by Mary Grow Although the narrow-gauge railroad that was built inland from Wiscasset starting in 1894 never reached either Québec (its first name was the Wiscasset and Québec) or Waterville or Farmington (later it was the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington) (see The Town Line, Sept. 17), as the WW&F it was an integral part of […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro Community School (VCS) has started the year well, administrators told School Board members as they met Sept. 15, at the beginning of the second week of classes. Safety regulations and educational programming both work well, so far. Board members’ reaction included vetoing interscholastic sports – soccer, specifically, Principal Megan Allen said […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro selectmen heard updates on several aspects of town affairs at their Sept. 17 meeting. Auditor Ron Smith, managing partner in Buxton-based RHR Smith & Company, said as of June 30, 2019, the town’s finances were in good shape, with an adequate surplus for emergencies. “I think you guys are doing a […]
by Mary Grow China selectmen discussed multiple ongoing issues and one new one at their Sept. 14 meeting. The new issue was a letter asking if the town would provide a public water supply in South China. The spring in a Route 3 front yard from which area residents have taken water for years has […]
by Mary Grow Maine began building railroads in the 1840s. They did not replace stagecoaches, however, because the latter continued to connect railroad stops and stations to other population centers. The China history, for example, says that in the 1850s people wanting to go to China from the south or west could take the train […]
by Mary Grow China voters have two contests on the Nov. 3 local election ballot. For three seats on the board of selectmen, there are five candidates. Incumbents Ronald Breton and Janet Preston seek re-election, and Blane Casey, Brent Chesley and Jeanne Marquis also are running for a seat. Donna Mills-Stevens is not a candidate […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro Planning Board members had three items on their Sept. 1 agenda and approved all of them, including final approval of another solar project in town. The solar project is Longroad Energy’s development on land leased from Oak Grove Farm, LLC, at 2579 Riverside Drive (Route 201). As explained at previous meetings […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro selectmen spent most of their Sept. 3 meeting talking about spending money for town projects. The meeting included a public hearing on TIF (Tax Increment Financing) fund requests from Maine Rivers, which runs the Alewife Restoration Project (ARI), and the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD). Maine Rivers is creating fish passage between […]
by Mary Grow Early public transportation in the central Kennebec River valley came in three forms: the ferries and other riverboats previously mentioned (see The Town Line, April 23 and April 30, and for China Lake, June 4); stagecoaches; and railways. On land, horses and oxen were the earliest movers, for people and goods, individually […]
by Mary Grow By a 3-2 vote the China Board of Appeals has upheld Codes Officer Bill Butler’s denial of Brent and Cathy Chesley’s application for a permit to build what documents call a retaining wall along the shore of China Lake. The Chesleys and their attorney, David Pierson of Eaton Peabody, told board members […]