Entries by Mary Grow

Planners give thumbs up to school gym expansion

by Mary Grow China Planning Board members have unanimously approved an enlargement of the China Middle School gymnasium. RSU (Regional School Unit) #18 Superintendent Carl Gartley said he hopes work will start as soon as school ends in June and be mostly done when school reopens in September, though it might run into October. At […]

Selectmen OK two TIF board recommendations

by Mary Grow At their March 4 meeting, China selectmen unanimously approved two Feb. 25 recommendations from the TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Committee. They authorized Town Manager Dennis Heath to negotiate with Susan Bailey to buy her small piece of land across Causeway Street from the boat landing, and to pay a bill from Comprehensive […]

TIF committee gives manager OK on land offer

by Mary Grow China TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Committee members held a short Feb. 25 meeting, with decisions made on two agenda items and absences blocking progress on two others. By unanimous votes, committee members: Authorized Town Manager Dennis Heath to request that selectmen make an offer to Susan Bailey for the small piece of […]

Vassalboro selectmen ready to forward budget to committee

by Mary Grow Vassalboro selectmen wrestled with the 2019-2020 municipal budget for three hours at their Feb. 21 meeting. They concluded they were ready to forward it to the budget committee, whose members will review the selectmen’s figures before a final budget goes to voters at the annual town meeting in June. The first budget […]

China selectmen put warrant in final form

by Mary Grow China selectmen put a 31-article warrant for the April 6 town business meeting in final form at their Feb. 19 meeting, though Town Manager Dennis Heath made a couple of minor wording changes after the meeting. The town meeting opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at China Middle School. At 8:50 […]

Board begins preliminary school budget review

by Mary Grow Vassalboro School Board members began review of the preliminary 2019-2020 school budget at their Feb. 12 meeting, despite missing several major pieces. Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer, Principal Megan Allen and personnel from what used to be the Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) #92 office presented four budget categories: athletics, special services, district technology and […]

Selectmen give thumbs down to request for food sovereignty ordinance

by Mary Grow Three of the residents who attended the Vassalboro selectmen’s Feb. 7 meeting brought specific requests; others came to catch up with local business. Selectmen unanimously approved two requests, with qualifications, and refused to act on one. Holly Weidner, a member of the informal East Vassalboro Village Area Association, asked that the speed […]

Selectmen complete work on town meeting warrant

by Mary Grow China selectmen completed their work on the warrant for the April 6 town business meeting at a Feb. 5 budget workshop, giving Town Manager Dennis Heath the direction he needed to draft the document. Heath quickly came up with a 29-article draft warrant. The first two articles ask voters to elect a […]

Budget committee agrees with selectmen on all but two articles

by Mary Grow China Budget Committee members agree with the board of selectmen on all but two of the money-related articles in the warrant for the April 6 town business meeting. At a Feb. 11 meeting, the six members present voted unanimously to support most proposed expenditures, including the major ones for the town administration, […]