Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)
An Oct. 21 public letter from Vassalboro School Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer tells residents that Nov. 5 plans have changed. Because voting will be at Vassalboro Community School (VCS), classes have been canceled for that Tuesday. The day will be made up in June 2025 as though it were a snow day.
Before
The Knights of Columbus Guardian Angel Council of Somerset, Council #2089, of Madison and Skowhegan, have recently completed a two-year project at the St. Sebastian Cemetery, in Madison. The old iron fencing at the front of the cemetery was removed and replaced with newly-painted posts and chain link fencing. (Contributed photos)
After
Actors pictured, from left to right, Becky Paradis, Candy Clark, Gina Krummel, Brian Stanley, Ethan Sargent, Ashton Erving, Grace Pirri, Jan Clowes. (contributed photo)
Murder by the Book returns by popular demand following the sold out shows in mid-October. Join them for an epic final night if you missed it before or want to catch it again. The final show will be held on Saturday, November 2, at 7 p.m., at the Vassalboro Grange, 353 Main St.
Overflow parking is available at the Historical Society (327 Main St.) or the Vassalboro Library (930 Bog Rd.) for those who can walk.
Murder by the Book was written by Canadian playwright, Laura Teasdale, and sponsored by novelist Louise Penny, alongside special arrangements with the Playwrights Guild of Canada. The play is a fundraiser for the Vassalboro library. Cost of tickets: $10 adults, $2 children. Refreshments and snacks by donation. The theatrical play showcases Vassalboro actors as well as starring roles from members of the Waterville Creates community.
Vassalboro Historical Society
On Saturday, October 26, representatives from historical societies across Central Maine met at the Vassalboro Historical Society, united by a shared goal: to preserve and celebrate Maine’s rich history. About two dozen history enthusiasts and society members gathered to share updates, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions to common issues.
Each society had a unique story to tell, with updates ranging from the restoration of historic buildings to engaging community programs. For example, the China Historical Society spoke about their recent presentation on the town’s almost forgotten narrow gauge railway system.
Despite the successes, the societies also discussed a variety of shared challenges, such as the need to grow their membership, the constant problem of limited funds, not enough volunteer support, and the often-daunting task of digitizing historic records.
“We’re constantly juggling the need to catalog items and preserve them while also making history accessible to the community,” said one attendee, a sentiment that was echoed by others.
Many societies expressed hope in drawing younger members to the cause, with some already seeing promising signs of interest from new generations. The Vassalboro Historical Society even mentioned their new TikTok channel, where short, engaging clips are helping to spark interest among younger audiences.
Each historical society had a wish list that included more storage space, financial support, or equipment like climate-controlled rooms and scanners. As one attendee put it, “We may be small, but we’re doing everything we can to preserve our local history for future generations.”
Residents interested in history and community service are encouraged to get involved with their nearest historical society. Whether you have time, expertise, or just a love for the past, there’s a way for you to contribute!
All veterans and community members are invited to participate in the Waterville Veterans Day parade on Monday, November 11, 2024. Lineup begins at 10 a.m., at The Elm, 21 College Ave. Waterville. A ceremony will be held at Castonguay Square, on Main St., at 11 a.m. It will be followed by lunch at MacCrillis-Rousseau Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8835, on Veterans Drive, in Winslow.
by André ChasséOne of the core American freedoms is the right to cast a ballot on election day, whether you’re voting for your local school board or having your say on who will run our country for the next four years. With the clock ticking down toward one of the most crucial and contentious elections in our nation’s history, now is the time for Mainers to make sure they have the information they need to make their voices heard and their votes count.
It’s a fact: Voters aged 50-plus decide elections. In 2024, that means they’ll decide who controls Congress and the White House. This powerful voting bloc, made up of people like me, wants to know what solutions the candidates are proposing on key issues that impact them and their families. If elected, what will they do to support family caregivers and protect Social Security?
AARP is mobilizing America’s more than 48 million family caregivers, including 166,000 here in Maine to fight for commonsense solutions that will save them time and money while supporting their efforts to care for their loved ones. Family caregivers are the backbone of a broken long-term care system. They help with everything from buying groceries and managing medications to bathing and dressing – often putting their own finances and jobs at risk. Family caregivers provide more than $600 billion in unpaid labor each year, saving taxpayers billions by keeping loved ones at home and out of costly nursing homes. Maine’s family caregivers contribute more than 155 million unpaid care hours each year, valued at approximately 2.9 billion.
Family caregivers make up one in five voters. Smart candidates know that reaching these crucial voters and supporting policies that help them are essential steps on the road to victory.
Voters age 50-plus are also focused on the future of Social Security. We’ve worked hard for years and paid in, and we expect to get the money we’ve earned. If Washington doesn’t take action in about 10 years to protect and save Social Security, it could be cut by 20 percent, an average of $4,000 a year. For many Mainers a cut like that would be devastating. Voters 50-plus like me want to know what the candidates are proposing to protect Social Security not only for us but for our children and grandchildren as well.
As the nation’s largest organization for older Americans, AARP provides trusted up-to-date information on where, when and how to vote. We don’t tell our members or anyone else who to vote for, but we are committed to making sure all voters have the information they need to make their voices heard.
AARP Maine’s voter guide is now available online at aarp.org/mainevotes. It contains what voters of all ages need to know to cast a ballot in the 2024 general election. Several voting regulations have changed since the last election. That’s why it is so very important to know the rules here in Maine and to make a plan for casting your vote.
The stakes are very high this and every single election year. Make sure your vote counts on November 5.
The views of the author of this column are not necessarily those of The Town Line newspaper, its staff and board of directors.
During the holiday season for the last three years, members of American Legion Post #126, Vassalboro, gathered personal care products, puzzle books, and snacks for veterans at Togus Veterans Home, in Augusta. With the support of various organizations and individuals this has been an amazing display of generosity and thanks to our veterans.
The members of American Legion Post #126, Vassalboro, are inviting you to join them as they collect personal care products, snacks, puzzle books, etc., for this project. Once again, the Sew for a Cause group at St. Bridget Center have made and donated more than 250 Christmas stockings for this project. They will fill the stockings on December 9, 2024, at St Bridget Center, 864 Main St., North Vassalboro. All are welcome to sort and fill the stockings. The filled stockings will be delivered to Togus Veterans Home by December 12, 2024.
Your support and donation are needed to meet the goal. For more information, to volunteer and/or make a donation call 207 616-3148.
The Maine Department of Transportation project to replace the bridge that carries Western Avenue (Route 202) over I-95 in Augusta is going to begin having significant traffic impacts later this month.
Beginning on Monday, October 28, the ramp that carries eastbound Western Avenue traffic to the interstate will be closed. Eastbound traffic will be able to use one of three detours to access I-95:
– Vehicles can continue eastbound down Western Avenue and reverse direction at Meadow Road/Fuller Road to access the interstate from the westbound side of Western Avenue.
– Vehicles can continue eastbound down Western Avenue and take a right on Senator Way followed by a left on Crossing Way (this goes past Target), and then access the interstate from the westbound side of Western Avenue. This option is the official truck detour.
– For southbound interstate access only, vehicles can take a right on Whitten Road before the interstate. There will be a new connection between Whitten Road and the southbound interstate ramp.
Beginning on Monday, November 18, the southbound interstate exit ramp at Exit 109B will also be closed. Southbound traffic can use Exit 109A to get off the interstate and onto Western Avenue.
Each of these ramp closures will last approximately 30 days. During this time, contractors will be constructing the temporary bridge that will carry Western Avenue over the interstate during the next phase of construction.
On-site construction for this project started in November 2023. The work has been happening primarily under the existing bridge and ramps with minimal traffic impacts.
The existing Western Avenue bridge is approximately 70 years old. MaineDOT is replacing the structure with a new bridge on a similar alignment. The new bridge will provide additional vertical clearance on the interstate. It will also include approximately 1,350 feet of new sidewalk along Western Avenue and Whitten Road to improve pedestrian access and safety.
The contractor for this project is Reed & Reed, Inc. of Woolwich. The contract amount is approximately $30 million.
Ticonic Bridge, Waterville-WinslowOriginal plans, beginning December 16, the Ticonic Bridge across the Kennebec River, between Waterville and Winslow, will be closed to all traffic through June 20, 2025. However, because this falls during the holiday season, the Maine Department of Transportation and Cianbro Corp., the contractor, are in talks about delaying the closure until after the holidays. More details to come.
Pictured left to right, Amy Washburn, and Betty Price, sort through the many school items gathered. (contributed photo)
Over the years, the American Legion Auxiliary Tardiff-Belaner, Unit #39, Madison, has supported community programs such as children and youth. In recent years the organization has sponsored a school supplies collection which included backpacks, pens, pencils, markers, notebooks, binders, crayons, colored pencils, water bottles, hand sanitizer, etc. With the generosity of cash donations and school supplies from the community and members, the American Legion Auxiliary of Madison was able to donate $450 worth of school supplies to 6 schools in the SAD #59 Madison and RSU#74 Anson area!!
As part of the world’s largest patriotic service organization, American Legion Auxiliary members have dedicated themselves for over a century to meeting the needs of our nation’s veterans, military, and their families both here and abroad. They volunteer millions of hours yearly, with a value of nearly $2 billion. To learn more about the Auxiliary’s mission or to volunteer, donate or join, visit www.ALA forVeterans. org or contact: Jacie Pollis, President – American Legion Auxiliary Tardiff-Belanger Unit #39, PO Box 325, Madison, ME 04950.
Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village (photo courtesy of library Facebook page)
(Read about the candidates’ opening statements here.)
Three candidates for the state legislature and six candidates for China town offices spoke to an audience of more than three dozen at the Oct. 9 candidates’ forum at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village.
— Five candidates for three seats on the select board, incumbents Blane Casey and Brent Chesley and Edwin Bailey, Tod Detre and Thomas Rumpf.
— Timothy Basham, unopposed for re-election to the budget committee; there are no candidates on the Nov. 5 local ballot for two other budget committee positions.
— Incumbent Katrina Smith and challenger Pamela Swift, both Palermo residents, vying for the Maine House District #62 seat (representing China, Hibberts Gore, Palermo, Somerville and Windsor).
— Raegan LaRochelle, of Augusta, seeking the District #15 Maine Senate seat (Augusta, Belgrade, China, Mount Vernon, Sidney, Vassalboro). Her opponent, Richard Bradstreet, was not present; moderator Janet Preston said a communications problem had prevented him from attending.
Preston asked all nine candidates the same questions, covering housing and ways to let elderly people remain in their homes; local emergency services; Delta Ambulance; public open spaces; and higher education.
Speakers agreed people should be able to stay in their houses as long as they want to. Suggested ways to help included keeping property taxes down (Bailey, Chesley); improving public transportation (Detre); community sharing, like China’s proposed dog park (Detre) and weekly Wednesday morning Senior Game Day (Rumpf); and improved broadband to promote on-line medical care (Detre).
Swift, Smith and LaRochelle summarized innovative housing programs in Palermo and Augusta.
On the topic of volunteer fire departments and rescue units, Smith, Swift and LaRochelle sounded the alarm on a pending OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulation that has the laudable aim of keeping volunteers safe, but in their opinions constitutes overregulation.
Swift said Palermo’s fire chief told the select board the rule, if implemented, would make Palermo’s fire trucks substandard and firefighters’ training and gear inadequate. The chief opined it would cost $2 million to bring the fire department to code.
Consensus among China town candidates was that fire and rescue personnel should be represented in any discussion of their needs. Suggestions for encouraging more volunteers included more publicity, especially social media (Rumpf), and approaching Erskine Academy students (Bailey).
Rumpf recommended standardizing equipment among the three fire departments. Casey advocated state payment for training. Detre suggested a town-hired funding coordinator might bring more financial support.
Most speakers disapproved of towns being responsible for funding ambulance service, recommending county (LaRochelle), state (Chesley, Rumpf, Smith) or federal (Chesley, emphasizing the inadequacy of Medicare support for ambulances, Rumpf) funding. Detre thought a cooperative service with neighboring towns worth exploring, Casey thought it unaffordable.
Moderator Preston asked for reactions to economic development research showing “investing in public open spaces” brings residents and businesses and increases the tax base, contrasted with reducing municipal spending; and specifically for opinions on the proposed China dog park.
Detre was the only defender of the dog park, seeing it as a place where people with a common interest could mingle. He recommended funding open space projects with grants or with China’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) funds while they’re available, not from taxes.
Chesley disagreed about using TIF funds, which come from Central Maine Power Company’s local taxes and, unlike federal ARPA (American Relief Plan Act) money, need not be allocated promptly.
LaRochelle interjected that both men were right. TIF programs end after 30 years, with a short grace period to finish spending, she said. [China’s program ends in 2045 – editor’s note.]
Chesley, Casey, Rumpf and Bailey all think China has adequate open space, public and private. Detre regretted the lack of lake access for non-shorefront owners, except boat access.
Rumpf, president of China’s Four Seasons Club, said after voters rejected an opportunity to buy lake frontage [in November 2013 – editor’s note], the club offered reduced-price memberships allowing access to its China Lake beach. There were two takers.
The question about education brought support for community college, especially with the option to continue to the University of Maine system, from Democrats Swift and LaRochelle, but not from Republican Smith. On the local level, Detre (reminding people he is a University of Maine system employee) was in favor. Casey questioned education “on taxpayers’ backs”; Bailey agreed with Casey.
Casey, Chesley, Detre and Rumpf all supported trade schools, with variations. Rumpf and Basham both suggested incentives for graduates to stay – and work – in Maine; Smith said her son who finished training as a welder is having trouble finding a job.
Audience questions directed at the five select board candidates revealed that Casey, Chesley and Detre prefer written-ballot town meetings to open ones, because more voters express opinions to guide town officials. Bailey and Rumpf agreed open meetings bring few attendees; Bailey would be willing to try an open town meeting again.
Asked again about economic development as the meeting wound down, Detre supported it, including solar farms; Chesley endorsed small manufacturing; Rumpf cited the riders of Four Seasons Club trails who spend money at China businesses.
China’s Tuesday, Nov. 5, voting will be in the former portable building behind the town office, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots will be available at the town office through Thursday, Oct. 31.
CLARIFICATION
In the October 17, 2024, issue of The Town Line, on page 2, in the story about the candidates’ forum held at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, the writer stated that Rep. Richard Bradstreet did not attend due to a “communication problem”.
Louisa Barnhart, President of the China Library Association, who organized the event, provided a clarification:
“Albert Church Brown Memorial Library recently held a candidate forum. We had excellent participation from candidates and the public. That is everyone but one.
“Representative Richard Bradstreet, Republican candidate for State Senate, was inadvertently not invited. This was not discovered until the night of the event, unfortunately.
“On behalf of the trustees of ACBM Library, I’d like to extend our sincere apology for this mistake. Our library carefully writes non-partisan questions and welcomes all points of view. There were other Republicans participating.
“As an organization, we do not support or oppose particular campaigns or candidates in any way. As a 501(c)3, we take our duty to remain nonpolitical extremely seriously.
“A mistake of this magnitude underscores our responsibility to carefully invite each candidate. We will be changing our procedures and carefully double checking invitation lists in the future.”