam stretched across the Sheepscot River, with access to the building from the east shore.

The first mill on the site was built in 1817 by Joseph Hacker, according to a Wikipedia article. Hacker’s son-in-law, Jose Greely, succeeded him, and in 1879 Greely took his son-in-law, Thomas Dinsmore, as a partner. Thomas Dinsmore’s son James Roscoe Bowler Dinsmore succeeded him.

The 1908 fire that destroyed most of Branch Mills destroyed the mill as well. James R. B. Dinsmore rebuilt it in 1914 as a two-and-a-half-story wooden building, shingled, with a three-story tower on the south side. Initially it was only a grist mill, in 1935 James Kenneth Dinsmore (James R. B. Dinsmore’s son) added a sawmill operation, which continued until 1960.

On Nov. 3, 1979, the Dinsmore mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Subsequent owners proposed reusing it, but none succeeded. Both the building and the dam deteriorated, to the point where waterfront property owners on upstream Branch Pond complained that the dam no longer kept water levels high enough for recreation. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection also objected that its water level regime for Branch Pond was violated.

By 2016, the mill owners claimed the building was too dangerous to repair. In 2017, the Atlantic Salmon Federation acquired the property, tore down the historic building and negotiated with state regulators to add a fishway for salmon and other anadromous fish to the dam.

Main sources

Howard, Millard An Introduction to the Early History of Palermo, Maine (second edition, December 2015)
Web sites, miscellaneous

Note: Milton E. Dowe’s highly recommended History Town of Palermo Incorporated 1884 was published in 1954. Unfortunately, with libraries closed it was not available to this writer in time to be studied.

Winslow High School announces Class of 2020 top 10 seniors

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Winslow top 10 seniors from left to right, top: Katie Doughty, Brennan Dunton, Cameron Goodwin, Aaron Harmon, Jacob Huesers; bottom: Justice Picard, Colby Pomeroy, Carrie Selwood, Grace Smith, Katherine Stevens.

In Alphabetical Order:

Katie Doughty is the daughter of Laura and Wayne Doughty, of Winslow. Katie was a senior captain for soccer along with participating in lacrosse and indoor track where she broke two school records. She is a member of the National Honors Society, American Legion Auxiliary, and Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. She has also participated in the W Club, Service Club, volunteered at Jackson Food Pantry and is a youth sports volunteer. She has been a part of the prom and sadie’s committees along with being a freshmen orientation leader. Katie was a part of the National Youth Leadership Forum, was a delegate at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders and received the Bausch and Lomb Science Award. For soccer Katie received a KVAC second team award her freshman year, KVAC first team award her sophomore and senior years, KVAC honorable mention her junior year and was a regional all-star her senior year. For track she received KVAC All Conference awards her freshman and sophomore years. She will be attending the University of Maine at Orono where she will study Biology and Pre-Medicine.

Brennan Dunton is the son of Brian and Sara Dunton, of Winslow. Brennan participated in soccer, basketball, track and field, outing club, and is a member of the National Honors Society. He received the KVAC All Academic Award for soccer, the Phi Beta Kappa Certificate of Recognition, and the Voice of Democracy Certificate of Merit. He will be attending the University of Maine at Orono where he will study Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Cameron Goodwin is the son of Larry and Kelli Goodwin, of Winslow. Cameron is a member of the National Honors Society and has participated in basketball and lacrosse where he served as a defensive captain. He was a member of the Service Club and was a youth basketball and lacrosse mentor. Cameron has received the Sage Student Scholar Award, Highest Achievement Award in math, and the On the Road to Success Award. He will be attending Lasell University where he will study Fashion Media and Marketing.

Aaron Harmon is the son of Wayne and Nicole Harmon, of Winslow. Aaron has participated in band, chorus, jazz band, pep band, drama, show choir, and barbershop choir. He is also the secretary of the Thespian Society and a member of the National Honors Society. He earned an ALL Cast Award for the MPA One Act Play competition for the last two years. He will be attending the University of Maine at Augusta where he will study Music with a concentration in Education.

Jacob Huesers is the son of Tom and Katie Huesers, of Winslow. Jacob is a member of the National Honors Society and Thespian Society. He is the senior Class President and has attended Boys State as well as the special honor of attending Boys Nation. He participated in cross country, track, drama, Youth in Government through the YMCA, and the Black Raider News Network. He earned the Williams Book Award and George Eastman Young Leaders Award, as well as Renaissance Awards for Top Performance in Honors Algebra II, AP Calculus, Spanish III, Honors World Geography and Honors English 9. Jacob is currently weighing various options for next fall.

Justice Picard is the daughter of Sandra Darby and Michael Picard, of Winslow. Justice is a member of the National Honors Society, Olympia Snowe Leadership Institute, and the W Club. She participated in field hockey, basketball, unified basketball, cross country, and track. She was a part of the prom, sadies, and homecoming committee’s along with being a science mentor aide. She is a volunteer at MaineGeneral and is also a hospice volunteer. She received The Wellesley College Book Award.and was named to the High School National Academic Squad. She plans on attending the University of New England where she will study Pre-med and Medical Biology.

Colby Pomeroy is the son of Cory and Kristen Pomeroy, of Winslow. Colby is a member of the National Honors Society and participated in football, basketball, baseball and the W-Club. Colby has received the MPA Principal’s Award, the Daughters of the American Revolution Award, and the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award. He was a Big 11 Football Co-Player of the Year along with earning KVAC first team for basketball. He earned All Academic Awards for both football and basketball. Colby will be attending the University of Maine at Farmington where he will study Biology.

Carrie Selwood is the daughter of Joel and Shelly Selwood, of Winslow. Carrie is a member of the National Honors Society and has served as the Secretary and Treasurer of the group. She is also a member of the International Thespian Society, American Legion Auxiliary Girls State and Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. She has participated in school and community theatre, soccer, lacrosse, and dance committees along with being a part of concert, jazz, and pep bands. She is also the Treasurer for Student Senate. She has received the University of Rochester, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, the Daughters of the American Revolution Jenny Paine Howard Award, KVAC Athletic All Conference Award for lacrosse, a special commendation for Stage Management at Regional One-Act Competition, Winslow Girls Lacrosse Coach’s Award, and excellence in Honors English. She will be attending Providence College next fall.

Grace Smith is the daughter of Kim Leadbetter, of Winslow, and Jim and Cheyl Smith, of Belgrade. Grace was a captain of her soccer and basketball teams along with participating in track and unified basketball. She is the Co-President of the National Honors Society and is a member of the International Thespian Society. Grace is a math mentor and the Class Treasurer. She also participated in fall musicals, plays, Math Team, Student Senate, W Club and the Civil Rights Team. She received the Dirigo Girls State’s Miss Dirigo and Senator, the Dartmouth Book Award and the Shine on Cass Award. She was also the Most Defensive for soccer, KVAC All Academic for soccer and basketball, KVAC All Conference second team for basketball, and KVAC All Star honorable mention for basketball. Grace will be attending The University of Maine at Orono where she will study Kinesiology and biology with the intention of becoming a pediatric physical therapist.

Katherine Stevens is the daughter of Roger and Stacy Stevens, of Winslow. Katie participated in cross country, track, art club and dance classes. She was a Captain for the Cross Country team her senior year. She is a member of the National Honors Society and a volunteer at HVWA Resale Shop. She received the New Dimensions Credit Union College Scholarship, KVAC All Academic Awards for cross country and track, and the AFSCME Council 93 Local 2178-02 Scholarship. Katie will be attending the University of Maine at Orono where she will be majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

SOLON & BEYOND: News about the Solon Community Garden

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

And now for more Solon town news: I was never contacted by anyone at the town office about the new Solon Community Garden but it was started a year ago. My sincere apology for not reporting about it before. I went to the Solon Town Office the other day to ask about the new building near the town office. It seems that I am way behind in reporting events going on there, but had never received anything about it to share with those who live in Solon.

The Solon Community Garden was started last year in 2019 by a group of dedicated gardeners. Deb Gerry came to the selectmen with the idea and a proposal. The selectmen and fire chief agreed to allowing the town land along Rogers Lane to be used for the garden.

They applied for and received a New Balance Move More Kids Foundation grant of $1,371.55 in 2019.

This year they applied for and received a $2,000 grant from the New Balance Move More Kids Foundation to build a 12-foot x 16-foot greenhouse on the site. The construction labor is being donated by two local builders. Other donations include a new storm door and an auto vent system. The greenhouse will have a cold frame inside to extend the growing season and other grow beds.

Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. There are also outside beds available to anyone needing a space to grow some plants. Contact Deb Geary at 643-2203 to volunteer or to ask for a space.

The above news was given to me at the Solon Town Office, and I was informed that there is an article in the 2019 Town Report on page 105.

Again, I would like to stress that I deeply appreciate and look forward to local news to share with you! ….And my apologies that I am just getting this in about the Solon Community Garden, it sounds like a wonderful project. (I must confess that I didn’t read the Solon Town Report much this year and it was the first time I have not gone to a meeting, but I had eye surgery at the time and everything was a big blur….) For others of you who didn’t see the Solon Town Report this year, there is more that I will be writing about the Solon Community Garden.

More Solon news: The Library is open to the public starting June 9 with some restrictions on the number of people allowed inside at one time.

The Solon road crew is out working on the roads and brush cutting and clipping. Please respect their safety and slow down as you drive through their work areas.

Regarding our cemeteries: There is an issue with people taking memorial objects off grave sites. Please do not take items placed at a grave site of a loved one that do not belong to you.

There will be no 4th of July parade this year. We are still undecided on the July 4th fireworks. We will decide later this month about doing them on the fourth or sometime in September.

Solon Fundraiser For Scholarship: This year Mr. Corson organized a fundraiser for a scholarship in memory of Solon custodian Jeanie Wooster, who passed away last June following a battle with cancer. Jeanie had worked as a custodian at our school for over 30 years and was very special to all of us. Mr. Corson proposed that we offer a scholarship to a graduating senior at Carrabec High School who had attended Solon Elementary School.

Mr. Corson got a big piggy bank that he displayed at every family event such as our Open House and our Christmas Program. People were invited to donate to the Jeanie Wooster Scholarship Fund by depositing money in the piggy bank.

In late May, Mr. Corson opened the bank to count the money and found that we had raised $200. The staff chose a senior to win the award, and that winner will be announced at the Awards Night at CHS this week. We will also announce the winner on our Facebook page. Thank you to all of the students and families who contributed to this scholarship fund.

And now for Percy’s memoir: My face in the mirror Isn’t wrinkled or drawn. My house isn’t dirty, The cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovely, And so does my lawn. I think I might never PUT MY GLASSES BACK ON!

Madison Area Memorial High School announces top 10 seniors

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Madison Area Memorial High School (photo: JMG)

The following are the top 10 seniors in the Madison Area High School’s class of 2020.

Katrina Barney – Daughter of Anna Zabrock, of Madison, and Jody Barney, of Sidney. Plans to attend University of New England to major in medical biology – pre-med track.

Shelby Belanger – Daughter of Lindsay Cool, of Madison, and Peter Belanger, of Madison. Shelby plans to attend the University of Maine in Orono for chemical engineering. Shelby is the Salutatorian for the Class of 2020.

Olivia Clough – Daughter of Scott and Jennifer Clough, of Madison. Olivia plans to attend Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield, for health sciences – nursing.

Emily Edgerly – Daughter of Michael and Nicole Edgerly, of Madison. Emily plans on attending the University of Maine in Orono for communication sciences / speech disorders.

Grace Linkletter – Daughter of Matthew and Bethany Linkletter, of Athens. Grace plans to attend Aveda Institute for Cosmetology.

Lucy Perkins – Daughter of William and Sandra Perkins, of Madison. Lucy plans to attend the University of Maine at Farmington for elementary educaiton and music. Lucy is the Valadictorian for the Class of 2020.

Luke Perkins – Son of William and Sandra Perkins, of Madison. Luke plans to attend the University of Maine in Orono for parks, recreation and tourism / forestry.

Isabella Petrey – Daughter of Roy and step-mom Kimberlee Petrey, of Madison. Isabella plans to attend the University of Maine at Farmington to study secondary education with a concentration in social sciences.

Skyelar Pollis – Daughter of James Pollis, of Madison, and Kristy Hilton, of Mercer. Skyelar plans to attend Thomas College, in Waterville, for sports management with a concentration in marketing.

Kathryn Worthen – Daughter of Vernon and Cindy Worthen, of Mercer. Kathryn plans to attend Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield, for liberal studies/general education.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, June 18, 2020

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THEODORE H. GRANDMAISON

OAKLAND – Theodore “Ted” H. Grandmaison, 78, passed away Thursday, May 28, 2020, at his home, in Oakland. He was born in Farmington, the son of Roland A. and Hilda (Rood) Grandmaison.

He enjoyed shooting guns, wood crafting, hanging out with his grandchildren, and taking rides in the car.

Ted is survived by two sons, Richard Grandmaison and partner Lisa Hood, Paul Grandmaison and wife Amanda; daughter, Marie Grandmaison and partner Glen Savage; grandchildren, Kiley Grandmaison and partner Bruce Moody, Sydney Grandmaison, Storm Savage, Kelsey Grandmaison, Cearra Grandmaison, Steele Savage and Scott Grandmaison.

He was predeceased by a son, Ted Grandmaison; former wife, Bette Fields; Damon Fountain, Patti Fountain.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976.

DIANNE E. LEVESQUE

WINSLOW – Dianne E. Levesque, 76, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Augusta. She was born on October 16, 1943, in Jacksonville, Florida, daughter of William and Louine (Spinney) Cotter.

She was raised in Orrington and was a 1961 graduate of Brewer High School. She most recently resided in Winslow.

Dianne graduated college from Husson University, in Bangor. She held multiple office positions at Wyandotte Mill, W.S. Emerson, Myerowitz Chiropractic, Kennebec Behavioral Health, Morning Sentinel, and Dr. Rosalind Waldron.

As a loving wife, mother, Aunty Di, and nana, Dianne enjoyed spending time with family playing games, singing songs, and telling many stories. She had a fondness for knitting, sewing, singing, and playing piano, along with cooking many delicious family meals.

Dianne was predeceased by her parents, husband, Robert, and brother, Richard.

She is survived by her sons, Michael and wife Sibel, Monte and wife Jessica, Matthew and wife Joan, and Benjamin and wife Tomi; grandchildren, Michael Jr., Melanie, Angela, Nicole, Laura, Colby, Emily, Brenden, Jackson, and Madison; great-grandchildren, Chloe, Isabella, Colin, Zoey, Alexander, and Jonah; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Per Dianne’s request, there will be no memorial services. There will be a private family interment scheduled at a later date. Memories and condolences can be shared on Dianne’s Facebook page.

BEATRICE D. POULIN

WINSLOW – Beatrice Delores Poulin, 94, passed peacefully of natural causes on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at her home. Beatrice was born in Waterville, January 4, 1926, the daughter of Gertrude Mae (Jolicoeur) and Francois Joseph Berard Sr.

Beatrice attended St. Francis de Sales school and graduated from Waterville High School in 1942. Beatrice also attended fashion school in New York City for one year but fell in love with her future husband, Donald, and returned to Maine.

Beatrice had a full-time job raising 11 children. During those years she gained experience in nursing, cooking and psychology, always caring and supporting her children.

Beatrice would spend every moment she could with her husband Donald, who nicknamed her “Queen Bea”. They managed to find time to go dancing, fishing and hiking. Beatrice was seen more than once wading up to her knees netting a five-pound Brook trout or a three-pound Salmon at the Belgrade Lakes dam.

Beatrice was a loving, caring person who enjoyed spending time with her family. Cribbage was a family game and Beatrice looked forward to playing with any family members or visitors. The cribbage tournaments at Goudreau’s Retirement Home, in Winslow, were always a highlight of her week.

As a long time, standing member of the St. Theresa Guild, she devoted her time to the church. Bea’s prayers and love for God is above no other love. A strong belief in religion and prayer, her faith in Jesus Christ helped bond her family together.

Beatrice was predeceased by her parents; her husband Donald; two sons, Peter and Marc; as well as brothers, Frank, Ralph, Fred, and Wallace Berard, and her sisters, Germaine Berard, Theresa Bunker, Ruth Totten, Gertrude Gagnon, and Charlotte Doucette.

She is survived by a brother, Arthur and wife Jean Berard, of Winslow; a sister, Honorine Lafreniere, of Lewiston; her children, Diane Poulin (Peter`s spouse), of Skowhegan, Paul and wife Betsy, of Tujunga, California, Phil, of Sidney, Pam and husband Pat Kearney, of Scarborough, Tom and wife Kim, of Oakland, Ted and wife Carol, of Merrimack, New Hampshire, Tim, of Sidney, Trudy, of South Portland, Meg, of Scarborough, Mat and wife Becky, of Oakland; 19 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a private church service held for immediate family.

An online guestbook may be signed, and memories shared at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are by Wheeler Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 26 Church St., Oakland.

Those who wish to make a donation may contact Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter and Services at shelterme.org or Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen at corpuscristimaine.org/sacred-heart-soup-kitchen.

TAMARA L. SCHRIVER

WINDSOR – Tamara L. Schriver, 56, died Friday, June 5, 2020, at Alfond Center for Health, in Augusta, following a brief illness. She was born January 15, 1964, in Gardiner, the daughter of Paul and Dora Dolan Schriver.

She attended Gardiner schools and graduated from Gardiner High School in 1982. She attended cosmetology school, then worked for U.S. VA Togus, and was there for the last 25 years as a sensory and physical rehab therapist. While at Togus, she served on several committees including the Native American committee for veterans.

Tammy loved the ocean and being on the beach. She attended pow wows, enjoyed arts and crafts, shopping and motorcycles. She worked at the Windsor Fair for many years.

She is predeceased by her parents, a daughter Tabitha Luczkowski; brother, Todd Schriver and half-brother, Stephen Schriver.

She is survived by two sons, Adam Schriver and wife Stephanie, of Gardiner, Anthony Luczkowski, of Windsor; daughter Vada Luczkowski, of Windsor; half-sister Lynn Schriver, of Florida, and several cousins and nieces and nephews.

A private burial be will held in Mount Hope Cemetery, South Gardiner.

A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 1 p.m., at Tammy’s Home, 16 Barry Lane, Windsor.

Arrangements are by Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

MICHAEL D. TAYLOR

OAKLAND – Michael D. Taylor, 59, passed away Saturday, June 6, 2020, at his home, in Oakland. He was born July 15, 1960, in Waterville, the son of Harland and Carol (Furbush) Taylor.

He attended Messalonskee High School, class 1979. On August 9, 1997, he married the former Linda Pooler. He worked most of his life in the family owned business, A.L.Taylor and Son, in Oakland. His favorite pass time of all was hunting, whether it be on his own, with friends or teaching someone in the family. He also enjoyed fly fishing, anything outdoors, and tinkering on anything with a small engine.

Michael is survived by his wife of 22 years, Linda E. (Pooler) Taylor, of Oakland; two sons, Shawn L. Taylor and partner Marie, of Oakland, and their children, Brandon, Matt, Damian and Trinity, and Derick M. Taylor and partner Haley, of Oakland, and their children, Katlyn, Kaleb, Kayleb and Camren; daughter Nicole L. Taylor and son Cody, of Oakland; stepson Christopher G. Sinclair and partner Nichole, of Fairfield ,and children Brittany, Summer, Ally, Ava; stepdaughter Heather Dickson and partner Walter, of Norridgewock; Harland Taylor and stepmother Gloria, of Oakland; Jeff Taylor and wife Linda, of Oakland, Dan Taylor and wife Cathy, of Oakland; brother-in-law Mike Eller, of Benton; several step grandchildren; six great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his mother, Carol (Furbush) Taylor; sister, Susan Eller; and nephew, Ryan Taylor.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 11 a.m., at A.L. Taylor & Son, 12 Heath Street, Oakland.

In lieu of flowers, friends and family may contact Nicole at (207) 314-7962. Please leave messages.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan ME 04976.

DONNA M. LIBBY

AUGUSTA – Donna M. Libby, 83, of Winslow, passed away Monday, June 8, 2020 at MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Augusta, of organ failure. Donna was born August 19, 1936, in Waterville, daughter of Dana and Arlene (Bolduc) Morin.

She graduated from Mt. Merici Academy, in Waterville, class of 1954. Donna met her sweetheart, Leonel Libby, while working at JB Friel in 1955. They were then married on September 15, 1956.

Donna and Nel had three children, Melissa Routhier, Celeste Dechaine and Mark Libby. Donna and Nel truly enjoyed their card playing and cribbage games.

Donna worked at JB Friel Insurance Co., Waterville Hardware, and was a local Avon representative. Most of her life she worked as a homemaker.

She was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, in Winslow. She enjoyed doing cross stitching, visiting coastal Maine, going out to lunch with friends and family, and shopping. She made sure all family birthdays, anniversaries, etc., were celebrated.

Donna was predeceased by her husband, Leonel and her parents, Dana and Arlene Morin.

Donna is survived by her children, Melissa Routhier and husband James, of Vassalboro, Celeste Dechaine and husband Bruce, of Elm City, North Carolina, and Mark and wife Lynn, of Vassalboro; her grandchildren, Jason Rodrigue and partner Adam Smith, of Saco, Nichole Hawkins and husband James, of Baltimore, Maryland, Ryan Deschaine and wife Alison, of Clinton, Stephanie Marcoux and husband Brad, of Fairfield, Brett Libby and girlfriend Jordyn, of Waterville, Jamie Routhier and wife Amy Starkey, of Winslow, Jessica Routhier, of Winslow, Danielle Dechaine, of Little River, South Carolina, and Cassandra Dechaine and fiancé Stefan Larose, of Somerville, Massachusetts; her great-grandchildren, Cooper Starkey and Aria Marcoux; her only sister, Annette (Morin) Bosse, of Pennsylvania; and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial was held, by invitation only, on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

Please visit http://www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com to share your condolences and memories with Donna’s Family.

DIANE D. KASLAUSKA

WINDSOR – Diane (Doyon) Kaslauskas, 74, of Ridge Rd., passed away Tuesday, June 9, 2020, following a brief illness, at Androscoggin Hospice House, Auburn. Diane was born on March 1, 1946, at Maine General Hospital to Hercules and Yvonne Doyon.

Diane grew up in Chelsea with sister Nancy, attending Chelsea elementary schools and graduating from Erskine Academy, in South China, in 1956.

Following graduation, Diane began working for the state in the Department of Transportation. She worked her entire career, of over 30 years for the State of Maine.

Diane will be remembered for her hours of dedication to both the Cub Scouts and Little League foundations for her sons, Mike and Delmar. Diane would often say that she had high cholesterol from eating “all the hot dogs from the concession stand every night of the week,” because she was always at the fields supporting her boys.

As a dedicated Den mother, Diane, despite her fear of heights, marched a pack of Cub Scouts up a mountain in Camden Hill State Park.

Diane loved guiding for Mary Grove at the Poland Mining Camps, where she and Butch mineral hunted for many years. Diane was also very proud of her gardens. You would often see her outside in the mornings weeding and trimming to beat the heat. Diane would always get stopped at the local store by other Windsor residents commenting on how nice her flower beds looked.

Diane’s other joy was her many fur babies, including her two cats, Garfield and Daisy.

Diane will be remembered for her spunk and tenacity. For her five-foot frame, which was no match for even the biggest foe or any unsuspecting cashier who may have mistakenly forgotten that she was owed a penny.

Diane loved her weekly shopping trips with her best friend, Lucy Mills. Always a family woman, Diane was most proud of her two grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Coleman. Diane loved having family to her house for any holiday to celebrate with her loved ones.

Diane is survived by her husband of 28 years, Lynwood “Butch” Kaslauskas; her two children, son Delmar Cooper, wife Jen and grandchild Coleman; and son, Michael Cooper, wife Lisha and granddaughter Kaitlyn; her sister, Nancy Berg; niece Diane York and nephew Tom Gousse and families.

A private burial will be held at a later date in Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

RAYLEEN COULOMBE

SIDNEY – Rayleen E. Coulombe, 58, of Sidney, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, June 11, 2020, following a valiant, hard-fought battle with multiple myeloma blood cancer and secondary plasma cell leukemia. She was born in Gardiner on November 19, 1961, the daughter of Raymond Hanning and Eileen (Bryant) Hanning.

Rayleen graduated from Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, in the class of 1980. Rayleen commenced her work career as a nanny for a local family with whom she remained close right up to until the end of her life. She then worked for many years at Photo Finish, in Augusta, as a lab technician processing photographs and finished her career at KV Federal Union, in their Augusta and then Oakland offices, until she was stricken with cancer in October 2019.

Rayleen was a woman of numerous interests with which she was avidly involved with. Her favorites were her family, photography, gardening, crafting, animals, travel, Christmas, and reading being of primary note. Rayleen was extremely passionate and loyal to her family, friends and interests and noted for being prepared for any contingency.

Rayleen married Peter Coulombe, the love of her life, on September 19, 1992. Rayleen and Peter had two children, Thomas Coulombe and Jennifer Coulombe.

Rayleen was predeceased by her father, Raymond Hanning, her maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents.

She is survived by her husband Peter; children Thomas and Jennifer; her mother Eileen Hanning; siblings, Michael Hanning, Stephen Hanning, Coleen Hanning, Greg Hanning and wife Melissa; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.

There are no public visiting hours planned.

A Celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Burial will be in Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Augusta.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta, ME.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

Memorial donations may be made to either: Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care, Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 828, Waterville, ME 04903 or, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.

Vassalboro TIF program tops selectmen’s agenda

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program was the selectmen’s main topic at their June 11 meeting, held in-person in the town office meeting room with appropriate social distancing and very few masks.

Selectmen received recommendations for interpreting, using or considering updates to Vassalboro’s current TIF program, and, after a public hearing, approved TIF funds for the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD).

A TIF is a state-approved plan that lets a municipality exclude part of its tax base from its state valuation, thus increasing state aid in some areas, provided it uses the tax money from the excluded portion for economic development as outlined in a local plan. Vassalboro voters put tax revenue from the Summit natural gas pipeline into a TIF. Selectmen have used the money to help the VSD connect to Winslow’s sewer system and to support the Alewife Restoration Project (ARI).

Earlier this year selectmen asked Garvan Donegan, of the Central Maine Growth Council, to review Vassalboro’s TIF document to make sure funds were being used properly and to consider other possible uses, either as the document stands or if they were to propose amendments.

Donovan said current uses are appropriate. He added that using TIF funds on the Gray Road culvert replacement project would be legal, because a better culvert is part of the fish habitat improvement that is ARI’s goal.

Both he and, Town Manager Mary Sabins said, VSD’s legal advisor said the VSD cannot use TIF money to pay individual homeowners’ costs for connecting to the expanded public sewer system.

VSD spokesman Ray Breton said the current plan is to use TIF money to make loan payments. The expansion project has been expensive, he said, and the VSD has had to raise user fees significantly.

After the public hearing and a wide-ranging discussion, selectmen approved an immediate $72, 265 grant to the VSD to cover a July 1 debt payment and promised to appropriate the rest of the $166,000 requested as 2020 taxes from Summit come in.

At their April 2 meeting, after a Feb. 11 public hearing, they appropriated $83,000 to ARI and promised another $60,000 in August or September.

In other business June 11, selectmen:

  • Unanimously awarded 2020 paving work to Pike Industries, as recommended by Road Commissioner Eugene Field.
  • Voted unanimously to sell the 2007 Chevrolet Impala police cruiser by advertising for bids.
  • Approved closing the town office all day Tuesday, July 14, because office staff will be Vassalboro Community School, where the day’s voting will be held. Voters will act on state ballot questions and two local issues, endorsing or rejecting the 2020-21 school budget approved at the June 22 town meeting and electing municipal officers.
  • Scheduled the next three selectmen’s meeting for Thursday evening, June 25; Thursday evening, July 23; and Thursday evening, Aug. 20.

Selectman John Melrose reported on continuing grounds work at the former East Vassalboro school and adjoining park, and plans for improved access to the town forest trail west of East Vassalboro.

Vassalboro town meeting, voting to go ahead, with adaptations

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro officials are going ahead with a Monday evening open town meeting and Tuesday written-ballot voting as in past years – but with adaptations.

The 2020 town meeting warrant calls voters to assemble at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Vassalboro Community School. The written ballot questions will not be decided the next day, however, but three weeks later, on Tuesday, July 14.

On June 22, voters will find the auditorium and the cafeteria arranged with chairs six feet apart and other social distancing accommodations. Masks will be required. Entrances and exits will be monitored to avoid crowding. No more than 50 people will be allowed in either room. Those in the cafeteria with be able to listen via a loudspeaker; plans are being made to let them notify the moderator when they want to speak.

If more than 100 people show up, as of the June 11 selectmen’s meeting there was no policy. Town Manager Mary Sabins and retiring Selectman Lauchlin Titus consider only the request to buy a fire truck controversial, so they hope for a low voter turnout – another unusual feature.

After those present act on 56 warrant articles, the meeting will adjourn until 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, when polls will open for written-ballot voting, again at Vassalboro Community School, not at the town office as usual. Sabins said masks will be required at the polls. There are two articles for July 14: approval or rejection of the 2020-21 school budget approved June 22, and election of local officers.

On July 14, voters will elect one selectman to succeed Titus; Barbara Redmond is the only candidate on the ballot. For the school board, Susan Tuthill’s term ends this year and she is not a candidate for re-election. Erin Loiko is running for another term; Zachary Smith is the only other person on the ballot.

Budget committee members will be elected, as usual, during the June 22 open meeting (Art. 2, immediately after election of a moderator; Sabins said Richard Thompson has agreed to serve again, if elected under Art. 1).

Budget committee members whose two-year terms end this year are K. Peter Allen, Rick Denico, Jr., Douglas Phillips, Barbara Redmond and Joe Suga. Redmond will not seek re-election, Sabins said. Vassalboro residents interested in being nominated to serve on the committee are advised to make their interest known to current committee members.

Except for the fire truck, the warrant articles should be familiar. As in past years, they deal with the municipal and school budgets for the fiscal year that will begin July 1 and related issues, like tax due dates, authority to apply for grants and the alewife fishery and authority to spend alewife revenues.

The fire truck is in Art. 22, which asks voters to authorize spending up to $334,000 for a five-year lease-purchase agreement, with estimated interest bringing the total cost to over $360,000. Firefighters would act on the authorization only if the department does not receive a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Act) grant for a vehicle. Estimated annual payments would be slightly more than $72,000; the payment due in July 2022 would come from the town’s fire truck reserve fund, the remaining four payments (July 2023 through July 2026) from taxation.

Selectmen and budget committee members recommend voters approve all requested expenditures, except the fire truck purchase. Neither board recommends buying a new truck this year.

If voters approve all fund requests, as of June 15 Sabins expects the tax rate will remain the same or go down slightly. A decision on the fire truck purchase will not affect 2021 taxes.

Town warrant has been posted

The warrant for Vassalboro’s June 22 and July 14 annual town meeting is posted in public places in town, as in past years. It is also at the end of the town report for 2019, on pages 51 through 55.

Printed copies of the report were expected at the town office by Monday, June 15, and will be available at the June 22 town meeting. Because of Covid-19 precautions about printed materials, Town Manager Mary Sabins does not know where else in town they will be distributed.

The complete town report is on the Vassalboro website. Go to www.vassalboro.net; click on “Town of Vassalboro” to get to the home page; scroll down the page until you find and click on “Town Report” on the Navigation bar on the left side; click on the red fire truck and begin reading (or click here!).

China TIF committee tackles four topics

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by Mary Grow

China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members had four topics on their minds as they met June 15: money, the second phase of the causeway project at the head of China Lake’s east basin, the impending change in town managers and needed amendments to China’s TIF plan.

The money issue was covered by retiring Town Manager Dennis Heath, whose financial update showed TIF books are in decent shape. A fund redistribution will be needed, however, to finish paying for the causeway project.

The second phase, installing a retaining wall and a walkway along most of the shoreline from west of the new bridge to the boat landing and improving the landing, is scheduled for this summer and fall.

Committee members approved by consensus the plan Mark McCluskey, of A. E. Hodsdon Consulting Engineers, described to the planning board on June 9. It involves seeking bids soon and, after the selectmen approve a contractor, having the work start as late in the summer as possible, to avoid disruptions during the height of boating season.

Incoming Town Manager Becky Hapgood attended the meeting and was asked if she was prepared to take over jobs Heath did during the previous construction, which included financial management and supervision of the work.

Hapgood replied that Heath has been bringing her up to speed, and with help from the committee she is ready. At Heath’s suggestion, committee member Tom Michaud was designated the official representative of the town to oversee the contractor’s work, with the understanding he and Hapgood will collaborate.

Heath said China’s TIF document needs two changes, one to allow TIF funds to be used to promote broadband service and a second to authorize funds for the China Lake Association and the China Region Lakes Alliance to support their water quality protection work.

The changes require committee, selectmen’s, state and voter approval. Committee members would like to have them on the Nov. 3 ballot, which selectmen will be approving late in August. Heath and Hapgood expect the deadline can be met, with assistance from committee members and from Tina Mullins of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, whom Heath commended as very helpful.

The June 5 meeting was the TIF Committee’s first since November 2019, due to early-2020 snowstorm cancellations and then Covid-19. Four members attended, two in person and two via Zoom. The meeting was livestreamed and is available on the town’s website for those wishing to view it.

The next TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

Town meeting to be by written ballot; absentee voting encouraged

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by Mary Grow

Outgoing China Town Manager Dennis Heath explained some of the main questions on the July 14 town business meeting warrant and their financial effects at a June 14 public hearing.

The July 14 meeting will be by written ballot, with polls open at the town office complex on Lakeview Drive from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. After a moderator is elected, voters will check the yes or no box on 23 questions, the majority dealing with the proposed 2020-21 budget. The final question asks them to make approved expenditures retroactive to July 1, 2020, the beginning of the fiscal year.

Those who do not want to come to the polls July 14 may request an absentee ballot from the town office.

The warrant is printed in the 2019 town report, with the snowman on the cover, available at the town office and other places in town. A copy of the warrant and information on absentee ballots are on the China website under Elections.

At the hearing, Heath explained that an original set of proposed expenditures prepared in expectation of an April meeting has been revised downward, because he expects China’s revenues will decline.

The warrant proposes reducing the initial 2020-21 paving budget by more than $260,000, cutting repaving from 6.77 miles to 3.76 miles. Planned repaving that will be postponed is about a third of a mile on Upper Deer Hill Road, about two-thirds of a mile on Back Deer Hill Road and about a mile each on Wing and Dirigo roads.

Almost another $130,000 has been cut from other accounts, Heath said. He expects the recommended reductions will more than offset currently-expected revenue declines.

The warrant articles do not include the 2020-21 school budget. Heath said the proposed increase in school spending from the current year to 2020-21 is about $5,600, very small.

If voters approve all requested spending, as of June 14 Heath expects they will increase their tax rate from 16.3 mils ($16.30 for each $1,000 of valuation) to 16.5 mils.

He and Ronald Breton, chairman of the Selectboard, said that China has surplus funds amounting to more than $1 million. “This town is solvent,” Breton said emphatically.

Heath added that China also has upgraded telephone and computer systems that residents should find helpful. He praised the selectboard for letting him do the work in the current fiscal year.

Final hearing set for June 30

China’s second and final hearing on the July 14 town business meeting warrant is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, in the town office meeting room.

The July 14 voting will be by written ballot; there will be no opportunity to discuss or question proposed expenditures. Absentee ballots are available through the town office for those who do not want to go to the polls in person.

The first hearing on the warrant, held June 14 at Erskine Academy, was attended by the town manager and two selectmen; two town office employees (non-residents who cannot vote in China); one budget committee member; and one representative of The Town Line newspaper. Video of the session can be found here.