by Mary Grow In previous pieces there have been references to local newspapers, especially the Augusta-based Kennebec Journal. Both it and its sister publication in Waterville, the “Morning Sentinel”, have had long lives; but they are not and never have been the only newspapers in the central Kennebec Valley. Here is a partial list of […]
by Mary Grow China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members spent most of their Nov. 17 virtual meeting talking about broadband funding with Jamie Pitney, speaking for the China Broadband Committee. The Broadband Committee’s goals is to expand and improve internet access throughout China, including making service faster and more reliable for residents who already […]
by Mary Grow Not surprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic dominated discussion at the Vassalboro School Board’s Nov. 17 meeting, leading to reluctant decisions and much praise for everyone involved in keeping the town school safe. The most unenthusiastic decision was to postpone winter sports – basketball and cheerleading – as Assistant Principal Greg Hughes recommended. In […]
by Mary Grow As background for this piece on a small selection of women of importance from the central Kennebec Valley, some historical notes might establish a useful timeline. 1) The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution says: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged […]
by Mary Grow China Planning Board members heard an application for a trailer-based medical marijuana dispensary at their Nov. 10 Zoom meeting, and scheduled a site visit and a public hearing prior to taking action. Giovanni DelVecchio, of Augusta, said he is arranging to park his 18-foot-long converted travel trailer in front of the former […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro Planning Board members approved one of three applications on their Nov. 10 agenda, in the course of a four-hour meeting under often-frustrating conditions. To accommodate the expected audience, which numbered more than two dozen at one point, board members held the meeting in St. Bridget’s Center, in North Vassalboro. The attractive […]
by Mary Grow Members of China’s Transfer Station Committee, meeting remotely the morning of Nov. 10, discussed a variety of trash-disposal and recycling issues, but made only one decision. They voted to ask that the 2020-21 town budget include $1,000 for committee expenses, so that members could, for example, get mileage reimbursement if they visit […]
by Mary Grow Allen, Vickery, Gannetts In addition to the nationally and internationally famous people profiled earlier in this series (James G. Blaine, Rufus Jones, Elijah Parish Lovejoy, Senator George Mitchell), other central Kennebec Valley residents have made significant contributions beyond the local area. An Augusta website gives Edward Charles Allen, known as E. C. […]
by Mary Grow At their Nov. 9 meeting, China selectmen approved two requests, from the Broadband Committee and the volunteer fire departments, and made several appointments. Since the meeting was the first after voters re-elected members Ronald Breton and Janet Preston and elected Blane Casey (to succeed Donna Mills-Stevens, who did not seek another term), […]
by Mary Grow Many local histories find the arrival and expansion of electricity and telephone service noteworthy, especially in Maine’s smaller communities. As most of us learned in grammar school, Benjamin Franklin is credited with discovering electricity in 1752, by flying a kite into a thunderstorm with a metal key attached to the wet string. […]