Entries by Mary Grow

China TIF committee receives first 2022-23 application

by Mary Grow Members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee received their first applications for 2022-23 TIF funds at their Dec. 13 meeting. They postponed action until more applications are in, they hope by the Jan. 3, 2022, deadline. Scott Pierz, executive director of the China Region Lakes Alliance, talked about plans for the […]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo & Little Free Libraries

by Mary Grow Palermo residents are currently enjoying at least the third library in the town’s history. The earliest, according to Millard Howard’s history of Palermo, was started by Benjamin Marden 2nd, “around mid-century [1850], apparently at his home on Marden Hill,” and was called the Palermo and China Social Library. Marden Hill is in […]

China Broadband Committee (CBC) entertains proposal for expanded service

by Mary Grow China Broadband Committee (CBC) members entertained a proposal for expanded service by Spectrum at their Dec. 9 meeting, and offered multiple suggestions for sweetening the deal. Spectrum was represented by Melinda Kinney, Regional Senior Director for Spectrum’s parent company, Charter Communications. Her prepared presentation started with Spectrum’s nation-wide reach, zeroed in on […]

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 […]

China transfer station committee postpones decision on fee increase for Palermo residents

by Mary Grow The Dec. 6 China select board discussion covered a variety of topics, most to be continued at future meetings. Lawrence Sikora, chairman of the Transfer Station Committee, explained the basis for the committee’s recommendation that Palermo residents, who use the China facility by contract, be charged an additional 25 cents per disposal […]