Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta families – Part 5

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Henry Sewall

by Mary Grow

Henry Sewall, part two

Last week’s article on Henry Sewall (Oct. 24, 1752 – Sept. 4, 1845) omitted (or rather postponed) an important aspect of his life: he was a deeply religious man.

James North, in his history of Augusta, summarized: “He was upright, conscientious, pious and rigidly orthodox in his religious views. Towards the close of his life his religious rigor was much softened.”

Sewall’s diary is a main source for North’s history into the 1790s, and fellow Augusta historian Charles Nash excerpted it from 1830 to 1842. Sewall wrote where he went to church and who preached almost every Sunday, and there are frequent references to weekday services and religious organizations.

Especially in his earlier years, Sewall often had public disagreements with whatever minister the town hired.

In 1784, North wrote that the preaching of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill “was not acceptable to Capt. Henry Sewall, who soon discontinued his attendance.”

The next year, voters hired Rev. Seth Noble from September 1785 to mid-March 1786. Sewall disapproved of Noble’s doctrines, too, and joined other dissatisfied residents who gathered Sundays for worship at Benjamin Pettingill’s (sometimes Pettengill).

Despite having contracted with Noble, North wrote, when voters got a recommendation to hire Rev. William Hazlitt, they named Sewall, Cony and North as a committee to hire him for two months. On Nov. 13, Sewall heard his morning sermon, declared him an “Armenian” and probably an “Arian” and went to Pettingill’s for the afternoon.

(The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Arminianism as a Protestant doctrine that denied predestination and said the idea free will did not contradict belief in a sovereign God. The same source says Arianism “stresses God’s unity at the expense of the notion of the Trinity.”)

There were at least two ministers who did meet Sewall’s standards. In 1785, he once “went nineteen miles to Jones’ plantation” (later China) to hear a Rev. Kinsman (North gives no first name), who also preached in Hallowell, including at Thomas Sewall’s house (Thomas and Henry were brothers). That same year, Sewall praised Rev. Ezekiel Emerson when he came from Georgetown to preach in Hallowell.

In 1786, a 15-man committee including Sewall (and James Howard and Daniel Cony) recommended a salary for a new young minister named Isaac Foster, from Connecticut. Foster began preaching in July; North quoted from Sewall’s diary: “preached poor doctrine”; “preached rank Arminianism.”

In August, according to Sewall’s record, he met twice with Foster, but failed to “convince him of the impropriety of his doctrines.” As most of the rest of the townspeople prepared to ordain Foster their minister on Oct. 11, 1786, Sewall remained opposed, even preparing written objections to Foster’s beliefs.

A council of ministers approved Foster as Hallowell’s minister and a “public tea­cher,” after an all-day debate at Daniel Cony’s house. North surmised that Sewall skipped Foster’s sermons and went to Pettingill’s on Sundays, where he “probably officiated to the few who sympathized with him.”

At some point, Sewall called Foster a liar. As a result, he and his brother Thomas (who “was in some way connected with the charge,” North wrote) were brought to court, convicted and fined. Thomas Sewall paid his 12 shillings; Henry Sewall appealed his fine of “fifteen shillings and costs.”

He claimed to have proof of his accusation against Foster, but apparently the corroborating witness was unavailable when the appeal was heard in June 1787, and the higher court refused to allow a continuance (because the parties couldn’t agree on where it should be held). Lacking evidence, Sewall gave up and paid his fine – “wisely,” North commented.

Foster (who had been accumulating enemies and detractors) on May 9, 1788, sued both Sewalls. North said he demanded 500 pounds from each man.

The Sewalls sent a friend to Foster’s previous ministerial post to find evidence against him. Thomas Sewall again ducked out of the case, trusting a three-man committee to rule on his role.

Henry Sewall’s case was initially scheduled in June and postponed to January 1789. But in the fall of 1788, after long and acrimonious debates, Hallowell fired Foster, and apparently the case died.

After the Foster affair, North wrote, some Hallowell people got together with a group from Chester Plantation (now Chesterville, some 35 miles northwest of Augusta; Henry and Thomas Sewall’s brother Jotham lived there) and in 1790 formed the Chester Church. On March 15, 1791, these members met at Sewall’s house and renamed themselves “A Congregational Church of Christ in Hallowell.”

In June that year, Sewall found – met in a tavern on his way to visit another minister, North claimed – Rev. Adoniram Judson, who preached briefly in Hallowell to the “new” – Sewall’s – church but was spurned by all but one member of the “old” Hallowell church.

In the fall of 1792 the two Hallowell churches tried to merge, but agreed only to invite three outside ministers to help them. In mid-January 1793, the outsiders drafted a merger agreement.

But, North quoted (from Sewall’s diary, your writer suspects), the “new” church people (specifically, Henry Sewall, your writer suspects) “had weighty objections…to several members of the other church on account of doctrines and moral character.”

After a private session, the objectors agreed to the merger on condition that it could be undone at the request of a majority of either church. In June 1794, North wrote, after some former members of the “old” church had been disciplined “on account of doctrine and unbecoming conduct,” the former Chester church again became a separate entity. North did not name Sewall in describing the split, though he based his description on Sewall’s diary.

The original single congregational parish in Hallowell became three in 1795. When Augusta became a separate town in 1797, what had been Hallowell’s middle parish, with its 1795 meeting house, became Augusta’s south parish.

By the time your writer was able to pick up Henry Sewall’s story again at the beginning of 1830, he was regularly attending “Mr. Tappan’s church” (Rev. Benjamin Tappan) in the south parish, where a series of visiting ministers preached on Sundays. Sewall often attended more than one Sunday service, as well as weekday meetings.

From June 22 through June 24, 1830, he (and on June 23 and 24 his wife) were at the Maine Missionary Society’s general conference in Winthrop, with enough delegates from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Kentucky to fill the meeting house.

From Sept. 14 through 16, the Sewalls were at the County Conference of Churches, where he was a delegate. The conference was in Chesterville, so he visited Jotham, but the Sewalls stayed with a non-relative who lived nearer the meeting-house.

In October 1830 he was gone for almost two weeks to Boston for the annual meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. He went to Boston by steamboat from Portland; the ocean was rough when the meeting ended, so he came all the way home by stagecoach, via Portland and Brunswick.

Sewall went to another A.B.C.F.M. meeting in Portland in September 1838. His diary does not explain either time whether he was a delegate or an observer.

On May 4, 1831, Sewall noted that Tappan began a four-day meeting. Each day’s schedule had an hour of morning prayers at 5:30, prayer meetings and preaching at intervals all day and a 7 p.m. lecture that lasted up to two hours.

Sewall mentioned his personal opinions in two contexts: he opposed Masonry (the fraternal organization, not the building-trade skill he practiced), and he supported temperance.

He noted in his diary that on Jan. 7, 1830, he responded to a request for his “views of freemasonry.” On Jan. 28, he wrote, “My Renunciation of Freemasonry appeared in a Boston anti-Masonic paper.”

The July 29, 1831, publication of a new anti-Masonic newspaper in Hallowell was worth mention; and he sent to “Gen. Crosby” in Houlton a letter and “4 anti-masonic Almanacs.”

On July 4, 1832, Sewall noted the Anti-Masonic state convention at the “new courthouse,” whose members nominated candidates for governor and for U.S. president and vice-president. They attended Tappan’s church in the afternoon.

In mid-October, Sewall wrote about going to Wiscasset and after discussion with “Major Carlton,” advising the anti-Masons to join the National Republicans on a “union ticket” for presidential and vice-presidential electors, “provided there should be no adhering Masons thereon.”

Sewall sometimes attended temperance lectures, and on March 31, 1841, wrote in his diary, “A remarkable reformation among the intemperate here, and through the country in general. Hope and pray it may not prove a failure, as some other reforms have done.”

Less than a month later he recorded the formation of a Washington Temperance Society in Augusta by the local rum drinkers. By May 14, he wrote, 150 local men had pledged abstinence.

The inscription on Sewall’s tombstone in Augusta’s Mount Vernon Cemetery reads: “An officer in the Revolutionary War. Major General of Militia in Maine; yet more honorably known as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and a faithful officer in the Christian Church.”

Rev. Benjamin Tappan

Rev. Benjamin Tappan

Rev. Benjamin Tappan, D.D. (Nov. 7, 1788 – Dec. 22, 1863), was pastor of Augusta’s South Congregational Church from 1811 to 1849.

A plaque in the church at 9 Church Street, Augusta, is dedicated “to the glory of God, and in memory of” Rev. Tappan. It reads: “His children here reverently record their undying gratitude and love for a Father in whom wisdom, integrity and a large-hearted benevolence were joined to steadfast faith in Christ, and untiring activity in His service.”

Tappan, son and grandson of Congregational ministers, was born in West Newbury, Massachusetts; graduated from Harvard College in 1805 (before his 17th birthday); taught in Massachusetts; and in 1809 became a tutor at Bowdoin College. He was later vice-president of Bowdoin’s board of trustees.

In October 1811 he was “ordained over” the Augusta church, where he stayed until 1849.

Adjectives North applied to Tappan include “active, industrious…zealous, devoted, benevolent, learned and pious…humble and accessible to the lowly.” An on-line biography describes him as “an immense worker,” “noted for his hospitality and generosity” and “an effective preacher…[with] a remarkable gift in prayer.”

In June 1814 Tappan married Elizabeth B. T. Winthrop, from a wealthy Boston family; they had seven children. North wrote that he gave so much to charity that by the time he died his wife’s fortune was reduced, but “she was as charitable as she was kind, and encouraged his giving.”

Tappan was an early supporter of the temperance movement; the biography says his first sermon on temperance was in 1813.

Henry Sewall noted in his diary that on Sunday, July 4, 1830, Tappan’s sermon was on slavery, and he “had a contribution in aid of the Colonization Society.”

(The American Colonization Society was founded in 1816 to help ex-slaves and other free blacks emigrate from the United States to Africa, especially to Liberia. Many African-Americans and many abolitionists opposed it. Its activity declined after the Civil War, but Wikipedia says it was not officially dissolved until 1964.)

While supporting colonization, Tappan appears to have been an abolitionist. Nash wrote that when the Maine Anti-Slavery Society was organized in Augusta in October 1834, Tappan hosted British abolitionist George Thompson.

Tappan left the Augusta church in 1849 to become secretary of the Maine Missionary Society, a position he held until his death.

The biography says his honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees came from Waterville College (now Colby College) in 1836 and from Bowdoin in 1845.

The church in which Tappan preached was not the present Gothic Revival building, but the second of three churches on the site, built in 1809 and struck by lightning and burned in 1864 (see the Nov. 10, 2022, issue of The Town Line).

Main sources:

Nash, Charles Elventon, The History of Augusta (1904).
North, James W., The History of Augusta (1870).

Websites, miscellaneous.

FICTION: The House, part 7: A couple more diaries

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This story is completely fictional. Any resemblances to names of people and/or places is purely coincidental.

by Peg Pellerin

Click here for the previous installment.

Having gotten over his chilling experience, Dave went to the cellar to look for parts of items stored there that would make the renovated bedrooms unique. In the process, he opened a drawer to what appeared to be a woman’s vanity. He found a packet bound in cloth and closed with ribbon. “I wonder if this contains more of the diaries like Miri found in the antique desk a couple of months ago,” he said to himself. He did find some pieces of furniture that would add to a room or two. He went back to the main floor to find Jake to help him bring them up. He found Miri and handed her the packet, “I think I found more for you to read, maybe telling us more about our little spector. Where’s Jake?”

“Thanks, I think. He’s in the carriage house looking around for things we might be able to use in or outside the house.” She took the small bundle and immediately unwrapped the bundle, which held two more diaries. “Guess I’ll put my book aside for a little while and go through these while sitting on the porch,” she said to no one in particular, but she thought she heard a child’s voice say, “Thank you.”

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE

“Hey Jake, finding anything interesting?” Dave said as he looked around. “This is a large and sound building. There’s plenty of room for tools, a tractor. Any idea of what you want to do with the rest of the place?

“We haven’t really talked about it since we’re spending more of our time trying to get the house ready for our business. Why? Do you have some ideas?” Asked Jake.

“It’s something I’d like to talk to the two of you about and see how you feel.” I’m planning on proposing to Amy on her birthday in September. I hope you don’t mind her staying here with us until I get a place of our own, which is where the carriage house comes in. If you guys aren’t planning on anything in particular, I’d like to buy it from you two and turn the larger part of the place into a home for us and a studio for Amy’s photography business. I’d make sure that part of it would still be able to be used for the storage of the tools and tractor.”

“Wow! Congratulations, Dave! Amy is great and I won’t say a thing until you propose to her. I truly believe she’ll say yes. It’s obvious that she is deeply in love with you. As far as turning the place into a home and studio, I think that we should get together with Miri and talk about it but personally I don’t have an issue with it. In fact I think it’s a great idea.” A big hug was shared.

ALL ABOARD

The beginning of August had arrived and it became crunch time for Dave and Jake to try to get at least one more bedroom fitted for guests since Jake would need to go back into school to prepare for the new school year and Miri to prepare her classroom for probably what would be her last year teaching. It was a very warm first weekend of August when Jake, Miri, Dave and Amy walked around the room looking for whatever would cause the next ‘event’ since it seemed something of the little spectral Ian was left hidden throughout the upper floor of the house. “I wonder what we’ll find and where it will take us this time,” stated Miri.

“I shudder to think of it,” commented Amy remembering her memory of the frigid adventure she and Dave experienced. Maybe you guys thought about this already so forgive me for mentioning it but why haven’t you gone through all the rooms to find these items and get the ‘adventures’ over with so you can continue with the renovations?

The three looked at each other and with Jake slapping his forehead said, “Doh! We’ve been so focused on the renovations that we only looked for items in the room we were going to tackle. What do you say, guys; follow Amy’s lead in searching the rest of the house first?

“Are we up to multiple events not knowing what we’ll face?” replied Miri.

Dave gave his two cents worth, “We have been frightened out of our wits but we haven’t been injured. I vote to get it over with.”

“Whatever we decide,” interjected Miri, “We should be careful of what we are imagining when we find whatever was left behind. It appears we have had this wrong. When Ian died, his mother was quite distraught and decided to take items he enjoyed spending time with because his father would bring him gifts after most of his trips and hide them around areas where he spent many days, especially later in his shortened life. She strongly felt that her son’s spirit would remain in the house and these would make him happy. I think we’re correct in thinking he’s experiencing adventures through our imagination once we find these items, so let’s be very careful where our imagination might lead to.” After a few moments of thinking it over all were in agreement and continued with the search of the room they were currently in.

Jake was the one to find the item. It was hidden under the raised armoire. He barely had the time to show the others when everything within the room became fuzzy. In his hand he held a tin toy of an early train engine looking very much like what was called the Tom Thumb. However, what they saw in front of them was a real life Tom Thumb hauling passenger cars made of stagecoach bodies. It looked like people could sit either inside or on outdoor rumble seats.

“All aboard,” was heard and an apparition of a conductor could be seen pointing toward one of the carriages.

Four pairs of shoulders shrugged as Miri, Amy, Jake and Dave entered one of the cars. “What can go wrong?” questioned Jake. “These didn’t go very fast and only for short runs.”

As they sat down Amy wondered, “Are we still in the room and is this for real?”

“I have a theory about all of this,” replied Miri. After reading Emma’s diaries, which were mostly about her son, Ian, I believe that Ian is using us to fulfill fantasies of what he wished he could have experienced. We know more of what could have been so our imaginations are triggering the ‘adventures’ for him. We just have to make sure our imaginations don’t run wild. Once the ‘adventure’ is over we move on to the next and he’s happy. Why he never moved on to the ‘other side’ after his death, who knows, but this is probably the only way we’ll finally get him there and he’ll leave us alone, I hope.”

They climbed into one of the carriages and sat on the very hard seats that were made of wood, with very little padding. “I do hope this will be a short ride,” complained Dave who found that his tall frame felt cramped within the compartment.

At first the four were quiet while listening to the rumbling as the train left the station/room, and as it started to speed, up the chug, chug of the train was almost tranquilizing and would have been if it were not for the uncomfortable seating arrangement. “Wow, I think I could walk faster than this train is going,” remarked Jake, “I read that they went anywhere from twenty to thirty miles per hour but I feel like we’re crawling.”

“That’s OK by me,” said Dave showing how uncomfortable he was being confined to such a small area with his knees practically under his chin. “I just hope this is a short spur and we’ll be over this ride soon.”

Miri, glancing about, was able to see into the carriage behind them. She could have sworn she saw a little boy looking at her with the largest smile on his face. He definitely looked like he was having a good time. “I think Ian is happy,” she said and pointed to the other carriage. It was a quick glance and all agreed they thought they saw the face of a young boy but the ride was over and they were all standing in the bedroom of the house.

“Well, that wasn’t too bad,” said Jake, “Even though it was a bit uncomfortable. Nothing happened to scare us out of our wits. Do we have time to look in another room? This one took us a little over an hour.” Nods of approval went around. They left the room to go to the next room with Dave rubbing his rump and stretching his body to get over the cramped muscles.

THE KEEPER WILL ENTER THE CAGE

The four immediately started their search ofthe next room. They looked within the furniture that was in the room, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, under the wardrobe, and even under the bed all coming up empty. Scratching his head, Jake wondered if they would find anything at all but couldn’t understand why this room would be free of anything that Ian would have left behind. He thought of one last place to look, which was between the cotton-stuffed mattress and the weave of ropes that held the mattress up within the wooden frame. “I think I found something,” he said, holding up a large rolled up heavy paper. “Help me unroll this,” he said to Miri who came over and gently they unrolled what appeared to be a poster advertising an Equestrian Show at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City.

Just as all four came together, the room wavered and they found themselves in an amphitheater with a stage and circus ring. They could hear but only see blurred visions of what they assumed to be other attendants of the circus that was about to unfold in front of them. “I think we’re at the place we saw in the poster. I’m curious what we’ll see but hope it’s over soon and we’re back in the real room,” stated Jake.

They saw a group of horses come out with riders standing on their backs with both riders and horses doing all types of tricks. After what seemed to be fifteen to twenty minutes, a voice, most likely coming from a Ringmaster, spoke loud and clearly announced, “Ladies, gentlemen and youngsters. Raise your eyes upward and behold a large rope stretched across the way. Watch as you see a rope walker doing his death defying tricks walking across it without a net below.” Total silence filled the room until it appeared that the walker was about to fall and several sounds of gasps could be heard, but he was able to catch his balance and stay on the rope. He made it to one side and returned to the other. “Whew!” Said Dave as he was catching his breath. “I thought the guy was a goner.”

Another activity unfolded on the floor. Several clowns appeared performing antics to make the young and young at heart laugh. They were followed by jugglers passing what looked like bowling pins as well as swords and sticks on fire to each other. The four, or was it five, from the Stewart House, were enjoying themselves immensely. On stage others later came out doing acrobatics, performing tumbles and gymnastic routines. “I used to do those types of routines in the gym but we had mats on the floor,” remarked Miri.

When these performances were completed a huge cage was rolled out to the center of the ring. It contained a very large lion. The voice of the Ringmaster then announced, “Ladies and gentlemen. You may want to cover the eyes of your youngins for this next act. The keeper will now enter the cage of Sarabi, the largest lion in captivity.” Again, there was total silence.

Continued next week

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Elevate your garden’s beauty with jewel-tone plants

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Blue by You salvia has rich blue blossoms from late spring into fall, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. (photo courtesy
of All-America Selections)

by Melinda Myers

Bring the beauty of your favorite gemstones into the garden and your outdoor living space with the help of jewel-toned plants. Even a pot of these beauties placed on the balcony can provide bold color, vibrancy, and lushness to any space.

Select plants with leaves, flowers, or both in the saturated colors of gemstones like rubies, amethyst, topaz, sapphire, and turquoise. Select plants with colors that complement your home and landscape and will thrive in the growing conditions in your gardening space.

Look for opportunities to include these rich colors throughout the growing season. Jewel-toned pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, and calendula are a few plants that thrive in cooler weather, providing welcome color before other plants appear or have faded in the summer heat.

As temperatures rise, include rich yellows and oranges of Rudbeckias and sunflowers. Add a showy and exotic look to the garden with Crocosmia. Plant Lucifer for bright red flowers, Prince of Orange for its red-orange blooms, and George Davidson for an added touch of yellow. Check out the many colorful varieties of dahlias and gladiolus that grow well in the garden and containers and make great additions to your garden bouquets. Canna’s bold and colorful foliage is impressive all season long and is sure to command attention when topped with flowers.

Add colorful zinnias for season-long color. You can start them from seed right in the garden or buy transplants for earlier bloom. Look for disease-resistant varieties and those with bold colors like Benary’s giant deep red, Profusion red, and Double Zahara Fire’s orange-red blooms. These sunny loving annuals are also heat and drought-tolerant, making them perfect for low-maintenance gardens.

Plant some tall Mexican sunflowers in the back of the garden. Consider Fiesta Del Sol, a more compact variety, if you want something shorter and more compact. No matter which you grow, you and the pollinators will enjoy the orange blooms.

Keep the color going with summer to fall blooming Helenium which is hardy in zones three to eight. Hot Lava is topped with fire engine red flowers while Butterpat has vibrant yellow blossoms.

Coral bells come in a wide variety of leaf colors, making it easy to include jewel tones all season long. Many shade-tolerant hostas have deep green foliage that provides the perfect backdrop for other flowers.

Combining complementary colors that appear opposite of each other on the artist’s color wheel creates an eye-catching display. Dark colors can easily disappear in the background or shade. Teaming them with a complementary colored plant or light background can help them pop. A combination of purple-leaved bugbane and the fine chartreuse foliage of Hakone grass, for example, allows both plants to shine while creating a splendid display.

Make sure the plants you combine are equally bold, so each adds to the overall design. Mix in some green foliage to provide a bit of color relief. Too much of a good thing, including vibrant colors, can overpower the landscape and create a somewhat chaotic feel.

Make notes on the plants and combinations you want to repeat next year. Note those that didn’t perform to your expectations and don’t need to be repeated. If you decide to expand upon this theme, be sure to add some jewel-toned, spring-flowering bulbs like tulips and hyacinths to the landscape this fall.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Spring is in the air; so is skunk odor

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Skunk preparing to dig up an in-ground bee hive.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

There it is! That familiar odor in the wind that reminds you of a warm, summer night. It is unmistakable, and sometimes can be a sort of positive sign of spring. That odor was definitely in the air at our house this past weekend. Essence of skunk.

Striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis, had been classified to be in the same family with ferrets, weasels, otters and badgers. However, recent generic evidence suggests the skunks are not as closely related as first thought, and therefore are now classified in their own family.

Skunks are placid, retiring and non-aggressive. You can actually talk to a skunk, and it will avoid you. They try very hard not to get in harm’s way. I have had instances where I have spoken, softly, to skunks that have approached me, and “talked” them into taking another route. Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision. They cannot see with any clarity all objects more than 10 feet away, which also makes them vulnerable to death by road traffic.

Actually, one summer, we had a family of five skunks living under our deck at camp, and, believe it or not, we didn’t even know they were there until one morning, around 5 a.m., just as the sun was beginning to rise, I saw one adult crawl under the deck, followed by the three kits, and then the second adult. Other than that, no odor, nor any other sign of their presence.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plants and animal material, and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi and nuts.

In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating birds and rodent carcasses left by cats. Skunks will even find their way into garages and cellars where pet foods are stored.

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this method to their young.

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. That is why, this time of year, you will see, or smell, the occasional appearance of skunks. They come out to forage while the temperatures are warmer. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. They often overwinter in a huddle of multiple females, up to as many as 12, while males often den alone. The same winter den is often used repeatedly.

When born, skunk kits are blind, deaf, and covered in a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, their eyes open. The kits are weaned about two months after birth, but generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, about one year of age.

The mother is very protective of her kits and will often spray at the first sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young and may even kill them.

Most predatory animals of the Americas, such as wolves, foxes and badgers, seldom attack skunks, presumably out of fear of being sprayed. The exception is the great horned-owl, the skunk’s only serious predator, which, like most birds, has a poor to nonexistent sense of smell.

The skunk, still, gets no respect. The word skunk is a corruption of an Abenaki name for them, segongw or segonku, which means “one who squirts,” in the Algonquian language. Even in slang French, mostly Canadian-French, the term for skunk relates to its odiferous characteristic, known as “une bete puante” (animal that stinks). The real French word for skunk is “moufette”.

It is commonly known that skunks make excellent pets. However, make sure of one thing before you proceed. Is the keeping of a pet skunk legal in your state? As for Maine, it has been illegal to keep a skunk since 2002. Only if you acquire a Class B or C license from the USDA can you keep a skunk in Maine, and must be for educational purposes only. Keeping of skunks is legal in only eight states, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Long an enemy of most humans, when all is taken into consideration, skunks aren’t really all that bad.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who holds the American League record for most home runs in a season?

Answer can be found here.

Roland’s Trivia Question for Thursday, March 9, 2023

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Trivia QuestionsWho holds the American League record for most home runs in a season?

Answer:

Aaron Judge, of the New York Yankees, who hit 62 home runs in 2022, surpassing the record of 61 achieved by the Yankees’ Roger Maris, in 1961.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, March 9, 2023

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DONNA J. BURNS

FAIRFIELD – Donna Jean Burns, 49, of Fairfield, passed away on Mon­day, February 13, 2023. Donna is the daughter of Betty L. Burns, born on July 27, 1973, in North Anson.

She graduated from Cony High School, in Augusta, in 1992.

Donna was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease in her early 20s, but that never stopped her from living and loving. Donna loved being able to participate in Special Olympics where she received numerous medals of which she was proud. She loved playing bingo, shopping, lawn sales and doing color art with her mother and she looked forward to family gatherings.

But what gave her the most joy in life was being with her mom. They used to say “we are a package deal”. There was never any doubt how much Betty loved her Donna and no doubt that Donna knew that and loved her back as much. She was the love of Betty’s life. There are no words to describe the bond that they shared.

Donna loved her entire family. She would be asked if she had a favorite, her response would be, “I love them all”!, and she did.

Donna was predeceased by her grandparents Doris and Joe Ayotte, Aunt Eva Tibbetts and Uncle Pat Ayotte.

Besides her mother Betty, Donna is survived by many aunts and uncles: Edward and Jeannette Ayotte, Chad Ayotte, Pierre and Linda Ayotte, Maddy and Bill Pierce, Joanne Ayotte, Mae and Todd Dickey, Clarence and Marianne Ayotte, Tony and Stacey Ayotte and many loving cousins.

Celebration of life was held Saturday, February 25, 2023, at Christ Community Fellowship Church, on Maple Street, in Madison.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan ME 04976.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Klearview Manor, 149 Skowhegan Rd, Fairfield, ME 04937 in Donna’s memory.

RONALD H. TRASK

OAKLAND – Ronald Harold Trask, 85, of Oakland, passed away at his home on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, following five-years of severe disability. Ronald was born at home on July 13, 1937, to Richard and Georgianna (Fogg) Trask, of Oakland, and spent the last 40 years living on the same property with his wife and family.

Years ago, he worked at the Fenway Restaurant, Dakins Sporting Goods, Day’s Jewelers, Frito Lay, all in Waterville, and ended up at Statler Tissue, in Augusta, for his last 15 years of work.

He was like a moose on the loose and a definite force to be reckoned with. Between his many jobs and former wives, he couldn’t go anywhere without running into old cronies and retelling old bar-room stories. Obviously he was well-liked and was the man of the hour.

When he was younger, he hunted deer and fished, and loved to ride his motorcycle. He was a pool shark and avid bowler.

When he was young, he had a bad snowmobile accident and as a result was never able to ride again. In later years, he couldn’t do any of those things anymore so we would go sight seeing to get out of the house. He would stop at yard sales, etc., and end up eating out somewhere, much to his delight.

He was predeceased by his parents; and his young son (and namesake), Ronnie Trask; as well as brothers Herbert, Raymond, Arthur, and Chester Trask, and sisters Nellie King, Della Massie, and Priscilla Dorr.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Georgia (Elwell) Trask; their daughter, Rebecca Dostie and her husband Christopher; sons Randall Trask and his wife Pauline, Ricky Trask, Scott Nesbit and Lisa; daughters Kimberly Mngqibisa and her husband Gift, Dee Haun and her husband Rick, and Dacia Rancourt and her husband Christopher; his two siblings, Timothy M. Trask and Marion Pressey who are twins; grandson, Myles Rancourt and his wife Lizzy; granddaughters Megan Bacon and her husband Nick, Rachael McKenney and her husband Davis, Jenna Nesbit, Zoleka, Luthando, and Mathandzima Mngqibisa, Casey Collins and her husband TJ, Brook York, Nicole Trask and Andrew; great-grandchildren Cadence, Liam, and Olivia McKenney, Brayden and Silas Reed, Allie and Ella Collins, and Carter York.

GALEN F. HISLER JR.

WHITEFIELD – Galen Forest Hisler Jr., 30, passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. He was born on September 29, 1992, a son of Tricia (Patterson) and Galen Hisler Sr.

Galen grew up in Somerville and attended Erskine Academy, in South China.

In 2013, he enlisted in the Maine Army National Guard as a horizontal construction engineer in the 262nd Engineer Company. In 2016, he transferred to the 619th Transportation Company United States Army Reserve and became a motor transportation operator (88M), where he deployed to Poland in support of NATO operations. His awards include the Armed Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Ribbon, Army Reserves Achievement Medal, and Army Commendation Medal.

In addition to his military service, Galen was a volunteer firefighter for both Somerville and Whitefield Fire Departments for many years. Galen was a true patriot and proud to follow in his family’s footsteps, serving both his country and his community.

Galen was married to his beloved wife, his love, his rock and trusted best friend, Beth Spicer-Hisler, and together they made their home in Whitefield. Galen was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, tinkering on his vehicles, and spending time with his family, especially with his cherished and precious son, Carter Hisler.

A social person with an unforgettable sense of humor, Galen will be remembered as a generous and passionate person with an old soul. Most importantly, Galen was saved and knew he would be with God when he was called home.

Galen is survived by his wife, Beth Spicer-Hisler; his son, Carter Forest Hisler; his parents Tricia and Galen Hisler Sr.; his siblings Trina Hisler, Lacey Christiansen and her husband Amos, Jessica Hisler, Ashley Hisler, Kadie Hisler Dostie and her husband Tim, and Forest Hisler; his paternal grandmother, Jeanette Louise Feltis; his maternal grandmother, Patricia Weston; his nephew Wyatt Hisler; his nieces Debbie Christiansen, Esther Christiansen, Bianca Dostie, Ashlyn Dostie, and Samantha Dostie; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was predeceased by his paternal grandfather, Forest G. Hisler Sr., and maternal grandfather, Donald T. Patterson.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 10, at 11 a.m., at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will take place in the spring at Sand Hill Cemetery, in Somerville.

Condolences, stories, and photos may be shared by visiting http://www.plummerfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Galen’s name may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.org or, Whitefield Fire Department, 36 Townhouse Rd., Whitefield, ME 04353.

CATHY FISHER

VASSALBORO – Cathy (White) Fisher, 66, passed away Thursday, February 23, 2023, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Augusta. She was born December 30, 1956, in Waterville, the daughter of Floyd “Ikey” and Theresa (Landry) White.

She attended Waterville High School. On August 20, 1988, she married Glen R. Fisher, in Vassalboro.

She was employed for many years at C. F. Hathaway Shirt Manufacturing Company, in Waterville. Cathy enjoyed boating down river and being with large groups on China Lake, planting and maintaining flower and vegetable gardens, and canning what she grew. She loved socializing and was very independent. Cathy loved animals.

Cathy is survived by her husband of 35 years, Glen R. Fisher, of Vassalboro; mother, Theresa White, of Vassalboro; sister, Nancy Adams, of Winslow; two brothers, Doug White and wife Pat, of Vassalboro, Harland White and wife Ann, of Vassalboro.

She was predeceased by her father, Floyd “Ikey” White; and bother-in-law, Nelson Adams.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 18, at 11 a.m., at United Methodist Church, 614 Main St., in Vassalboro.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Rd., Skowhegan, ME 04976.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Cathy’s memory to United Methodist Church, 614 Main St., Vassalboro, ME 04989.

ERNEST J. CINQ-MARS

WATERVILLE – Ernest J. Cinq-Mars, 88, of Waterville, passed away on Friday February 24, 2023, at home. He was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the youngest of nine children of the late Wilfred Cinq-Mars and the late Alicia (Gregoire) Cinq-Mars.

He served two years with the U.S. Army occupation in Germany. He married Arlene (McCabe) Cinq-Mars, of East Providence, Rhode Island, in 1957. Ernest joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Topsham. In 1968 he moved his family to Waterville after taking a job with Keyes Fibre Co. (now Huhtamaki), in Waterville, in data processing. He retired after 26 years with the company.

Ernest was elected to the Waterville City Council serving two terms in the 1970s. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge #905.

He was predeceased by his son, Gregory Cinq-Mars.

He is survived by his wife, Arlene (McCabe) Cinq-Mars, of Waterville; sons, Mark Cinq-Mars, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Ernest T. Cinq-Mars, of Biddeford; daughter, Marie Chan, of Waterville; sons, Kenneth and his wife Gisele Cinq-Mars, of Georgetown, and Paul Cinq-Mars, of Las Vegas, Nevada; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and his sister, Aline Dube, of Apopka, Florida.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Notre Dame Church, in Waterville, on Wednesday, March 8.

BENJAMIN B. TWITCHELL III

WINSLOW – Benjamin Bird Twitchell III, 77, passed away on Friday, February 24, 2023, following a long and valiant battle with prostate cancer. Born in Portland in 1945, to Capt. Benjamin B. Twitchell II and Gloria (Wing) Twitchell, Ben grew up in South Paris.

He met his future bride and love of his life, Linda Aldrich, when he was just 15 years old. After graduating from Oxford Hills High School in 1963, Ben enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his country for four years. He and Linda were married in August 1965 and were never far away from one another for the 57 years of their marriage.

After the Air Force, Ben moved back to Maine and started a career working for New England Telephone. He worked his way up into management, continuing through various iterations of the phone company, and retired early after 26 years of service from NYNEX in 1995.

Always restless and looking for something to do, Ben became a school bus driver upon his retirement, and served that role for 22 years for the Vassalboro School Department. He loved “driving bus” and the connections he made with students and families, and also represented bus drivers in union contract negotiations.

Always civically and community minded, Ben was involved in many organizations throughout his life. He participated in DeMolay, the Masons, the Lions Club, bowling leagues, Little League coaching, and as a Boy Scouts of America leader in four different troops across the state.

During his bus driving years he became interested in politics and ran for Winslow Town Council, where he served nine years. After his retirement from the telephone company he also became a bit of a handyman, doing odd jobs for folks in the community. Ben always loved a project, whether he was the one doing it or overseeing the work being done.

Ben will be remembered by his generous heart, his championing of the underdog, pride in his country, but mostly his fierce love and protection for those he loved, especially his family. He loved to tell stories, such as his adventures as a teenager and the cars he drove. Ben loved to laugh, be the center of attention, and chat up anyone willing to talk.

He loved the outdoors, hunting with his sons, traveling south during winter months, buying and selling boats and cars and all sorts of other motorized equipment, going out to eat, watching the Hallmark Channel, whistling no tune in particular – especially when he was doing a project, and lending a hand to anyone in need in any way they needed it.

Ben is survived by his wife, Linda Aldrich Twitchell; sons, Ben Twitchell IV and his wife Laura, of Bar Harbor, Scott Twichell and his wife Heidi, of Benton; daughter, Tiffany Twitchell and her husband David, of Kennebunk; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren; aunt, Fern Twitchell, of Naples; brother, Terry Twitchell, of Oxford; and sisters Carol Williams and April L’Heureux, of Norway; siblings-in-law and nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Winslow Congregational Church, on Saturday, April 1, at 1 p.m.

Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield where memories may be shared, and an online register book signed by visiting http://www.lawrybrothers.com.

ALVAH E. DONNELL III

ALBION – Alvah E. Donnell III, 45, born August 4, 1977, on the U.S. Army Base, Fort Carson, Colorado, died Saturday, February 25, 2023, following complications from emergency heart surgery.

After his birth, his family moved to the state of Maine where he spent his whole life. He graduated from Gardiner Area High School and was an electrician by trade. Those that knew him, knew he could fix anything.

He was the father of 10 children, Derek Vintinner, Emily Donnell, Jacob Spinney, Alvah E. Donnell IV, Dylan Donnell, Trinity Camren, Katelyn Donnell, Gabriel Donnell, Bradley Donnell, and his infant son, Bryden Donnell who passed away in 2012.

He and his wife, Heather Donnell, the love of his life, just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in December. They have raised their family in Albion since 2011.

“Al”, as his friends and family knew him, loved being active in his kids’ lives and was a stay-at-home devoted father, which he cherished. He recently found a love for boating as well as a long-time love of the outdoors where he spent hours with his beloved dogs, Sissy and Chloe. Al was also active in the Albion Christian Church and worked with the youth for over 10 years, where he came to know and serve his savior Jesus Christ.

Al is survived by his mother, Marvel Hutchings, of Albion; father, Alvah E. Donnell Jr., and his wife, Patricia Donnell, of Belgrade; sisters, Una Purvis and husband Daniel Purvis, of Carmel, Ivy Cunliffe and husband James Cunliffe, of Monmouth, Angela Donnell and significant-other Robert Paquette, of Sydney; and brother, James Donnell, of Gardiner; his uncle, Peter Hutchings, and aunt, Sandra Hutchings of Hudson, Florida; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

A funeral service took place Saturday, March 4, at Albion Christian Church, 51 Main St., Albion, ME 04910.

Burial will take place later this spring at the family plot in Puddledock Cemetery, in Albion.

Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield, where memories may be shared, and an online register book signed by visiting http://www.lawrybrothers.com.

Flowers and contributions are both welcome. Please make checks or donations in the care of Heather Donnell through the Five County Credit Union.

DANA J. LAGASSIE SR.

VASSALBORO – Dana J. Lagassie Sr., 73, died Saturday, February 25, 2023, at his home, following a long illness. He was born in Au­gusta on Nov­ember 23, 1949, a son of the late Joseph and Gertrude (Jackson) Lagassie.

Mr. Lagassie was a graduate of Erskine Academy, in South China, and was a communicant of St. Augustine Catholic Church, in Augusta.

He had been employed for many years by Gibbs and Sons Construction, of Winslow. He was previously a woodman for several years. Anyone who knew him, knew what a hard worker he was, and always providing for his family.

Mr. Lagassie was predeceased by his brothers Carney and Winell Harvey.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Diane (Bourgoin) Lagassie, of Vassalboro; a son, Dana Lagassie, Jr. and his wife Dawn, of Vassalboro; two daughters, Amy Rocque and her husband Peter, of China, and Rene Coston, of Windsor; seven grandchildren, Shawna York, of Milford, Christian Lagassie, of Skowhegan, Jessica Dyer, of Rhode Island, Alice Ingalls, of Massachusetts, Jeffrey Sprague, of Portland, and Gordon Call and his wife Denisha Call, of Virginia; 13 great-grandchildren; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

At his request, there were no public visiting hours. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, March 7, at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Northern Ave., Augusta. Burial will be in the spring in Holy Family Cemetery, Townsend Road, Augusta.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

The family requests that donations in Dana’s memory be made to Alfond Center for Cancer Care, Office of Philanthropy, P.O. Box 828, Waterville, ME 04901.

ROLAND G. PELLETIER JR.

WINSLOW – Roland George Pelletier, Jr., 80, of Winslow, died on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at Maine Veterans Home, in Augusta, following a long illness.

Upon graduation from Waterville High School, Roland joined the U.S. Marine Corps to serve his country, and then attended Thomas College, in Waterville, for his bachelor’s degree. While working at Dunham’s Clothing store, in Waterville, in his 20s, he met the woman who would stand by his side through thick and thin for over 50 years, Marsha. They got married less than a year after they met, and Roland adopted Marsha’s one-year-old daughter, Dawn, immediately. They went on to have another daughter, Kristie.

Roland had a broad career in the fields of teaching, business, and accounting. He was a bibliophile, history buff, and an avid fisherman throughout his adult life. He was happiest on fishing and camping trips with friends and family.

He was passionate about music and his daughters fondly remember hearing his favorites playing in the house growing up. He passed along his love of movies and musicals to his family, who became very familiar with classics like West Side Story, Carousel, and the like.

In midlife, his affection for the arts took hold even further as he started writing a bit of poetry and became involved in the theater – acting, singing and dancing in Fiddler on the Roof and a few other local productions, something he always wanted to do.

Roland was predeceased by his mother, Cecile (Landry) Gagnon, who was 96 when she died in 2021. He tragically lost both his birth father, Roland George Pelletier, Sr., and his stepfather, Edmund Duguay, by the time he was 11 years old. He was also predeceased by his grandparents, Alice and Delphis Landry, whom he adored, and who helped raise him.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marsha (Gray) Pelletier, of Winslow; daughters, Dawn Ascanio and her husband, Robert Ascanio, of Falmouth, Kristie Irza, of Winslow and her fiancé, Rick Savageau, of Brewer; grandchildren, Ian Irza and Sadie Irza, both of Winslow; and brother, David Gagnon and his wife Shannon Weidner, of Sebastian, Florida.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 11 a.m., at Notre Dame Church, 116 Silver St., Waterville, immediately followed by a luncheon on the church premises. There will be no visiting hours or burial at this time.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, 8 Elm St., Waterville ME 04901.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Roland’s memory to MVH. More information can be found here: https://mainevets.charityproud.org/Donate/Index/848.

ROY L. HIGGINS JR.

NAPLES, Florida/ALBION – Roy L. Higgins Jr., 76, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Roy was born, in Albion, on March 14, 1946, to Roy and Louise Higgins.

He graduated from Northeastern University in 1966. He was a brilliant engineer who retired after 30 years as an executive at Verizon. Roy retired to Naples, Florida, in 2007, where he enjoyed fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and golf with his many golf buddies at Vanderbilt Country Club. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing all over the world, and particularly at his cabin near Buffalo, New York.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Linda Upton Higgins; five children, Sherry (Paul) Conti, David (Cristina) Higgins, Julee Higgins, Laurie (Sal) Gattinella and Tess (Dave) Goldstein; brother, Lawrence (Penny) Higgins; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by a son, Daniel Higgins.

In honor of his wishes, funeral arrangements will be private. For online condolences, please visit Roy’s Tribute at http://www.fullernaples.com.

LAURENCE H. FRENCH JR.

WINSLOW – Laurence H. French Jr. 59, passed away on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at his home. Lau­rence was born in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, to parents Laurence French Sr. and Geraldine (Barter) French on March 29, 1963.

He grew up in Farmington and graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1982.

While working at New Balance Shoe, in Skowhegan, he met his soulmate, Cyndi. They married in 1993 and would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on June 12 of this year. Laurence joined the fire service his senior year of high school and was still involved as a Firefighter 2 State Instructor and EMT until he retired in 2007.

Laurence had many different jobs throughout his life. His last job was at Maine State DOT as a plow driver until his health declined in 2021. He was also a member of the Skowhegan Lions Club. Every person Laurence ever met said he had a heart of gold and would help anyone with no questions asked.

Laurence was predeceased by his father Laurence French Sr., his stepfather-in-law David Beach; all his grandparents; and many aunts and uncles.

Laurence leaves behind his wife of 30 years, Cyndi (Neureuther) French; his daughter, Marie Francis (French), son-in-law Nathan Francis and granddaughter Ahrianna Francis; his son Laurence French III (LJ) and his fiancée Michalea Otis; his mother, Geraldine French; his sister Debbie Maddox (French), brother-in-law Ed Maddox, nephews Andrew McMullen and Robbie McMullen and their families; his mother-in-law Paula Beach and her partner Rod Wright; father-in-law Ronald Sochia; sister-in-law Amanda Sochia and her partner Aaron Chase and niece Brianna Bentley; grandparents-in-law Peter and Judy Beach, and Charles Neureuther.

A Celebration of Life will be celebrated on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 1 p.m., at the Manchester Lion’s Club, 1 Club House Road, Manchester ME 04351.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com for the French family.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, 8 Elm St. Waterville ME 04901.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Lions Club International Foundation designated for diabetes. https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/donate.

Erskine Academy announces school calendar change

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Parents and students should be advised of a change to Erskine Academy’s school calendar. Due to excessive snow days, Friday, March 17, will now be an Early Release Day for all Erskine Academy students. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.

LETTERS: Moving too fast to electrification

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To the editor:

A few ideas on what I see coming due to the electrification of America.

First, within a decade the government will require all citizens to own electric cars which will mean upgrading everybody’s electric service.

Second, we will have all oil, gas, natural and propane stoves, heaters, ovens, home heaters removed and replaced with not only heat pumps, which also require heat back-up, and or electric baseboard heaters and others.

Third, all this electrification will be putting an enormous strain on the electric grid, which means we will need a grid that must be able to carry the loads which presently they cannot. As the loads will be not only double, triple, and even quadruple. Where we will put these new towers is another future problem as we all ready know is a problem in Maine.

Fourth, as we know the ultimate goal is to become carbon neutral. Well, solar panels wear out and wind mills freeze, break down, etc. And to all my wood stove neighbors, beware, that will be the last thing with the government telling everyone to throw out their wood burning stoves as they are also a pollutant.

As a retired electrical contractor/engineer, I am all for electrification, but feel we are moving too fast on alternative “green” energy.

Frank Slason
Somerville

China transfer station committee recommends purchase of utility vehicle

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by Mary Grow

China transfer station committee members voted at their March 7 meeting to recommend to the select board purchase of a utility vehicle for transfer station staff use.

The vote was unanimous, with two transfer station staffers and road foreman Shawn Reed abstaining to avoid any appearance of self-interest (although Reed said he doubts public works would need to borrow the machine).

Station attendants currently use a donated golf cart to move things to their proper disposal locations. Transfer station manager Tom Maraggio said the new vehicle will accommodate larger things, like discarded air conditioners and television sets.

The price for the recommended Polaris Ranger 500 is $10,699. Staffer Cheyenne Houle had two other bids on different models, one higher and one slightly lower.

The China transfer station offers a six-page hand-out describing what materials can be recycled (with a reminder that the list may change as markets for recyclables change) and what other discards are acceptable, free or for a fee, with an aerial photo labeled to show where different things go.

She and Maraggio recommended the Polaris as the only one offered with a roll cage and lights, and as probably the most durable of the choices. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said the transfer station capital expenditures fund has enough 2022-23 money left to cover the cost.

Hapgood said she would put the request on the agenda for the Monday, March 13, select board meeting.

Two other transfer station projects are pending, paving in two areas and putting a cover over the new compactor.

Houle had asked for price quotes on paving and gotten only one, so far. Reed is having the same problem as he tries to budget for road paving in the coming summer; he predicted that by the end of March, companies will have a better idea of per-ton paving costs and will be more willing to offer estimated prices.

Houle said she has no bids yet on a cover for the pre-crusher.

Two other topics at the March 7 meeting were using the RFID (radio frequency identification) system to get more information about transfer station use, and refiguring the fee charged Palermo residents for their trash bags.

Hapgood said too many non-residents are using the China transfer station, which is supported primarily by China residents’ property taxes. Some people borrow residents’ RFID tags; some move out of town, find that their new town’s disposal system is less convenient or more expensive and continue to bring trash to China.

Committee members discussed ways to make the RFID system more useful. Hapgood and committee chairman Paul Lucas think requiring annual renewals would be one way to help keep records up to date. Hapgood accepted Houle’s offer to explore additional uses with the company that runs the system.

The updated version of the agreement under which Palermo residents use China’s facility calls for a recalculation of the bag fee each spring, so it can be adjusted as costs change. Palermo representative Robert Kurek reviewed the process, which Hapgood said she has started.

Committee members scheduled their next meeting for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, in the China town office meeting room.

EVENTS: Maine Film Center announces 2023 Oscar Party

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Dress to impress or come as you are to the Maine Film Center’s 2023 Oscar Party, on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Attendees can walk the red carpet and enjoy catered refreshments at a gala reception prior to a live broadcast of the 95th Academy Awards, celebrating the best films of 2022.

“We’ve shown seven out of 10 Best Picture nominees this year, and while we have our own predictions about winners, we’re curious what our community thinks!” said Julia Dunlavey, assistant executive director of the Maine Film Center. “Will it be Everything Everywhere All At Once (with a recent sold-out encore screening at MFC) or The Banshees of Inisherin (the highest-grossing film at MFC this year)? We’ll be watching with bated breath all night.”

Prior to the Oscars, cinema patrons are encouraged to fill out ballots with their predicted winners. The person with the most correct predictions will win one dozen free movie passes to the Maine Film Center, as well as free popcorn.

The gala reception will begin at 7:30 p.m., while the Oscar ceremonies broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for the reception are $15 for the general public and free for members of Waterville Creates; admission to the broadcast is free. For tickets and more information, please visit MaineFilmCenter.org.