China broadband committee narrows list to one

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee members have narrowed to one the list of companies they will negotiate with, for now, about offering expanded and improved broadband service town-wide.

At their March 11 meeting, they unanimously asked consultant Mark Van Loan, of Mission Broadband, to invite representatives of Machias-based Axiom Technologies to meet with them virtually at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18.

They also asked Van Loan to notify Sertex Broadband Solutions that they are starting with Axiom, but would appreciate Sertex remaining available in case they and Axiom cannot reach agreement.

A week earlier they asked Van Loan to send a similar message to Spectrum Community Solutions. Van Loan reported the Spectrum representative with whom he spoke said the company would renew discussions if invited.

Spectrum, the company that provides service to many China residents, fell off the list first because of a legal issue. Their proposal includes the town issuing a bond to contribute to costs of expanding and upgrading service, but they would retain ownership of the network. Committee member Jamie Pitney, a lawyer, thinks state law does not allow a municipality to issue a bond to finance something it will not own.

Axiom and Sertex both propose they or a subcontractor will build the broadband network; they or a subcontractor will be the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that runs it; and they or a subcontractor will maintain it. The town will own it.

To committee members town ownership offers many advantages. Chairman Robert O’Connor opened the March 11 meeting with a short Institute for Local Self-Reliance video listing them, including local control, local jobs and cost savings.

Pitney expressed a preference for negotiating first with Axiom because he found that company’s proposal and its representatives’ answers to committee questions better organized and more understandable than Sertex’s.

Costs, as estimated at this early stage, are comparable between Axiom and Sertex: better town-wide service will cost between six and seven million dollars.

Committee members divide costs into construction, which will be repaid within a fixed number of years, and on-going operations. They have made no recommendations on dividing the payment obligation among user fees, local taxes and possible other sources, like grants.

Committee members prepared a list of questions they asked Van Loan to send to Axiom in preparation for the March 18 meeting.

China emergency preparedness group meets monthly

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by Mary Grow

China Emergency Preparation Committee members are holding monthly meetings, with assignments in between, as they update China’s Emergency Action Plan. The most recent meeting was March 11; the next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, April 15.

The draft Emergency Checklist Plan, including some of the updates, is on the town website, china.govoffice.com, under the Emergency Preparedness Committee tab.

The version committee members are reviewing has statistics from the 2010 census. They discussed waiting until 2020 census data are available to complete the final draft, so they will not need to update figures within a year.

Discussion at the March 11 meeting began with plans for an emergency in a town building. That section is nearly final.

It includes designation of people in charge at the town office complex, the transfer station and the public works building; a list of alternates in case the designee is on vacation, on the road or otherwise unavailable; each person’s duties; designated gathering places if one or more buildings need to be evacuated; and other aspects of a plan to avoid chaos.

Turning to the plan intended to be town-wide, committee members briefly summarized information on available resources each had collected since the previous meeting. They talked about two communications issues: how to send out a town-wide emergency notice so that all residents get it promptly, and how to share notifications and information among neighboring towns so they can help each other in emergencies.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood said her predecessor, Dennis Heath, tried to set up a hyperlink notification system, but not enough residents signed up. Some towns have sirens, whistles, horns or other old-fashioned systems, committee member Stephen Nichols said.

Another option, Nichols said, would be to have fire department members drive fire trucks around town delivering loudspeaker notices.

China’s three volunteer fire departments have mutual aid agreements with departments in neighboring towns, so that a major fire in one town brings firefighters from miles around. Committee members do not know whether town governments could make similar arrangements.

While considering communications, committee members agreed the directory of FAX machines could be deleted from the plan, because few FAX machines remain in use.

China planners continue work toward solar ordinance

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by Mary Grow

At their March 9 meeting, China Planning Board members continued working toward a new solar ordinance to be added to the Land Use Ordinance. When completed and approved by voters, it will give board members definitions, rules and standards to review applications for solar installations in town, both commercial and private.

The board has approved three commercial solar installations in China, adapting other sections of the ordinance to carry out its review. Both commercial projects and installation of solar panels for individual homes need town approval.

Codes Officer Jaime Hanson explained in an email after the meeting that pending a town ordinance, he is authorized by the 2015 International Residential Code to review residential solar projects, issue an accessory-structure permit when he is satisfied with the plans and charge permit fees based on the size of the installation.

The focus of the March 9 discussion was a 2015 ordinance from the Town of Washington, Maine. Board members found concepts and paragraphs in that ordinance that they asked Hanson to add to their draft.

Board members are working on another proposed ordinance addition that would govern shoreland stabilization projects. Chairman Randy Downer said a Colby College faculty member, who is also a trustee of the Kennebec Water District, will help with that ordinance; he expects her to join the board’s next meeting.

The Kennebec Water District draws the water supply for Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Vassalboro and Benton, and for wholesaling to Maine Water Company, in Oakland, from China Lake’s west basin.

Board members hope to present one or both ordinances to China voters in November 2021.

The next China Planning Board meeting was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23.

Vassalboro committee discusses transfer station renovations

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Budget Committee members met March 11 to decide what questions they need to ask town selectmen when the two groups meet March 18.

On March 18, selectmen are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. in the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium. The budget committee is to join them at 7 p.m.

The selectmen’s agenda includes two items that budget committee members talked about: plans to renovate the transfer station, and town employees’ wages and salaries.

Selectmen are scheduled to discuss whether to contract with a wage consultant. Budget Committee members have questions about town wage and salary policies.

Selectmen have been discussing plans for improvements at the transfer station with Waterville engineer Al Hodsdon, of A. E. Hodsdon Engineers. Some of the budget committee members have a suggestion for funding the project.

The March 18 selectmen’s agenda further includes the annual investment report from Matt Weaver, senior vice-president at First National Wealth Management’s Damariscotta branch, and review of the Vassalboro investment policy; discussion of a land agreement with Kennebec Water District; scheduling a public hearing on the proposed new town marijuana ordinance, a substantial revision of the current document; and continuing preparations for the June 7 and 8 town meeting.

Budget committee member Michael Poulin, who regularly listens to selectmen’s meetings, said selectmen have a cost estimate of more than $300,000 for transfer station updates and are talking of spreading the work over several years.

Committee member Douglas Phillips recommended advising selectmen to issue a short-term – five or six year – bond and get the improvements done quickly. He said the compactor has broken down frequently; the open-top trash containers fill with snow and rainwater that the town pays to have hauled away with the trash; and the traffic pattern, which requires backing up to disposal containers, invites accidents.

Several other committee members supported the bond idea. The committee did not vote on it.

The public works budget also raised questions to be discussed at future meetings, as did Vassalboro’s use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.

Poulin said selectmen have allocated TIF money almost entirely to two projects, extension of the Vassalboro Sanitary District’s sewer to connect to Winslow, and the Alewife Restoration Project (ARI) that involves removing or modifying dams on Outlet Stream. He would like to see the town’s TIF document amended to spread funds more widely.

His comments sparked discussion of where to draw the line between budget and policy. Policy is the selectmen’s responsibility, not the budget committee’s, members agreed.

Poulin asked whether the committee’s goal is to hold the tax rate down, or to advise selectmen on needed expenditures. The answer from other committee members was, “Both.”

After the March 18 meeting, budget committee members are scheduled to discuss the 2021-22 school budget with the school board on Tuesday, March 23 and to meet with selectmen on Thursday, April 1. Both meetings will be at Vassalboro Community School at 7 p.m. The school board will meet at 6 p.m. March 23 and the selectboard at 6 p.m. April 1.

Vassalboro school board proposes expanded paving of school parking lot

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro School Board members heard more good news than bad news about the sections of the proposed 2021-22 budget they reviewed at their March 9 special meeting.

They heard a proposal for a major expenditure – and not only supported it, but suggested expanding it.

The proposal was from Shelley Phillips, Director of Maintenance and Grounds, talking about the 2021-22 proposed budget for work at Vassalboro Community School (VCS). She recommended spending an estimated $114,500 to repave the school parking lot for the first time since 1992, plus up to $1,500 for striping.

Within the last half-dozen years, Phillips said, storm drains and curbs have been repaired and the worst holes patched, partly in preparation for a complete repaving.

She said she discussed the project with Eugene Field, Vassalboro’s municipal Public Works Director, and plans to save money by piggybacking on the town’s paving contract for the coming summer.

The immediate reaction from board members was to add more paved parking, maybe 20 or 30 new spaces. There is not enough parking for sports and other events that draw large crowds, they said.

Phillips said she will review the VCS site plan to see if there is an appropriate area free of underground tanks and utilities. If additional parking seems feasible, she will again consult with Field; perhaps the town public works crew could do some of the preparatory work.

Other parts of the maintenance budget are slated to be reduced by a few thousand dollars in 2021-22, Phillips said. Recommendations include less for electricity, because the school, like the town, is getting solar power from a Skowhegan installation; less for fuel, as both price and usage are expected to be below the current year’s; less for custodial supplies, because Covid funds helped stock up; and only $158 more for interior maintenance, because no major renovations seem needed.

Phillips said the VCS air handling system has been maintained and upgraded over the years and is adequate to meet health requirements during the pandemic.

Asked about future major projects, she named two to be kept in mind: seal and repoint as needed the brick exterior of the building, and replace the flat roof on the gymnasium. G & E Roofing, by contract, inspects and reports on the roof every year, she said.

The other budget areas discussed March 9 were transportation; the central office, which used to be the Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) #92 office serving Vassalboro, Waterville and Winslow; and food service.

Transportation Supervisor Ashley Pooler said Covid funds were used to buy four new buses. They come with five-year warranties; the updated fleet should need fewer repairs; and the new buses will be more fuel-efficient. With purchase, repair and fuel costs lowered, she proposes a budget that is more than $45,000 below the current-year budget.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said he, Waterville Superintendent Eric Haley and Winslow Superintendent Peter Thiboutot are reworking the interlocal agreement that replaced the former AOS. Consequently, Vassalboro will replace some of the shared central office personnel with a part-time Vassalboro employee, saving money

Pfeiffer will go from being officially employed two days a week – he claims the pandemic has put him and his colleagues on a seven-day-a-week schedule – to three days a week.

Finance Director Paula Pooler (who is Ashley Pooler’s mother) said the Vassalboro school department continues to reduce the deficit in the food service program. (See Regional School Unit #18 Superintendent Carl Gartley’s explanation of this state-wide problem in the Feb. 25 issue of The Town Line, p. 3.)

Pooler reported that the audit for the previous (2019-20) fiscal year, delayed by Covid-related complications, is now available. School board members intended to accept it formally at their next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, at VCS.

Anson woman celebrates 100th birthday

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Arlene Hoyt, of Anson (contributed photo)

On February 13, 2021, members of the American Legion Auxiliary, Madison Unit #39 celebrated the 100th birthday of member Arlene Hoyt, of Anson. The members, along with Anson Fire Department, AMS ambulance and members of the community, did a drive by parade. Arlene was presented a certificate for 32 years of continuous membership of the American Legion Auxiliary, a Legislative Sentiment, flowers and many, many cards. She was presented the Boston Post Cane back in March 2014 as being the oldest resident of Anson (then 93 years old) for which she still holds that title.

Northern Light Inland Hospital mass vaccination clinic a big success

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Northern Light Inland Hospital vaccinated 1,024 people on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at its first mass vaccination clinic at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield. (contributed photo)

Northern Light Inland Hospital vaccinated 1,024 people on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at its first mass vaccination clinic at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield. The Hospital had already administered more than 1,500 doses since January 26 at smaller clinics at KVCC.

The Saturday vaccination clinic was an amazing day filled with excitement and happiness from patients and more than 80 Northern Light Health staff and volunteers and KVCC staff and students.

Inland Hospital received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from those attending the vaccine clinic, many calling it very well-organized and a wonderful experience thanks to the friendly staff and volunteers. People were excited and relieved to be getting vaccinated, some saying the vaccine gives them hope.

“We’ve all been waiting for this day,” said Terri Vieira, president of Inland Hospital. “More vaccine supply means more people can be vaccinated, and now with people 60 and older eligible for the shot, we know we will be busy. We appreciate that our community has been anxious, and we are eager to expand our clinic so we can protect more and more people. KVCC has been instrumental in helping us make this clinic a success; and of course, we can’t do it without the dozens and dozens of dedicated staff and volunteers.”

“We remain profoundly grateful for the partnership with Inland Hospital that makes this all possible,” said Richard Hopper, president of KVCC. “I want to personally thank the KVCC Information Technology and Security staff as well as faculty and student volunteers who have joined in this historic effort.”

KVCC nursing faculty and students are joining the effort as volunteers. Marcia Parker, chairman of the KVCC Nursing program says, “We are so excited to play a role in Inland’s vaccination clinics!” Parker noted students’ participation is not part of their required clinical hours but added, “It is still a wonderful opportunity to help protect the health of the people in our community and get more real-world nursing experience.”
Scheduling a vaccine appointment

Those age 60 and older, along with employed teachers and school staff, including bus drivers, and licensed childcare workers as defined by the state are eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment. Please visit covid.northernlighthealth.org/publicvaccine or call 207.204.8551. The phone line is open seven days a week from 9 am – 5 pm. Appointment openings are updated every Monday and Wednesday at 2 pm after the Hospital learns how much vaccine it will receive that week.

How to volunteer at clinics

If community members would like to apply to volunteer for a vaccination clinic with Inland Hospital or other Northern Light Health facility, please sign up online through its community volunteer process at https://covid.northernlighthealth.org/Volunteer/Register.

STUDENT WRITERS: Why fewer people Are Getting Married

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The Town Line presents the STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

by Grace Kelso (China)
Junior at Erskine Academy

Growing up, many Americans believed they would get a job, buy a house, get married and start a family. However, it seems that for many Americans, life did not turn out that way. The amount of marriages that happen every year in the US is at an all time low at two million a year. This is half a million less than its peak in the early 1980s. The marriage rate is also at a record low at a little more than 50 percent which peaked at 70 percent in 1967. This percentage is only likely to decrease. The Pew Research Center has estimated that by the time today’s young adults are 50, over 25 percent of them will have been single their entire lives.

Americans are also getting married later in life. The median age for first marriages reached a record high in 2018 with most men getting married at age 30 and women, 28. However, many people don’t want to get married at all. The Pew Research Center found that 14 percent of never-married adults say they don’t plan to marry at all, and another 27 percent aren’t sure whether they want to get married. There are many things that could have caused these trends, such as the change in gender roles and more gender equality, increasing financial instability, and the increasing benefits of staying single.

One explanation for why fewer people are getting married is the changing gender roles and more gender equality in today’s society. In the past, men were expected to be the ones to work and earn money to support their families. Women were not expected to work and instead take care of the home and children. This is not the case anymore. Having to take care of the home and raising children while still working full time is too much for some women, and most women are not willing to give up their career to become full time housewives. Also, women today are more educated than men and earn close to the same income. Women no longer have an incentive to marry for financial security because most women can financially support themselves. This change in gender roles and more gender equality in today’s society makes marriage seem like something of the past, which could explain the drop in marriage rates.

Another explanation could be the increasing financial instability among young adults. In 2017 the Pew Research Center found that 41 percent of single adults who wanted to get married in the future said that financial stability was a major reason why they had not married yet. Getting married and starting a family is a huge financial decision and many young people feel like they are not financially stable enough to make a life long commitment such as getting married. One reason for this financial instability is the record high amount of student loan debt in the U.S.. Americans collectively owe $1.7 trillion in student loans and the average college senior graduates with $37,691 in debt. Having this much debt at the beginning of adulthood has kept a lot of young people from getting married. Also, a study done by Cornell University found that most American women want to get married but many are unable to find “marriageable” men, which can be considered men with stable jobs and a good income. This increasing financial instability has made marriage less attractive or just out of reach for many young people, causing fewer people to get married.

Lastly, fewer people are getting married because of the increasing benefits of staying single. The Pew Research Center found that half of American adults believe society is just as well off if people have priorities other than marriage and children. Fewer and fewer people want to get married in order to pursue their own personal goals, whether it be in their career or hobbies. Also single people are actually more social. Sociologists, Natalia Sarkisian, of Boston College, and Naomi Gerstel, of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, found that marriage actually weakens other social ties. On average, single people provide more care for their siblings and aging parents, have more friends, and are more likely to offer help to neighbors and ask for it in return.

This huge drop in marriage rates has many causes, some of which are a change in gender roles and more gender equality, increasing financial instability, and the increasing benefits of staying single. Is this something we, as a society, should be worried about? Marriage has a lot of benefits, including better outcomes for children, less crime, an increase in longevity and generally happier lives. However, the way marriage is today is also very challenging and does not work for everyone. Perhaps in the future there will be other forms of partnerships that better fit the needs of our society without the negative side effects of marriage. There have already been suggestions of alternative forms of marriage such as “beta-marriages” where a couple is married only for a short period of time before making a commitment, almost like a “test run”. Our society is changing fast, so it only makes sense that the relationships we form with other people change as well.

Student Writer’s Program: What Is It?

The Town Line has many articles from local students under the heading of the “Student Writer’s Program.” While it may seem plainly evident why The Town Line would pursue this program with local schools and students, we think it’s worth the time to highlight the reasons why we enthusiastically support this endeavor.

Up front, the program is meant to offer students who have a love of writing a venue where they can be published and read in their community. We have specifically not provided topics for the students to write on or about, and we have left the editing largely up to their teachers. From our perspective this is a free form space provided to students.

From the perspective of the community, what is the benefit? When considering any piece that should or could be published, this is a question we often ask ourselves at The Town Line. The benefit is that we as community are given a glimpse into how our students see the world, what concerns them, and, maybe even possible solutions to our pressing problems. Our fundamental mission at the paper is to help us all better understand and appreciate our community, our state, and our nation through journalism and print.

We hope you will read these articles with as much interest and enjoyment as we do. The students are giving us a rare opportunity to hear them out, to peer into their world, and see how they are processing this world we, as adults, are giving them.

To include your high school, contact The Town Line, townline@townline.org.

Public hearing scheduled for March 15th in Palermo

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The Planning Board will be holding a Public Hearing on March 15th at 6:30 p.m.

The Public hearing is for the Murphy Subdivision Revision of Nelson Lane/Marden Hill Road.

Due to COVID restrictions we are limited to how many people can be in the office.

ZOOM meeting info will be posted on the town’s website: www.townofpalermo.org

For more information, contact:

Mary Andrews
Town Clerk, Treasurer, & Registrar of Voters
Town of Palermo
45 N. Palermo Rd
Palermo, Maine 04354
207-993-2296/ fax 207-993-2938
Email: topclerk@fairpoint.net

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Support For People With Disabilities On The Journey To Work

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Social Security may have the ticket to success you need on the path to work.

(NAPSI)—About 40.7 million Americans have some kind of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you or someone you care about has a disability, you may wonder what it means for employment. You may be encouraged to know that there are supports and services available that can help you or your loved ones pursue work and reach your goals through Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program.

Ticket To Work Program

The Ticket program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits and want to work. This program is free and voluntary. Program participants select a service provider to help them prepare for, and find, a job. The provider may be a State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency or an Employment Network (EN)—a public or private organization that has an agreement with Social Security—to offer:

•Career planning
•Job placement assistance
•Ongoing employment support.

These career development services and supports are unique to each individual. Participants work with their service providers to develop a customized plan and identify the supports they need to reach their work goals.

Finding A Path To Financial Independence

The road to financial independence looks different for everyone. Whether joining the workforce for the first time or returning after a difficult diagnosis, there are challenges that each person must navigate. Working with a Benefits Counselor and Ticket to Work service provider can help you remove some of the obstacles and learn more about the resources available to you.

This could include Social Security Work Incentives, which are designed to help you transition to the workplace. A Benefits Counselor can help you learn more about Work Incentives, including which ones you qualify for, and discuss how working will affect your benefits.

If you connect with an EN, the EN can help you find answers to questions, whether they’re about reporting your wages to Social Security, requesting job accommodations, or even how you can advance your career to earn even more money.

With the knowledge, support and services of a Ticket to Work service provider, you may find yourself on the path to success and financial independence through work.

Learn More

For further information about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday.