Nolan Burgess receives MPA award

Nolan Burgess

Headmaster Jamie Soule has announced that Nolan Burgess, of Whitefield, a senior at Erskine Academy, in South China, has been selected to receive the 2024 Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, recognizes a high school senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership.

Burgess is a consistent high-honors student in a highly competitive academic program that includes honors or accelerated level classes and numerous Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses with nearby colleges. He has been commended and honored within the school for his exceptional academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and community service. Burgess has received awards for outstanding achievement in Social Studies, Advanced Mathematics courses, and Spanish, and he is currently ranked among the top students in Erskine Academy’s Class of 2024.

“Nolan has demonstrated outstanding dedication, integrity, and a commitment to excellence in all endeavors. He personifies the school’s core values of scholarship, leadership, stewardship, and relationships, and he is an excellent representative of Erskine Academy,” noted Headmaster Soule.

Burgess, Soule, and other award winners and their principals will attend an Honors Luncheon at Jeff’s Catering on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. The event recognizes outstanding students by presenting a plaque and awarding ten $1,000 scholarships in the names of former Maine principals and MPA Executive Directors: Horace O. McGowan, Richard W. Tyler, and Richard A. Durost.

China Baptist Church Bible group honors Mrs. Smiley on 95th birthday

(contributed photo)

The China Baptist Church Women’s Bible Study group had a surprise 95 ‘Chocolate Birthday Party’ for Mrs. Smiley at their meeting this week. Everyone knows about Alene’s love of chocolate and she now has enough to last ‘til Christmas! She also received some other special gifts including a lovely lap quilt from Carlaine Bovio, a hand knitted shawl from Ann Austin, and a broach of seaglass with a hand painted picture of the church from Audrey Morneau. Alene has been a long time leader in the women’s Bible Study and in the past has held many different leadership roles in the church. She is still active, serving on the diaconate board. The party was organized and hosted by Nancy Pfeiffer.

Oak Grove grants available

The Oak Grove-Coburn school today, serving as the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

The Oak Grove School Foundation is accepting applications for grants to support the education and cultural needs of students and non-profit organizations in the greater Central Maine area.

Recipients must be educational, charitable or religious organizations that are tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code.

Grant requests should be received by April 5, 2024. Funding decisions will be made in May and shortly after the funds will be distributed in July. Recent grants have ranged $500-$5,000. The OGSF has also provided seed money for initiatives that last up to three years.

Groups interested in obtaining application forms and guidelines can email ogsftreas@gmail.com or visit https://sites.google.com/site/ogsfoundationorg/major-grants.

Applications may be emailed or USPS to Oak Grove School Foundation, P.O. Box 23, East Vassalboro, ME 04935.

Ice Out winners announced 2024

Because ice went out on China Lake on a record date of March 11, 2024, the contest officially ended on that day.

Two entries nailed the date correctly: Jamie Nichols and Jennifer Noll both entered the exact date of ice out and are the winners of a gift card to Hannaford’s Supermarket.

MaineGeneral’s podiatrists: getting you back on your feet

MaineGeneral Orthopaedics surgical podiatrists Michael Kipp, DPM, left, and Brian Loring, DPM. (contributed photo)

by John D. Begin

As a high school soccer player, Michael Kipp had foot and ankle injuries that required appointments with a podiatrist to treat his issues. At the time, he could not appreciate that the appointments would plant the seed for a decade-plus career as a podiatric surgeon.

“As a college undergrad, I knew I wanted to go into health care, so I spent a summer shadowing the podiatrist I met in high school, and the rest is history,” he said. “I liked that patients would see him and, in many cases, leave feeling better instantly.”

Kipp earned a doctorate degree in podiatric medicine from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, PA in 2010. After completing his residency in podiatric medicine and surgery at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY in 2013, he moved to Maine to work in private practice until he joined MaineGeneral Orthopaedics and its podiatry team in September 2022.

He and fellow podiatrist Brian Loring, DPM, offer a range of surgical interventions including ankle arthroscopy, Charcot foot reconstruction, bunion and hammertoe correction, ankle fusion and minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. The surgical podiatric care team is supported by Doug O’Heir, DPM, Renee Slaney, FNP-C, and Certified Foot Care Specialist Lori Melancon, RN. The team also offers general foot care services at MaineGeneral Orthopaedics’ practice sites in Augusta and Oakland.

Got foot pain? They can help!

Kipp and Loring will offer a free event on April 11 to discuss non-surgical and minimally invasive surgical treatments that MaineGeneral Orthopaedics offers to treat foot and ankle conditions and the pain or limitations associated with them. They also will answer questions from those attending.

The 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. session will be held in Conference Rooms 1 & 2 at the Alfond Center for Health, 35 Medical Center Parkway, Augusta. Space is limited so registration is required online at www.mainegeneral.org/foot-pain, by calling (207) 624-3881 or by emailing joshua.hamel@mainegeneral.org.

The event also will educate community members about the breadth of foot and ankle care their team provides.

“People sometimes mistakenly assume podiatrists only do routine foot care. While cutting toenails or treating corns and calluses are an important part of our job, that’s only one small part of what we can offer to patients,” Kipp said. “Because we are residency trained in surgical podiatry, we can do so much more.”

Making a difference in patients’ lives

Loring is the newest member of MaineGeneral Orthopaedics’ podiatry team, having joined the practice in July 2023 after completing his podiatric surgery residency at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, PA. Before that, he earned a doctorate degree in podiatric medicine from Des Moines University in Des Moines, IA in 2020. He likes that his work can help improve a patient’s quality of life.

“Some patients come for their first appointment and, within that appointment, I can greatly reduce or eliminate their pain,” he said. “It’s great to be able to change their day and, sometimes, their life.”

Dr. Kipp agrees.

“Where else can you say that someone came in feeling miserable and later walked out the door, thanking you and saying, ‘I actually feel better already,’” he said.

Loring also enjoys the challenge of finding the cause of a patient’s medical issue and then offering treatment options for it.

“One of my favorite things to do in my free time is work on my car,” he said. “There are similarities between mechanical work and working with the foot and the ankle. You have parts that may not be functioning properly and my job is figuring out what’s wrong with the anatomy and then fixing the problem.”

Loring and Kipp appreciate being part of a comprehensive team at MaineGeneral Orthopaedics, both for what it offers them professionally and what it means for patients with more than one issue.

“There’s really a multidisciplinary approach to care at MaineGeneral,” Loring said, “so if I have a patient who comes in for foot pain and they mention they also have back problems, I can quickly refer them to where they need to be seen.”

“We’re part of a greater practice that offers orthopaedic care from head to toe, with highly skilled clinicians available to treat the whole patient,” Kipp added. “It’s great to work with people you trust and would encourage a family member to see.”

To learn more about the full range of care that MaineGeneral Orthopaedics provides, visit www.mainegeneral.org/orthopaedics.

John D. Begin is a communications specialist in MaineGeneral Health’s Marketing and Communications Department.

Albert Church Brown library receives handicapped access grant

Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village.

by Mary Grow

The China Library Association (CLA) has received a $10,000 grant to improve handicapped access at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village.

Librarian, Miranda Perkins, and CLA president, Louisa Barnhart, shared the news early in March.

The grant is from the American Library Association (ALA), under a program called Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities.

The goal is to “begin or continue projects that will improve library access for thousands of library users,” a March 4 ALA letter says. Typical projects make it easier for residents with physical or intellectual disabilities to use library services.

Gerry Boyle, speaking for the CLA’s building committee, said the money will support the trustees’ handicapped access plan, which starts with “a symmetrical handrail and half wall to the front of the building,” connecting to a platform in front of the front door, level with the floor inside.

There will be a ramp, built to Americans with Disabilities standards, on the south side of the platform and steps on the north side. “An electric door is on the wish list,” Boyle added.

Interior renovations are to include widening doors to allow wheelchair access and, in the future, a handicapped-accessible bathroom and an emergency exit with a ramp, tentatively from the south side of the ground floor.

Barnhart credited assistant librarian, Karel McKay, with helping the trustees investigate grant possibilities. McKay, Barnhart and CLA treasurer Thomas Parent developed the application; Barnhart is the grant administrator.

“We are delighted everyone will be able to access community and library services,” Barnhart said.

According to the March 4 ALA letter, the grant was part of $3.6 million the organization awarded to 310 small and rural libraries in 45 US states. The letter said 62 percent of the libraries receiving grants serve communities of fewer than 5,000 people.

Fifteen other small Maine libraries, scattered all over the state, received grants similar to China’s. This was the second round of these grants; a third round opens in the fall.

New South China library offers unlimited possibilities

South China Library (photo by Roberta Barnes)

by Roberta Barnes

What if there was a place that was full of books to use for research and enjoyable reading in all genres, without price tags? There is, it is a library.

The South China library that has been in the process of changing locations since 2016 is now nearing its finish line. Set in a quiet location at 27 Jones Rd., with ample parking space, this new library is the perfect place to research topics, learn new skills, or enjoy the captivating stories in fiction books. When you walk through the doors, you are met with the freshly painted walls encasing a well-lit bright space filled with books.

Looking at the timeless non-fiction and fiction books organized neatly on shelves you can feel them welcoming you to absorb all the shared knowledge and fantasy tucked within their covers. In addition to the knowledge within the books is the knowledge of the volunteer librarians who will help you to find what you need or want.

While historical buildings are cherished, and the South China library’s history dating back to 1830 is fascinating, the older library was lacking in certain areas. This new library has extra space for a printer, computers, and restrooms.

Books are still being transferred from the old library and things such as Wi-Fi connections are being installed. However, in this transition period, which will soon end, you can enjoy all this new library has to offer on Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m, and Saturdays 10 a.m. – noon.

As you scan all the shelves of countless books you might be drawn to the children’s section that includes chairs if needed, or the section filled with books printed in large fonts.

The shelves not only include books in varying genres of fiction and non-fiction, but CDs, and DVDs. Within this newly constructed building to house all these books, and more, you can see the endless possibilities available to you at no cost. Once you have your library card, all that is required is that you return what you borrow in good condition.

The 2018 photograph and article about the groundbreaking for the new South China library shows this has taken a great deal of different volunteers’ time and work, beginning with researching for a suitable location. Other articles in The Town Line have given an outline of all the volunteers’ research in finding possible grants, writing the grant proposals, and the generous donations of time, work, and money by individuals and business for construction of a fully functioning building and its interior.

I am one of Maine’s published authors, who has donated his or her book(s) to the library. My children’s book What Tail?, by R.R. Barnes, is an example of how books can spur the imagination beyond what is found in movies or online. The imagination can be thought of as the workshop that has created much of today’s technology. The main character in What Tail? requires a reader’s imagination. It is an animal that when you are looking at him you know what he looks like. But, when you are not looking at him you forget to remember what he looks like, no one can remember how long his tail is or even if he has a tail. This book, like others within the library, allows the reader’s imagination to see what others cannot.

Albert Einstein, the E = mc2 guy, said, “The imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

You can read more of Einstein’s quotes, and read his history by borrowing various books at the new library quietly located at 27 Jones Rd. A visit to the new South China library can help you find answers that you can fact-check while you are there, and take you on no cost journeys to wonderous, and mysterious places hidden within a book’s pages.

While you might find information on certain subjects in other places, fact-checking is important. In libraries, for free, you can go one step or further to research how authors gained their information. Non-fiction books will list the resources the author used in writing his or her book or article. Having multiple books available to you is extremely helpful in verifying that certain information found in one location is reliable and truthful.

If you cannot find what you were hoping to find on the shelves, the trained volunteer librarians can help you. Even if the South China library does not have a certain book on its shelves, the librarians will search for it in other libraries, have it shipped to the South China library, and you can then read it in the library or borrow it to take home.

ICE OUT 2024? Take a guess. Win a prize!

SEND US YOUR BEST ICE OUT GUESS FOR 2024

Write down your best guess (one per person) and send it to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358, or email us at townline@townline.org with the subject “ICE OUT 2024“. If more than one person guesses the correct date, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. Get your guess to The Town Line office by noon, Friday, March 15, 2024.

Email: townline@townline.org. Or use our Contact Us page!

PRIZE: To be determined

The records below, of ice out dates on China Lake, were provided by China residents Bill Foster, Captain James Allen and Theresa Plaisted.

Bill Foster brought in the ice out dates from 1874 to 1883. They came from a 215-page log/diary. In the log/diary are recorded the comings and goings from 1870 to 1883 of the F. O. Brainard Store, as well as personal notations of special and everyday events.

Captain James Allen brought in the ice out dates from 1901 to 1948. They had been recorded on the outhouse wall of the old Farnsworth house, also located in China Village.

Theresa Plaisted brought in the ice out dates from 1949 to 1991. She explained to us that a friend and neighbor, Ben Dillenbeck, had kept the record on his cellarway wall until his death on December 12, 1987.

Theresa transcribed Mr. Dillenbeck’s record and has kept the record up to date ever since.

This year, we will be checking China Lake to determine the official date for “Ice Out” in 2024. We will not be looking in hard-to-access areas for that very last crystal to melt, so the definition of “Ice Out,” for the purpose of this contest, is: “When, to the best judgment of the assigned viewer, the surface of the lake appears to be free of ice.” The judge’s decision is final.

Can you guess the day The Town Line declares China Lake free of ice?

Ice Out dates for the last 150 years!

1874 – April 22
1875 – May 6
1876 – April 30
1877 – April 16
1878 – April 12
1879 – May 3
1880 – April 21
1881 – April 19
1883 – April 29
1901 – March 27
1921 – March 28
1932 – April 27
1933 – April 20
1934 – April 19
1935 – April 25
1936 – April 4
1937 – April 20
1938 – April 20
1939 – May 4
1941 – April 16
1945 – April 2
1947 – April 12
1948 – April 8
1949 – April 6
1950 – April 14
1951 – April 9
1952 – April 19
1953 – March 19
1954 – April 19
1955 – April 13
1956 – April 27
1957 – April 10
1958 – April 16
1959 – April 22
1960 – April 21
1961 – April 30
1962 – April 20
1963 – April 22
1964 – April 21
1965 – April 18
1966 – April 18
1967 – April 29
1968 – April 13
1969 – April 23
1970 – April 23
1971 – April 30
1972 – May 1
1973 – April 8
1974 – April 2
1975 – April 23
1976 – April 11
1977 – April 18
1978 – April 21
1979 – April 12
1980 – April 10
1981 – March 18
1982 – April 22
1983 – April 1
1984 – April 17
1985 – April 6
1986 – April 8
1987 – April 6
1988 – April 6
1989 – April 22
1990 – April 11
1991 – April 8
1992 – April 15
1993 – April 21
1994 – April 20
1995 – April 9
1996 – April 5
1997 – April 23
1998 – April 9
1999 – April 2
2000 – April 4
2001 – April 27
2002 – April 6
2003 – April 21
2004 – April 14
2005 – April 16
2006 – March 26
2007 – April 23
2008 – April 17
2009 – April 11
2010 – March 19
2011 – April 17
2012 – March 21
2013 – April 6
2014 – April 19
2015 – April 22
2016 – March 15
2017 – April 17
2018 – April 23
2019 – April 12
2020 – March 27
2021 – March 30
2022 – April 2
2023 – April 12
2024 – ????????

Poor People’s Campaign draws over 200 at Augusta rally

by Jonathan Strieff

Well over 200 demonstrators gathered in Capitol Park, in Augusta, on Saturday, March 2, as part of a nationwide direct action organized by the Poor People’s Campaign. With simultaneous events taking place in 32 state capitols and Washington DC, the event kicked off a 40-week effort to mobilize poor and low-wage workers ahead of the November elections. Participants led call and response songs and displayed homemade signs before marching from the park to rally in front of the Blaine House and the capitol building.

The event brought together social activists, faith leaders, and poor and low-wage workers to demand legislative action to address the crisis of poverty in the United States.

Rev. Dr. Jodi Hayashida, a tri-chair organizer for the Maine Poor People’s Campaign, opened the assembly by sharing several unsettling statistics.

“Our state capitols are not just symbolic. The decisions made here regarding minimum wage, access to health care, access to housing, sovereignty, women’s rights, voting rights, immigrant’s rights, public education, and policy violence directly impact our daily lives. In this country, the richest nation in the history of the world, poverty is the fourth leading cause of death, claiming 800 lives every day. Poverty is the result of policy choice and is preventable through policy change. The moral, economic, and social crisis at hand must and will be abolished.”

Coordinating committee member, Linda Homer, spoke to the campaign’s mission of organizing infrequent voters around the policies most impactful to Mainers living in poverty.

“This primary season, and in November, we will vote our demands at the ballot box. We will send a message to the legislators responsible for the unrelenting policy violence toward poor and low-income people that we wont be silent any more.”

Homer went on to recognize many organizations offering material support for the Maine Poor People’s Campaign, including Solidarity Bucksport, the Maine Council of Churches, the Maine Peoples Alliance, the Unitarian Universalist Churches of Augusta, Brunswick, Auburn, and Damariscotta, the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, the Church of Universal Fellowship, the Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network, First Congre­gational Church of Hampden, Acadia Friends Monthly Meeting, and the Vassal­boro Quart­erly Meeting of the Reli­gious So­ciety of Friends (Quaker).

In demanding an end to poverty, the Poor People’s Campaign identified specific policy issues to organize voters behind: $15 minimum wage, an end to voter suppression and the expansion of voting rights, fully funded public education for all, health care for all, affordable and adequate housing, worker rights, women’s rights, end to gun violence, environmental justice, and just immigration laws.

On June 15, the Poor People’s Campaign will stage a national march on Congress, in Washington DC. In Maine, organizers will continue hosting events, staging voter registration drives, phone banking, and door to door canvassing about the issues between now and the November elections. Future events will be announced at facebook.com/maineppc, twitter.com/MainePPCampaing, and instagram.com/MainePPCampaign.

Jonathan Strieff is a freelance contributor to The Town Line.

Devyn DeLeonardis receives Principal’s Award

Devyn DeLeonardis

Devyn DeLeonardis, son of Frederick and Amanda, of North Anson, a senior at Carrabec High School, in North Anson, has been selected to receive the 2024 Principal’s Award, according to Principal Peter Campbell. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Associa­tion, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement, citizenship and leadership.

DeLeonardis has distinguished himself in the classroom.  He has challenged himself and through his hard work and perseverance has made him one of the top students in the class of 2024.  Devyn is a member of the National Honor Society and was selected as the first student to represent his class as Student of the Month.

It is in the areas of citizenship and leadership that Devyn DeLeonardis truly excels.  His eagerness and enthusiasm make him a leader and a role model in our school.  This year Devyn achieved a feat that very few manage.  He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, a rank that only about 5 percent of all scouts manage to obtain.  Devyn has more than doubled the required number of community service hours required to graduate.  To exemplify that, he was quick to present his thoughts on how students could earn more hours of service by helping individuals affected by the recent flood.

For all of these reasons, Mr. Campbell is proud to announce that Devyn DeLeonardis is the Carrabec High School MPA Award recipient for 2024. Devyn will attend an awards luncheon on April 6, 2024, where he will receive his award and be eligible to be selected for one of ten scholarships.