by Mary Grow China Select Board members held a brief meeting Feb. 28. With one member absent and another participating remotely, board Chairman Ronald Breton had postponed continued review of the proposed 2022-23 town budget. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood reported that she and Robert Kurek, who chairs the Palermo Select Board and is one of […]
by Mary Grow Generals Chandler and Ripley Two national military leaders in the War of 1812, Brigadier General John Chandler and Brigadier General Eleazer (or Eleazar – sources differ) Wheelock Ripley, were from Maine, according to Louis Hatch’s state history. Both had connections with the central Kennebec Valley: Chandler lived most of his life in […]
by Mary Grow At their Feb. 15 meeting, Vassalboro School Board members again heard from half a dozen mothers who do not want their children to wear masks in school. Board members corrected two pieces of misinformation the parents had heard, and Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said he is “incredibly hopeful” that if Maine’s covid cases […]
by Mary Grow Chad Caron pleaded emotionally with Vassalboro select board members at their Feb. 17 meeting, asking for more time to work at the former church building he owns on Priest Hill Road in North Vassalboro. They unanimously rejected his request, as advised by Codes Officer Ryan Page. At their Jan. 6 meeting, board […]
by Mary Grow China Broadband Committee (CBC) members continued discussing possible future ways to improve internet service to China residents at an hour-long Feb. 17 meeting. They plan to meet next at 4 p.m. Wednesday (not the usual Thursday), March 9, in the portable building behind the town office. At that meeting they expect to […]
by Mary Grow At a special meeting Feb. 21, China select board members continued work on spending requests to be presented to voters at the June 14 town business meeting. Their main focus was on recommendations from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee and from Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood on spending TIF money in the […]
by Mary Grow At a brief meeting Feb. 9, members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee unanimously approved four requests for TIF funds for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Their recommendations go next to the select board; voters at the June 14 town business meeting will make the final decision. The approved applications were from […]
by Mary Grow War of 1812 Hampden and Wiscasset Two events in September 1814 involved central Kennebec Valley residents directly in the war against the British, fortunately without recorded casualties. The first and less significant began in Hampden, where British forces sailed up the Penobscot River to capture the USS Adams. The Adams began life […]
by Mary Grow At their Feb. 8 meeting, China Transfer Station Committee members continued discussion of out-of-town disposal options and possible changes at the local disposal facility (see The Town Line, Jan. 20, p. 3). They again reached no conclusions. After years of sending trash to the Penobscot Energy Recovery Corporation (PERC) incinerator, China and […]
by Mary Grow At their Feb. 14 meeting, China selectmen dealt with three issues before continuing review of the proposed 2022-23 budget. Lacking complete information on a few budget items, they scheduled a special meeting for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, despite the town office being closed that day for the Presidents’ Day holiday. The […]