VASSALBORO – Small problem turns out bigger: resolved anyway

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members started their Dec. 7 meeting thinking they had a small problem. It turned into a bigger one, and they solved it anyway.
At issue was the solar development at 2579 Riverside Drive. It was originally proposed by and permitted to a company named Longroad Energy (see The Town Line, Sept. 10, 2020), and repermitted in August 2021 as the permit’s one-year expiration date loomed.

The work had not started because Central Maine Power Company had not, and still has not, given final approval for adding the solar energy to the power grid.

After several changes, the project now belongs to a different company, Summit Ridge Energy, based in Arlington, Virginia. Ben Aparo, Summit’s Senior Director for Northeast Development, and Brook Barnes, representing a prior owner, asked the planning board to please change the permit to the new owner.

However, board member Douglas Phillips pointed out the clause in the Vassalboro Site Review Ordinance that says: “Permits shall be issued to the applicant of record. The permit(s) are not transferable to a new owner.”

Board members agreed the restriction makes sense. The new owner might not be able to carry out the permitted project; or ordinance requirements might have changed since the original permit was issued.

Neither situation was applicable to the solar development. Aparo and Barnes presented evidence that Summit has the financial capacity to build the solar farm; they assured board members that they intend no changes from the previously-approved plan; and Vassalboro voters have not amended the ordinance.

Barnes and Aparo therefore submitted a revised application in the name of the new ownership, incorporating the information from the original application. Board members voted unanimously to approve it.

The Dec. 7 meeting was Paul Mitnik’s last as Vassalboro’s Codes Enforcement Officer. Ryan Page will succeed him in the position as of Jan. 1, 2022, and Mitnik will become an alternate member of the planning board, appointed by select board members at their Nov. 18 meeting.

Vassalboro select board discusses money, ordinances

by Mary Grow

Much of the discussion at the Dec. 9 Vassalboro select board meeting was about either ordinances or money, the money as a preliminary to consideration of the 2022-23 municipal budget.

Ordinances included the Marijuana Business Ordinance town voters approved in June and the Mass Gathering Ordinance they rejected in November.

The former requires licenses for marijuana businesses operating in Vassalboro before it was enacted, and is intended to ban new marijuana businesses. The codes officer is responsible for dealing with license applications.

At a public licensing hearing during the Dec. 9 meeting, Codes Officer Paul Mitnik recommended approval of four licenses for a Cushnoc Road facility. One is for building owner Daniel Charest. Three are for tenants Joseph Fucci (doing business as Grown Men LLC); Ryan Sutherland; and Robert Rosso (doing business as Kennebec Healing LLC). The licenses are for the calendar year 2022.

Mitnik said the owner and licensees had been cooperative, license fees were paid and operations met ordinance requirements. After the hearing, selectmen unanimously approved all four licenses.

Leo Barnett, owner of two buildings on Old Meadows Road used for marijuana-growing operations, had filed license applications, Mitnik said. However, no tenant of either building had applied; no license fee had been paid; and Mitnik had been denied admission to the buildings, in violation of both Marijuana Business Ordinance and building codes requirements.

After discussion with the town attorney, Mitnik had issued an order to vacate the buildings. He recommended denying Barnett’s license applications; selectmen agreed.

Mitnik’s second issue was his objection to the provision in the Marijuana Business Ordinance that exempts operations of less than 1,000 square feet, as it is being interpreted. He and incoming codes officer Ryan Page believe “operation” should include not just the grow area, but all related processing and storage spaces.

If the 1,000 square feet applies only to the grow area, which Mitnik called the canopy, then a 50,000 square foot building could house 50 new individual beds of marijuana plants, without any town review. Mitnik thinks such a development would be contrary to voters’ and officials’ expectations from the ordinance.

Town Manager Mary Sabins reminded those present that amending the ordinance to eliminate the exemption requires approval by town voters.

Mitnik and Page said there are other operations in Vassalboro that might need to be licensed. Investigation continues. They said the approved business in the Olde Mill complex in North Vassalboro is closing; and Barnett’s approved facility on Sherwood Lane is not yet built.

The defunct Mass Gathering Ordinance was mentioned in connection with the planned country music concert in July 2022. Local promoter J. R. Garritt (or Jr Garritt, on websites) was scheduled to speak with select board members, but did not attend the Dec. 9 meeting.

Board Chairman Robert Browne said he understood Garritt wanted to relocate the concert from the planned Nelson Road site to the town recreation fields. Board members postponed action until they hear from Garritt.

Without a mass gathering or similar ordinance, Browne said, town officials cannot regulate such events on private property. The defeated ordinance would have allowed them, for example, to require on-site drinking water, sanitary facilities, security and medical facilities.

The money issues select board members considered were raised by Vassalboro First Responder Chief, Daniel Mayotte; Vassalboro Public Library Director, Brian Stanley; and Sabins.

Mayotte suggested using about $75,000 of Vassalboro’s expected ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money for covid-related and other purchases. His recommendations included replacing the First Responders’ outdated AEDs (automated external defibrillators); providing new ENVO N95 masks for First Responders, fire department members and town employees who work with the public; adding a fit-testing system to make the masks more effective; training and equipping new First Responders; helping fund Delta Ambulance’s chaplain service; and adding a cardiac monitor to the First Responders’ equipment.

Sabins said Vassalboro is expected to get about $460,000 in ARPA grants, half now and half in 2022. She displayed the inch-thick notebook of ARPA regulations she is studying to find out what uses are permitted. The process, she said, has no pre-approval component: the town will spend the money and apply for reimbursement hoping the expenditure qualifies.

Select board members suggested other possible uses for ARPA funds that Sabins will research. Awaiting more information, they took no action on Mayotte’s list.

They approved unanimously the updated schedule for replacing town vehicles and equipment over the next decade. Items most likely to be in the 2022-23 budget request include replacement Scott air packs for the fire department, a new town office computer system and a new backhoe for the transfer station. Sabins’ note on the last item quotes station Manager George Hamar: the backhoe “should have been replaced seven years ago.”

Stanley led discussion of reviving the town recreation program. While promising full cooperation, he said the library director does not have time also to be the recreation director.

His recommendation was that select board members budget more than $18,000 in 2022-23 to pay a recreation director who would be expected to work 15 hours a week, plus seasonal sports directors for baseball/softball, soccer and basketball. Board members postponed action.

In other business Dec. 9, Sabins reported progress on turning Vassalboro Community School into an emergency shelter. The generator is installed, though not yet switching on every time it should; and Maine Emergency Management officials have scheduled an early-January walk-through, to be followed by a shelter training program later in 2022.

Select board member Barbara Redmond said she had been invited to succeed former board member John Melrose on the Kennebec County budget committee. Browne and fellow board member Chris French approved.

Board members considered a new policy on background checks for people applying for town positions, paid or volunteer, but postponed action. Sabins said most applicants already undergo background checks.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, moved a day earlier than usual to avoid keeping the town office open late on Thursday, Dec. 23.

The Vassalboro town office will be closed from 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, to 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 27. The transfer station will also close at 4 p.m. Dec. 23 and will not be open Saturday, Dec. 25. However, it will open as usual at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 26.

For the New Year holiday, the town office will be closed Friday, Dec. 31. The transfer station will be closed Saturday, Jan. 1, but open as usual Sunday, Jan. 2.

Erskine Academy presents Renaissance Awards

Seniors of the Trimester for December 2021, are front row, left to right, Grace Kelso, Lilian Bray; Back, Adam Ochs, Emma Fortin, Hannah Soule, and Riley Reitchel. (contributed photo)

On Friday, December 10, 2021, Erskine Academy students and staff attended a Renaissance Assembly to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards.

Recognition Awards were presented to the following students: Shelby Lincoln, Ava Picard, Brielle Crommett, Devon Polley, and Parker Reynolds.

Senior of the Trimester Awards were also presented to six members of the senior class: Lilian Bray, daughter of Heidi and Jamie Bray, of Somerville; Grace Kelso, daughter of Storm and Bradley Kelso, of Vassalboro; Emma Fortin, daughter of Jennifer and Greg Fortin, of Vassalboro; Adam Ochs, son of Laurie Ochs, of Vassalboro; Riley Reitchel, daughter of Danielle and Richard Reitchel, of Palermo; and Hannah Soule, daughter of Amanda and Jamie Soule, of Fairfield. Seniors of the Trimester are recognized as individuals who have gone above and beyond in all aspects of their high school careers.

In appreciation of their dedication and service to Erskine Academy, Faculty of the Trimester awards were also presented to Mark Johnson, bus driver; and Chuck Karter, athletic and activities administrator.

Faculty of the Trimester for December 2021, from left to right, Chuck Karter, and Mark Johnson. (contributed photo)

Vassalboro American Legion Post donates stockings to veterans at Togus

American Legion Post #126, Vassalboro, filled and donated 160 Christmas stockings to veterans at Togus Veterans Administration Hospital. The Christmas stockings were made by the Sew for a Cause ladies at St. Bridget Center, in North Vassalboro.

From left to right, Thomas Richards, commander, James Kilbride, adjutant and Kylie Higgins, chief of voluntary services.

From left to right, Thomas Richards, commander, Michael Poulin, Doug Grasso, youth officer, James Kilbride, adjutant and Robert Whitehouse.

From left to right, Thomas Richards, commander, Nicole Jordan, and James Kilbride, adjutant.

PHOTOS: Clauses visit Waterville area

Santa and Mrs. Claus travel to Winslow across the Waterville/ Winslow Bridge, following the Kringleville Annual Tree Lighting, in Waterville, on Saturday evening November 27. They had their elves on board, too! (photo by Tawni Lively/ Central Maine Photography)

Long journey completed

Santa checks on his reindeer following a long journey to Winslow, from the North Pole on Saturday evening, November 27. Families and children visited with the reindeer as Santa and Mrs. Claus came by. This was a special event coordinated by the Winslow Parks and Recreation Dept. (photo by Tawni Lively/ Central Maine Photography)

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Jazz & Christmas

Keiko Lee

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Keiko Lee

Keiko Lee is a 56-year-old jazz singer, born in South Korea and now living in Japan. She has rightfully achieved fame for her understated performances in concerts and on CDs since 1995.

A 2010 CD, Smooth (Sony Music Japan S70614C), contains 10 songs that include Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You, Burt Bacharach’s A House Is not a Home, Stevie Wonder’s Weakness, and John Lennon’s Across the Universe. Several of her performances are on YouTube.

Kheigh Deigh

Kheigh Dhiegh

In addition to Jack Lord’s (1920-1998) very persuasive Chief Steve McGarrett of the Hawaii State Police on the first Hawaii Five-O, which ran for over 12 years on CBS from 1968 to 1980, I was very entertained by Kheigh Deigh (1910-1981) as the frequently appearing Chinese Communist spy Wo Fat who conveyed both sly wit and slimy malevolence in his fierce determination to loyally serve Mao’s government.

Jack Lord

Earlier in 1962, he gained fame as the doctor supervising experiments on kidnapped American soldiers in Frank Sinatra’s classic film The Man­chur­ian Can­didate, in which he states, “We not only brainwash our subjects, we dry-clean them.”

Deigh also appeared as Genghis Khan during the late ‘70s on Meeting of Minds, Steve Allen’s talk show in which historic figures discussed major issues.

Kheigh Deigh was born Kenneth Dickerson, in Spring Lake, New Jersey, to a man whom he described, “as Portugese, Italian and Zulu, while Mother was Chinese, Spanish, English and Egyptian.”

Great Songs of Christmas

For several years starting in 1961, Columbia Records, in conjunction with Goodyear Tires, released the annual Great Songs of Christmas, an anthology of Xmas favorites performed by different artists in Columbia’s record catalog, and sold them for $1 per record.

I first encountered Album 2, from 1962, at a friend’s house almost 60 years ago and now own it and this gentleman’s other records; his widow left it to the Vassalboro Historical Society, after which its representatives made me an offer I just couldn’t refuse.

That particular Album 2 consists of 21 Yuletide favorites performed by Columbia’s musical stars – Percy Faith, Eileen Farrell, Andre Kostelanetz, André Previn, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Leonard Bernstein, etc. Particularly enjoyable were Faith’s Hark the Herald Angels Sing, the Norman Luboff Choir’s The Holly and the Ivy, and Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker excerpts.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, December 9, 2021

NANCY K. SAUCIER

OAKLAND – Nancy (Kelley) Saucier, 64, passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 14, 2021.

The family shared a special bond with Nancy, molded from laughter, ghost stories, pranks, and unmeasurable love. The family gathered frequently at the summer home of her cherished late parents, Jack and Ginny Kelley. You would be hard pressed to find someone who knew her and didn’t love Nancy, and whom Nancy didn’t love.

As she devoted her time and energy to family and friends, Mildred, her pup, was a constant companion on walks, running errands, or snuggling on her lap to watch the all important hockey games or the many scary movies.

Nancy shared her father Jack’s passion for East Pond Stables, spending years breeding, raising, racing, and caring for the horses. Harness racing, hockey, and family were some of Nancy’s greatest passions. She recently moved to the family camp on East Pond, enjoying more time with her grandchildren, cruising the lake, and viewing the outstanding sunsets with a white Russian in hand.

Nancy was the most selfless, generous, witty, and loving daughter, sister, mother, aunt, and friend. Those who were fortunate to know her mourn the loss of her, but will keep the memory of her alive.

Her love and presence will be deeply missed by her children Matt and Erika, Andy and Kate, and Kelley and Norwin; grandchildren Jack, Leo, Luke, Nicholas, and Emmi; brothers Paul, David, and Mark, and sisters-in-law Joyce and Michelle.

She was predeceased by Sabrina (late wife of Mark), niece Claudia and nephews Mark, Sam, John, Kyle and Tyler.

A celebration of Nancy’s life will be held on a future date. Please visit VeilleuxFuneralHome.com to share your condolences with Nancy’s family.

KENNETH M. PRENTISS

WATERVILLE – Kenneth M. Prentiss, 94, passed away on Monday, November 22, 2021, at Lakewood Continuing Care Center, in Waterville. He was born in Winslow on July 4, 1927, the son of the late Maurice and Grace (Taylor) Prentiss.

Following his schooling, Kenneth served with the Navy Seabees from January 12, 1945, to April 15, 1946. He was honorable discharged having obtained the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. Kenneth was a 63-year member of Bourque-Lanigan American Legion #Post 5, in Waterville, and was also a member of Forrest J. Pare VFW Post #1285 in Waterville.

Kenneth worked as a boiler room supervisor with Pratt & Whitney for many years. Kenneth loved to be busy especially outside where he enjoyed growing a vegetable garden and keeping his yard immaculate. He especially enjoyed Sunday afternoon bean bag toss with family and friends down to the family’s camp. He was also known for his great love of ice cream, but most of all he was happiest when spending time with his family.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Florence, who passed away on January 3, 2007, his daughter, Linda Lyman and husband Mark Lyman, his sisters, Mary Pooler, Viola Grant, Ethel Brown, and Vera Grenier, his brothers, Lyle Prentiss, Maurice Prentiss, and Lester Prentiss.

Kenneth is survived by his son, Randall Prentiss and girlfriend Chris, of Massachusetts; his stepsons, John Leenders, of Florida, and Tyrone A. Vashon and his wife Cheryl, of Augusta; his sister, Lillian Quimby, of Winslow; his grandchildren, Ryan Holguin, Cheryl Anne Foley and her husband, Tim, Lisa Pomerleau and her husband, Richard; great-grandchildren, Rachel, Connor, Ryan, Coral, Isla, Jason, Jordyn, Jeremiah and Laura; his great-great-grandchildren, Gage, Ryker and Cason; and niece Donna Paradis and husband Sonny, and other nieces and nephew.

A graveside service with military honors was held at Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, on the Mount Vernon Road, in Augusta, on Tuesday, December 7.

Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral and Cremation Care, 107 Main Street, Fairfield, where memories and condolences may be shared with the family

JAYE LIBBY

WATERVILLE – Jaye Libby (née Janet Libby), 86, passed away on Thursday, November 25, 2021. Jaye was born on August 11, 1935, alongside her twin, Janis Michaud, the second oldest of eight siblings. She was the daughter of Glenice Brooks Libby and Ralston “Peanut” Libby. She grew up in Vassalboro and was a longtime resident of Winslow and Waterville. She was devoted to her family and loved them all unconditionally. Jaye was an avid reader of biographies and mysteries, loved opera, was a patron of the Waterville Opera House, and made amazing peanut butter fudge. A true social butterfly, Jaye made friends wherever she went. She had a lasting impact on the lives of so many.

She was a woman of faith and longstanding member of Getchell Street Baptist Church, in Waterville. Jaye worked for many years for the state of Maine and retired from the Department of Environmental Protection in 1999.

She was predeceased by her first husband Stanley Warner Sr..

She is survived by William Staples, her husband of 30 years; her three children, Susan, Lynn, and Stanley “Lee” Warner Jr; grandchildren Libby LaRochelle and spouse Dan, Tamsen Brooke Warner and partner Ryan, Amber Morgan and spouse Justin, Christopher Warner, and Monica Misner and spouse Daniel; and great-grandchildren Bentley, Lilly-Anne, and River Misner; her siblings Gail McNally, Ellie Richardson, Lita York, Pamela Pamphrey.

She was predeceased by her siblings Anita Wyman, Janis Michaud, and Edwin R. Libby.

A memorial service will be held at Falls Cemetery in Benton, in the spring.

Condolences, favorite memories and photos may be shared on http://www.everloved.com/life-of/jaye-libby/.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jaye’s honor can be made to theWinslow Public Library.

DAVID J. AKERS SR.

WATERVILLE – David J. Akers, Sr., 76, passed away Thursday, November 25, 2021, at Southern Maine Health Care, in Biddeford. He was born December 22, 1944, in Waterville, the son of Jessie T. Sr. and Marie C. (Steves) Akers.

He attended Waterville High School and worked for many years as a dietary aide in a hospital. On August 1, 1964, he married the former Nancy Morrell.

David is survived by son, David J Akers Jr. and wife Rachel, of Albion; daughters, Melissa Fletcher and husband Mark, of Albion, Alice Fletcher and husband John, of China; brothers, Roger Akers, Jessie Akers Jr. and wife Laurel; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy (Morrell) Akers in 2019, and son Bruce E Akers.

A graveside service will be held in the spring of 2022 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.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in David’s memory to the American Lung Association of Maine , 122 State St., Augusta, ME 04330-5689.

PATRICIA A. SOUCIE

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – Patricia Ann Soucie, 68, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, in Middletown, Ohio. She was born on April 30, 1953, in Waterville, to Carleton and Renee (Markham) Fournier.

Patricia grew up in North Vassalboro. She graduated from Winslow High School, in Winslow, in 1971. She attended Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield, where she received a degree in accounting, and had a very successful career culminating in her retirement from Maine State Housing Authority.

Pat was a long-time member of Notre Dame Parish, in Waterville, prior to relocating to Lebanon, Ohio, where she regularly attended Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, in Monroe, Ohio.

She was a fun-loving, adventurous person who did everything with a smile. Her family was her whole world and she touched the heart of everybody with whom she came into contact. Her infectious laugh will be remembered for generations.

She is survived by her siblings, Wayne Fournier and wife Nancy, of The Villages, Florida, Eric Fournier and wife Lisa, of Raleigh, North Carolina, William Fournier and wife Katherine, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cynthia Smith and husband Robert, of Oakland; her sons Sean Kaherl and wife Jennifer, of Lisbon, and Jeremy Kaherl and wife Denita, of Lebanon, Ohio; her stepchildren and their families Nicole Pecoy and Dominic Soucie; her nine grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, as well as many great-nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents Carleton and Renee (Markham) Fournier; and her husband Richard G. Soucie Jr.

A memorial service will be held in Maine in the spring/summer of 2022 (TBA).

Burial will follow at North Vassalboro Village Cemetary.

Condolences may be left on Trinity Cremation Care’s website at https://trinitycremationcare.com/f/patricia-a-soucie.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, ATTN: Hospice of Dayton Foundation, 324 Wilmington Ave. Dayton, OH. 45420, or at https://www.hospiceofbwco.org/donate/.

CECILE L. GAGNON

WATERVILLE – Cecile L. Gagnon, 96, passed away on Sunday, November 28, 2021, following a progressive battle with age related illness. She was born in Waterville on February 15, 1925, the daughter of Delphis J. and Alice B. Landry.

Cecile led a remarkable life that was filled with many stories and experiences to tell, most of which involved her love and admiration of her family and close friends, along with her sisters and brothers-in-law from her second marriage, and, of course, the good and helpful deeds of her neighbors on Monica Avenue, in Winslow, who were always there for her in the many years she resided there.

Cecile worked at Keyes Fibre Company (Huhtamaki), in Waterville, as a quality control inspector for 36 years of combined service, retiring in 1988. She also worked at the Yardgoods Center, in Waterville, in the early ‘70s. She loved fashion and made most of her own clothing and accessories back in those days.

The second half of Cecile’s life was filled with joy and acceptance after she developed a “ferocious” sense of independence in the middle of her life due to having experienced the loss of many loved ones in her early years. She witnessed the passing of her sister, Jeanette, at the age of 16, due to complications from diabetes and was tragically widowed twice, losing her first two husbands by the time she was 28 years old. She was divorced from her third husband in 1969. Those early life experiences built her strength and character that she shared with the ones closest to her for all the remaining years of her life, which were filled with peace and contentment.

Cecile was predeceased by husbands Roland Pelletier Sr., Edmund Duguay, and ex-husband Harvey P. Gagnon.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Roland Pelletier Jr. and wife Marsha, of Winslow, David Gagnon and wife Shannon Weidner, of Sebastian, Florida; and also her granddaughters, Dawn Ascanio and her husband Bob, of Falmouth, and Kristie Irza and her great-grandchildren, Ian and Sadie Irza, all of Winslow.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com. There were no visiting hours. A celebration of life will take place in the spring of 2022 at a date to be announced.

In lieu of cards and flowers, the family ask that donations be made in Cecile’s memory to Lakewood Northern Light Continuing Care, 220 Kennedy Memorial Dr.,Waterville, ME 04901.

DONALD L. WOODBURY

FAIRFIELD – Donald L. “The Legend” Woodbury, 70, passed away peacefully on Wednes­day December 1, 2021, after losing his battle with his memory loss with Demen­tia. Don was born on April 7,1951, in Waterville, the son of the late Manley Mower and Julia Nellie Pitts.

Don attended Waterville schools and received his GED. From there, Don went on to start his first business, “Woodbury’s Market”, of Albion, from 1976-1989. Don was a caregiver from the start. He took care of the people of Albion with supplying groceries and gas to families in need. It didn’t matter the time of day; he was always available to open his store at late hours to take care of the people of Albion. You could always find Don at his store playing cribbage and drinking coffee at the lunch counter with his customers and friends.

Don loved owning his own business but was ready for a new challenge. Don always liked to try new things. He sold the store and opened his second business, “Woodbury’s Restaurant”, in South China, from 1989 to the early 2000’s. Don looked forward to going into the restaurant in the early mornings to see his regular customers and prepping for the home cooked meals he made.

He worked many long hours and decided to sell his restaurant and work at the Country Manor Nursing Home, in Coopers Mills, as the maintenance director. He loved to be around people and would spend time socializing with the residents and maintaining the property. Due to his declining health, he retired in July of 2018.

Don enjoyed watching hockey and would attend the Frozen Four at every chance he had. He especially enjoyed watching the football games with his children. He was a former member of the Masons.

He treasured the time he spent with his family and never missed an opportunity to eat a sweet or two.

Don will always be remembered as a simple man who took care of people and giving realistic advice when asked.

He is survived by his children Rachel Woodbury, of Fairfield, Don Woodbury and his wife Heather, of Fairfield, James Woodbury and his wife Erin, of Winslow; his sister Pamela Newton, of Brunswick; his 10 grandchildren Brittny Audet, Matthew Woodbury, Austin Woodbury, Bailey Carter, Brielle Carter, Dakota Woodbury, Ayva Woodbury, Wyatt Woodbury, Indiana Woodbury, and Rylee Gehrke; and his great-grandchildren Elaina, Carter, Greyson, Colin, Grady, Raelyn, and Paisley; many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Don was predeceased by his twin sister Donna Hinkley and his brothers Billy Cobb, Samuel “Woody” Cobb, Kenneth Woodbury and James Mower. Although they were no longer married, Don is survived by the love of his life Joanne Woodbury and her children that he loved as his own, Lance Lucas and Marcy Nelson.

Funeral Service were held in the funeral home Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, in Fairfield) on December 6.

Arrangements are in the care of the Lawry Brother’s Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to The Dementia Society of America, in memory of Donald Woodbury, http://www.dementiasociety.org.

CARMEN LANDRY

WATERVILLE – Carmen Landry, 85, passed away at Inland Hospital, on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. She was born in Winslow on May 30, 1936, to Carmiline Melanson Lanquet and Albert Peter Lanquet and was brough up in Fairfield and Waterville.

She was a graduate of the class of 1955 from Waterville High School. In 1956 she married Lawrence Landry. In 1957 her husband was drafted into the Army, and they resided in Virginia until his discharge in 1959. She worked as a secretary and bookkeeper while in Virginia.

Upon returning to Winslow, she was employed in the accounting department at Keyes Fibre (now Huhtamaki), in Waterville. From 1968 to 1985 was owner of a franchise for Pepperidge Farm Bread and rolls and the L.J.L. Pizza Supply Company. She later worked for insurance companies in Florida and South Portland. She retired in 1996 from Key Bank, in Saco and Kennebunk.

Carmen was a member of the Waterville Country Club. She loved to golf and did so at several courses in Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, and courses throughout Florida. She was a member of the Tri City Community chorus in Biddeford a group of 100 voices. She served six years on the Winslow School Board.

Carmen was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Lawrence in 2019, Godson Peter Landry; her parents, two brothers, one sister, and four nephews.

She is survived by her sons, Stephen and wife Dawn, of Biddeford, Paul, of Winslow, Tony and wife Celeste, of Milford, Massachusetts; grandchildren Derek and wife Jessica, of Oakland, Donald and Leslie, of Biddeford and Elise, of Milford, Massachusetts; great-grandchildren Julian, Kiera and Jaxon, all of Oakland; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and her sister Tina Morgan, of Old Orchard Beach.

Services will be private at the family’s request.

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

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

WILBUR S. ELLIS

AUGUSTA – Wilbur S. Ellis, 92, passed away on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, following a period of declining health. Wilbur Spencer Ellis was born on April 10, 1929, in his grandparent’s home on Eastern Avenue, in Augusta. He was the first of five boys born to Herbert “Dutchie” Lester Ellis Sr. and Adele (Spencer) Ellis.

He attended schools locally and graduated from Cony High School, in Augusta, in 1947. While in high school Wilbur played varsity baseball and football. During the summers, starting when he was 15 years old, Wilbur worked at the Hudson Pulp and Paper mill, in Augusta. When there was a shortage of manpower because of World War II, Wilbur was paid 59.5 cents an hour to work on the log piles, stacking and unloading logs from railroad cars.

After graduation from high school, Wilbur joined the United States Navy for four years achieving an electrical trade (EM 2, USN) and serving on the U.S.S Hawkins DD-873 during Task Force 77. On June 14, 1952, Wilbur received a letter of Commendation for Outstanding Performance of Duty and Loyalty to his country during the period of January 21 to May 9, 1952, from his commanding officer. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and wore his veterans baseball cap proudly.

After receiving his Naval Honorable Discharge in July 1952, Wilbur returned home and went back to work at Hudson Pulp and Paper Co. as an electrician. It was at a Fireman’s Benefit Dance, in South China, that Wilbur met Geneva, and after a short courtship, they were joined in matrimony on November 15, 1952, at the Christ Church, in Gardiner. Wilbur and Geneva had five children over the years.

Wilbur worked his entire career of 42 years at Hudson Pulp and Paper Co., later called Statler Tissue Corp, retiring in 1994 as electrical supervisor. After his retirement, Wilbur returned to the mill as a part time consultant, then called Tree Free Fiber LLC.

Wilbur was a dedicated financial provider for his growing family. He would work as many hours as possible because there was always a pair of shoes or something needed for his children. He was a kidder and was always playfully giving someone a hard time. Wilbur enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling, and golfing. He shared and taught these activities to his children.

Over the years, Wilbur shot a lot of deer and caught a lot of fish. He always bragged he would be out hunting when he was age 91, and he did so. In his later years Wilbur enjoyed car rides with his bride Geneva, spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed reading and watching sports especially all the New England professional teams.

Wilbur belonged to the Grand Chapter of Maine Royal Arch Masons # 43, the General Grand Chapter #10 Queen Esther Order Of The Eastern Star, and Northern Masonic member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Maine, and was a Kora Shriner.

Wilbur is survived by his five children:, Kim and spouse Rena, Timothy, Jill, Scott, Tracy Greaney and her spouse Scott; grandchildren, Michael and spouse Theresa, Kyle, Chelsea Haskell and spouse Bryden, Sarah-Ellis Humphrey and spouse Troy, Joshua and his significant other Danielle Doyon, Emily Stauffer and spouse Matthew, Benjamin Greaney and Adam Greaney; great-grandchildren, Braden and River Ellis, Cooper Ellis, Ivan, Oliver, Avery and Everly Haskell, Caleb and Colby Humphrey, and Lillian Stauffer; his sister-in-law, Theresa Ellis, who kept in regular touch and was a source of great comfort.

Wilbur was recently predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Geneva. He was predeceased by his parents and grandparents Wilbur and Florence Spencer, and Herbert and Emma Ellis. Wilbur was the last surviving sibling being predeceased by Herbert L. Ellis Jr, Gary R. Ellis, David F. Ellis and Brett C. Ellis.

Per Wilbur’s request there will be no visiting hours.

Private graveside services will be held at Rest Haven Cemetery, in Windsor, at a later date.

Arrangements are by Knowlton & Hewins Funeral Home, One Church Street, Augusta, Maine.

An online quest book may be signed, and memories shared at http://www.familyfirst.com.

CLIFFORD REID

WATERVILLE – Clifford “Cliff” Reid passed away, in Waterville, on Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Cliff grew up in Washington, DC. where he graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University.

Cliff was a talented athlete. He was named the Most Valuable Player on his high school football team and then played football for George Washington University.

Cliff received a PhD in economics from Princeton University in 1973, where he developed a research interest in the role of discrimination in American life – in housing, employment, and wages – that he would continue to pursue throughout his academic career. Cliff was a professor of economics at Grinnell College, in Iowa, for 14 years, and it was there that he met his wife, Sheila McCarthy, and that their son Matthew was born. He was then a professor of economics at Colby College, in Waterville, from 1987 until his retirement in 2009.

Family, friends, and colleagues remember Cliff for his wry sense of humor and his incisive observations on topics ranging from politics to current events and sports. He was legendary for his rigorous standards in the classroom and was a caring mentor to generations of students at Grinnell and Colby colleges who remember the impact he had on their lives.

Cliff was a loving father and a devoted husband, especially as Sheila faced an illness during the past several years. During many memorable trips with his family, Cliff would always have a coffee, newspaper, and camera in hand. And in recent years he enjoyed sharing his love of books and math with his grandchildren Beatrice and Abraham.

Cliff was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy (Reeder) and Charles Reid; and his brother, Charles, of Washington, DC.

He is survived by his wife, Sheila, of Waterville; his son Matthew Reid and wife Judith Griffin; and his grandchildren Beatrice and Abraham Reid, of Ithaca, New York.

MARJORIE V. CLIFFORD

WATERVILLE – Marjorie (Varney) Clifford, 94, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at home following a brief ill­ness. Marjorie was born on Sep­tember 20, 1927, in North Dixmont, the daughter of the late Harold H. Varney and Althea G. (Bennett) Varney.

She was the devoted wife of Harolyn Kenneth “Stub” Clifford, who passed away on March 6, 2021, with whom she shared 74 years of marriage.

Marjorie was a graduate of Waterville High School, Class of 1945, where she was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps. She resided in Waterville for most of her life.

She worked at Waterville Family Practice for several years until her retirement in 1987. Marjorie previously worked as a secretary for Dr. Clarence Dore until his retirement. Prior to starting her family, Marjorie was a comptometer operator at Hollingsworth and Whitney Paper Mill (later Scott Paper Co.), in Winslow.

Marjorie treasured the time she spent with her family and friends. She was a member of the Mayflower Society and the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church. She enjoyed genealogy, gardening, raising orchids and going to the Muskie Center, in Waterville, where she belonged to knitting and quilting groups. She will always be remembered as a great cook and a very talented seamstress. She also enjoyed needlepoint and making porcelain dolls.

Marjorie is survived by her daughter, Linda Livingston and her husband Robert, of Harpswell; daughter Mary Clifford, of Methuen, Massachusetts; son David Clifford and his wife Gisele, of Vassalboro; daughter Beth Clifford, of Benton; her sister Esther Shores and her husband Stanley, of Benton; her grandchildren: Kristi, David, Christopher, Devin, Dillon, Nathan, Stephanie, and Jenna; and her great-grandchildren, Victoria, Bailey, Tabitha, Belle, Kyle, Conor, and Spencer; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, Harolyn, her daughter Laurie Jean, and her parents, Marjorie is predeceased by her brothers, Lloyd H. Varney and Laurice A. Varney.

Visiting hours will be in the Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield on Saturday, December 11, 2021, from 11 a.m. – noon. Her funeral service will be at noon in the funeral home. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. For those wishing to view visiting hours or the 12 p.m. funeral service remotely, they may do so by live-streaming at http://www.my.gather.ap/remember/marjorie-clifford-2021.

Burial will be at Pine Grove Cemetery, in Waterville, in the spring.

Arrangements are in the care of the Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Marjorie’s memory may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, JDRF,200 Vessey St. 28th Floor, New York, NY, 10281, or to the American Heart Association, P.O.Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Albion, South China libraries

Albion Public Library

by Mary Grow

The majority of the central Maine towns and cities this series is covering have public libraries. Previous articles have talked about the three whose buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places – Lawrence Library, in Fairfield (the Nov. 11 issue of The Town Line), Lithgow Library, in Augusta (Nov. 18) and Brown Memorial Library, in Clinton (Dec. 2).

This piece will describe other local libraries your writer finds interesting, mostly arranged alphabetically by town.

A digression is in order here to explain different concepts of “public library.”

The clearest version of “public” is a library that is owned by the municipality, run by a staff who are municipal employees and funded (mostly) by taxpayers. Augusta’s Lithgow Library is in this category; its website calls it “A Bureau of the City of Augusta, Maine.”

Lawrence Library, in Fairfield, is similarly described as “a department of the town of Fairfield.” It has a five-person advisory board (if the website is up to date, there are two vacancies).

Clinton’s Brown Memorial Library is one of the departments listed on the town website. The website lists three trustees.

Each of these libraries has a separate Friends group whose mission is to seek donations.

Another type of “public” library is a library that lets everyone borrow its books and other resources, free of charge, and is owned and run by a private association, normally headed by a board of trustees or other similarly-named group. The Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, and the South China Public Library are examples of this organizational type.

Little Free Library is a 21st-century organizational form that will be described in the next article in this series, with local examples.

Albion, the town immediately north of China, seems to have used two other forms of library organization for two successive institutions, one started in 1864 and the other in 1981.

Albion’s 19th-century library represented the type of library that is not truly public, but is at least partly financed by, and its services offered only to, dues-paying members. For the Albion Division Library, organized April 19, 1864, the dues were nominal; some member-supported libraries have charged significant fees.

Ruby Crosby Wiggin wrote in her Albion town history that a share in Library of Albion Div. 55 cost a man 50 cents a year, and required him to sign the library’s constitution and bylaws. Women, identified as “Lady Visitors” rather than members, also had to sign the documents, Wiggin wrote; they were charged 10 cents every three months.

The Division apparently met at least monthly, because Wiggin wrote that books “could be taken out or returned only at regular meetings.” Rules limited each member to one book at a time, with a four-week maximum borrowing time before a fine was incurred. But, she wrote, books could be renewed, and librarians’ records showed members keeping a book “for nearly a year by returning it each month and then taking it out again.”

Wiggin’s history includes the names of the first 17 men who joined the library in 1864 and 1865, and the five women who took out books at the first Division meeting. She also listed the 46 books in the original collection, a mixture of fiction and non-fiction that included a few names familiar to 21st-century readers, like Longfellow’s Tales of a Wayside Inn, Robert Burns’ poems, Francis Bacon’s Essays and George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss.

The library’s non-fiction collection included travel books by Peter Sutherland and Bayard Taylor; both volumes of Joel Tyler Headley’s 1847 Washington and His Generals; and a three-volume history of Turkey. Fiction included Ten Nights in a Bar Room and What I Saw There and several other novels by Timothy Shay Arthur.

Wiggin talked about the library’s first two years, but said nothing about when or why it closed.

The present Albion Public Library, dating from 1981, is an organizational hybrid. The town website says it is “a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, an Agency of the Town of Albion, Maine.”

Organization Treasurer Richard “Rick” Lawrence explained that Flora Wing Champlin created the public library in 1981 in a corner of the Albion School library, with permission from the School Administrative District #49 directors. What was initially “a brave band of informal trustees” organized in 2001 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trust.

Between August 2001 and February 2002, Lawrence said, the trustees raised money to build a single-story library building at 18 Main Street (Routes 202 and 9), on a lot “cheerfully” donated by Roddy and Hattie Robinson. They then signed an agreement with town officials giving the Town of Albion ownership of the land and building, with the trustees to run the library.

In the last two years the trustees have expanded the library by adding a connector building between the main library and a storage room to the south. Lawrence said the project cost about $234,000, of which less than 10 percent came from town meeting voters’ approval of special requests.

The Town of Benton currently has no public library, and neither on-line sources nor Kingsbury’s 1892 Kennebec County history record one in the past. Kingsbury, however, would not take this lack as a criticism of the town. He wrote, “The intellectual status of a community may be generally premised from its educational facilities, and in this respect Benton compares favorably with her sister towns.”

Benton Elementary School library has its own cheerful website. Town residents are eligible for the Maine State Library’s Books by Mail program.

The Town of China has two libraries. The story of the South China library follows; the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, was described in the Dec. 2 issue of The Town Line.

photo courtesy of South China Library

The South China Library, founded in 1830, justifiably calls itself “Maine’s oldest continuously operating public library.” It was mentioned in the July 1 issue of The Town Line for its 20th-century connection with Rufus Jones.

According to the China bicentennial history, a group of South China men met in January 1830 “at the Chadwick schoolhouse” (near the present Erskine Academy, south of South China Village) and created the South China Social Library Society. (Kingsbury gives the year as 1832.)

The history quotes the organization’s goals: “improving our leisure hours to advantage; cultivating science in the community at large; and encouraging the present and rising generation in the same worthy pursuits.” Membership was sold in shares at a dollar each, and more shares could be “bought” by donating books. Borrowers were limited to one book at a time, unless they owned more than one share.

The bylaws allowed members to gather whenever they chose to discuss literature “not inconsistent with virtue and decorum.” For at least the first four decades the library reportedly accepted only non-fiction; the history mentions a paper presented to an 1870 meeting “commenting on the increasing public taste for ‘worthless’ fiction.”

Kingsbury wrote that the library did well. A $96 25th-anniversary gift from “Samuel Gurney, of London” (Kingsbury did not explain how a Londoner knew there was a library in South China, Maine), “gave fresh impetus,” he wrote.

(Wikipedia profiles a British philanthropist named Samuel Gurney [1786-1856] and mentions his son, also Samuel Gurney [1816-1882], but does not associate either with libraries or Maine. The younger Samuel Gurney, also a philanthropist, was co-founder of the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association, created in 1859 to give London people free, safe drinking water. In 1867 it was extended to animals and renamed the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association.)

The South China library’s books were housed in second-floor rooms above Ambrose H. Abbott’s store (he was the second librarian, from 1836 to 1866, succeeding Constant R. Abbott [almost certainly a relation, but on-line genealogies were not helpful]). In April 1872 a major fire destroyed most of South China Village, including Abbott’s store and the library’s 500 or so “choice” (Kingsbury’s word) books.

When the library reopened the next year, the China history says Eli Jones was president of the association. The library re-started with 80 books “and $6.58 in the treasury.”

Kingsbury wrote that the reopened library was free to all, supported by “subscriptions and donations.” In 1892, it was housed in the South China Friends’ meeting house and open on Sundays and Thursdays.

In 1900 Wilmot R. Jones donated the small lot on the south side of Main Street where the library has lived since, and the association had the building put up. Wilmot Jones was library association president from 1899 to 1919, and Rufus Jones from 1919 to 1948, according to the China history.

In the summer of 2016, library trustees bought the 1815 Abel Jones house on Jones Road, within half a mile of the original library building. The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983 (see The Town Line, July 8).

The Jones lot is large enough to accommodate a new library building, now under construction.

The China bicentennial history counts the former Dinsmore Library, in Branch Mills Village, as a third library in China. Geographically it is on the China side of the town (and county) line that runs through the village. Nonetheless, in this series it will be treated as a Palermo library, and will be described in the next article.

Other Maine towns with two separate libraries

A superficial on-line search has found China is not the only Maine town with two separate libraries.

The Town of Harrison has the Harrison Village Library and the Bolsters Mills Village Library; the latter also serves Otisfield. The Harrison Village Library opened in 1908 in a stone building partly funded by Daniel H. Caswell, Sr.; it was renamed after Caswell in 1947. In 2004, the library moved into the former town office and resumed its first name. The stone building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

The Town of Kennebunkport has the Cape Porpoise Library and the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library (originally the Kennebunkport Library, renamed to honor donors in 1921). The Graves library’s two-story brick Federal-style building dates from 1813; it was the United States Customhouse from 1831 into the 20th century, with the town library on the second floor after 1898, and has been on the National Register since 1974.

The Town of Standish has the Richville Library and the Steep Falls Library. The latter, opened in 1917, was for many years the Pierce Memorial Library, in honor of donor Henry Pierce. Its brick Colonial Revival building, designed by Edward F. Fassett (son of Francis H. Fassett; see The Town Line, Feb. 4), has been on the National Register since 2004.

Main sources

Grow, Mary M., China Maine Bicentennial History including 1984 revisions (1984).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Wiggin, Ruby Crosby, Albion on the Narrow Gauge (1964).

Personal interview.
Websites, miscellaneous.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Wisdom Teeth Removal: Why, When And How

Here’s something to smile about: Tips for the 85 percent of young adults who don’t have room for third molars.

(NAPSI)—This year, more than five million Americans, mostly between the ages of 17 and 25, will have their wisdom teeth removed to prevent or address teeth crowding or pain. Dentists recommend that most people (85%) have their wisdom teeth taken out to prevent health issues—such as impactions, infections, or decay—because modern mouths are smaller than our ancestors’ and typically don’t have room for this third set of molars.

That’s the why. But when is best for this preventive surgery? Wisdom teeth (so-called because of how late in life they form, once a person has a bit more wisdom), are easiest to remove when the roots are not yet fully formed, so many dentists recommend removing them in late adolescence. Waiting until they come in fully can make extraction and recovery more difficult.

According to Nadia Fugate, DMD, a licensed dentist who serves as a Delta Dental of Washington dental consultant, “Many people’s mouths just aren’t big enough for all 32 teeth, making crowding issues worse. This leads to potential damage to the adjacent teeth, difficulty keeping teeth clean and leading to decay or infections of the gums around these teeth. Wisdom teeth can also cause jaw, muscle, and headache pain. Because every person’s mouth is different, you should ask your dentist if your or your child’s wisdom teeth need to be removed.”

Wisdom teeth recovery tips for patients and caregivers 

While removing wisdom teeth requires outpatient surgery and anesthesia, the extraction process itself is usually short and pain-free. The more difficult part for wisdom teeth extraction patients is the recovery portion, which typically lasts between three and seven days.

The first two days are the most painful and is when blood clots form to protect the wound from infection and prevent excess bleeding. During this period, patients should keep the area clean, brush gently near the extraction site and avoid chewing.

Pain relief medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can be taken as needed. Dentists recommend icing the cheeks on the first day and keeping the head elevated. A gentle rinse with antiseptic mouthwash is okay after the first 24 hours. Additional gauze can be applied to the surgery site if there is a lot of bleeding. In some cases, sutures will need to be removed by the dentist, about a week after surgery.

As far as food is concerned, for the first two days, consuming yogurt, pudding, smoothies and liquids is fine but don’t use a straw; it can loosen blood clots. After then, patients can eat soft foods such as scrambled eggs, Jell-O or mashed potatoes. Most importantly, avoid hard or sticky foods for at least a week, as well as foods with seeds which can easily get stuck in the extraction site.

Complications are rare and, typically, the only thing you may need is to have sutures removed, approximately one week after the surgery. Watch for signs of fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, persistent numbness or pus oozing from the socket and alert your caregiver if any of those symptoms arise. Swelling should reduce after two days; let your dentist know if it doesn’t.

One of the more serious complications of wisdom tooth removal is a condition known as “dry socket,” in which the protective blood clot is disturbed and the bone is exposed to air, food, and bacteria. This can be very painful, as well as a cause of infection. Avoiding the use of straws, smoking, spitting or getting strenuous exercise for the first two weeks after surgery can help prevent this condition.

Learn More

For more facts about wisdom teeth, visit www.DeltaDentalWA.com/blog.

Deadline approaching for Palermo SeedMoney Challenge

Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

by Connie Bellet

The folks at the Palermo Community Center thank everyone who has ordered citrus through Florida Indian River Groves, as well as those who have pitched in to the SeedMoney Challenge Grant.

The fruit is picked, packed, and shipped within 24 hours and is guaranteed to be in perfect condition when it arrives, or your money is refunded. However, in order to make sure it arrives before Christmas, please be sure and order these sweet, healthy treats by 5 p.m., on Wednesday, December 15.

December 15 is also the deadline for donating to the SeedMoney Challenge Grant on behalf of the Palermo Community Garden. They’d like to see a strong finish to this campaign, which will help volunteers replace worn-out tools, purchase new seeds, replenish the 28 raised beds with soil amendments, and protect cherries from birds with bird net. Last year, they had an amazing garden, with 6-foot high purple kale, brussels sprouts, and collards. The garden produced over 350 pounds of greens and veggies for the Palermo Food Pantry. If they raise enough money, they may even be able to build a small greenhouse to start seedlings. That way they can also share seedlings with Food Pantry participants.