China town manager presents plan on coronavirus

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I am writing today to inform you of steps the Town of China is taking and preparing to take, in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in our community. While the likelihood of such an event is quite low, we have been advised by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to have plans in place and to communicate with the public, staff, students, and parents, steps they may take to prevent the spread of this and other illnesses.

What is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is a respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which has now been detected in 37 locations internationally, including the United States. The virus is named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes is named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”). The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020. (https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus.shtml)

What does the disease look like in humans?

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 include fever and/or cough and difficulty breathing. Sore throat is also reported in some patients. If you have these symptoms and did not recently travel to China or did not have contact with someone with 2019 Novel Coronavirus, it is likely to be a cold or the flu.

What is the best way to prevent the spread of the disease?

If you are sick you should stay home, cover your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands regularly. If you or your child, spouse or dependent has a fever, please keep them home until at least 24-hours after the fever has subsided without the use of fever-reducing medicines, such as acetaminophen. This standard is expected of staff, volunteers and committee and board members as well.

What can the town and schools do to help prevent the spread of this and other diseases?

Aside from educational memos such as this, and our work in the town and at school each day reminding visitors, residents, students, staff and volunteers of precautionary measures mentioned above, we are also determined to ensure that commonly touched surfaces throughout the schools, public spaces, and work areas (desktops, doorknobs, drinking fountains, etc.) are disinfected each day. We are also conferring monitoring guidance advisories from the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the US CDC as well as state and local medical and emergency management professionals to determine other steps we may take to assist in stopping this disease before an outbreak occurs.

What if there is an outbreak in our community?

If there is a local outbreak, school administrators will provide direction for China Middle and Primary schools and Erskine Academy. Decisions will likely be coordinated through the Maine CDC and will be based upon the percentage of students who are sick, and the likelihood of the disease to spread.

The Town Office, Public Works and Transfer Station will continue to provide services but may implement necessary restrictions to prevent communal spread of the disease. We are already coordinating with the Maine Municipal League to prepare for potential actions related to the Annual Town Meeting. We are adding a link to our town website to make it easier for residents to stay informed of the status of the disease.

Please know that, as of this morning, the Maine CDC website reports that, “Maine has no confirmed cases for 2019-nCoV and no patients under investigation at this time. Maine CDC is working with U.S. CDC to monitor the situation, provide healthcare providers with the latest information, and stay up to date on any potential cases they may see. There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.” For more information on the situation, visit U.S. CDC’s COVID-19 situation summary webpage.

The best we can do at this time is remind everyone to stay home if sick, cover up any coughs or sneezes, wash hands regularly, and contact your doctor with any concerns or questions. If you or your family members are sick, please stay at home and/or check with your medical providers for care. Those at greatest risk are the elderly and others with pre-existing medical conditions that have weakened their immune systems.

Town and School officials will provide updates as new information or guidance is offered. This notice was last updated March 9, 2020. Significant portions of this communication are taken directly from the Maine CDC and US CDC websites.

/s/ Dennis L. Heath, CMM Town Manager

Art scholarship available

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The Waterville Area Art Society (WAAS) is now accepting applications for its annual $500 scholarship award to be given to a graduating high school senior who pursues a degree in visual arts, performing arts or music. It is open to students from the following schools: Waterville, Winslow, Lawrence, Messalonskee, Erskine Academy, Maine Arts Academy, Mid-Maine Technical Center and Temple Academy.

Information has been sent to guidance departments asking for nominations. Information requested includes: student contact information; teacher recommendation; the student’s artistic ability and need; and three photos or video clips of student work. These can be submitted by mail to Waterville Area Art Society (WAAS) PO Box 2703, Waterville, ME 04903-2703) or digitally to waasmaine@gmail.com . Nominations must be submitted by May 1. Previous winners and former applicants are eligible to apply again, with a former high school or college teacher’s nomination and materials.

To receive more information, send email to waasmaine@gmail.com or contact Mary Morrison at 207-872-5843.

China Middle School JMG students awarded community grant

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Pictured is seventh grade students in JMG and representatives from Bar Harbor Bank and Trust; Jack Frost VP, Director of Community Giving (back left), and Nichole Lee, Branch Manager (front). (contributed photo)

China Middle School JMG and Bar Harbor Bank and Trust continue to strengthen their partnership. JMG was awarded a $500 Community Grant as seed funding for an empathy project, where students will learn the importance of philanthropy and community service. Students will research about nonprofit businesses, identifying businesses who serve youth in our communities.

An invitation to apply for funding will be sent to businesses chosen by the students. Businesses will be asked to present to students in the classroom about their organization and their needs to help better serve youth. To complete the project, students will vote on the business(s) that they would like to support.

The students thank Bar Harbor Bank and Trust for their continued support of the community and JMG.

American Legion celebrates 101 years

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Front row, holding the cake is Robert Demchak, Post #39 Commander. Second row, from left to right, Vincent Santoni, Gene Dube and Ron Page. Third row, John Ziacoma, Aaron Rollins, John Bryant, Gene Tweedie, Ted Misiaszek, Joe Jenks, Joe Slavinski and Dan Houssock. Back row, Eric Fluet, Curt Sanborn, Ray Cloutier and Scott Eggleston. (contributed photo)

March 15, 2020 is the American Legion’s 101st birthday, founded in 1919. Members of Tardiff-Belanger Post #39, Madison, celebrated the Legion’s birthday with cake and ice cream prior to their monthly membership meeting on March 2. Any veteran who would like to join Tardiff-Belanger Post #39 Madison, call 696-5848, email post39@beeline-online.net or visit the web site at: mainelegionpost39.org. For more information on the American Legion of Maine visit www.mainelegion.org.

Vietnam vets to be cited at public ceremony

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On Friday, March 27, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS), in collaboration with the VA Maine Healthcare System, will host a recognition ceremony for Vietnam Veterans. The ceremony will take place at the Augusta Armory from 1 to 4 p.m.

The ceremony will be held in observance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The afternoon’s events will include remarks from, Peter Mills, U.S. Navy Veteran and Executive Director of the Maine Turnpike Authority, a certificate and coin ceremony, live music and light refreshments.

MBVS Director, David Richmond emphasized the significance of the ceremony and the importance of properly recognizing Maine’s Vietnam Veterans.

Vietnam veterans who wish to attend the ceremony should register online and contact the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services to ensure the bureau has their DD214, for certification purposes. Veterans who register will be presented with a Certificate of Appreciation, a Vietnam Veteran Coin, and a 50th Anniversary Lapel Pin.

Registration for the event is free and open to all Vietnam veterans. Any Vietnam veteran who has previously been recognized with a certificate and coin at a past ceremony will be presented a 50th anniversary pin and will still be publicly recognized for their service.

RSVP online. Veterans must present bureau with DD214 to receive recognition.

Thunder Chicken drums slated in Palermo

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Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

March is indeed a time of transition, with lots of bumps in the road. Come and smooth it out with the Great ThunderChicken Drum on Sunday, March 22, at 11 a.m., at the Palermo Community Center, on Turner Ridge Rd., at Veterans Way. There will be a potluck feast to follow!

The Spring Equinox is the beginning of the year, and the most important celebration of the Ceremony of 8000 Drums. The ThunderChicken – or sage grouse – comes into his own as he drums, dances, and sings(?) on his lek, calling in the Thunders to nourish Mother Earth and begin the cycle of life once again.

All are welcome to join and please feel free to bring friends and family. Hand Drums, rattles, and other sacred instruments are also welcome, as are your own songs and poems. This is a time of sharing and joy as we say farewell to Winter and greet the longer days.

If you have questions or need directions, please call Connie Bellet at 993-2294.

How, and why, Maine became a state

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State celebrates 200th anniversary on March 15

by Tom Waddell

Before Maine became a state in 1820 it was the District of Maine, a territory of Massachusetts. The movement to separate from Massachusetts predates the American Revolution but, during the revolution, separatists put aside their grievances to support the war effort. With independence won, the question of separation reemerged, buoyed by national independence and a growing population and economy in Maine.

In the Fall/Winter of 1785-86, delegates from 20 Maine towns met in Portland to discuss separating from Massachusetts. The arguments for separation included: the Massachusetts Legislature rarely voted for legislation that would help solve problems in Maine; Boston was a long way from Maine and not easily reached; Supreme Court records kept in Boston made it difficult for Maine lawyers to defend local clients; trade regulations favoring Massachusetts resulted in lower prices for Maine lumber; and those living in unorganized Maine territories paid taxes but were not allowed representation in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The phrase “Taxation without Representation” comes to mind.

The two main factors that would ultimately determine when and how Maine became a state were the 1789 Coasting Law and the growing conflict of slavery.

The Coasting Law passed by Congress in 1789 required all ships from one state that were trading with other states along the coast to stop and pay a fee in each state they did not share a boarder with. Because the District of Maine was part of Massachusetts, a state that shared borders with New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, Maine ships were exempt from paying fees in these states. The Coasting Law was a major factor for over 30 years in keeping Maine a part of Massachusetts.

A vote to separate from Massachusetts failed in 1792 and election results showed where separation had support or not. People who lived inland favored separation because statehood would give them an opportunity to buy the land they were farming or lumbering. Coastal and southern Maine towns favored remaining part of Massachusetts due to the Coasting Law and proximity to Boston, respectively.

The two factions kept up their pressure on the Massachusetts Legislature which resulted in another vote on separation in 1807. To maximize turnout, the separatists got the Massachusetts Legislature to hold that vote when the Massachusetts governor was up for re-election. Despite a high turnout the separation ballot question failed again.

As during the Revolutionary War, separatists put their grievances on hold during the War of 1812. After the war Maine’s population grew once again. Consequently, Maine established three new counties, 53 new towns, and the economy grew as well. This renewed prosperity after the war caused more Mainers to favor separation.

Mindful of the last defeat, those in favor of separating from Massachusetts maneuvered to eliminate one obstacle to Maine becoming a state – the Coasting Law – before attempting a new vote on separation. The separatists were able to get a revised Coasting Law passed that removed the requirement to pay fees, which was the primary reason coastal towns opposed separation. As a result, more coastal towns began to favor separation as well.

The July 1819 vote to separate from Massachusetts reflected the increased support and the question passed by a margin of 10,000 votes – 17,000 to 7,000. Now all that remained was for Congress to admit Maine into the Union as the 23rd state.

Unfortunately for Maine, slavery again raised its ugly head at a time when there were 22 states in the Union evenly split between free and slave states. Speaker of the House Henry Clay argued that admitting Maine as a free state would upset the balance of power. He supported legislation, commonly known as the Missouri Compromise, that admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state.

The Tallmadge Amendment, as it was called, was a proposed amendment to a bill regarding the admission of the Territory of Missouri to the Union, which requested that Missouri be admitted as a free state. The amendment was submitted in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 13, 1819, by James Tallmadge, Jr., a Democratic-Republican from New York, and Charles Baumgardner.

In 1820, the Missouri Compromise was passed, which did not include the Tallmadge Amendment but attempted to appease both sides of the debate by admitting Missouri as a slave state in exchange for the admission of Maine as a free state, and the complete prohibition of slavery in all of the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory north of the 36˚30′ parallel, except in Missouri.

In response to the ongoing debate in Congress concerning the admission of Missouri as a state and its effect on the existing balance of slave and free states, Tallmadge, an opponent of slavery, sought to impose conditions on Missouri’s statehood that would provide for the eventual termination of legal slavery and the emancipation of current slaves.

Most people in Maine were against slavery. They considered the Missouri Compromise that traded the lives of slaves for statehood to be a Faustian Bargain. Unfortunately, some politicians in Maine and in Washington, DC preferred passing the Missouri Compromise in order to avoid conflict with the slave states, a decision that would come back to haunt the nation 40 years later.

The main source for this article was the Maine Historical Society – Maine’s Road to Statehood.

Volunteer firefighters: answering the call to help neighbors

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Firefighters putting out the remainder of a fire on Rte. 3. (photo courtesy of Kevin Luczko)

by Sandra Isaac

“Vassalboro… stand by for a call.”

While sitting at my desk, working at my day job designing an ad for a client, I heard a call for Vassalboro Fire Department come over my fire pager/scanner. “Structure fire off route three. Barn Fire, visible flames.”

A few minutes later, the call was repeated.

I live in China, so it wasn’t my company’s call, but a barn fire? Were there animals involved? I started to pace a bit. I wanted to head out and help. After all, I wasn’t in a dress. I wasn’t in the shower. I wasn’t at a meeting. I was at home and able to go to the fire scene.  Then it happened.

“China Fire…stand by a call.”

Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…

“Fully involved Barn Fire with explosions. Legion Park and Route 3.”

I saved my work and told my husband I would be going on the call. My equipment was already in the truck so I raced out the driveway.

Sandra Isaac’s father, back row, far left, a firefighter with the Ivyland, Pennsylvania, fire department. (photo courtesy of Sandra Isaac)

Being a first responder is in my blood. The Boyces (my maiden name) were Irish farmers that emigrated to the U.S. and landed in Philadelphia. My grandfather was a Philadelphia cop. My uncle Walt was the first certified EMT in New Jersey, and my father was a volunteer firefighter in our small home town of Ivyland, Pennsylvania, before he was diagnosed with Asbestosis (an illness related to his job as a pipe insulator in Philly.) I requested that the name on my fire turnout gear reflect my proud family history. ‘Boyce-Isaac’ is now on the back of my fire coat.

I sped towards the fire and pulled my truck aside for the China Village VFD Engine #34 as it headed down Lakeview Drive for Route 3. My red flashing strobe wasn’t working properly, but there was no time to fix it. I waited patiently for everyone to get out of my way. I parked, got into my turnout gear and dashed up the road to the fire scene.

The two-bay, oversized structure was already brought down by the fire and at this point, the fire companies were concerned with keeping the adjacent building safe and extinguishing the fire.

The first firefighter I saw on the scene was Kevin Luczko, my mechanic and a volunteer firefighter from Vassalboro. “Hey Kevin, how are you doing?” Kevin also left his job to help with the fire. He said, “I’m doing good, but I’ll be stuck here for a while. I drove the (fire) truck.” He pointed to where China Village Fire Chief Theriault was standing so I could check-in.

I received my Firefighter 1 certification in Bucks Country, Pennsylvania, and ran with the Midway Fire Company in Lahaska, Pennsylvania. After I moved to New Jersey in August 2001, I decided to join Hope Fire Company in Allentown, New Jersey, signing up the day after 9/11. During my time with Hope FD, became a certified EMT-B (basic). Once I moved to Maine, I knew I wanted to be active once again. This time, it was the conflicts within the town that inspired me. What better way to show your support then to volunteer your time, right?

Representatives from four companies had shown up at the scene: Vassalboro, Weeks Mills, China Village, South China. Chief Theriault greeted me by saying, “Get your gloves on and head over to see Ben.”

Ben Loubier is the assistant chief for China Village VFD, as well as a full-time firefighter for Winslow. Ben was located on (what was) the backside of the building. He was with a firefighter from another company and soaking a burned oil-tank and a charred mini-backhoe. “Grab the hose and back up (firefighter) Nivek (Boostedt),” he said. When you pull the handle on a fire hose nozzle, the force of the water pressure coming through the hose can set you off balance or even knock you over. Often times you will see two people manning a hose. The firefighter at the nozzle concentrates on the water and knocking down the fire. The second firefighter watches the first, as well as the overall surroundings, and where the hose is on the ground.

Nivek and I concentrated our efforts on the rear of the building. The walls had completely collapsed but were still smoldering. I could see what remained of a 250-gallon oil tank, a welding set up, a large older farm truck, a mini-backhoe, and a lot of bent and curled metal siding.  We were keeping water on the old farm truck and the oil tank. “Grab the hose and move toward the other side,” said Ben. “Concentrate on the backhoe.” We were often blinded by the wind blowing what appeared to be smoke, but in actuality, most of it was steam. The temperature was in the low 30s and between the heat of the burning wreckage and the cold water, we had a lot of white steam.

The mini-backhoe was still burning in its interior. We continued to drench it with water. Getting water to a fire is always an issue, so each department bringing a supply to the scene makes a difference. The ground was getting muddy from all the water and the warming sunshine. Firefighters wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), also called turnout gear. It is bulky and awkward and can weight over 25 pounds without additional equipment. Once it’s wet from spraying water and moisture in the air, it’s even heavier. It doesn’t take much for a firefighter to get tired, so Nivek and I switched positions and moved around the structure to get off the deepening mud.

The burned building was owned by Vannah Lawn Care. The business owner was on the scene and helped us move debris with a large excavator. This helped us out tremendously as it meant we didn’t have to dig and move material to make sure everything was extinguished.

Once the fire was officially declared out, we gathered up all of the mud-soaked hoses then drained and laid them back on their appropriate trucks. All the chiefs made sure their company’s gear was accounted for and we headed back to the station.

Once back, we signed the call log and talked about the fire. We were grateful to not have any hose to clean off. There was a lot of mud on the scene.

I laid my gear out to dry and repacked what I could. I was tired but like 90 percent of the other firefighters, I had to go back to work, but I did so with a smile on my face. Being part of the community means a lot to me. Helping my neighbors, contributing to the betterment of our area, and the camaraderie of the group are just a few reasons why I enjoy being a volunteer firefighter. So back to work and waiting for the next call to help. It’s only a question of when.

Four Seasons Club fishing derby big success

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China Village Fire Chief Tim Theriault displays the winning entries. (photo by Sandra Isaac)

by Sandra Isaac

The China Four Seasons Club and the China Village Fire Department held the first China Lake fishing derby on March 1, over 18 years since the area’s last fishing derby.

Over 80 people filled the fire department for the final look at the day’s winning catches, which included brown trout, brook trout, togue, large and smallmouth bass, and white perch. China Village Fire Chief Theriault did the official weighing in of the entries. Most of the day’s fish were caught in China Lake. The biggest catch of the day was a largemouth bass weighing over 5 pounds.

Winners in each category. (photo: China Four Seasons Club)

A young participant anxiously awaits the results of his catch. (photo by Sandra Isaac)

A couple of anglers patiently wait for the flag to indicate a catch. (photos by Sandra Isaac)

Skowhegan Savings Bank welcomes two new employees

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Skowhegan Savings Bank has announced that John Butera and Steve Gray have joined the bank as vice presidents of commercial lending. They will work to assist the bank’s customers with their business banking. Butera has over 30 years experience in economic and business development.

John resides in Waterville with his wife and son.

Steve Gray lives in Farmington with his wife, and also operates a blueberry farm called Grayberry farm. He has 38 years experience in customer service in banking, insurance and auto industries.