Club Naha student Matthew Christen, 12, of Benton, captured two first place wins and second place in the grand championship at the Amerikick International Martial Arts Championships, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography)
Alfond Center Baseball clinic 2023 (photo by Central Maine Photography)
The Badges for Baseball Clinic took place on Thursday, July 27, at Maine’s Fenway Park, in Oakland. The clinic paired Major League Baseball (MLB) player alumni with officers from the Waterville Police Department to teach youth enrolled in the AYCC’s Maine’s Fenway Premier Baseball Camp about baseball and life lessons. Badges for Baseball is a program of the Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation that uses team sports to connect youth with local law enforcement mentors. The following MLB alumni players participated in the clinic:
During the clinic, each group of the youth ball players was paired with an MLB legend and an officer from the Waterville Police Department to learn the finer points of baseball.
AYCC chief executive officer Ken Walsh, worked with the MLB alumni and Chief Bonney, to make the day happen.
Larsen Ronco, 12, of Oakland, took first place in hurdles, triple jump and 4×1 at the recent Youth State Track Meet, held in Augusta, on Saturday, August 12. He is a member of Winslow Summer Track. (photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography staff)
Ohio University Patton College of Education student Bodhi Littlefield, of Oakland, has been named to the Spring 2023 dean’s list, in Athens, Ohio.
by Mary GrowPalermo select board members have scheduled two public meetings to discuss and act on a proposed moratorium on high-impact electric transmission lines through the town, in response to the proposed LS power line from Aroostook County to Coopers Mills.
Select board chairman Robert Kurek said a public hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 15, in the town office to discuss the issue. A special town meeting to vote on a moratorium is set for a week later, 5:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22, also in the town office.
The proposed 180-day moratorium and additional information are on the town website, townofpalermo.org.
WATERVILLE – Retired Waterville veterinarian, Dr. David S. Corwin, 77, passed away on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
Dave was born in 1946 in Greenport, New York, to David E. and Helen Corwin.
He moved to Maine with his wife, Carol, and two-year-old daughter in 1976 after graduating from Purdue University’s Veterinary Medicine program.
He will be best remembered for his sense of humor, loyal friendship, and adventurous spirit.
Dave started Animal Hospital of Waterville with Carol in 1982. The practice was originally located on College Avenue. Years later, Dave purchased land on Washington Avenue and built a brand new veterinary hospital which opened in 1998. In 2002, Dave retired from full-time work and sold his practice, but continued to do part-time work at local veterinary clinics until 2020. During that time, he also helped build the new Humane Society Waterville Area, on Webb Road.
Throughout his 40 years as a veterinarian, Dave liked the challenges and variety that veterinary medicine offered. He also enjoyed getting to know his clients and their pets, as well as the many folks whom he worked with over the years.
Beyond his profession, Dave was an avid sportsman. In high school and at Oberlin College, he was a star football and track and field athlete. As a father, his love of sports continued as he encouraged and watched his children play soccer, basketball, and run track at Waterville High School and for regional teams.
Dave also had an adventurous spirit on both land and sea. He had a life-long passion for sailing, which started as a child on Long Island where he mowed lawns to earn enough money to purchase his first boat. He went on to own multiple sailboats throughout his life and to join his friend Harry on the annual sailboat race around Long Island and his son Joe and wife on their sailboat down in Rockland. Mid-life, Dave got into mountain biking. This included winter riding on the Monday night rides in Waterville and venturing out to Moab, Utah’s Slickrock Bike Trail.
Later in life, Dave became an avid motorcyclist. He crisscrossed the country multiple times on his motorcycle visiting family and friends along the way. Some of his best trips included motorcycling across Alaska with his son-in-law, touring around Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Canada, and cross-country rides out to California to visit his children. He motorcycled until he was 77.
He did all of this as a type 1 diabetic. He developed diabetes in 1959 at the age of 13, at which time he went to Joslin Diabetes Center’s Pediatric Education program. He never let diabetes hold him down and lived his life to the fullest.
Dave was a committed husband, father, grandfather, and friend who always made time for people.
He leaves behind his wife Carol of 55 years; daughters Christine Corwin Cowdery and Heidi Corwin Collins; son David Joseph Corwin; granddaughters Phoebe and Isla Collins; sons-in-law James Cowdery and Marcus Collins; daughter-in-law Samantha Corwin; sister Dale DeCastro, her three children.
A celebration of life for Dave Corwin will be held at 2 p.m., on Sunday, October 1, at the Lakeside Lodge, 28 Marigold Lane, in Sidney, Maine.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center’s Pediatric Education program at https://tinyurl.com/dave-corwin-memorial-donation.
WINSLOW – Clifton Vincent Johnson, 85, passed away on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Clifton achieved much in his 85 years of life.
Please visit lawrybrothers.com. for his complete obituary/biography.
OAKLAND – Ronald E. Davidson, 79, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at home. He was born May 26, 1944, in Oakland, to John and Gladys (Lambert) Davidson.
He attended Williams High School. He married the love of his life Judith (Haley) Davidson, on May 29, 1965.
He was employed by Rossignol Dairy Farm and Sears Roebuck Company as a mechanic. He truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures, spending time with family and chatting with friends. Ron had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way.
Ronald was predeceased by his parents John and Gladys, and his siblings, Harold, Howard, and Timothy.
He is survived by his wife Judi; children Kevin Davidson and Sonya Fuller, Christopher and Deborah Davidson, Michael Davidson and Karen Quinn; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren; siblings, John Davidson,
James Davidson, Robert Davidson, Richard Davidson, Gerald Davidson, Beatrice Campbell, and Cynthia Stevens; many nieces, and cousins.
Burial took place at Lewis Cemetery, 51 Cottle Road, Oakland, on Saturday September 9, 2023.
Arrangements are in the care of Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church Street, Oakland, where condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.lawrybrothers.com.
In lieu of flowers, Ronald’s wish that donations be made in his memory to Blessed Hope Advent Christian Church, 10 Pleasant St., Waterville ME.
WATERVILLE – Marlene Jabar, 90, of Waterville, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 21, 2023, at Woodlands Assisted Living, in Waterville.
After enduring the loss of her husband Tony in June, it seemed only a matter of time before her heart – filled with his loss – could no longer stand the pain of missing him.
Marlene was born October 8, 1932, to Dorothea (Ivers) and Alden Hurd. She was the older of two children. Her brother Charlie was only a year younger than she. They were extremely close and so was devastated by his passing in January 2023. She was raised predominantly by her mother and therefore was often the head of the household. She often talked fondly about growing up on High Street and about Myrtle Street School. She was an excellent athlete, and a fierce competitor, excelling in badminton, skating, basketball, cheerleading, and as an adult she was a spectaculr golfer. She was an excellent student and a voracious reader. But her greatest love was Tony. They met in junior high and that would be the beginning of a lifetime together. They would go together all through high school.
She and Tony both went to Colby College, in Waterville, graduating together in 1954. They married on June 20, 1954. They would then spend 18 months in Germany where Tony was stationed, and their daughter Jan was born. They spent time traveling all over Europe and making lifelong friends. Their love for travel would continue throughout their lives.
Once home, they first lived in Auburn, then Dryden, then Wilton. She taught physical education and health, and coached field hockey at Farmington High School. They moved back to Waterville in 1966.
She substituted for several years, then in 1973 she began teaching English at Waterville High School. She was extremely proud of her time at Waterville. She loved her students and loved the school environment. Her co-workers were her second family and her senses of humor and prankster personality made for a memorable and fun-filled career. She was a generous soul and was known to anonymously donate to needy students. Her enthusiasm for all that was Waterville High School was demonstrated by the number of programs/activities she initiated either by herself or by ‘convincing others to help her’: ‘Spirit Week’, ‘Spirit Club’, GAA, making the well-known flower arches for graduation, class advisor, and Friday afternoon ‘seminars’ to name a few.
Retiring in 1992, she filled her days with tennis, golf, decorating for holidays, following her grandchildren, and reading. Always the teacher, she enjoyed immensely her golf outings with her children and grandchildren teaching them the game she came to be so good at herself. In 1994 after Tony retired, they headed to Florida. There they spent their time golfing, enjoying visits from her children and grandchildren and entertaining her neighbors on Kimela Ave., in Zephyrhills, Florida. Always wanting to be busy, she painted, made cards, started writing – often writing about her grandchildren, and any other activity that was available. Marlene was extremely proud of her five children: Jan Riley (Mike), Tony Jr., Jody Veilleux (David), MaryJo Hodgkin (Jim), and sister, Michele Jabar.
She adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She shopped every holiday for all of them, never missed a birthday, or anniversary, or special event. She didn’t hesitate to fly to Maine or New Jersey to attend a game or a play, or any other special occasion. She was dearly loved as “Grammy” by 12 grandchildren: Joni (Ramon) Zarate, Matt (Sara) Riley, Erin (Bobbie) Poller, David (Michelle) Veilleux, Dylan (Jane) Veilleux, Anthony Jabar III, Kellyn (Dan) Torcascio, Jaime (Tom) Cooper, Jessica Hodgkin, Cody Veilleux, Ben Hodgkin and Jake Hodgkin. As well as 12 great-grandchildren; Raz, Taylor, Jack R., Althea, Cora, Callan, Cameron, Connor, Cole, Carter, Jack C. and Tatyana.
Marlene is also survived by brothers-in law Norman and Joe Jabar; sisters-in law Mary Hurd, Regina Santos, Marge Jabar, Rene Jabar, Pat Jabar; and cousin Marlene Marchetti, as well as a multitude of nieces and nephews.
Marlene was predeceased by her parents, brother Charlie, as well as brothers-in law Herb, John and Paul Jabar, Ted Santos and Earl Lee, sisters-in law Teresa Lee, Margaret, June and Jackie Jabar.
A Mass will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 11 a.m., at Notre Dame Church, in Waterville. Family and Friends are invited to a reception following the Mass.
Funeral services are under the direction of Dan and Scott’s Cremation and Funeral Services, Farmington, Maine. Complete obituary and online condolences may be expressed at http://www.dsfuneral.com/obituaries/.
OAKLAND – Allen Joseph Gilbert, 75, passed away on Saturday, September 2, 2023, following a courageous battle with lung disease and cancer. Allen was born on August 30, 1948, to Jane and Lester Gilbert, in Waterville.
Allen graduated from Waterville High School in 1966. He then worked for Sappi for 36 years. Allen was an avid fisherman, loved being outdoors, his family, and being at their seasonal campsite at Mic Mac Campground.
He was predeceased by his parents Jane and Lester Gilbert; brothers Michael and Robert Gilbert; and his daughter, Stacey Valeriani.
Allen is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 45 years, Vicki Gilbert; his sons Anthony, Michael and Brian; brothers Steven Gilbert and wife Michele, Eddie Gilbert and wife Sheila, and David Gilbert; grandchildren Chelsey, Kori, Nick, Kohl, Paris, Caleb, Mariah, Katelyn, Kayla, Joshua; great-grandchildren Anthony, Alex, Paityn, Easton, Reagan, Cayson, Cohen, Parker; several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Allen’s life will be held on Saturday, September 23, at his brother and sister-in-law’s home, in Mercer.
CHELSEA – Robert Linwood Strout Sr., 90, died Saturday, September 2, 2023, at Togus VA Medical Center, in Augusta. He was born in Sanford on December 17, 1932, the son of Charles and Lottie (Hewitt) Strout.
Robert started working early on in his life. As a young boy, he delivered movies to the Colonial Theater, in Augusta and Livermore Falls, before being drafted into the United States Army, where he served proudly during World War II from 1953 until his honorable discharge in 1955, achieving the rank of Corporal. Soon after, he found employment with Statler Tissue, in Augusta, for a few years before working for Augusta T.V. for 17 years. He then worked for Associated Grocers, in Gardiner, where he remained until his retirement after 20 years.
Robert was an avid old car buff. He was married to the love of his life, Georgie, for 67 years until her passing on February 21, 2014.
In addition to his wife, Robert was predeceased by five brothers, William, Charles, Paul, Larry and Joseph Strout and a sister, Nettie Withycomb.
He is survived by four sons, Robert Sr., of Chelsea, Reginald, of Skowhegan, Scott and Randall, both of Chelsea; two brothers, Richard, of Chelsea, and Joseph, of Fayette; as well as nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
A committal service with full military honors was held on Wednesday, September 13, in Section “B” at Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Rd., Augusta.
Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church St., Augusta, where memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family at http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.
BENTON – Alberta Bess Fish, 85, died on Sunday, September 3, 2023, at her home, in Benton. Alberta was born on May 29, 1938, in Clinton, the daughter of the late Ray and Vella (Brown) Proctor.
She, along with her late husband Frederick, were dairy farmers for 42 years. It was on that farm that they built a life for themselves along with their daughters and grandchildren. Fond memories were made while working hard on the farm.
Frederick and Alberta were avid race fans, fun times were had going to Unity, Oxford, and Loudon, New Hampshire, with their family. They also enjoyed spending time together at Lovejoy Pond. Once retired, they spent several years during the winter traveling the United States and enjoying all the sites.
Alberta enjoyed cooking, making crafts, and was famous for baking her delicious apple pie. She belonged to the Clinton Evening Extension and the Clinton Day Group Extension. She also enjoyed going to the Wednesday sewing group, sewing and laughing with her friends. She had a very special friend, Rita Fortin. They would have supper together and go on adventures after both of their husbands passed away.
She is survived by her daughter Stephanie Clark and husband Glen; grandchildren: Sarah Wishart-Rogers and husband Jake, Daniel Wishart and wife Stacey, Julie Salsbury and husband Bruce, and Dustin Gerow and wife Katie; great-grandchildren, Kloee, Riley, Zebadiah, Rory, Bella, Anna, Isabelle, Trent, Wesley, Zachary, Mariah, Chandler and Colton; great-great grandson, Cereese; siblings, Charles Proctor and companion Joyce, Richard Proctor, Theresa Whitaker and husband Myron “Butch”, and Ralph Proctor and companion Margaret; several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Frederick Fish; two daughters, Deborah Gerow and Vanessa Wishart; her granddaughter Liza Yvon; and two brothers, Ray Proctor Jr and Carl “Perry” Proctor.
A celebration of Alberta’s life with refreshments will be held from 1 – 2 p.m., with a time of sharing at 2 p.m., Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home, 191 Hartland Avenue, Pittsfield. A private burial will take place at the Brown Cemetery, in Benton.
To leave a message of kindness or to share a memory, please visit http://www.shoreynichols.com.
Care has been provided by Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Pittsfield.
BENTON – Lois Mary DeRaps, 84, passed away peacefully at Lakewood Nursing Home, in Waterville, on Sunday, September 3, 2023, following a brief trip down memory lane that day spoken to her by her grandson Kevin Miller less than three hours before her passing. Lois was born on November 11, 1938, in Benton, to Albert and Ruth Thompson.
She enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school. Thereafter, she worked various jobs over the years such as at Marden’s, James Julia Auctions, in Fairfield, Unit Secretary, at Thayer Hospital, banquet staff at the former Holiday Inn, in Waterville, event staff for Colby College, in Waterville, the L.L. Bean Call center, in Waterville, and selling and leasing real estate with Rodrigue Reality.
She was also one of the first female truck drivers in the country. Since 1999, she spent her final working years at Affiliated Realty / Perkins Leasing & Management, where she sold residential real estate and managed and rented many local properties in the Greater Waterville area. A few years back, Lois retired from selling real estate but she continued her property management work and finished her working career until just three days prior to her illness forced her into the hospital and into retirement. She always said she would go crazy being home alone and not working so she fulfilled her goal of working until her health no longer permitted her to work.
She enjoyed staying busy throughout life by also being involved with the Waterville Stamp Club, the Benton Grange Hall, was a past president of the MacCrillis-Rousseau VFW Post #8835 Auxiliary, in Winslow, and served on the Supervisory Committee at Keyes Fibre Credit Union, now known as KSW FCU.
She loved to go to post card and antique shows to buy and sell her collection. She enjoyed going on road trips to various places like her camp on Messalonskee Lake (Snow Pond), in Oakland, the Bangor and Portland Malls and camping on Moosehead Lake with her husband Leo. Up until the last few years she even rode her own Harley-Davison motorcycle. She also enjoyed going out to eat nearly every meal as she always said “I can’t make it any cheaper at home”. Her favorite dining establishments were Governor’s, The Villager, Young’s Lobster Pound, and the Manor when it was open in Waterville. Lois was a devout Catholic. She attended Notre Dame du Perpetual Secours, 116 Silver St., in Waterville.
Lois would always say she’s “a tough ol’ lady” and many other classic one liners, and boy she meant it. She didn’t take anyone’s nonsense. She also had a low tolerance for other’s nonsense, and she wouldn’t be afraid to tell you that to your face or speak it out loud. You never had to guess where you stood with her. You could be a good friend or not, and that choice was yours. The flip side was she would often do anything for anyone including paying for a stranger’s meal, offering her grandson and his friends a safe ride home from school or elsewhere anytime they wanted it and she would say “all you have to do is call”. At Perkins Leasing & Management, she would go out of her way to buy many types of candy to put out at the front counter for the mailmen, tenants coming in, and others to enjoy on a daily basis. She also was very much valued by Gregg Perkins, the owner, as daily she would ask him if there was anything she could do to help and ease his work load.
Lois was predeceased by her parents Albert and Ruth Thompson of Benton, and her beloved husband Leo S. DeRaps of Benton.
Lois is survived by her brother Arthur Thompson, of Benton; her son Richard Revels and his wife Becky, of North Carolina; grandchildren Christy and Nicole; her husband Leo’s two daughters Brenda and her husband Rusty Bates, of Clinton, and Jill and her husband Don Goodwin, of Patterson, Louisiana; and her grandson Kevin Seth Miller, of Waterville.
Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 1 – 3 and 5 – 7 p.m., at Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St, Fairfield, Maine.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 11 a.m., at Notre Dame du Perpetual Secours, 116 Silver St., Waterville, Maine.
Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Maine St, Fairfield where memories may be shared, and an online register book signed by visiting http://www.lawrybrothers.com.
SIDNEY – George Ezzy, 85, passed away on Sunday, September 3, 2023. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021 and persevered through nearly two years of treatment before finally succumbing to the disease. His strength and courage throughout was a testament to George’s love of life, willpower, and commitment to his family. George was born in Hamlin on April 15, 1938, to the late Anthony and Germaine Ezzy. He is the third youngest of eight children.
He graduated from Van Buren High School in 1956. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Maine Farmington in 1961 and a master’s degree in Guidance from the University of Maine Orono in 1967. He married the love of his life, Shirley Elias, in 1972.
George worked the majority of his career at the Maine Department of Labor. He was passionate about his work, especially rehabilitation. Upon retirement from state service, George created the New Horizons Academy which was a program designed to help at risk youth. He was active in politics throughout his life and cared deeply about creating redemptive opportunities for young people. People who worked with George knew of his tenacity and strong work ethic. Retirement was not a word in George’s vocabulary. George got older, but he never got “old.”
George had a variety of talents and interests. He loved to garden and was known for his huge zucchinis, tomatoes, and corn. He was an avid outdoorsman. Hunting and fishing were his favorite hobbies and his annual fishing trips with his close friends to northern Maine were a priority throughout his lifetime. Despite his battle with cancer, he even made an appearance on the fishing trip in May of this year.
George had a zest for life that made people want to be around him. He had a way of making strangers feel like family. He loved a good steak or lobster feed, and hosted many family gatherings over the years. His sense of humor was magnetic. He would plan out jokes and jabs for gatherings with family and friends that may include silly props or songs that he would write and sing with his brother, Pete.
He loved to host card games with his friends and never shied away from grabbing a microphone, just like his father, to say a few inspiring words at family gatherings.
George was deeply spiritual. His wisdom on life was a guiding light for his family and friends. He had a unique ability to balance his deep philosophical wisdom with his whimsical bright sense of humor. He was very grateful for the blessings in his life and was a voice of reason and guidance for his loved ones. George will be sorely missed by his family and friends.
He was predeceased by his brothers Peter, Gabriel and Michael Ezzy, and his sister, Antonia Davis.
He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Shirley E. Ezzy, of Sidney; his daughters, Jennifer Ezzy and her husband Kevin Charette, and Julie Ezzy Payne and her husband Jeremy Payne, all of Manchester; his son, Paul Ezzy, of Bangor; and his granddaughters Katie, Emily, and Ashley Payne, of Manchester; his sisters Cecile Sparhuber, of New York, Betty Fitzgerald and her husband Geoff, of New Hampshire, and Thecla Quine, of Virginia.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, September 12, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Western Avenue, Augusta. Burial and committal prayers followed in Holy Family Cemetery, Townsend Road, Augusta.
Condolences, stories and photos may be shared through the funeral home website at: http://www.plummerfh.com.
by The Town Line staffAt the August 15 meeting, the Windsor Select Board held discussions about Site Plan Ordinances. Present were two planning board members, F. Gerard Nault and Carol Chavarie. The select board has a goal of having a special town meeting tentatively set for November 8. On the agenda for this town meeting is a site plan ordinance. The select board has asked the planning board to investigate wording and create a site plan ordinance. Chavarie and Nault have asked that Selectman Andrew Ballantyne attend the planning board meeting on September 11. Ballantyne said he would be there.
Town Manager Theresa Haskell noted that the local road assistance program last year was $38,992. This year, there will be an increase of $5,976, bringing the total to $33,968.
There was discussion on the Maine Revenue Services 2023 municipal tax rate calculations. Windsor Assessor’s Agent C. Vern Ziegler suggested a motion on the assessor’s certification of assessment, 2023-24 municipal tax assessment warrant, certificate of commitment, and certificate of assessment to be returned to municipal treasurer state of Maine. The board approved unanimously.
Codes Enforcement Officer Arthur Strout explained to the board about questions lingering on social media about the town allegedly not allowing a tiny house to be placed on a property. Strout stated there are three criteria needed to have a home placed or built on any property – power, water and sewer. When the resident had placed the tiny home on the property, they had none of the three. He stated he wanted to use a compost toilet. He still would have needed a place for his gray water (water from the sink). He had nowhere for the gray water to go. He wanted to run a piping above ground from the tiny house and connect to his waterline at the main house. With much discouragement, due to it being unsafe, he wanted to run power cords from the tiny house to his home nearby for electricity. Ultimately, soon thereafter, the tiny house was moved to another piece of land in another town.
Central Maine Power Co. asked to use the town hall outside or upstairs as a place to gather for community discussions. This would provide members of the community the opportunity to ask questions. The hours of operation would be between 1 and 3 p.m., and last approximately 90 minutes. No dates have been set. The board agreed and suggested weekend hours would be best. CMP had working hours in mind.
Haskell handed out the monthly transfer station report. July was up from last year by $1,858.35, making the overall total for the year ast $8,829.90.
In other matters, new animal control officer Ryan Carver was sworn in. Kim Bolduc-Bartlett was appointed back up animal control officer;
– Katherine Johnson was appointed tax collector.
– Tom McNaughton will be meeting with vendors to discuss heat pumps for the town hall over the next few weeks.
Antoinette Turner, not a Windsor resident, came before the board on behalf of a member of the community. She, on behalf of a resident on Ridge Road, is asking what is needed to submit a petition for medical marijuana. She went on to say the person that she is representing must sell in the parking lot because it is not his residence. Not being specific, questions were asked of her, such as what he would be selling, and for what purpose. Turner understood there are lots of layers when it comes to selling. Haskell let Turner know the petition needed to have specific wording. Turner thanked the board for the information that was given to her and answering her questions.
Finally, Haskell noted Emmett Appel has been mowing Greeley’s Landing boat launch area. He has done a wonderful job making it look nice and cleaned up. He had sent an email making mention of the area with the “white fence” alongside the road. This being Parke Property, owned by the town, he asked if he and some of his classmates could make some walking trails in that area. Haskell will ask Appel if he is interested in attending a conservation committee meeting.
by Mary GrowChina select board members are looking for residents’ help on two very different projects: investigating the proposed LS power line and building the planned vault storage addition at the town office.
For the first, they want people to serve on a committee to get more information, with some sort of town action as a probable outcome.
For the second, they want people willing and able to do the physical work of building the structure – “an old-fashioned barn-raising, if you will,” said town building committee chairman Sheldon Goodine.
The LS power line is planned to bring wind-generated electricity from northern Maine to Coopers Mills. Its route has not yet been established, but preliminary proposed routes run through parts of China.
Resident Fred Wiand said one possible route would take a large part of his property, a prospect that does not please him. He suggested the power line might also go through Thurston Park, the town-owned park in northeastern China.
Albion voters passed a six-months’ moratorium on new power lines at the end of August. China Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said Palermo is planning a similar vote.
Unlike those towns, China has a quorum requirement: a special town meeting would require at least 100 registered voters to take action. It is too late to add a moratorium question to the Nov. 7 ballot; the next regular voting will be at the June 2024 town business meeting.
Board member Blane Casey asked how much influence a town can have over a project that will be approved by a state agency. Jeanne Marquis said Albion voters seem to think they might be able to modify the power line to benefit residents.
People interested in serving on a committee to study the power line are asked to call the town office.
First half taxes due; openings on Nov. ballot
The first half payment of China local taxes is due at the town office by Friday, Sept. 29. Interest on late payments begins on Sept. 30.
On the Nov. 7 China local election ballot, there will be no contests and two openings for write-in candidates. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood reported for Town Clerk Angela Nelson at the Sept. 11 select board meeting:
- Select board incumbents Wayne Chadwick and Jeanne Marquis are running for re-election.
- Planning board incumbent Natale Tripodi and new member Elaine Mather (District 3) are running for re-election. There is no candidate for District 1 (northwestern China).
- Budget committee incumbents Thomas Rumpf and Kevin Maroon are running for re-election. There is no candidate for District 3 (southeastern China).
The addition to the town office, discussed for some months, is currently at a standstill because no contractor replied to a request for bids. Goodine said he has heard that contractors lack time and employees, and that the $195,000 allocated for the work is not enough.
After discussing options, select board members postponed action to their Sept. 25 meeting. In the interim, Goodine will seek contractors to do various parts of the work – foundation, framing, electrical, mechanical, painting, whatever else is needed – and select board members Marquis and Janet Preston will look for grants that might help cover the cost.
Board chairman Wayne Chadwick thinks it is essential to have all cost estimates before work begins, to make sure the project stays within budget. People with skills and time for any part of the job are invited to contact Goodine or the town office.
In other business Sept. 11, by a series of unanimous votes:
One item on the agenda for the Sept. 25 select board meeting will be a Sept. 12 recommendation from the Transfer Station Committee to go back to the system of requiring stickers, instead of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, for admission to the facility.
by Mary GrowSome Vassalboro residents are fed up with people who do not drive safely, legally and respectfully on local roads, and they brought their complaints to the Sept. 7 select board meeting, not for the first time.
After a half-hour public hearing, Vassalboro select board members responded by creating a new committee to deal with one issue, the four-way intersection in East Vassalboro. Residents complained drivers going straight through on Route 32 exceed the 25-mile-an-hour speed limit, endangering pedestrians and local drivers trying to get out of their driveways. A nearby homeowner reported seeing vehicles ignore the stop sign on Bog Road and cross Route 32 at speed.
Town Manager Aaron Miller said the speed recording sign set up on Route 32 in July and August showed average speeds were not excessive, but occasionally drivers were recorded at 60 or more miles an hour. Residents Holly Weidner and Laura Jones questioned the accuracy of the result, suggesting that many drivers slow down when they see the sign.
Weidner and Jones urged select board and committee members to review the 2010 report on the East Vassalboro intersection, copies of which they distributed. Many of its recommendations appear to be still valid, they said.
Select board member Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., asked why nothing was done to implement the 2010 ideas. Weidner blamed a lack of collaboration and follow-through, including cost calculations.
The new committee, which Miller christened the East Vassalboro Village Project Team, will be asked to evaluate ways to slow traffic on Route 32. An initial proposal for four-way stop signs had little support Sept. 7. Other suggestions include a flashing light or speed bumps.
The committee’s suggested membership includes East Vassalboro residents, Miller and representatives of the planning board and the public works department. Anyone interested should contact the town office.
The second repeat complaint appeared on the meeting agenda as “Burnout Ordinance request,” referring to a request for a town ordinance to penalize drivers who deliberately burn out, annoying residents and leaving tire marks on the pavement (see the Aug. 24 issue of The Town Line, p. 2), including across the newly-painted stripes on Cross Hill Road.
Select board chairman Chris French referenced Title 29A, section 2079, of Maine law, which says, “Braking or acceleration may not be unnecessarily made so as to cause a harsh and objectionable noise.”
The concerned resident objected that the problem is less noise than damage, claiming rubber on the road wears out the pavement and reduces adjoining property values.
French said a local ordinance on a topic already covered by state law is not necessarily useful; and a local ordinance would have to be enforced locally, by Vassalboro Police Chief Mark Brown.
Lack of enforcement was the major problem with all the traffic offenses being discussed, board and audience members agreed. Denico reminded the group that at Vassalboro’s June 5 annual town meeting, voters rejected a chance to increase Brown’s weekly hours from 15 to 20 (see the June 8 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).
French said Brown does some traffic control, as his time permits. He listed some of the chief’s many other duties, a list Jones said she intends to put on the town’s Facebook page that she manages as a volunteer.
The other major agenda item Sept. 7 was a presentation by partners in TownCloud, the Maine-based company Miller recommends to take over design and maintenance of Vassalboro’s town website. Their business cards identify them as Christopher Haywood, Chief Amazement Officer, and Dennis Harward, Wizard of Light Bulb Moments.
Haywood said the seven-year-old company specializes in designing websites for small towns all over the country, including, in Maine, Bethel, Denmark, Livermore, Norway, Solon and St. Albans. Their goal is to make the sites simple, inexpensive, user-friendly, responsive and secure, to meet residents’ needs and minimize costs and staff time.
He demonstrated a sample website for Vassalboro, built using information imported from the current site. One example he showed was the agenda for the Sept. 7 meeting with the packet of accompanying documents, like the police report Jones proposed sharing on Facebook.
TownCloud’s proposal would cover the website and meeting agendas, not just the select board’s but other committees’. Haywood said some towns post agendas for up to 15 committees.
Miller said TownCloud was the least expensive of options he explored, at $3,754 for three years’ service.
Jones urged creation of another committee to collect residents’ input on what a website should include and how it should work. She promised a list of committee volunteers on Sept. 8.
Despite Harward’s reminder that the website can be modified any time, select board members postponed a decision to their first meeting in December (currently, Thursday, Dec. 14), to give more time for public input and a recommendation from Jones’ “Tiger Team.”
In other business, Vassalboro librarian Brian Stanley thanked the town’s public works crew for their help with ongoing renovations and asked about ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for several projects, like improved ventilation and new rugs.
Because the library is a nonprofit organization, not a town department, select board members were unsure what kinds of work ARPA money could cover. They unanimously allocated $3,975 for a new front door that will be controlled by a push-button and thereby comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
On Miller’s recommendation, board members appointed Andrew Vear as an alternate member of the planning board.
They renewed the cemetery mowing contract with Scott Bumford, whose work was praised at the board’s Aug. 17 meeting.
The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21.
by Mary GrowVassalboro Planning Board members discussed two proposed projects at their Sept. 5 meeting, but lacked information to act on either one.
They had an incomplete application from Ronald Weeks to add what the agenda called “an Amish building” on a lot on Dam Road, on the southeast side of Webber Pond.
Weeks was not at the meeting. Board members postponed the application to their Oct. 3 meeting.
Darrell and Jessica Field were present to explain why they needed to clarify land titles as they prepare to subdivide a lot on Gray Road and Katie Drive in northern Vassalboro.
After reviewing the history of the 2001 Norman and Diane Bailey subdivision and the 2015 division of the original Field lot between family members, board members agreed the Fields, with the assistance of the original surveyors (K & K Land Surveyors, in Oakland, the Fields said), should prepare a major subdivision application for the Oct. 3 board meeting.
Board chairman Virginia Brackett assured them the task should not be too difficult, because with K & K’s original records most of the necessary information will be at hand.
The only other topic discussed, briefly, is another possibility for the Oct. 3 agenda. Board member Marianne Stevens reported that Kassandra Lopes, whose retail store on Main Street, in North Vassalboro, was approved by the board on June 6, has moved her business into the building next door.
The two single-story buildings on the east side of the street – years ago, the credit union and the post office, Brackett said – are owned by Raymond Breton and have frequently housed short-lived small businesses. Brackett said Lopes’ relocation is a change of use for the previously-empty building and should have planning board approval.