EVENTS: Parade organizers seek participants

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The American Legion Post #51 Parade Committee is busy preparing for this year’s Memorial Day events . The parade committee is requesting your assistance in making this year’s parade the best ever. They are inviting you to enter and be part of the event. As always they will hold their yearly S.A.L. BBQ, starting at 11 a.m., until sold out .

The parade this year will take place on Monday May 27, 2024, at noon. The parade lineup will be at the Messalonskee Middle School. All participants are expected to arrive and line up beginning at 11 a m.

The parade will begin traveling down, Pleasant Street right onto Main Street, continuing to Memorial Hall for ceremony and ending up at the Oakland Post Office.

If your organization class or group is interested in participating, please contact Bonnie Audet bonnieaudet@yahoo.com, or Holly Burgess, HBurgess@outlook.com. You can also call the Post #51 at 465-2446.

Deadline for entry Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

EVENTS: Benton alewife festival set for May 18, 2024

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The 2024 edition of the Benton Alewife Festival will take place on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., at t he park near the Benton Town Office, on Rte. 100. The event will take place rain or shine.

The Benton Alewife Festival is a free community event celebrating the annual return of the alewives to the Sebasticook River. This event includes live music with the Oystermen, free food including hot dogs, samples of smoked alewives, arts and craft projects, face painting, demonstrations and information from the Kennebec-Messalonskee Trails group, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust, Ken Hamilton Living History, Benton Historical Society, St. Joseph Nature Sanctuary, Maine Rivers, commercial alewife harvesters, wood carvers, local beekeeper, Forest Rangers from the Maine Forest Service, and much more! This event will take place rain or shine!

For more information visit our Facebook Page .

Maine Pond Hockey Classic raises record $52,000

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Despite unseasonably warm winter weather, the 12th annual Maine Pond Hockey Classic, held at Snow Pond, in Sidney, raised a record $52,000 for the Alfond Youth & Community Center in Waterville, which serves more than 5,000 youth in Maine. Hammond Lumber Company was the presenting sponsor.

This year’s highly-popular event attracted 70 teams and 560 players from New England, other U.S. states, Canada, and as far away as Australia. Due to the success of this year’s tournament, the 2025 Maine Pond Hockey Classic has already been scheduled for February 14-16, and is now accepting registrations at mainepondhockey.org.

“We’re extremely excited that the Maine Pond Hockey Classic has become Maine’s largest pond hockey tournament,” said Patrick Guerette, the tournament director. “We are beyond grateful to have so many players, young and old, return year after year to support our tournament and cause. Their passion and loyalty allows the Alfond Youth & Community Center to have an even greater and more positive impact on the lives of Maine youth.”

Guerette also noted that the Maine Pond Hockey Classic has adjusted to the warmer weather experienced in Maine this past season. “Adapting to the conditions is part of pond hockey; this year was no different, and we were able to play the best boot hockey ever on Snow Pond,” he said. “Everyone had so much fun we actually created a ‘Boot Hockey Division’ for next year’s event.”

National prescription drug take back day is April 27, 2024

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On Saturday, April 27, Northern Light Health asks those in our community to join in the national effort to dispose of prescription drugs in a safe, convenient manner while also reducing the risk of medications getting into the wrong hands and causing harm or potential substance abuse.

Dennis Wood, PharmD, director of Pharmacy for Northern Light Pharmacy, shares, “Statistically, a large majority of people who use prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes obtain that medication from a friend or family member. We are joining others across the nation in encouraging people to clean out medicine cabinets, drawers, and other locations of unneeded or expired medication and dropping it off at a designated prescription drug take back location.”

Northern Light Pharmacy offers convenient and easy prescription medication drop off at any of its pharmacies every day. Many law enforcement locations also offer local prescription drug drop off sites. Additional locations can be found on the United States Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration website.

“The proper disposal of medication is very important,” adds Dr. Wood. “If they are thrown in the trash, they not only may be taken by a person they were not intended for, but they may also have harmful environmental effects as well. Improper disposal of medications in the trash, down the drain, or toilet can leach into water systems threatening both humans and marine ecosystems.”

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Adminis­tration, as of October 28, 2023, 17.9 million of unneeded medications have been safely removed from communities across the nation as part of National Prescription Take Back Day.

EVENTS: Upcoming classes at Albert Church Brown Library

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Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village.

Upcoming classes at Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, Main St., China Village.

Jewelry Making Class: May 7, 6:30 p.m.

Join library board president Louisa Barnhart as she teaches how to make jewelry. There is limited space available so you will need to sign up by coming into the library or emailing us at chinalibraryacb@gmail.com

Please bring or wear the outfit you want to match. Go to Michael’s or Joann’s Fabrics and buy three kinds of beads you like together. Again, wear what you want to match. If you want a long necklace, put the bead strands end to end to estimate the length of the necklace. You could measure a favorite necklace for length. If you care to match your beads exactly, you can buy a tube. Equipment will be provided for you to use.

Please let her know if you are nickle-sensitive.

You will have fun and you will wear your necklace home!

Patriotic Wreath Class: May 19, 1 – 4 p.m.

Come join while Amy Harrington (www.facebook.com/scrapnsewmom) teaches how to make some beautiful Patriotic Wreaths. Limited space available, $25 at registration, and $25 due on the day of the event. When you sign up please indicate if you would like to do traditional (red, white & blue) or primitive (dark red, navy & cream) there will be a variety of sign choices.

Payments can be dropped off at the library cash or checks made out to Amy Harrington. Online payment options Venmo and Paypal are available. If you pay online you still need to sign up with the library so they can keep count of attendees.

Venmo: Amy-Harrington-46
Paypal: scrapnsewmom@gmail.com
(send via friends not pay a bill).

EVENTS: Maine International Film Festival: passes and packages now on sale

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The Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) returns to Waterville, Maine, for its 27th edition July 12–21, 2024. Festival passes and packages are now available for preorder online at MIFF.org.

MIFF showcases the best of American and international cinema with world premieres, classic revivals, and inspiring performances and exhibitions. Every year, the festival highlights Maine and New England’s most innovative filmmakers. With 100 films shown across 10 days, festivalgoers can travel the globe while simultaneously enjoying a uniquely local Maine experience.

Two tiers of passes are available to patrons this year: the Full Festival Pass, which grants access to individual screening ticket reservations, and the 10-Pass, which gives patrons the opportunity to fully customize their experience, picking and choosing the 10 film tickets that most speak to them. When the full festival lineup is announced at the beginning of June, passholders will be given a full week of priority ticket reservations before individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

Packages are also available for those who want to make the most of their festival experience by adopting a film, securing their passes, lining up their priority reservations, procuring their MIFF27 swag, and making a tax-deductible contribution to the festival.

“MIFF marks the most exciting 10 days of film in Maine every year,” said Mike Perreault, executive director of the Maine Film Center. “Throughout the festival, we welcome people from Maine and around the world to experience world premieres, rediscover beloved classics, and celebrate made-in-Maine films and filmmakers. Package and pass holders will have the added benefit of a week of exclusive ticket reservations once the program is announced in early June.”

This year marks MIFF’s second in the Maine Film Center’s new three-theater home, the recently opened Paul J. Schupf Art Center, in downtown Waterville. Together with the Waterville Opera House, Schupf Arts will welcome thousands of movie-lovers for screenings this summer. Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to view the center’s two art galleries, enjoy live music as the Waterville Rocks series kicks off, and explore local businesses in the burgeoning downtown area.

EVENTS: Water Dance set for April 20

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Spiral Water Dancing. (photo courtesy of wetdryvac)

by Jonathan Strieff

Spiral Water Dancing organization founder Christine Little. (photo courtesy of wetdryvac)

On Saturday, April 20, the Spiral Dance Collective will perform an original work as part of the 6th Bi-annual National Water Dance, hosted at Granite City Park, 94 Water Street, in Hallowell. The event will be one of dozens of performing arts events taking place simultaneously around the country intended to celebrate and take responsibility for the protection of rivers, lakes, and bodies of water meaningful to local communities.

The performance will take place at 4 p.m., and will be preceded at 3 p.m., by a community dance workshop, in which local residents will be invited to participate in co-creating the final dance that will be live streamed across the nation.

The Spiral Dance Collective is an intergenerational dance group founded by Christine Little, of the Rive Studio, in Hallowell, to create, “site specific dances that explore our relationship to local issues people and spaces.” The group has collaborated with the Hallowell Conservation Commission, the Hallowell Climate Action Committee, and Maine Sculptors Jon Doody, Mark Herrington, and Isabel Kelley to bring their performance to Granite City Park, on the banks of the Kennebec River.

The groups participation in the National Water Dance is sponsored in part by the Hallowell Arts and Culture Committee, Vision Hallowell, and Perennial Renewables. The event is free and open to the public and the Hallowell Community Flood Recovery Fund will be present to accept free will donations. For more information, contact riverstudiohallowell332@gmail.com.

Jonathan Strieff is a freelance contributor to The Town Line.

EVENTS: Lincoln Dems to host panel on Gen Z & Millennial voters

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The Lincoln County Democratic Committee (LCDC) will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 25, with a panel discussion on engaging Gen Z and Millennial voters.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m., and will be in a hybrid format. Participants can join in person at the Newcastle Fire Station, 86 River Rd. in Newcastle, or via Zoom.
Pre-registration for the meeting is required for non-voting members who want to receive Zoom log on and/or phone-in details. Register at https://lincolncountydemocrats.com/meet before noon the day of the meeting to ensure access. However, LCDC will do its best to accommodate last-minute registrations.

More information about LCDC, its meetings, and other activities can be found at https://lincolncountydemocrats.com. Questions can be emailed to info@lincolncountydemocrats.com.

China public hearing set on apartment application

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by Mary Grow

At their April 9 meeting, China Planning Board members scheduled a May 14 public hearing on Carrol White’s application for a permit to convert the former Silver Lake Grange Hall in China Village to four two-bedroom apartments.

Board members reviewed the application at their Feb. 13 meeting and would have approved it, except that White needed a variance from the China Board of Appeals to allow four apartments in a building on a small lot.

The board of appeals unanimously granted the variance at a March 28 meeting. Planning board chairman Toni Wall said that board’s members held the required second meeting to approve the wording of their decision just before the April 9 planning board meeting.

In other business April 9, Wall proposed spending part of the next couple months’ meetings discussing amendments to Section 6 of China’s Land Use Ordinance, which covers administration. Her goal is to make it easier for applicants to understand what information they need to provide.

Planning board members canceled their second April meeting.

EVENTS: Kennebec Performing Arts Co. to present pops concert

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Kennebec Performing Arts Company will present its annual Spring Pops Concerts, on Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m., at Winthrop Performing Arts Center, 211 Rambler Road, Winthrop, and Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m., at the William and Elsie Viles Auditorium, Cony High School, Pierce Dr. Augusta.

The performances will feature the KPAC chorus, Wind ensemble and jazz band under interim conductors Jason Giacomazzo, Dean Paquette and John Reeves. Enjoy an evening of selections performed by KPAC’s talented community members, including:

Chorus – Ordinary Miracle from Charlotte’s Web; The Gift to Be Simple – traditional Shaker Tune; Distant Land – A Prayer for Freedom, by John Rutter

Wind Ensemble – National Emblem March; Eric Clapton On Stage; Works by Eric Whitacre and Robert W. Smith

Jazz Band – Georgia on My Mind, by Hoagy Carmichael; The Jazz Police, by Gordon Goodwin; Bluebird Land, Maynard Ferguson’s theme

This free event is supported in part by a grant from the Onion Foundation.