by Mary Grow The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and photography was invented in the 1820s and 1830s, so most of the veterans of the war didn’t live long enough to have their portraits made. A handful of them did. In 1864, 81 years after the war, Rev. E. B. Hillard and two photographers embarked […]
by Roland D. Hallee This year, the time really snuck up on me. Looking at the calendar as January faded away, I realized that February 2 was right around the corner. “I’m late this year,” I thought. It was time to go visit Woodrow Charles, the weather prognosticating groundhog buddy of mine who lives out […]
by Mary Grow At their Jan. 25 meeting, China Planning Board members continued discussion of two of their Jan. 11 topics (see The Town Line, Jan. 20, p. 3). Since Jan. 11, they learned, China’s town attorney, Amanda Meader, has agreed that if SunRaise Investments leases more land adjoining the planned solar farm on the […]
by Mary Grow China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members reviewed two applications for 2022-23 TIF funding at their Jan. 27 meeting. Jeanette Smith, chairman of the Thurston Park Committee, explained why her group is asking for $34,600. Jamie Pitney, a member of the China Broadband Committee (CBC) as well as the TIF Committee, explained […]
by Mary Grow The main business at the Jan. 31 China Select Board meeting was discussion of the first half-dozen accounts in the proposed 2022-23 town budget. The main decision made was on salary increases for town employees. In a series of split votes, with board Chairman Ronald Breton and members Blane Casey and Wayne […]
by Mary Grow Revolutionary War veterans from Albion, China, Clinton, Fairfield Note One: this article and next week’s will be about a few of the Revolutionary War veterans who lived in the central Kennebec Valley. Selection is based on two criteria: how much information your writer could find easily, and how interesting she thought the […]
by Mary Grow Members of China’s Broadband Committee (CBC) heard a presentation from two Consolidated Communications officials at their Jan. 18 meeting. The speakers did not encourage them to expect an offer from the company to expand internet service to town residents. Consolidated, which used to be Fairpoint Communications, serves some China residents, many fewer […]
by Mary Grow China Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood gave select board and budget committee members her initial draft of the 2022-23 town budget at a special joint meeting Jan. 24. Select Board Chairman Ronald Breton said there would be no question and answer session at the special meeting. Members of both boards were given time […]
by Mary Grow China Select Board members’ January 18 discussion focused on transfer station issues. Board members adopted one major change and are leaning toward another. The approved change will be to replace the placards now used to identify transfer station users with the stickers used before 2019. Under consideration is addition of a guard […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro School Board members heard a variety of reports at their Jan. 18 meeting, some touching on effects of the pandemic. They did not talk about the 2022-23 budget – yet. When they reached the agenda item called “Items to be addressed by School Board at future meetings,” Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer told […]