by Mary Grow At their Jan. 20 meeting, Vassalboro select board members got preliminary requests for money, federal or local or both, from town organizations. Further discussion was postponed until 2022-23 budget deliberations begin in earnest in February. Two requests were presented at the meeting. From the volunteer fire department, special funding to replace 20 […]
by Mary Grow Veterans of Waterville and Augusta After the Revolutionary War, the demobilization of the army increased the population of the Kennebec Valley. This article and the following will describe some of the Revolutionary veterans who became part of local history, chosen more or less randomly. A visit to old cemeteries in area towns […]
by Roland D. Hallee I ran into an acquaintance at a local supermarket last week, and he commented on my articles on black squirrels, and told me he had heard that a reported albino squirrel had been spotted in the central Maine area. We’ve talked the gamut about squirrels, grey, red, black, white-tipped tails, so […]
by Mary Grow Members of China’s Transfer Station Committee continued discussion of several issues, but still lack information to make decisions. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood told them residents continue to respond to the survey she distributed that asked, among other things, the days and hours on which they use the transfer station. Survey results will […]
by Mary Grow China Municipal Building Committee members met Jan. 13 and continued review of information they have and information they need as they plan additional storage for town records. Main tentative conclusions were: They should focus on planning a free-standing building, not a room attached to the present office building. The southeast or east […]
by Mary Grow At their Jan. 11 meeting, China Planning Board members were willing to hear an application to enlarge the approved, unbuilt solar farm on Route 3, until Codes Officer Jaime Hanson told them the town attorney has doubts. Now they want more information before they make a decision. New Hampshire-based SunRaise Investments plans […]
by Mary Grow As readers know, major wars have major effects, beginning before the battles, continuing for the duration and lasting years afterwards. Early historians tended to focus on economics and politics: whether development was slowed or speeded or both, who replaced whom in leadership. Later came interest in social effects, especially significant in the […]
by Mary Grow China Broadband Committee (CBC) members have a list of seven possible sources for expanded and improved broadband service to all town residents. At their Jan. 6 meeting, committee members discussed what they know about the different companies; what additional information they need; what federal and state funding might be available, once distribution […]
by Mary Grow In her 1971 history of Vassalboro, Alma Pierce Robbins wrote that the North Vassalboro Methodist Church was organized around 1850. Its members met in a Union Church (whose origins apparently are not recorded) until about 1875, when they bought an unfinished Winslow church and brought it to Vassalboro. Fifty years ago, Robbins […]
by Mary Grow For the next however many weeks, this series will discuss 19th-century wars that affected central Kennebec Valley residents. After the British gained legal control of the region by the 1763 Treat of Paris, the valley was mostly peaceful, but military actions elsewhere had local effects. Your writer will start with the American […]