OBITUARIES for Thursday, June 11, 2020

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CHARLOTTE M. CARON

LARGO, Fla. – Charlotte Jeanne “Chickie” McBride Caron, 86, passed peacefully on March 26, 2020, at Oak Manor Senior Living, in Largo Florida. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 28,1933, the daughter of now deceased Leo and Dorothy McBride.

Charlotte was educated in Waterville schools, graduating with the class of 1951 from Waterville High School. Following graduation, she was employed by New England Telephone Co.

She moved to Florida in 1971 and retired from General Tel. (GTE) in 1989.

Being a strong person of faith she was an active member of Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo.

For countless years Charlotte enjoyed returning to Maine vacationing at Webber Pond. Family was important to her. She enjoyed art at young age and instilled the value of creativity to her children and grandchildren.

She was predeceased by ex-husband, Donald R.Caron.

Surviving are four children, Steven Caron and son Samuel, Brian Caron and wife Vonnie and sons Scott and Cody, Randall Caron, and Laurie Caron Coker and husband James Coker and children, Sarah Coker Speeks, and James Coker III: six great-grandchildren; a sister, Margaret Hemphill, of Vassaboro; and a brother, Patrick McBride and wife Sonya, of Norridgewock;

Due to the Covid19 pandemic a graveside service will be at a later date.

MARIE LEMIEUX

SMITHFIELD – Marie Lemieux, 101, formerly of Norwood, Massachusetts, passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2020, at home. She was born on February 2, 1919, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of the late Fiorenzo Cardellicchio and Lydia Cangiano Cardellicchio.

She attended school in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Marie’s family always came first. She was a woman who spoke her mind in all matters, and lived on her own terms. She was generous, and truly an extraordinary cook. Traditional Italian food was her specialty. Lucky were those who were invited to dinner.

Over the years, she loved to shop at The Christmas Tree Shop and Reny’s were among her favorite stores. She also enjoyed sitting on her deck on sunny days, looking out over North Pond and sipping iced coffee. Most of all, she loved her grandchildren, and was delighted when two beautiful great-grandchildren were born.

She was predeceased by her sisters, Madeline Glantz and Irma Rice; brother Daniel, and her husband Donald Lemieux.

Marie is survived by her loving son, Mark Lemieux; and her grandchildren, Gina Lemieux and her fiancé David Weston, Anthony Lemieux and his fiancée Katie McDermott, Elise Lemieux, Daniel Lemieux, and Christopher Lemieux; great-granddaughter Chloe Weston; great-grandson Tony Lemieux; nieces Ann Parker, Marie Farnsworth, Elise Sola, Ellen Nopper, Nancy Elliott, and Kerri Cardelli; nephews, Stephen Cardelli, William Cardelli, Dan Cardelli, David Rice, and their families. A service will be held at a later date.

SCOTT S. HOLMES

WATERVILLE – Scott Stanley Holmes, 80, passed away Monday, May 18, 2020, at his home after fighting a year-and-a-half battle with cancer. He was born in Waterville on April 29, 1940, to Stanley and Shirley (Stetson) Holmes.

In his youth, Scott worked on the family farm. When he took over the business for his father, he started with 30 cows and built the business to a 250-head dairy farm. He was very entrepreneurial and tried different ways to increase milk production with success. After selling the farm, he bought and sold cars. In his later years, he worked for his son, Nathan, at Layne lnliner, driving up and down the east coast and enjoying the camaraderie with his younger co-workers. Scott was an outgoing, gregarious, generous, intelligent hard-working man. He loved to tell a good story and a good joke. His adult life passion was for snowmobiling. He would take day trips as often as possible or just an hour around the land at the farm. He and his friends once shipped their snowmobiles out to Minnesota and flew out to get them. They took a journey sledding from Minnesota, up through Canada and down to home.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia (Vigue) Holmes; his son, Nathan and wife Tammy; daughter, Roxanne and her husband Tom Cahill, and son Dwayne Holmes; grandchildren, Miriah, Orlando, Jordon, Sophie, Krysta, Calvin, Connor and Lindsay; as well as his three great-grandchildren, Cotlen, Elzaeda and Cara; sisters, Gail Demmons and Lee and her husband Harold Francis. He had numerous cousins.

Services and burial will be scheduled at a later date.

WILLIAM F. GRAY

SOUTH CHINA – William “Bill” F. Gray, 90, passed away Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at his home in South China. He was born September 25, 1929, at his family home in Windsor, the son of William W. and Sara (Hunter) Gray.

He graduated from Erskine Academy, in South China, then enlisted in the United States Navy, proudly serving his country for four years on the U.S.S. Lette during the Korean Conflict, until his honorable discharge. When he returned to the states, he married and started his engineering career at Central Maine Power Company where he worked as a microwave services engineer/supervisor and communication systems supervisor until his retirement.

Bill was a mason of the Kora Temple Shrine, in Lewiston, served as an active member in the National Guard, Deputy Sheriff in Kennebec County and the American Legion, in Winslow.

He is survived by his daughter, Debra (Gray) Tuttle, of Skowhegan; grandson, Justin Tuttle; great granddaughter, Keairah; sister-in-law, Laura M. (Fowle) Gray, of Windsor; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A dear family friend, Norman Elvin, assisted in providing wholistic care for him in the later years of his life.

He was predeceased by his parents, William and Sara Gray; wife of over 60 years, Joyce (Brewer) Gray; brothers, Richard and Philip Gray.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. Interment will be at the Chadwick Hill Cemetery where he will join his late parents and wife.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Bill’s memory to Alzeheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.

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

HERMEL C. NADEAU

WATERVILLE – Hermel C. Nadeau, 86, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 21, 2020, following a long life. His last days were spent with his wife, Ingrid.

As a young man, Hermel worked as a grocery clerk for Cottle’s Supermarkets, in Waterville, and graduated from Waterville High, Class of 1953. He then served in the Naval reserve. In 1956, he moved with his mother to Stanford, Connectucut. After marrying Ingrid, they set out west in 1959 to follow the American dream to sunny California and start a family and was employed as a grocery manager. After many adventures on the west coast, they returned to Maine in 1976 where he was asked to return as a grocery manager at Cottle’s Supermarkets that then became Hannaford. He retired early, in 1992.

As a retiree he enjoyed traveling to visit his family, woodworking, reading novels, and watching action movies.

He was predeceased by his parents Gideon and Albertine Nadeau.

He is survived by his wife Ingrid; and sons Gerard, Gilbert, Michael and Peter; and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Regretfully, due to Covid 19 restrictions, a service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Hermel’s honor to Good Shepherd Food Bank

MYRA A. SINCLAIR

VASSALBORO – Myra Annie Sinclair, 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 24, 2020, at Balsam House, in Readfield. Myra was born in Waterville on July 4, 1928, the youngest of seven children of her parents, George R. and Helen S. Hinckley Mountfort.

She grew up in Waterville, spending summers on Cousins Island, in Casco Bay, with her family. Myra graduated from Waterville High School and attended Colby College, in Waterville. In 1947, she married Glenwood D. Sinclair at Getchell St. Baptist Church, in Waterville, moving to Vassalboro in 1958 with their two children, David and Ellen.

Myra was a natural caregiver throughout her life and in 1962, she pursued her passion for nursing and attended the Maine School of Practical Nursing at Sisters Hospital, in Waterville. Upon graduation, she joined the nursing staff at Thayer Hospital, in Waterville, as a general duty nurse. She also trained and was certified as a surgical technician and worked as a surgical assistant for the reminder of her 26 years at Thayer before retiring to care for her husband. Despite her job in the operating suites, Myra never lost connection with her patients and friends, visiting and supporting them and their families through generations of births, illnesses, medical issues, and end of life support.

After retirement, she volunteered at Mount St. Joseph Nursing Home, continuing to care for many within the local community. At the age of 67, Myra was recruited by the Maine Organ Bank, where she used her experience in surgery to assist in harvesting donated organs around the state and mentoring younger technicians with her caring approach and meticulous skills.

A lifelong member at Getchell St. Church, in Waterville, Myra’s strong faith in God colored all aspects of her life of service, bringing love, comfort and acceptance to all she encountered. She always found the best in people, no matter the circumstances. Myra will always live on in the hearts of her family and the scores of friends and acquaintances whose lives she touched throughout her life.

Myra is survived by her son, David and daughter-in-law, Anne Smith Sinclair, of Wayne; and her daughter, Ellen, of Princeton, New Jersey; her grandsons, Michael, his wife, Pam, and great-grandsons, Cameron, Chase, and Hunter, of Reading, Massachusetts; and Matthew, his wife, Amy, and great-granddaughters, Haley and Natalie, of Scarborough; and numerous nieces, nephews, and their families.

With the current restrictions resulting from the spread of Coronavirus-19, no services are scheduled at this time.

Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, where condolences to the family may be shared on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish may send a donation in Myra’s memory to P.A.L.S. Animal Shelter, in Winthrop, ME who accepted the care of her cat, Sweetie, and found him a new family. Donations can be made online through their Facebook page or directly to PALS Animal Shelter, 188 Case Rd., Winthrop, ME 04364.

SHERWOOD W. LEE

FAIRFIELD – Sherwood Wayne Lee, 73, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at Eastern Maine Medical Center, in Bangor. He was born April 8, 1947, in Waterville, the son of Frank and Madelyn Lee.

He was a graduate of Waterville High School, class of 1966, and employed for many years at Universal Tire, in Waterville, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping.

Sherwood was predeceased by his parents and sister Donna Benson.

Sherwood is survived by his wife of 53 years, Donna (Theriault) Lee, of Fairfield; son Kenneth Lee and partner Rebecca Smith, of Fairfield; daughter Lauri Hinton and husband Cory, of Greenwich, New York; grandchildren Ashley and Caleb Hinton, of Greenwich, New York; sister Sandra Gordon, of Waterville; brother Barry Lee and wife Jane, of Fairfield; four nieces, Candy Lachance and husband Glen, Sandy Wentworth and husband Kevin, both of Fairfield, Kim Carrol and husband Shaun, of Clinton, Heather Vigue and husband Greg, of Winslow; three nephews, Bryan Gordon, of Clinton, Barry Lee Jr. and wife Ginger, of Benton, Scott Gordon, of Waterville; and many grand nieces and nephews

A graveside service will be held at a later date, to be announced at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Sherwood’s memory to the American Diabetes Association, 10 Speen Street, 2nd Floor, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701.

MARY M. FITZGERALD

CHINA – Mary Montague Fitzgerald, 82, died on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at her home, in China. She was born on October 28, 1937, to the late James Montague and Mildred R. (Laffey) Montague, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

She attended the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, graduating as a registered nurse. She worked in hospitals in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine, finishing with 20 years at Cary Medical Center, in Caribou,. Mary was also an artist and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston, studying jewelry-making.

She loved cooking, gardening, traveling, trying new restaurants, and reading.

Mary was predeceased by her husband of 40 years, Brian James Fitzgerald, in 2005.

She is survived by one son, David Montague Fitzgerald; daughter-in-law, Patricia; and grandsons Aidan and Conor, of Fulshear, Texas; and one daughter, Caragh Beth Fitzgerald; son-in-law Mark Davis; granddaughters Sylvia and Claire Davis, both of China; and one sister-in-law, Louise Helen Fitzgerald, of Lake Montezuma, Arizona.

At her wishes, no services will be held.

Arrangements are in the care of Plummer Funeral Home.

LINDA V. KENNISTON

AUGUSTA – Linda (Viola) Kenniston, passed peacefully at the Grey Birch Nursing Home, in Augusta, on Thursday, May 28, 2020. Linda was born in Waterville at Sisters Hospital. Linda was the daughter of Viola and Leonard Plourde.

Linda has one brother Lester Plourde, of Winslow, and a sister who has passed, Sylvia Plourde, of Hanson, Massachusetts. Linda attended Waterville High School and graduated in 1966.

Linda married Terrance Kenniston, also of Waterville, in March 1968. Linda was a loving mother and a housewife in Hallowell most of her life. Linda did work for Key Bank for a number of years while her children were in school, and this allowed her plenty of time to support her children’s after school activities.

She is survived by her husband, Terrance Kenniston, of Augusta; her son and daughter-in-law, Steve Kenniston and Donna Venegas Kenniston, of Boston, Massachusetts; and her daughter, Kim Kenniston, of Hallowell.

There will be a private graveside service on June 11, 2020 at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Augusta.

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

Arrangements are by Lawry Brothers Funeral and Cremation Care, 107 Main St., Fairfield.

In lieu of flowers,please donate to either the Humane Society or Hospice of Maine.

ELIZABETH J. LANCASTER

WATERVILLE – Elizabeth Jurdak Lancaster, 89, longtime resident of Pittston, died on May 28, 2020, at Bear Mountain Assisted Living, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, following a long struggle with dementia. She was born on November 12, 1930, the daughter of Edward G. Sr. and Anastasia (Belanger) Jurdak, in Waterville.

She was an honors graduate of Waterville High School in 1949 and returned to college as an adult where she maintained a 4.0 cumulative average. Her proudest achievement, however, was seeing her two children through college.

Betty married Donald W. Lancaster, of Pittston, on June 30, 1956, and remained devotedly by his side until his death in 1976. They shared the same November 12 birthday, and he always said that she was his best birthday present ever.

Betty worked at many manufacturing companies in Waterville along with managing her family’s store. After her move to Pittston, she worked for many years at Commonwealth Shoe, in Gardiner.

Betty was a long-time member of Christ Church Episcopal and a former president of the Alter Guild. After her retirement in 1998, she sold her home and moved back to her hometown of Waterville until her illness began in 2008.

Betty was predeceased by her parents; her husband Donald; her brothers Robert Jurdak and Donald Jurdak; her sisters Jeannette Ross, Marie Paradis and June Plisga.

She is survived by her son John R. Lancaster, his wife Kimberly (Ingham) and their children Kathryn Elizabeth and Matthew John, of Natick Massachusetts; her daughter Dawn Lancaster Mahoney, her husband Daniel Mahoney and their son Adam Daniel of Temple, New Hampshire; brothers Edward G. Jurdak, Jr., of Waterville, Richard N. Jurdak and his wife Marian, of Oakland; sister Sandra N. Marcoux, of Waterville; and her sister-in-law Noella Jurdak, of North Attleborough, Massachusetts; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

There will be a graveside service later at her family’s convenience.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville.

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

ROBERT B. TUPPER

FAIRFIELD – Robert Brian Tupper, 73, passed away on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Eastern Maine Medical Center, in Bangor, following a brief illness. Brian was born May 3, 1947, in Waterville, the son of the late Robert E. and Muriel (Hartford) Tupper.

He was the longtime companion to Donna (Farrin) Chapman with whom he shared 26 years. He was a beloved best friend, partner, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was known as the “Old Man.” He was a resident of Fairfield for most of his life, a graduate of Lawrence High School, class of 1965. He went on to further his education graduating in 1969 from University of Maine Orono with a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry, where he was also a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity.

He was a United States Army veteran serving in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar and Grenade.

After leaving the service, Brian worked as a manager at Agway Farm Supply. He completed his employment years as a driver for UPS before his retirement. He was a gentleman farmer at his family farm and sold hay, farmed pumpkins and raised cows.

Brian treasured the time he shared with his family and always enjoyed the grandchildren coming to the farm and playing in the maple tree. He also enjoyed gardening and planting and caring for his flower beds. Brian was active with 4-H – one of his favorite activities was showing guernsey cows – he was a former junior member of Victor Grange #49, in Fairfield Center, and was a former member and acolyte at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, in Waterville.

In addition to Donna, Brian is survived by his son Christopher B. Tupper and his wife Holly, of Cornville; his daughters Jill M. Stepniak and her husband Robert; of Florida and Tiffany M. Allen; of Maine; stepsons Christopher A. Chapman and his wife Molly, of Smithfield, and Brady T. Chapman and his wife Jennifer, of Skowhegan; and stepdaughter Stacey Bosworth and her husband Scott, of Cornville; his siblings Catherine M. Tupper and her husband Richard Dobbs, of New Mexico, James H. Tupper and his wife Daphne, of Fairbanks, Alaska, Leanne M. Stevens and her husband Edward ,of Fairfield, Gretchen M. Ross and her husband John, of Fairfield, and Cynthia L. Hymel and her husband Curtis, of Fairfield; 11 grandchildren Jake, Samantha, Drew, Jordan, Kaytlin, Ryan, Zachary, Erica, Chase, Wyatt and Morgan; four great-grandchildren Winston, Sophia, Jace and Ava; and many nieces and nephews; numerous cousins, aunts and uncles.

In addition to his parents, Brian is predeceased by his son Eric B. Tupper.

A graveside service will be in Tozier Cemetery.

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

Arrangements are in the care of the Lawry Brothers Funeral and Cremation Care, 107 Main St. Fairfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Maine Medical Center Portland, Maine.

MAUREEN T. VINES

ROME – Maureen Theresa Vines, 80, passed away quietly on Monday, June 1, 2020, at her camp, in Rome. She was born September 5, 1939, to Michael and Lillian Garrity of Scituate, Massachu­setts.

She married Bill Vines in May 1962, at St. Mary’s Church, in Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts.

She was an amazing wife and mother to their four children, Lisa Bruce (Steve), Laurie McHugh (George), Dan Vines (Jill), Brian Vines (April), eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and her nieces and nephews.

Maureen enjoyed a rich and beautiful life filled with much happiness. She found peace in her gardens and painting her artwork. It was her signature song bird whistle that could always be heard when she was near. Her younger years on the ocean were spent mossing, fishing, boating and working “down the harbor.” She raised her family in Waterville and shared her joy of being “UPTA” camp in Belgrade Lakes during the summer months. She was a beautiful person and an incredible mon: lemonade stands, making the annual skating rink, endless sports games and activities,… and all the while so nurturing. Her hands were rarely still.

The family camp on Great Pond was Maureen’s “Special Place. ” She loved gatherings there with family and friends, taking great pride in her flowers and watching her children and grandchildren grow up playing on the beach. Maureen, “Nanny Goat” to some, had been blessed with a gift for children. She genuinely delighted in playing with all her grandkids and puttering them around in her golf cart. Always quick with a chore or an activity, she cultivated spirit and many life lessons in all.

Later in life, Maureen loved spending winters with Bill on Marco Island, Florida. She took pleasure in the warm breezes, dining out with dear friends, and the rousing games of poolside Dominoes. For nearly 30 years, she looked forward to family visits from her children and grandchildren and welcomed them into her home, creating special memories.

She was predeceased by her husband Bill in 2003.

A celebration of Maureen’s life is planned for a future date.

Expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to the Belgrade Lakes Association (BLA), 137 Main St., Belgrade Lakes, ME 04918.

Arrangements under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, Skowhegan.

Family and friends wishing may send flowers in Scott’s memory to 19 Alden Street, Waterville, Maine 04901

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

GRAVESIDE SERVICE: ROBERT A. POOLER

CANAAN – Robert A. Pooler passed away Saturday, March 14, 2020. A graveside service will be held Saturday, June 13, 2020, at noon, at Walker’s Cemetery, Tuttle Road, Canaan.

Palermo woman elected to board of trustees at library

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(Photo courtesy of Palermo Community Library)

At a recent meeting, Christine Diesch was elected to the Palermo Community Library Board of Trustees. Prior to retiring in Maine, she had a career ranging from running a crisis hotline to providing leadership coaching to world-class scientists and operations teams at one of the seventeen U.S. Department of Energy’s premier national laboratories.

Diesch brings 20 years of experience on the board of directors for a 58-unit homeowners association, including over 10 years as treasurer, and four years of experience on the board of directors for a Midwest crisis line. The trustees look forward to having her bring her technical expertise, policy development experience, handbook and instructional manual development skills, and communication and leadership skills to the Palermo Community Library Board of Trustees.

She said as a child and young adult, her fondest wish was to get permanently locked in a library so she could read forever! And, of course, Diesch loves greeting her fellow villagers when she is volunteering at the library! She hopes to see more people come in to see all that is offered. The library, besides having books, is a welcoming gathering place and a great community resource.

Vassalboro board approves solar energy project

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by Mary Grow

Four Vassalboro Planning Board members present at the June 2 meeting unanimously approved a solar energy project at 515 Main Street (Route 32) almost opposite Ron’s Auto Parts. (For more information, see The Town Line, May 14)

ReVision Energy, represented by Senior Project Developer, Nate Niles, and Construction Project Manager, Al Copping, plans a community solar farm on Bernie Welch’s land. The solar panels will be surrounded by a seven-foot chain-link fence; residents in Central Maine Power Company’s service area will buy shares in the output.

Planning board members found that the project meets all criteria in Vassalboro’s land use and shoreland ordinances. They added two conditions to their approval:

  • Although the state transportation department has allowed two entrances onto the highway, after construction is complete only the north one is to be used. Niles said there will be almost no traffic in and out of the area.
  • Trees to be cleared between Main Street and the fence will be replaced with shrubbery that will provide visual screening from the highway, without blocking sunlight from the solar panels.

Niles expects work on the development to begin this summer. When he and Copping made their initial presentation May 5, he said work should take two to three months, will be done during daylight hours and should not be very noisy.

Turning to the only other item on the June 2 agenda, board members decided unanimously that Lorilee Dumont can enlarge her Dunham Road building from which she runs her catering and restaurant business without board review. However, should she later want to expand the business, she would need to appear before the board.

Codes Officer Paul Mitnik explained that Dumont wants to add a deck so she can continue to seat six tables of diners while maintaining social distancing. She does not plan to add tables, he said.

The June 2 planning board meeting was in person, not virtual. It was held in the Vassalboro Community School cafeteria so that board and audience members – all masked – could sit at least six feet apart.

The next meeting should be scheduled for Tuesday evening, July 7, the first Tuesday of the month.

Becky Hapgood appointed to succeed Heath as China town manager

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New town manager Becky Hapgood. (Photo by Roland D. Hallee)

by Mary Grow

At a short June 8 meeting, China selectmen approved public notices of two informational hearings that will precede the July 14 written-ballot town business meeting, and appointed Rebecca “Becky” Hapgood to succeed Dennis Heath as town manager and to fill Heath’s other positions.

[See also: Becky Hapgood honored for 25 years service to China]

The hearings will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 14, in the cafeteria at Erskine Academy, on Windsor Road (Route 32 South), in South China, and at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, in the town office meeting room on Lakeview Drive. Heath and selectmen will explain the warrant articles, which mostly ask voters to approve the recommended 2020-21 budget, and answer questions.

Heath said no more than 50 people will be allowed at each meeting, and they will be expected to practice social distancing. The meetings will also be available as zoom webinars in which people can participate on line and will be broadcast on the town office livestream system.

The June 8 selectmen’s meeting was an example of combining personal presence with distance participation and viewing. Heath and four of the five selectmen, all masked, sat on either side of a long table, separated by plexiglass screens down the middle. A fifth selectman joined via Zoom; and the meeting was live-streamed. Hapgood, also masked, participated from the audience.

Hapgood will become town manager on July 19, when Heath’s resignation is effective. The manager and his wife plan to return to Oklahoma to be near Heath’s mother.

Hapgood also becomes China’s treasurer and tax collector, beginning July 1 with the new fiscal year. The other positions to which she succeeds are ex officio member of all boards and committees; road commissioner; overseer of the poor; Civil Emergency Preparedness director; and public access officer. (State law requires each municipality to designate a public access officer to respond to requests for public records.)

In other business June 8:

  • Selectmen unanimously approved continuing with Purdy Powers & Company, of Portland, as China’s auditors. Heath said company employees planned to begin work in July.
  • Heath reviewed revenues and expenditures for the first 11 months of the 2019-20 fiscal years and concluded China is in good shape. Revenues have not fallen dangerously, and expenditures are where they should be with the fiscal year almost over. Property tax payments are on the same level as this time last year, the manager said, and a dramatic April decline in vehicle excise taxes was reversed in May.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 22.

Local groups observe 76th anniversary of D-Day invasion

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From left to right, Pearley Lachance, chaplain at the Waterville American Legion, Michael Switzer, commander of Waterville’s Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post #5, Craig Baily, commander of Winslow’s VFW Post #8835, and State Rep. Bruce White, who organized the event. (photo by Eric W. Austin)

by Eric W. Austin

They say weather was one of the biggest factors in determining the success of World War II’s D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. After a cantankerous month of May, meteorologists were pessimistic about fair weather for the invasion planned at the beginning of June. Without a break in the weather, planes could not see well enough to bomb German fortifications or drop paratroopers behind enemy lines; in rough seas, boats would have trouble navigating close enough to the beaches to drop off Allied soldiers safely. Many conversations and heated arguments were had between British and American forecasters about whether the invasion should go forward.

Left, State Rep. Bruce White, who organized the event, and his wife Doreen, who read the poem “Normandy.” (photo by Eric W. Austin)

Seventy-six years later, a small crowd gathered in a soggy parking lot at the Forrest J. Pare VFW Post #1285, in Waterville, to remember the bravery of Allied soldiers on that fateful day, and similar questions about the weather were on everyone’s minds. Similar to that June day in 1944, the weather wasn’t perfect, but it was “good enough,” and as they rang the small Liberty bell at the conclusion of the ceremony, the sun broke free from its cover of clouds to shine down on the gathering, as if to bless the assembled crowd and the cause of freedom they were celebrating.

The ceremony was part of the “Freedom Rings Global” event to remember the 76th anniversary of the Allied D-Day invasion, named “Operation Overlord.” It was the largest single-day operation in history and laid the foundations for the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi tyranny.

Waterville State Representative Bruce White organized the event after learning the story of World War II paratrooper Tom Rice, a member of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division known as the “Screaming Eagles.” Last year, at age 97, Rice re-enacted his paratrooper jump over Carentan, Normandy, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The video of the jump garnered millions of views on social media and YouTube. Rice had planned to join celebrations in France this year, but was prevented from doing so because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Freedom Rings Global” was an event planned for 2020 in Rice’s honor as a way to remember that important day and the men and women who gave their lives in the fight for freedom. At 6:44 p.m. – a reference to the date of the operation: June 6, 1944 – people were encouraged to ring bells throughout the world as a reminder.

Here in Waterville, the event began with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Waterville VFW Commander Michael Switzer. After a prayer by Subdeacon Steve Crate, of Saint Joseph Maronite Catholic Church, Rep. White spoke about his reasons for organizing the event. He said, in part: “We are ringing the bell in honor of Tom [Rice], and many others who sacrificed on this day 76 years ago. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ‘This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.’ The young Americans of that time made up a generation marked for greatness, a generation that would take its place in American history. The American people understood the tremendous burden of the challenge before them, the need for unified national commitment, and most of all they knew that only one result is acceptable: victory. Our nation turned to its young to carry the heaviest burden – to battle against the enemy in the enemy’s own territory, thereby keeping the homefront safe. These young men and women understood what was required of them and willingly volunteered for duty…[On this day] we remember how many of that generation didn’t make it to their twenties, to their thirties and beyond. How many scientists, how many business leaders, teachers, politicians and spiritual leaders were lost in the greatest war the world has ever seen? Today we take a moment to remember them.”

Craig Baily, the Com­mand­er of the Waterville Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post #5, speaking at the event.

Craig Baily, the Com­mand­er of the Waterville Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post #5, also spoke to the gathering. He said, in part, “Thank you all for coming out to remember this 76th anniversary [and] those … men and women that served to help free Europe from the tyranny of fascism from the Germans, to free France, and to free the Netherlands, to free Belgium, and to free all of Europe…It was a Herculean effort…to land [on the beaches of Normandy]…It is a testament to the will and spirit of the Americans who went there, the many who died… [and] the many who survived.”

Pearley Lachance, a chaplain for the Waterville American Legion and member of the Winslow MacCrillis-Rouseau VFW Post #8835, has been compiling information about Maine veterans for several years. He spoke about some of the local residents who served during World War II. “Before the war would come to an end, both in the Atlantic and the Pacific campaigns, over 16 million men and women served in uniform,” he said. “They were supported by those who worked in military industries at home. Over 3,000 residents of Waterville were drafted or volunteered. The sad part is, 60 of them did not return because they made the ultimate sacrifice. Waterville’s first causality was Arthur W. Lanigan, a sailor on the USS Houston, which sank when it was attacked by the Japanese on February 28, 1942 — but it was only after the war that it was determined he had died and was not taken as prisoner of war…In Winslow, over 700 were called, and 30 did not return. Joseph Janquist, a Winslow High School graduate, died in the attack on Pearl Harbor [on] December 7, 1941.”

Commander Michael Switzer then spoke briefly to thank everyone for coming.

Doreen White, wife of Rep. White, stepped forward to read a poem, “Normandy,” by Cyril Crain. By way of introduction, she said, “My dad quit school – Waterville High School – at 17. [He] had to get his parents’ permission. They reluctantly gave their permission for him to volunteer in the Navy. He wasn’t at D-Day, but he was a member of the Greatest Generation and served in the Pacific during World War II. I’m reading this poem with his memory in my heart. This poem is called ‘Normandy,’ and it’s by a young veteran who landed on Juno Beach:

‘Come and stand in memory
Of men who fought and died
They gave their lives in Normandy
Remember them with pride.

Soldiers, Airman, sailors
Airborne and marines
Who in civilian life were tailors
and men who worked machines.

British and Canadian
And men from USA
Forces from the Commonwealth
They all were there that day

To Juno, Sword and Utah
Beaches of renown
Also Gold and Omaha
That’s where the ramps went down.
The battle raged in Normandy
Many lives were lost
The war must end in victory
And this must be the cost
When my life is over
And I reach the other side
I’ll meet my friends from Normandy
And shake their hands with pride.’”

After the reading of the poem by his wife, Rep. White read a recent statement from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA: “It is good to remember that many nations participated in the D-Day invasion. Particularly, the U.S. forces were composed of men of different races, national origins, religious creeds, and so forth. In this time of tension, we ask Almighty God that their sacrifice not be in vain. We beg Him to transform our most earnest longings into a force for peace and understanding, to teach us to see every person as brother or sister whose Father is our God. We pray for the ability to negotiate, to talk, and to listen. We pray to remain vigilant against the forces of evil in our troubled world, and to pour our energies into building lasting peace and justice among nations.”

Rep. White then played a recording of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech to the troops on D-Day. Here is that speech:

“Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”

Rep. White concluded by saying, “Father Patrick Finn is going to ring the bell at the church of St. Mark’s, in Winslow. Pittsfield’s MCI (Maine Central Institute) is ringing the bell, and…there are a thousand cities around the world that are doing this same ceremony.”

The Liberty bell rung at the event.

At 6:44 p.m., Waterville Fire Captain and veteran, Rodney Alderman, stepped forward to ring the small Liberty bell set up in the parking lot of the VFW to honor the brave soldiers that fought on the field of battle that fateful June day in 1944.

Pandemic casualty: Joseph’s Fireside Restaurant closes its doors

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Joseph’s Fireside Steakhouse (photo: facebook.com/jfs.me)

The COVID-19 pandemic did what owners Kevin Joseph (no relation to Kevin Joseph of Guacamole’s and You Know Whose Pub) and E. J. Fabian feared the most: closing their beloved restaurant on other than their own terms.

Effective immediately, Joseph’s Fireside Restaurant, located on West River Road, in Waterville, will not reopen for business and remains up for sale.

Opened in June 2011, the original thinking on the parts of both owners was a five-year plan of operation that would allow them to cross items off their respective bucket lists. At the seven-year mark, the decision was made to place the restaurant up for sale – planning to sell to a community-focused buyer. Now, at nine years, the difficult determination has been made to close permanently, due to the restrictions in place forced by the pandemic. Operating at the mandated limited capacity is not sustainable.

In a letter to many friends, customers, area business owners and especially their employees, Kevin and E.J. included a personal note of thanks: “We would like to thank each and every one of you for making this dream of ours a success for many years. We have been so fortunate to have opened our restaurant in such a caring community. This is not the exit plan we had in mind at all, and we wish we could pass this on to new ownership, but at this time it is not an option. We will truly miss you all.”

The owners wish to let gift card holders with balances know that these will be honored. To assure that the money remain in the area, gift cards will be redeemed through the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, 50 Elm Street, Waterville. Fireside gift cards will be replaced with a Chamber gift certificate of equivalent value, redeemable at a Chamber member restaurant from a provided list. Gift card holders will also receive extra value of 10 percent above and beyond the value of the gift certificate issued, from the participating restaurants, at the time of a visit. The 10 percent bonus value cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions the restaurant may be offering. The 10 percent bonus will be honored by the participating restaurants only until August 31, 2020.

Fireside gift cards must be surrendered at the time of exchange at the Chamber office. Please contact the Chamber at 873-3315, or chambergiftcertifs@gmail.com for information.

Restaurant owner and family provide lunches for front line workers

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Guacamole’s owner Kevin Joseph with a staff member from Northern Light Inland Hospital. (contributed photo)

Guacamole’s owner serves up burrito lunches to healthcare professionals

by Roland D. Hallee

Kevin Joseph, owner of Guacamole’s and You Know Whose Pub, in Waterville.

Ever the community-conscious entrepreneur, Kevin Joseph, owner of Guacamole’s Mexican sandwich shop on Main St., and You Know Whose Pub, at East Concourse, both in downtown Waterville, has been providing free burrito sandwiches to local front-line health care providers over the past several weeks.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week, Joseph visits a healthcare facility in the area and delivers free lunches. He will continue to do it until the funds run out.

The brain child of Kevin’s family, he began to provide the service on May 26 with a visit to Inland Hospital, in Waterville, where he provided the sandwiches to staff workers.

Kevin’s family provided the seed money to begin the deliveries. “It was a way for us to say thank you to all the hard work these professionals do for us on a daily basis,” said Joseph. “It’s a fantastic feeling to see how much they appreciated us bringing them lunch.”

Joseph was quick to note that his family donated the money, telling him to use it any way he saw fit. He decided to use it to thank the “front line” workers in the community.

Kevin Joseph with a staff member from Lakewood Manor in Waterville. (contributed photo)

His next stop was to Lakewood Manor, long-term nursing facility, and plans to follow up with a visit to MaineGeneral Medical Center.

He plans to continue the deliveries.

The effort has drawn national attention. He received a message from a Montana resident, a former Waterville native, who is willing to contribute to the effort.

State Represenative Bruce White commented, “What Kevin is doing is very kind.”

Some other Facebook posts stated, “Our lunch surprise put smiles on our faces. Fabulous burritos. Thank you for you support.“

Another post said, “Everyone loved them. Thank you. I didn’t even know this place existed.”

Joseph opened Guacamole’s in 2019, and has owned You Know Whose Pub since he purchased it in 2000. The Pub was originally founded in 1970 by Norton Webber, and purchased later by Al Oberlechner, who sold it to Joseph.

Next week, Joseph plans visits to MaineGeneral Medical Center and the Dialysis Center, in Fairfield.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Other uses for booze…continued

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by Debbie Walker

This chapter will be about RUM. The favored drink of many. As usual I was searching the internet and I typed in Other Uses for Rum, immediately, this website pops up that read, 101 Uses for Strong Rum. Hurray! Pay dirt! 101 uses on one site, how lucky! The clue should have been its other capital words read The Raw Bar Yoho, but even then, I thought ‘okay, a bar tender probably has some great thoughts on the subject.’ Now when I go on, I am hoping you will get the kick out of it that I did. If you get a chance look it up on your computer, it’s a funny write.

The rum this man (I still didn’t find his name) speaks of is called Sunset and under that it says Very Strong Rum. It is made on the island of St. Vincent in the Wayward Islands of the West Indies. Now that you have been introduced, let’s continue to some of the uses this man offers.

101 uses, not really, he admits he just made that up, but there are more than I can fit in this column:

Kill a Caterpillar: The brown caterpillar, nasty critter. They pour the Very Strong Rum over the caterpillar and light it on fire. (Fire seems to come up often in his cures).

Remove a wart: Rub as much of the wart away, using something abrasive. Then rub a Very Strong Rum soaked rag over it and then put fire to the wart. How many times you do this to remove the wart depends on the tolerance to burn pain.

Fuel for a 2-stroke outboard engine. An enthusiastic charter boat captain went on about the infallibility of the older, carbureted Yamaha outboards, and said, “an if you was to run out of fuel, you pour in strong rum an’ she still gonna run.”

Remove water from a fuel tank. Like dry gas, strong rum, it is said can be poured in a fuel tank ruined by water and once there it will somehow combine with the water and then dry out leaving clean gas behind. There are some scientists in a lab working on reproducing the effect, but not successfully.

Swimmer’s ear. With the same idea of removing water from the fuel tank, you pour strong rum into the affected ear and any water trapped inside will evaporate out. The rum will also kill any parasites and sterilize any infections.

Cauterize a wound. A man lost most of two fingers in a fight with a Marlin. His buddies feared gangrene and blood loss, so they tied off those two fingers and dipped them in strong rum then lit them afire to cauterize the wound.

Joint pain. An entry from the Journal of Questionable West Indian Folk Remedies said this strong rum would “sap yuh joints.”

All right, so this is all of the education for this night or you can look up The Raw Bar Yoho’s 101 Uses for Strong Rum on your computer and continue to learn some of the more ‘colorful’ uses for Strong Rum.

I’m just curious what other uses you are aware for this or other Booze.

Questions or comments, contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org Have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Poet: Grenville Mellen; Singer: Connie Francis

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Connie Francis

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Grenville Mellen

Biddeford poet Grenville Mellen (June 19, 1799- September 5, 1841) was the son of Prentiss Mellen (1764-1840), Maine’s first Chief Justice of its Supreme Court from 1820 to 1834. The son was admitted to the bar after reading law with his father, got married and settled in North Yarmouth, setting up his practice there in 1825. Within three years, his wife and only child died and his own health and will to live deteriorated during the remaining 13 years of his life, but he did eke out an already beginning literary career with poems, sketches and essays on a mostly free lance basis.

Grenville Mellen

Finally, out of desperation, he traveled to Cuba for his last summer, hoping the change of scene would improve his health. The trip didn’t help and he returned to New York where he died that fall.

The poems contained in the 1854 anthology, Native Poets of Maine, are somewhat overblown but they do contain lines that resonate. I quote the last of four stanzas in his Mount Washington:

Mount of the clouds! When winter round thee throws
The hoary mantle of the dying year,
Sublime amid thy canopy of snows,
Thy towers in bright magnificence appear!
‘Tis then we view thee with a chilling fear,
Till summer robes thee in her tints of blue;
When, lo! In soften’d grandeur, far, yet clear,
Thy battlements stand clothed in harmonious hue,
To swell as Freedom’s home on man’s unclouded view.

Being over 6,000 feet in the air and with its wondrous vistas, ferocious winds and bestial wintry weather, Mount Washington remains “sublime amid thy canopy of snows” and, during warmer months,”clothed in harmonious hue.”

Connie Francis

Among My Souvenirs;
God Bless America
MGM, K 12481, seven-inch 45 record, 1959 hit.

Now 82, singer Connie Francis wrote her autobiography in 2017, titled Among My Souvenirs, a song originally written in 1927, and a number one hit then for Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, for Connie in 1959 and the last one for Marty Robbins in 1976. At her peak from 1958 to the late ‘60s, Connie Francis sang with such unique heart and soul; I still remember watching her sing Who’s Sorry Now in 1958 on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and exuding charisma.

The flip side, God Bless America, was sung, for once, with beauty, nice sentiment and savvy intelligence in Ray Ellis’s very good arrangement (he worked a similar miracle for Johnny Mathis’s A Certain Smile the same 1959 year.). All in all, a very good 45 record.

The history of the Kennebec Water District

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Most information in this section is from the comprehensive history section of the Kennebec Water District’s website, which was last updated in 2006.

The Kennebec Water District (KWD) was incorporated on March 17, 1899, the first such quasi-municipal district in the country and the pattern for generations of future water, sanitary, sewer and school districts. It was the brainchild of a lawyer named Harvey Doane Eaton (Sept. 20, 1862 – Oct. 17, 1953). Such districts allow towns and cities to cooperatively supply services like clean water that none could afford to supply by itself.

A for-profit predecessor, the Maine Water Company, controlled KWD’s water supply, which came from Messalonskee Stream, until stream pollution caused a 1902 typhoid epidemic. KWD officials chose China Lake as the replacement water source in 1903 and promptly started building a pipeline from the lake.

In May 1905 China Lake water came to KWD customers. “Water purity is exceptional,” the website says. When another typhoid epidemic in 1910 cast doubt on China Lake water, KWD hired a Harvard professor who found the real culprit: milk.

Between 1909 and 1912, KWD spent about $57,000 to buy China Lake shoreland, saving the estimated $100,000 to $200,000 cost of building a filtration plant. From 1920, the district planted trees in the watershed as another water quality protection measure.

A state-of-the-art filtration plant, at the time the largest in Maine, came on line in August 1991. It was the result of two factors: China Lake’s deteriorating water quality beginning in the 1970s (making “China Lake syndrome” nationally recognized in water quality circles); and the 1986 federal Safe Drinking Water Act, setting standards untreated China Lake water could not meet.

KWD served customers in Waterville, Fairfield, Winslow and Benton from the beginning and added Oakland (by contract) and Vassalboro. The five member municipalities, but not Oakland, are represented on the district board of trustees.

From KWD’s creation in 1899 until 1920, Albert S. Hall served as superintendent. (He was not the Albert S. Hall for whom Waterville’s Albert S. Hall School is named, nor that Hall’s father; according to educator Hall’s obituary, he was born in 1935 and his father’s name was Clifton L. Hall.) KWD’s second superintendent, Alvin B. Thompson, served even longer, from 1920 until 1948.