Jean Poulin, Vassalboro’s bookkeeper for 15 years, to retire on July 2

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Jean Poulin

by Mary Grow

Jean Poulin estimates more than $94,000,000 have passed through her ledgers since she became the Town of Vassalboro’s bookkeeper on Sept. 11, 2006 – a position from which she is about to retire.

The money came to the town from local tax payments, excise taxes, state revenue sharing, income from investments, occasional state or federal grants and miscellaneous other sources.

It went out, every two weeks (plus a state payment the odd week), to pay town employees’ salaries and to cover other town expenditures, from thousands of dollars to support the school department to a few dollars for some essential item for the town office, the public works department or the transfer station.

Vassalboro selectmen meet every two weeks, and every meeting includes approval of two warrants, the payroll warrant and the accounts payable warrant. (Warrant, in this context, is the list of checks; it is not the same as a town meeting warrant, which is the list of articles to be voted on.)

Poulin explained that for payroll, employees turn in time sheets; Town Manager Mary Sabins double-checks them; Poulin prints checks or does a direct deposit, as appropriate. Payroll amounts are quite consistent from week to week, she said, except when the public works drivers put in overtime for plowing snow and at the end of the fiscal year, when longevity bonuses are added for qualified employees.

For the accounts payable warrant, Poulin gets bills by mail, email and hand delivery, from town department heads and from venders. Department heads include an explanation of the expenditure and information on which line in the budget it should be drawn against.

Again, Sabins reviews the list that will go to the selectboard; Poulin prepares the checks; and selectmen review and approve both warrants.

The Maine Motor Vehicle Department wants its share of registration fees every week, Poulin said. She prepares a separate warrant for the department and notifies selectmen when it is ready for the required single signature. Usually, she said, a selectboard member stops at the town office promptly.

Poulin’s daily duties include a sweep and deposits. The sweep involves transferring money newly received, over the counter or on-line (tax payments or vehicle registrations, for example), out of Vassalboro’s checking account, which earns no interest. She then deposits it in the interest-earning money market account.

Sweeps work both ways, Poulin said: when it’s time to pay bills, she transfers enough from the money market to cover the checks she needs to write.

There is more paperwork – daily reports on tax collections, vehicle registrations and other topics, quarterly reports to the federal government and the state government, reviews with the firm through which the town invests, reviews with the auditor.

Another part of her job is assisting patrons at the counter in the town office while another employee is out sick or on lunch break.

Poulin is a Vassalboro native and Cony High School, in Augusta, graduate. After earning an associate’s degree in business and accounting from the former Kennebec Valley Technical College, in Fairfield, Poulin worked at Sebasticook Valley Hospital, in Pittsfield, before getting married, moving to Florida for a while and then returning to central Maine.

Poulin jokes that she got her Vassalboro job through a fair – but not a job fair. At Windsor Fair in 2006, she ran into a long-time Vassalboro friend, Michael Vashon, who was then town manager.

Vashon was looking for a bookkeeper and invited Poulin to submit a resume. Within a few days, he hired her.

She’s enjoyed her job, she said, both the work and especially her colleagues over the years. She likes figures for their definiteness. “If it’s not right, you’ll find it,” she said.

She has one big plan for retirement, though: “Not to get up every morning and drive to Vassalboro.” Instead, she intends to use unscheduled time to enjoy her grandchildren and her flower garden, and she and her husband plan a few relaxing days on the coast.

Poulin’s last day in the Vassalboro town office will be July 2. Her successor will be Melanie Anderson, most recently Benton town clerk. Poulin said she and Anderson plan to work together for a few days as June winds down.

China Lake Association; Protecting the Lake and Land Owners: Nonprofit Spotlight

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Some of the attendees at the Invasive Plant 101 workshop, held in China on August 24, were, from left to right, Sonny Pierce, of Rangeley Lake Heritage Trust, Peter Caldwell and Marie Michaud, China Lake Association, and Spencer Harriman, of Lake Stewards of Maine. (contributed photo)

by Steve Ball

“The quality of China Lake has improved noticeably over the past five years. I can remember algae so thick on the surface that when I ran my boat I would leave a wake of algae behind me.”

Larry Sikora, China Lake property owner

Imagine the impact a polluted lake would have on the town of China and its residents. There was a day, in the late 1980s, when there was justifiable concern with the cleanliness of the lake. Many China residents likely remember the algae blooms resulting in low fish counts, few lake birds, limited lakeside wildlife, and sparse or distorted shore plant life. All these are indications that the health of the lake is failing.

The results of this condition can be devastating for a community like China and its surrounding towns that rely so heavily on its lake for its drinking water and attracting tourism and recreation, and, thus, growing economic activity.

In mid-1990s the University of Maine conducted an extended study of the connection between the health of Maine’s lakes, as measured in nutrient and cleanliness levels, and local economic growth. In the 1996 study, “Water Quality Affects Property Prices: A Case Study of Selected Maine Lakes,” the authors found what many lake residents have known for years, there is direct link between healthy waters and good economic viability. Everything from the direct economic impact resulting from lake usage, to the price of lakeside homes and camps and the town’s tax revenue generated from waterfront properties is either positively or negatively impacted by the cleanliness of the local lake. China Lake was one of the 34 lakes in Maine included in the study.

The other reality of addressing the health of lake waters is that remediating, or cleaning up a problem like algae bloom, or an overheated lake is far more expensive than preventing the problem.

It is for these reasons that the China Lake Association was formed in 1987. Their mission is simple: Through education, fund raising and other proper activities, to guard the waters of China Lake against pollution, to preserve the environmental health of the China Lake watershed and to protect and enhance the beauty of the Lake and its adjacent area.

The CLA has made a difference in this community through active and persistent action to help keep China Lake the clean, fresh lake that people in this community and our visitors have grown to expect. But that work needs people committed to rolling up their sleeves and doing everything from replanting lakeside vegetation to help minimize the effects of erosion and runoff, to managing the Boat Inspection Program, to studying the ways the lake is polluted and finding solutions, to educating youth and adults about the importance of having a clean and healthy lake.

Several people since the organization’s founding have helped to make this organization effective. Scott Pierz, the current president of the CLA is not only an avid champion for China Lake, he has become a student of what it takes to steward a healthy lake in Maine. Pierz, the former Codes Enforcement Officer for China, knows the area well and appreciates the impact China Lake has on nearly every household in the community.

A revegetation project China Lake Association supports working with fifth grade students in both Vassalboro and China schools. This project is organized by Matt Streeter from the Alewife Restoration Project. Nate Gray, from the Department of Marine Resources, is always present and Anita Smith, of China, presents the information on native plants. (contributed photo)

Of all the things CLA is involved in, the education aspect is one that seems to appeal to Pierz’s talents. He believes that if we can educate our middle schoolers about the value of keeping a clean and healthy lake our future is bright. The CLA has taught classes on loons, how a lake becomes polluted, and they’ve hosted a poster contest. In Pierz’s mind, “We are building a youth of informed citizens” who will know what it means to have a clean lake and, more specifically, what it means to the town of China to have a clean lake.

In addition to education and the Boat Inspection Program, the CLA has been actively involved in the China Lake Alewife Restoration Initiative, ARI. Knowing the value of a natural alewife population on cleansing fresh waters, the CLA has been a part of a program to restore passage for 950,000 alewives migrating from the Sebasticook River to China Lake. With the goal to remove obsolete dams that had obstructed the passage of alewives and construct fishways where necessary, the ARI has successfully restored an alewife population to China Lake. The results to the lake’s waters have been remarkable; noticeably cleaner water, higher bird counts and more lake plant life. The fish count is harder to determine, but some attest the fishing has been better.

Another undertaking started by the CLA has been the Gravel Road Rehabilitation Program. This was the brainchild of Pierz who saw that runoff from some gravel roads surrounding the lake was bringing damaging pollutants into the water. The project involves getting an engineering plan and then bringing together the manpower to assist with either diverting the runoff, or planting buffer plants, or re-grading of the roads; whatever it takes to prevent damaging runoff from entering the lake.

In addition, the CLA assists the state of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection in running the Lake Smart Program for China Lake property owners. Lake Smart, an education and reward program, provides assistance to lakefront homeowners to better manage landscapes in ways that protect water quality. Through the program property owners can receive a technical inspection with a proposed improvement plan by a DEP certified Soil and Water Conservation Engineer that can ultimately be enacted through CLA help and volunteer labor.

All of these programs and initiatives have two goals in mind; improve the quality of China Lake’s water and build a sustainable system to assure its quality in years to come. It is this relentless commitment to finding and carrying out ways to keep China Lake clean and healthy that has come to define the China Lake Association. The community may not see everything they do, and some residents may not remember what it was like when the lake was suffering from damaging algae blooms, but everyone should appreciate there is a nonprofit working in the community for the benefit of every citizen.

The Town Line will continue with a series on local nonprofit groups and their work in their respective communities. To include your group, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.

SPECIAL TO THE TOWN LINE: Father’s Day began in Europe during middle ages

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by Gary Kennedy

Well, what did you expect? Mother’s day was Sunday, May 9. In this day as we age how can you justify the celebration of one parent without the same attention being given to the other? Of course, we love them both and each is special in his or her own way. We must celebrate them both. We could have done Parents Day but that wouldn’t be practical because you would only get one day off from work. These things cleverly benefit all. So all that being said; what’s it all about?

In Catholic countries of Europe it has been celebrated as Saint Joseph Day on March 19 since the middle ages. So it is not an exclusive American holiday. Actually there are 111 countries which honor father and fatherhood. Dad: A son’s first hero, and a daughter’s first love. The power of a dad in the life of a child goes unmatched. The paternal bond goes unquestionably through the children from their dad, as does the maternal bond from mom to the children. Each has an event in the hearts and minds of the children, one which will be carried with them for life. An appropriate and loving installation of these characteristics will nurture the development of children and they in turn will pass this on to theirs.

Although the date of father’s day varies throughout the world the holiday is basically the same. The American version of Father’s Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd, of Spokane, Washington, in 1910, and celebrated on the third Sunday of June. She was inspired as you might have guessed by Anna Jarvis who began Mother’s Day. It didn’t catch on at first. After leaving for a while, Sonora Dodd returned to Washington and carried the banner once more. This time the evolution was kick started by the very same entities that Anne Jarvis hated, commercial interest groups. It would prove to be a very good business move for sales of men’s wear and accessories. Even our own Margaret Chase Smith had a hand in the deliverance of Father’s Day. President Lyndon B. Johnson adopted it and later in 1972 President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

So we are very quickly filling the calendar with holidays. There are more than 70 million fathers in the United States. That is a lot of commercial exploitation and a great opportunity to capitalize off an anxious-to-spend society. The man who inspired Father’s Day was a single parent of six children and a Civil War veteran. His wife died leaving him to raise them, and that he did.

It is estimated that Americans spend more than a billion dollars on gifts, during this event. There are many Father’s Day events scattered throughout history. If you are really into this research it could take you back to the Old Testament.

However, today on a worldly note St. Joseph’s Day would be for most a beginning. According to the Roman Catholic tradition the scripture – Genesis 12:3, 22:18 shows another reason and pathway. This scripture states, “In thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed”. Here it is stated that the respect of this day follows the flesh of Christ starting with Adam and Emphasizing the Patriarch Abraham. This also includes the ancestors of Mary, mother of Jesus.

We now also have Sibling and Grandparent Day. However, you can see that even though we place a great deal of emphasis on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is actually the oldest and most dominant of these holidays dating back to at least 1508. This would lead up to the feast of St. Joseph. (Nutritor Domini) – Nourisher of the Lord and the putative father of the Lord as defined by different Catholic orders. It is believed this might have been carried to the 14th and 15th centuries by the Franciscans.

God gives us the greatest example of a father’s love. So in Christianity God the Father shared all things good with his son Jesus, so are we to do this with our children. A father has a duty to see that all things good are taught to the children and they in turn are to teach theirs. In the end all is good, as it should be. Happy Father’s Day to you and yours and God Bless.

Carrabec High School 4th quarter 2021 honor roll

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Carrabec High School

GRADE 12

High honors: Jasmyne Coombs, Andrew Davis, Natalynn Deuble, Chantelle LaCroix, Autumn Morrill, Mikayla Oliver, Sarah Olson, Courtney Peabody and Anastasia Quimby. Honors:  Aidan Caplin, Alexis Dickey, Elizabeth Manzer and Samual Scott.

GRADE 11

High honors:  Emma Baker, Cheyenne Cahill, Shyanne Holmes, Sean Olson, and Courtney Rollins. Honors: Lilly Augustine, Roger Beaulieu, Jr., Alexander Cloutier, Tyler Edwards, Abigail Luce, Trinity Slate, Brandon Smith, Cassidy Smith, Brooke Welch, Garrett Wilson and Ethan Wyman.

GRADE 10

High honors:  Jessica Benedict AND Luke Carey. Honors: Lindsay Hamilton, Robert Lindblom, Jr., Gabriella Manzer, Caitlyn Oliver, William Price II and Hunter Sousa.

GRADE 9

High honors:  Jayden Cates, Brooke-Alexis Dube and Emma Junkins. Honors: Nathaniel Caldwell, Kolby Carpenter, Riley Crocker, Devyn DeLeonardis, Cooper Dellarma, Nevaeh Holmes, William Lawrence, Dillon Nelson, Alyssa Schinzel and Hailey Wyman.

Waterville 2021 Minors Central Maine Motors baseball team

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The 2021 Central Maine Motors Waterville Minors baseball team members are, front, left to right, Dean Quirion and Mikeeridan Sheets. Second row, Bentley Rancourt, Landon Beck, Kyloe Darling, Wesley Dow and Harrison Timmins. Third row, Jordan Smith, Blake Kenyon, Camereon McInnis, Jameson Dow and Jayden Rancourt. Back, coaches Chris Rancourt, Jonathan Kenyon, Craig McInnis. and Ben Dow. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Youngest female to achieve black belt at Huard’s Martial Arts Dojo

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Huard’s Martial Arts founder Kancho Randy Huard, right, with 15-year-old student Abby Dudley, who became the youngest female to achieve black belt status at Huard’s Martial Arts. (photo by Mark Huard)

by Mark Huard

Abigail Dudley, 15, of Winslow, entered the Huard’s Martial Arts Dojo, in Winslow, for the first time at the age of four. She was already enrolled in dance lessons and her parents thought this would be a great additional activity. A goal of her parents was to raise a child that could defend herself and be independent and confident. Shortly after starting classes, Abigail started competing in Sport karate competitions on the SMART and IPPONE Tournament Circuits.

Abigail is a natural born competitor and from a very early age has taken pride in earning her awards and working hard for each level she moves up. Her parents fostered a strong work ethic and a focus on improving her technical abilities. As she got older, Abigail enjoyed the traveling. This journey eventually took her to the Krane Karate Circuit and NASKA Circuit. This took her all over New England. She loved the competition.

As she continued to compete and branch out into other tournaments, she found her drive and desire to be the best she could be. Abigail consistently strives to improve on her performance and reach her own personal bests. Through the COVID pandemic, Abigail competed in several virtual tournaments. She was able to achieve the rank of World and National Champion on these virtual circuits. This required Abigail to maintain her own motivation to practice and improve on her own . Recently she also achieved the great honor of being the youngest female to achieve a Black Belt in the 55-year history of Huard’s Martial Arts.

Abigail now joins the ranks of the black belt fellowship at her dojo. Her journey has now just begun and the training truly takes a different form. She is a role model to other young martial artists. She maintains high honors in her high school courses and conducts herself inside and out of the dojo with honor and dignity.

Abigail has worked hard to get where she is and has endless possibilities as she moves forward on her journey.

It’s a great journey being a martial artist and becoming a young black belt. And now even at a young age it’s a wonderful chance to give back to her school and the students of Huard’s Martial Arts. There is no doubt the younger disciples will look up to her.

Lawrence H.S. graduates presented PAL Football award of excellence

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Jon Roy, left, receives his award from PAL football director John Stewart. (contributed photo)

by Mark Huard

Director of the Fairfield PAL Football Program, John Stewart, has announced the recipients of the Award of Excellence and Scholarship for the 2020 Season to Jon Roy and Dylan Coombs. The coaches association selects two members of the senior class each year to receive this award. The criteria is as follows: dedication, loyalty, character, role models and team above self.

These two young men exhibit all of the above and were unanimous decisions to receive this year’s award. Even though they were not able to take the field this season their contributions to PAL football, Lawrence High School, and the entire community over the years were not forgotten.

Dylan Coombs, left, is presented with the Award of Excellence and Scholarship from PAL football director John Stewart. (contributed photo)

China Four Seasons Club: Non-profit Spotlight

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Four Seasons clubhouse

Their Mission, Their Goals

by Steve Ball

Founded in 1970, the China Four Seasons Club is a growing nonprofit club organized to bring together enthusiasts of outdoor activities of all sorts. The club was organized after a merger between the China Lake Association and the China Regional Snowmobilers organizations. While most of their activities revolve around snowmobiling and ATV riding, the club, in fact, offers more to the community and its families.

In speaking with Tom Rumpf, club president, and Gail Tibbetts, past club president, it is obvious they see the club as a focal point for China and its surrounding towns’ people to get outside and enjoy the local area.

“This is really a four seasons club with events for everyone,” Rumpf said. There’s obviously snowmobiling and ATV riding, but in addition, the club has tried to broaden the offerings of the club. Recently the Four Seasons Club partnered with the China Village Volunteer Fire Department to sponsor and manage the China Lake Annual Ice Fishing Derby.

The club’s work during the year involves managing 34 miles of snowmobile trails and 21 miles of ATV trails in the China Lake region. All of the manpower for trail maintenance, grooming and upkeep is done by volunteers. According to Rumpf, the trails managed by the club are very popular, attracting riders and enthusiasts from throughout the state and New England. It’s busy work of which the club is rightly proud.

It is the work on the trails that keeps the attention of most members. Aside from the cost of building bridges, clearing storm and wind damage, and running the grooming vehicles, Rumpf and his team spend a lot of time talking with landowners to gain approval for trail access. Additionally, Rumpf is in contact with the Maine State Department of Conservation to assure that all the trails are in compliance and ask for guidance on major repair work. “These trails,” Rumpf said, “are more than just for snowmobilers and ATV riders. They get used by horseback riders, bikers, hikers, snowshoers and cross country skiers.”

The club, according to Rumpf, is really there to serve both the membership, numbering approximately 200, and the community. This is seen in the varied activities the club either sponsors or is involved in with other organizations. Over the Christmas holiday season the club donated money for families in need and then sponsored a raffle for four decorated Christmas trees stocked with presents underneath. Rumpf and his team are also partnering to assist with promoting the China School Forest.

The clubhouse is located on seven acres along Lakeview Drive, across from the China Town Office, with a beach and lake access. There’s a kitchen and main hall that serves the social needs of the club and is available to anyone to rent for private functions. The beach is remarkable in its somewhat secluded and protected setting. In the summer, docks are laid out to provide for swimming, fishing and boating, and the area is set-up for picnicking. In fact, according to Gail Tibbetts, the beach is increasingly becoming a prime attraction for families.

It is apparent the club is striving for ways to better serve the community. “I would like to organize a winter carnival around the ice fishing derby, with different activities for children and non-fishermen,” said Rumpf. This might include sledding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

The club would be a remarkable organization just because of its location and available space, but it’s the leaders and membership that are visibly shaping this nonprofit into a valuable community asset. It is apparent the China Lake community would be a much different place if not for the impact of the China Four Seasons Club.

The Town Line will continue with a series of articles on local nonprofit groups and their work in their respective communities. To include your group, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.

Jefferson’s Hailey Milliken graduates valedictorian at Maine Connection Academy

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Hailey Milliken

Hailey Milliken, a 12th grader from Jefferson, was Valedictorian for last week’s graduation ceremony for Maine Connections Academy, the state’s online charter school.

The in-person ceremony took place on June 3, at Thompson’s Point, in Portland. Milliken will be attending Boston University in the fall, majoring in media science in the College of Communication. Originally from Maine, Milliken lived in many places and attended many schools before joining Maine Connections Academy in 2020.

In her speech to her fellow classmates, Milliken said “Just a few months ago, the idea of speaking in front of a crowd, live, like this, seemed impossible. But here we are. The opportunities and flexibility offered here, at a true online school, have allowed me to thrive. What we are seeing all around is that the current educational system is in desperate need of a renovation. And MCA is one step ahead. And being one step ahead takes you to great places, so: stay one step ahead!”

Milliken took AP courses in literature, calculus and microeconomics—in her own words, “I’m a big reader, I do a lot of writing as well, and I’m really into journalism.” In her opinion, “Online school is the future of education. We were all thrown into it because of COVID but now we see that it can work. More and more students are learning at their own pace, and it’s perfect for diverse learners. Maine Connections Academy really knows how to do it.”

Now in its seventh year, Maine Connections Academy is Maine’s first statewide, tuition-free, online public school for students in grades 7-12.

Northern Light Inland Hospital announces finance leadership changes

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Chris Frauenhofer, left, Randy Clark, right.

Randy Clark, of Vassalboro, vice president of finance and operations, expands duties to two hospitals and care facility

Northern Light Inland Hospital, in Waterville, has announced several finance leadership changes.

Chris Frauenhofer, vice president of Finance of Northern Light Inland Hospital and interim administrator of Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood, in Waterville, has been named as the new vice president of finance for Northern Light Health’s system Medical Group.

Frauenhofer joined Northern Light Health in 2013, starting at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital before moving to Inland Hospital in 2017. Before joining Northern Light Health, he served in senior finance roles for more than 20 years at hospitals in New York, including Alice Hyde Medical Center and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

Frauenhofer received a Master of Business Administration from Niagara University (New York) and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Registered Accounting Program from State University of New York at Buffalo.

Frauenhofer lives in Mariaville. He will remain in the interim role at Lakewood until a new administrator is recruited.

Randy Clark, vice president of Finance and Operations at Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital, in Pittsfield, will expand his duties to include Inland Hospital and Lakewood, becoming vice president of finance for both hospitals and the continuing care facility.

A resident of Vassalboro, Clark just celebrated 25 years with Northern Light Health. He started as a controller at Sebasticook Valley Hospital, in Pittsfield, in 1996 and became vice president of finance in 2005. In 2016, operations was added to his leadership role. For a few years, he oversaw finance as vice president for both CA Dean Hospital, in Greenville, and Sebasticook Valley Hospital.

Clark earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maine (Orono) and his Master of Business Administration from Thomas College, in Waterville.

“Chris and Randy have been vital to our local leadership teams, and integral to system finance work. We know they will continue to help our system and member organizations succeed in their new and expanded roles – not only when it comes to finance, but with all aspects of our mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. Both Chris and Randy have a passion for excellent service and finding new ways to deliver on our brand promise.” says Terri Vieira, president of Inland Hospital, Continuing Care, Lakewood, and Sebasticook Valley Hospital.

Submitted by Kathy Jason, Lead Communication Specialist, Marketing and Communications for Northern Light Inland Hospital.