Giving a helping hand

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo courtesy of Frank Cole

Eagles in Seven Mile Stream, on the Mill Hill Road in Vassalboro. For a number of years some of the local schools raised salmon eggs until the salmon were about two to three inches long. The students released them into the Seven Mile Stream behind Harland Robinson’s house hoping they would return. For the last few years they have returned in large numbers in mid-May. The eagles stand in the shallow areas of the stream and feast on the salmon as they make their way upstream.

CMS students learn how to plant native seeds

/0 Comments/in , /by

From left to right, Elaine Philbrook, of China Lake Association, Nate Gray, of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Matt Streeter, of Maine Rivers, and Anita Smith, Maine master naturalist. (Photo by Jeanne Marquis)

by Jeanne Marquis

For the second year, China Middle School students participated in the River Restoration project by planting native seeds and learning the importance of maintaining an eco-system. Mrs. Maroon invited three speakers who presented her class with a lecture that was a mixture of local colonial history, biology and botany.

Matt Streeter, of Maine Rivers, explained the roles the river dams played in the growing the economy of our region since the 1700s. The dams had long lost their economic purposes and were removed one by one to open the Sebasticook River as a natural fish way to China Lake. Dam removal was the beginning of the restoration of the Sebasticook.

Nate Gray, of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, explained how the herring are a keystone species and decline of their population would continue to gravely depress the ecosystem of the central Maine lakes region without the River Restoration project. Gray began by telling the students, “I am not giving you the kids version of this presentation, this is the adult version.” The students rose to his challenge and gave him their full attention.

Gray explained that although the herring spend most of their lives in the coastal ocean saltwater the herring must travel up the rivers to spawn in freshwater and replenish their population. The herring species, alewives included, travel up natural water ways such as the Sebasticook River to fresh water lakes including China Lake. As the herring population increases, a multitude of other animal and plant life thrive in and around our area lakes. Gray made it clear to the students how interconnected life is in an ecosystem and how herring is a keystone species for our local environment.

Japanese Knot Weed in flower.

Maine master naturalist Anita Smith clarified the difference between native and invasive plant life and why it is so important to the local environment to restore native species. Smith told the students, “Invasive plants are like the bullies of the neighborhood, they take over the ecosystem.” Smith went on to say that “the choices we make impact the future.” To illustrate this point, she explained how in the 1800s Japanese knot wood was used to control erosion. We know now that Japanese knot wood in an invasive species that crowds out more nutritious native species and is very difficult to eradicate.

The presenters helped the students plant seeds of native species that will help to stabilize soil, attract pollinators, provide habitats and nutrition for native wildlife. The students and presenters will meet again in the fall for a field trip to plant their native seedlings at the Masse Dam site, in Vassalboro. Elaine Philbrook, from the China Lake Association, organized this educational outreach opportunity.

Area Eagle Scouts perform over 6,000 hours of community work

/0 Comments/in , /by

China Troop #479’s Assistant Scoutmaster Ron Emery described Eagle Scout Nivek Boostedt’s ceremony, above, as an occasion for pride and joy, as well as a time of reflection. (Contributed photo)

The Kennebec Valley District finished 2018 with 36 Scouts attaining the highest rank – the Eagle Scout. The Scouting district covers five counties (Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox, Franklin and Somerset) sweeping from the Canadian border to the rocky coast. In 2018, there were 141 Eagles from the State of Maine and 52,160 young men across the nation earned Scouting’s lofty award. If all of those class of 2018 Eagle Scouts wanted to gather to watch the Red Sox at Fenway Park, they would fill up all of the 37,731 seats and spill out onto Yawkey Way.

Locally, churches and charities from Jackman to Camden and from Wilton to Albion saw Scouts providing more than 6,000 hours of service just through projects led by teenagers hoping to earn their Eagle Scout rank. “This is absolutely amazing,” said Kennebec Valley District Chairman Bruce Rueger, of Wateville. “When you think of all the good that our Scouts are doing in the community from building handicap ramps to restoring forgotten veterans grave markers to making life easier for seniors and the needy and building trails and so much more- I am truly impressed. It really is heartening in this day and age to see a program where young people are taught that they have a responsibility to help other people at all times. I am so proud of our Scouts.”

The fact that a boy is an Eagle Scout has always carried with it a special significance. The award is a performance-based achievement whose standards have been well-maintained over the years. Not every boy who joins Scouts, BSA earns the Eagle Scout rank. This represents more than 2.25 million Boy Scouts who have earned the rank since 1912.

While a Life Scout, a Scout plans, develops, and gives leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or the community. In addition to providing service and fulfilling the part of the Scout Oath, “to help other people at all times,” one of the primary purposes of the Eagle Scout service project is to demonstrate or hone, or to learn and develop, leadership skills. Related to this are important lessons in project management and taking responsibility for a significant accomplishment.

Eagles scouts from each central Maine counties:

Kennebec County:

Mathew Dow, Jr., of Albion – Albion Troop #446 – 26 hours of service restoring the Albion Historical Society train for educational purposes.

Alexander Steward, of Augusta – China Troop #479 – 202 hours of service building an outdoor classroom at Lincoln Elementary School, in Augusta.

Matthew Allarie, of Sidney – Sidney Troop #401 – 45 hours of service building a trophy case for the high school music department.

Nicholas Shelton, of Winslow – China Troop #479 – 98 hours of service at Waterville Creates building pottery studio shelves.

Jaxon Roan, of Oakland – Waterville Troop #417 – 358 hours of service building and installing cat climbing and exercise structures at PALS no kill animal shelter.

Maverick Lowery, of Vassalboro – Vassalboro Troop #410 – 208 hours of service building and improving trails at the Annie Sturgis Sanctuary including installing bridges where needed.

Michael Littlefield, of China – China Troop #479 – 50 hours of service building shelves for the China Food Bank.

Jack DiGirolamo, of Belgrade, Troop #401 Sidney – 93 hours of service building mountain bike bridges for Quarry Road Trails in Waterville

Lucas Eric Lenfest, of Smithfield – Troop #453 in Belgrade – 176 hours of service constructing a Veterans Memorial in front of the Smithfield Town office including walkway and granite bench.

Tieran Croft, of Sidney – Waterville Troop #417 – 162 hours of service building eight benches for the town of Oakland.

Nivek Boostedt, of China – China Troop #479 – 132 hours of service building an outdoor classroom for the China School Forest.

Adam DeWitt, of Sidney – Troop #401 in Sidney – 270 hours of service putting on and promoting a benefit concert to raise awareness for Travis Mills Foundation.

Joshua Robert Hoffman, of Augusta – Troop #603 in Augusta – 132 hours of service building a small playground at St Michael Roman Catholic School.

Dawson Poulin, of Sidney – Troop #401 in Sidney – 568 hours of service building helmet and baseball bat racks for the Sidney Athletic Association and then rebuilding them after vandals destroyed them a day after they were installed.

Kai McGlauflin, of Sidney – Sidney Troop #401 – 114 hours of service building an awards cabinet and work bench for the Messalonskee High School and Middle School Robotics Teams.

Tucker Leonard, of Palermo – Troop #479 in China – 112 hours of service constructing an outdoor classroom at the Palermo Consolidated School.

Eric McDonnell, of Augusta – Troop #603 Augusta- 177 hours of service built three benches and picnic table for the Kennebec River Rail Trail for Augusta age Friendly.

Travis John Nickerson, of Augusta – Troop 6#06 in Farmingdale – 81 hours of service gathering items and raising awareness in the community to help those who need help through the Bridging the Gap Center for Resources, Essentials Pantry & Clothing Bank, in Augusta. In total, 1,218 items were collected for those in need of essential items.

Somerset County:

Nathan Bloom, of Skowhegan – Skowhegan Troop #431 – 97 hours of service collecting photos and uploading them to help make it easier for those looking for loved ones or working on genealogy.

Lucas Eric Lenfest, of Smithfield – Troop #453 in Belgrade – 176 hours of service constructing a Veterans Memorial in front of the Smithfield Town office including walkway and granite bench. (Note, Lucas is listed in both Somerset and Kennebec as he is a member of a troop in one county while living in the other.

Austin Wright, of Madison – Troop #481 serving Madison/Anson/ Starks – 78 hours of service to demolish and old ramp and build a sturdy handicap accessible ramp at the fire station.

Jackson Dudley, of Fairfield – Skowhegan Troop #431 – 80 hours building three new picnic tables at Mill Island Park from materials he solicited In the community.

ICE OUT on China Lake 2019

/0 Comments/in /by

SEND US YOUR BEST ICE OUT GUESS FOR 2019

Write down your best guess (one per person) and send it to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358. 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, April 5, 2019.

Email: townline@fairpoint.net. 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 2019. 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 145 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 –
2019 –

China School’s Forest to offer fun, outdoor activities for youth

/0 Comments/in , /by

The China School’s Forest will be holding a fun, interactive Project Learning Tree workshop on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the China School’s Forest, 763 Lakeview Drive, China. All participants will receive the Pre K-8 Activity Guide with over 96 ready-to-use lessons to bring outdoor education to children. Receive information about supporting resources (including people) and outdoor classroom ideas.

  • Experience some hands-on activities you can use right away.
  • Learn tips and tricks to organizing your own Forest Field Day.
  • Explore the trails and outdoor classrooms and be inspired!
  • Make connections to Girl Scout badge topics, Next Generation Science Standards, ELA and math standards using outdoor education activities that support impactful learning opportunities. See meplt.org for more details.

The cost is $50, with several partial scholarships available for those willing to volunteer programming at the China School’s Forest. Fee includes the activity guide, resources, lunch and drink. Come dressed to be outside for most/all day.

To register, no later than April 19, 2019, please contact CJ at 621-9872 or cj@mainetree.org.

  • After this workshop, put your new skills to use by volunteering your time at our May 18 Girl Scout “Becoming a Naturalist” Day (not required as part of this workshop, but all are welcome to help for part or all day).

Check out https://www.facebook.com/chinaschoolsforest/ to get a sneak peek at their incredible trails and outdoor classrooms!

Maine Maple Sunday at Raider Sugarhouse

/0 Comments/in , /by

Raiders Sugarhouse in China, Maine.

by Roland D. Hallee

The evaporator is hard at work.

It was a busy day at Raider’s Sugarhouse, on the Bog Brook Road, in China. That was because March 24 was Maine Maple Sunday across the state.

Gail and Doug Tibbetts own and operate the seasonal enterprise which began about 15 years ago as a family project. About six years ago, they decided to go commercial with their maple products.

“We’re one of only a few sugar houses that still bottle maple syrup in glass,” Gail emphasized during her presentation.

Doug keeps the fire going.

Doug explained the maple sap comes into the sugarhouse via tubing throughout the forest behind the operation, but also saying some of the sap has to be brought to the facility by mounting a barrel on the back of a snowmobile to access the maple sap that is located on a hill that is difficult to get to any other way. “By far, sugar maple trees are the best to tap,” he explained, saying they generally contained the highest amounts of sugar.

Once the season is past, they pack up the equipment, close down the shed, and wait for the sap run next year.

Locally, their products are available year-round at their 148 Bog Brook Rd., location (call ahead 968-2005), or at Tobey’s Grocery, Fieldstone Quikstop and LaVerdiere’s Market, at the head of the lake.

Gail Tibbetts, left, who, along with husband Doug, owns Raider Sugarhouse, in China, explains her wares to some customers during Maine Maple Sunday, on March 24. (Photos by Roland D. Hallee)

Keeping French heritage alive in central Maine

/2 Comments/in , , /by

Some of the students who participate in the Maine French Language Heritage program. (contributed photo)

by Eric W. Austin

“French is French,” Charles Hicks tells me adamantly over coffee at Pat’s Pizza, on State Street. Hicks is the coordinator and sole teacher for the Maine French Heritage Language Program, in Augusta. He’s lamenting the idea that the French spoken in Maine isn’t perceived as “real” French.

Maine has a rich French heritage with nearly one-third of our residents having French in their background. That heritage is evidenced by the many French names of towns in Maine, among them Calais, Caribou, Montville, Presque Isle and, of course, Paris, just to name a few.

“There was a time when they would beat kids in elementary school for speaking French,” Hicks says, “so it totally made sense that you wouldn’t want to teach your kids something that would get them hurt.” But in consequence, much of the French language and Maine’s deep French legacy is being lost.

The Maine French Heritage Language Program (MFHLP) looks to change that. Established six years ago by Julia Schulz, who also co-founded the prestigious Penobscot School of Language Learning and Cultural Exchange, in Rockland, and Chelsea Ray, an associate professor of French Language and Literature, at the University of Maine at Augusta, MFHLP is a nonprofit after-school French language and culture program for children in grades first through sixth. Held from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Buker Community Center, in Augusta, the program is open to any interested students in central Maine.

Charles Hicks

Hicks himself has had a roundabout trip on the way to his position as coordinator of Augusta’s Maine French Heritage Language Program. Growing up in western Massachusetts, on the border with New York, his first experience with the French language came in college where he was, initially, a political science major. After spending his junior year abroad in France, he fell in love with the language and culture. It inspired him to pursue his master’s degree in the French language at the University of Maine at Orono. This led to a two-year stint in Fort Kent, an Aroostook County town in northern Maine with a large Franco-American population, followed by another prolonged stay in France as part of an advanced graduate program.

On returning to the states, Hicks spent 12 years as a traveling French language teacher to students in grades K-6 for schools in Manchester, Wayne and Mount Vernon. After budget cuts in 2007 killed the French language programs in many Maine elementary schools, Hicks took a position with MFHLP as a French teacher. When the coordinator left a few years later, Hicks embraced the dual roles of sole teacher for the program and also coordinator for its nonprofit fundraising efforts.

In addition to those duties, Hicks also teaches at Lawrence Junior High School, in Fairfield, and is an Adjunct Professor of French at Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield.

There are nine central Maine students in this year’s Maine French Heritage Language Program, seven from Augusta and two from Waterville, although Hicks would like to see that number increase to 20 in order to have enough students to organize both a beginner and an advanced class. Currently, all students are taught together. The program teaches children French language and culture through the use of fun activities and games, and with cultural excursions to places like the Maine State Museum. The program costs $9/class or $18/week per student.

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, the Maine French Heritage Language Program will host its big annual fundraiser, “Springtime in Paris,” from 6 – 9:30 p.m., at Le Club Calumet, on West River Road, in Augusta. The event features French food and music, as well as both a live and silent auction in order to raise money for the program. They are looking for people interested in attending, at $40 per person, or sponsoring a table of eight for $300. The money raised from this event will support the continuance of the program for the rest of the year. Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com, or by calling Wendy at the Buker Community Center, in Augusta, at 626-2350. Checks should be made out to “City of Augusta.”

They are also looking for people willing to donate items for the auction. Although items related to the French culture or language are preferred, and will usually go for a higher bid-price, any type of item will be gratefully accepted.

Anyone with questions about the program, or the “Springtime in Paris” fundraiser on April 27, is encouraged to contact Hicks by email at MFHLPAugustaME@gmail.com or phone at 215-3621. The language program is also in need of community volunteers, especially those with a knowledge of the French language, history or culture.

“French is French,” Hicks says again, at the end of our interview, “and we want the kids in Maine to learn it because it’s part of our heritage.”

Common Ground Round 3: Win a $10 Gift Certificate

/in /by

DEADLINE: Friday, April 10, 2019

Identify the men in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Retail Therapy boutique, 11 KMD Plaza, Kennedy Memorial Dr., Waterville, next to the Dairy Queen!* Email your answer to townline@fairpoint.net or through our Contact page.

You may also mail your answer to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358. (To be eligible for the drawing, you must email or snail mail your answer to us.)

Please do not leave the comment on this page!

*  Should there be more than one correct answer, a random drawing will be held to determine the winner.

Previous winner: Gisele Levasseur, Gilman, VT

Michelle Boyer inducted in Whitefield Lions

/0 Comments/in , , /by

From left to right, Barry Tibbetts, Michelle Boyer, first vice president Donna Brooks. (Contributed photo)

Michelle Boyer, of Augusta, was inducted into the Whitefield Lions Club on March 14 at the regular meeting held at the Lions Den, in Coopers Mills. The induction ceremony was performed by First Vice President, Lion Donna Brooks, of Jefferson. Boyer is sponsored by Lion Barry Tibbetts, of Whitefield. To learn more about the Whitefield Lions Club call Whitefield Lions Club President, Kim Haskell at 446-2545.