KHS to present Midcoast Maine in World War II

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Shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works.

Peggy Konitzky, author of Midcoast Maine in World War II, will talk about what life was like here at home during the war years. Hear stories and see vivid photographs about how ordinary people took worry about loved ones, rationing, price controls, civilian defense drills, food shortages, blackouts and more in their stride and added new burdens of war work and volunteering to their already busy daily lives.

Peggy Konitzky

The Kennebec Historical Society’s July speaker, Peggy Konitzky, is the Historic New England Midcoast Maine Site Manager. She manages Castle Tucker and the Nickels-Sortwell House, in Wiscasset, the Bowman Estate, in Dresden, and Marrett House, in Standish. She holds a degree in history from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, an MBA from New York University and a Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University. Originally from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Peggy has held a number of positions in museum and historic preservation nonprofits in Maine since beginning her second career in 2001.

The Kennebec Historical Society July Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted). The presentation will be followed by some light refreshments and take place on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, at 6:30 p.m., at the Jewett Hall Auditorium, located at 46 University Drive, on the campus of the University of Maine at Augusta.

Winslow resident to debut animated movie at film festival

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Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm

Brian Zemrak, of Winslow, writer and director of an animated movie called Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm, will have its world premiere at the Maine International Film Festival on Saturday, July 13, at 12:30 p.m., at the Railroad Square Cinema, in Waterville. There will also be a second showing on Sunday, July 14, at 12:30 p.m., at the Waterville Opera House, as part of the film festival.

The film started as a bedtime story he made up to tell his daughters and now is a full length feature animated movie starring the voice talents of the late Dom DeLuise, Ruth Buzzi (Laugh-In), Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years, West Wing), June Lockhart (Lost In Space), Rob Paulsen (Animanica’s), Debi DerryBerry (Jimmy Neutron), Bill Farmer (the voice of Disney’s Goofy) and many others. He wrote several songs for the musical film which are sung by Tony nominees Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway, as well as Telly Leung, who starred as Aladdin for two years on Broadway, in Disney’s Aladdin.

The project has taken over 14 years to complete, with the voice-overs recorded back in 2005, and one of his daughters is the composer of the score for the film! Truly a labor of love.

Carrabec High School honor roll spring 2019

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Grade 12 – High honors: Lilyana Aloes, Lauren Chestnut, Gabrielle Hughes, Lillian Johnson, Lindsay Lesperance, Lauren Rafferty, Dylan Reichert, Taegan Tatakis, Makayla Vicneire and Chantel Whittemore. Honors:  Tristan Bachelder, Jurney Beane, Gwynith Breault, Bradley Clark, Madolynn Hughes, Brody Miller, Peter Mouland, Lucas Murray, Cole Rugh and Sidney Small.

Grade 11 – High honors:  Cassidy Ayotte, Annika Carey, Olivia Fortier, Mary-Jena Oliver, Abby Richardson and Cheyenne Sirois. Honors: Emily Avery, Isaac Boucher, Nevaeh Burnham, Ashley Cates, Caitlin Crawford, Shay Cyrway, Caroline Decker, Paige Giroux, Olivia Gonio, Ricky Gordon III, Ariel Guinn, Madison Jaros and Scott Mason.

Grade 10 – High honors:  Sarah Olson. Honors: Jasmyne Coombs, Ethan Johnson, Chantelle LaCroix, Elizabeth Manzer, Mikayla Oliver, Courtney Peabody and Anastasia Quimby.

Grade 9 – High honors:  Cheyenne Cahill, Shyanne Holmes, Courtney Rollins and Garrett Wilson. Honors: Lilly Augustine, Emma Baker, Abigayle Ballard, Bryson Boston, Erin Clark, Alexander Cloutier, Xavier Cloutier, Charlee Davis, Tyler Edwards, Abigail Luce, Seth Sayles, Aislinn Slate, Trinity Slate, Brandon Smith, Cassidy Smith, Hunter Tewksbury and Ethan Wyman.

Veterans observe July 4 holiday

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Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #6924, in Fairfield, wave to cheering crowds during the Central Maine Fourth of July celebration held in Clinton. (photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

 

Residents in Clinton celebrate the 4th of July, 2019. (photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

KBH announces college scholarship recipients

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Kennebec Behavioral Health has announced its 2019 college scholarship recipients. This year, the following students will each receive a $1,000 scholarship upon successful completion of their first semester at their chosen college or university.

Local recipients include:

  • Leah Allee, Cony High School, Augusta.
  • Jenna Butler, Erskine Academy, South China.
  • Brenna Saucier, Lawrence High School, Fairfield.
  • Sydney Noonan, Skowhegan High School, Skowhegan.
  • Aubrey Fossett, Waterville High School, Waterville.
  • Dakota Estes, Winslow High School, Winslow.

Bridge loan money available to China businesses; applications available at town office

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China residents or non-resident property or business owners needing a bridge loan to help start or expand a business in China may apply to borrow between $5,000 and $25,000 from the TIF revolving loan fund. After months of discussing a revolving loan fund, TIF Committee members agreed on July 1 to “put it live.” Information and application forms will soon be available on the Town of China website.

Lake Association Annual Meetings 2019

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Image Credit: chinalakeassociation.org

2019 Lake Association Annual Meetings

*   *   *

THREE MILE POND
Saturday, July 13 • 10 a.m.
Windsor Town Halle

CHINA LAKE
Saturday, July 20 • 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
China Primary School

WASHINGTON LAKES
Thursday, July 25 • 7 p.m.
Gibbs Library

WEBBER POND
Saturday, August 17, 9 a.m.
Vassalboro Community School

ANNABESSACOOK LAKE ASSN.
Saturday, August 17, 8:30 a.m.
Augusta West Kampground
off Holmes Road

*   *   *

To be included in this list, contact The Town Line at townline@fairpoint.net.

Local production to benefit The Town Line

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The play, Senator Mitchell’s Sidney Farmer Comes to Washington, will be performed on Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m., at the Vassalboro Grange Hall. Paul Cates wrote the play in the late ‘80s – early ‘90s, and would be so proud.

All proceeds will benefit The Town Line newspaper!

This production stars Steve Assante, Dr. Alan Ross, Dot Cates, Margaret Cates, Bernie Welch, John Reuthe, Holly Weidner, Helen Cates Devoe, Jody Welch, and Ethan Cates with musical accompaniment by Helen LeFleur. Stage direction is by Kala Wistar and Matthew Freytag. It is being directed by Linda Titus, and coordinated by Elisabeth Cates. Truly a community creation. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed preparing it!

Refreshments will follow the performance downstairs in the dining hall.

Please call and let us know how many are coming! We would so much love to have a full house.

We think you will really enjoy the play!

Three Mile Pond pilot project aims to replicate successes of China LakeSmart

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LakeSmart crews at work!

by Jennifer Brockway

China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA) is pleased to announce a new program focused on water quality at Three Mile Pond.

Lakefront property owners know the impact of water quality on their summer experience. Not all landowners know, however, the positive impact they can have on water quality. The choices made by lakefront landowners can make a difference for the people, fish and wildlife that call Three Mile Pond home. By making landscaping choices that keep stormwater out of Three Mile Pond, landowners can help combat the number one water pollutant – eroded soil, also called “non-point source pollution.” Phosphorus in soil promotes plant growth – in the lake that means algal blooms!

LakeSmart is an education and reward program coordinated by the Maine Lakes Society that helps lakefront homeowners make land use choices that keep pollutants out of our lakes. It is free, non-regulatory and entirely voluntary. Properties that meet LakeSmart standards receive a distinctive blue and white LakeSmart Award sign in celebration of good lake stewardship.

China Lake Association has operated a highly successful China LakeSmart program for many years. This summer, the CRLA has partnered with China LakeSmart to pilot the program at Three Mile Pond. Through the program, a free LakeSmart evaluation is available to lakefront property owners in China and Windsor this July or August. A trained evaluator will visit the property and recommend steps to take to capture and filter stormwater in order to keep pollutants out of the lake. Participating landowners will receive a follow-up report with suggested actions to support lake water quality, such as maintaining or enhancing vegetated buffers, installing water bars or relocating pathways and installing “infiltration steps” down to the lake.

For a limited number of sites in 2019, the CRLA will provide a technical design developed by a qualified professional, and the free labor of the CRLA Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Program will install the best management practices identified in the free evaluation. The CRLA is able to offer this program at no cost to Three Mile Pond landowners thanks in part to pilot project funding awarded by the Davis Conservation Foundation and New England Grassroots Environment Fund.

The CRLA will gratefully accept contributions to help offset the costs of the program and stretch pilot program funds across a greater number of sites. These gifts may be directed to CRLA, P.O. Box 6339, China Village, ME 04926.

For more information or to request a free LakeSmart evaluation, please contact Jennifer at (207) 679-7306 or jennifer@riseandshine.consulting.

See also:

Beef up your buffers

Beef up your buffer

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Vegetated buffers along a shorefront (cottage on right) reduce pollution and sedimentation, as well as providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. (photo courtesy of Androscoggin Valley SWCD)

Runoff from gravel road and shoreland homesites is the Number 1 cause of lake, pond and stream pollution in the state of Maine. Water travelling over the surface of roads and yards carries nutrients and other pollutants into waterbodies; soil from erosion is carried in runoff and results in sedimentation, as well as carrying phosphorous, a limiting nutrient for algal blooms. This spring has provided the opportunity to see where that runoff from roads and homesites is originating – and the opportunity to do something about it.

On Thursday, July 25, at 7 p.m., in the Bryant Room, at Gibbs Library, 40 Old Union Rd., in Washington, the Washington Lakes Association annual meeting will present Vegetated Buffers for Lake Water Quality by Hildy Ellis, program manager for Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District. This slide presentation will demonstrate how landowners can improve water infiltration on shorefront properties with a vegetated buffer of native plants. Vegetated buffers will stabilize shoreland soils, absorb water and nutrients, trap excess soil, provide wildlife habitat – including pollinators – and mimic natural systems to create a dynamic landscape to enjoy in all seasons.

The public is invited to join members of the Washington Lakes Association for this free program. For more information about the program and the Washington Lakes Association, contact Charlotte Henderson at 845-2661.