VASSALBORO: Local and state questions to be on Nov. 8 ballot (2022)

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by Mary Grow

At the polls on Nov. 8, Vassalboro voters will make decisions on local ballot questions and state elections. The questions are presented on two sheets of paper, a two-sided local ballot and a two-sided state ballot.

One local question is election of a Kennebec Water District trustee, for a three-year term. Incumbent Frank Richards is unopposed for re-election.

The other is the Solar Moratorium Ordinance, drafted by town attorney Kristin Collins and discussed at a Sept. 29 public hearing.

If voters approve, it will prohibit new commercial solar developments in town for a period of 180 days (which selectmen can change), beginning immediately after the votes are counted and the result certified.

At the Sept. 29 hearing and following select board meeting, and at an Oct. 4 planning board meeting, residents asked whether an application filed and accepted by the planning board before Nov. 8, but not approved, would be postponed.

Codes officer Paul Mitnik and planning board member Douglas Phillips said the board would not act on an application if the moratorium were in effect. Phillips read the paragraph in the ordinance he thinks relevant:

“[D]uring the time this Moratorium Ordinance is in effect, no officer, official, employee, office, administrative board or agency of the Town shall accept, process, approve, deny, or in any other way act upon any application for a license, building permit or any other type of land use approval or permit and/or any other permits of licenses related to a commercial solar array….”

An earlier paragraph says the ordinance applies to “any proposed commercial solar array” for which an application for any required permit “has not been submitted to and granted final approval by the Code Enforcement Officer, Planning Board or other Town official or board” before the effective date of the ordinance.

The purpose of the moratorium is to give town officials time to develop requirements specific to solar farms, to complement current town regulation of other kinds of commercial development. Select board members hope to have language ready to submit to voters at the June 2023 town meeting.

Vassalboro’s state ballot begins with the District 1 Congressional candidates and includes state and county officials. Each office has a line for a write-in candidate, in addition to those listed on the ballot.

Ranked choice voting, which allows voters to indicate their first choice and, if they wish, a second and a third choice, applies only to the Congressional race.

Contested races are as follows. Names on the ballot are listed alphabetically.

  • For District 1 representative to the United States House of Representatives, Democratic incumbent Chellie M. Pingree, of North Haven, and Republican Edwin Thelander, of Bristol.
  • For governor of Maine, Independent Sam Hunkler, from Beals; Republican Paul LePage, from Edgecomb; and incumbent Democrat Janet T. Mills, from Farmington.
  • For District #15 state senator, Republican incumbent Matthew Gary Pouliot and Democrat Storme Jude St. Valle, both from Augusta.
  • For House District #61, incumbent Republican Richard T. Bradstreet and Democrat Amy J. Davidoff, both from Vassalboro.
  • For Kennebec County Register of Deeds, Republican Matthew James Boucher, of Oakland; and incumbent Democrat C. Diane Wilson, of Litchfield.

Three current office-holders are unopposed for re-election: Kennebec County Register of Probate, Kathleen Grant Ayers, Democrat, of West Gardiner; Kennebec County treasurer, Thomas F. Doore, Democrat, of Augusta; and District 4 (Kennebec and Somerset counties) district attorney, Maeghan Maloney, Democrat, of Augusta.

Vassalboro voting will be in the town office building, at 682 Main Street (Route 32). Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Vassalboro website has additional information about voting rules under the Town Clerk box on the left-hand side; scroll down to the ninth section, “Voter Registration and Election Information.”

Town Clerk Cathy Coyne announced that there is a new box in front of the town office where people can safely drop off absentee ballots when the office is closed. The town also has new voting booths, she said.

Vassalboro planners discuss revised commercial solar farm plan

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members spent the first hour of their two-and-a-half hour Oct. 4 meeting on a revised commercial solar farm plan, and the rest of the time on preliminary discussion of town solar regulations.

The solar project at 2579 Riverside Drive was approved in September 2020. Since then, it has acquired a new owner, a change that needed and got planning board approval, and the board has extended the permit.

The Oct. 4 re-application, as explained by Kara Moody, of Stantec Consulting Services, in Topsham, was for four changes.

  • Instead of the tracking solar panels initially planned, which move to follow the sun, fixed south-facing panels will be used.
  • Therefore some of the other equipment has been rearranged.
  • A new 12-foot-wide access driveway for a connection to Central Maine Power Company (CMP) is planned at the north end of the property.
  • Therefore the original 16-foot-wide access road has been shortened.

The result, Moody said, will be a reduction in total affected acreage from about 33 acres to about 28 acres; a reduction in fenced area from about 27 acres to about 23 acres; a reduction in impervious area from about 9/10ths of an acre to about 8/10ths of an acre; a considerable reduction in the wetland area impacted, from about 4,200 square feet to about 1,100 square feet; less grading; and fewer panels.

The state Department of Environmental Protection approved the original project in December 2020. State regulators will be asked to approve the revision, and the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) to approve the new entrance to Riverside Drive.

Planning board members unanimously approved a revised Vassalboro permit, subject to MDOT approval of the entrance permit and planning board review of the decommissioning plan that is part of the state permit. The review is scheduled for the Nov. 1 planning board meeting.

Vassalboro planning board members have approved four commercial solar permits, board chairman Virginia Brackett said. One on Main Street (Route 32), on Bernard Welch’s property about opposite Ron’s Auto Parts, has been operating for a couple years, she estimated. Two others, on Cemetery Street and on Webber Pond Road, are approved but not built.

Permittees requesting extended permits have told board members the delay is in arranging connections to CMP’s grid.

As they develop local standards, select board members currently plan to add provisions specific to commercial solar developments to Vassalboro’s Site Review Ordinance, which governs commercial and industrial projects. They will ask town attorney Kristin Collins if this approach is correct, or if they and planning board members should prepare a separate ordinance.

The additions, in whichever form, are likely to include requirements for a decommissioning plan (describing how the solar panels will be removed at the end of their useful life and the area restored to its previous state, with a provision for funding); buffering to conceal the solar farm; setbacks from, at least, wetlands, roads and property boundary lines; and maybe height limits.

The goal, Brackett and planning board member Douglas Phillips agreed, is not to prohibit commercial solar developments in Vassalboro, but to set standards “that make them good neighbors.”

Maybe the revisions should include standards for windmills, too, Phillips suggested.

Permit fees also need discussion. Fees are usually set by the select board, not included in ordinances, because if they were part of an ordinance, they could be changed only by a town vote amending the ordinance.

Commercial solar developments need both local and state permits. Select board chairman Barbara Redmond said the state does not regulate them if they cover less than three acres. Town regulations should apply to small developments.

Residents attending the meeting, several of them living on Route 32 near a site for which an application is expected (see The Town Line, Oct. 6, p. 3) offered suggestions for additional requirements. Not all were appropriate for Vassalboro, Redmond and Brackett again reminded them, because the town has no zoning and no comprehensive plan, having substituted a document labeled a strategic plan.

Vassalboro’s 2006 strategic plan is on the town website, www.vassalboro.net, under the heading Ordinances/Policies.

For example, several residents wanted solar panels invisible not only from neighboring properties, but also from people looking over from a height, in what are called viewsheds. Unlikely to happen, Brackett said: hiding a solar farm completely is probably impossible, and the strategic plan says nothing about viewsheds.

Resident Kevin Reed pointed out the difference between a solar farm – or another industry – in an isolated area and one surrounded by houses. Sorry, Brackett said: without zoning, the board cannot consider density of population or proximity to residences.

Reed suggested the updated ordinance include provisions for an electrical inspection. That’s the state’s job, codes officer Paul Mitnik and planning board member Dan Bradstreet replied.

Currently, board members said, local approval comes before state review for a project like a solar farm. State applications are more demanding, and state regulators have more expertise, they said. They surmised that because the state process is longer and more complex, state officials don’t want to go through it and then to have a municipality reject a state-approved permit.

Reed repeatedly questioned the order. Asked why it mattered, since the project would not be built without approval at both levels, he replied that information in the state permit might be valuable to townspeople and town regulators.

After the meeting, Redmond learned from Cameron Dufour, at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, that a prior municipal permit is not a requirement for a state solar development permit. She recommended adding the order in which permits are approved to the list of ordinance issues.

Mitnik said applications for town permits are submitted two weeks before each planning board meeting, and are public record. Residents who want information on a pending project may come to the town office and read the application.

Seeing plans should help alleviate concerns, Brackett added.

Select board member Rick Denico read the just-approved Riverside Drive application as discussion continued. He seemed favorably impressed, occasionally sharing details he found.

The next Vassalboro planning board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. If the Route 32 solar farm, or any other commercial or industrial application, is on the agenda, board members have said abutters will be notified by mail before the meeting.

Brandi Meisner, selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program

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Brandi Meisner

Fellowship Provides State and Local Business Leaders with Opportunities to Engage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has announced Brandi Meisner, Vice President of Operations, at Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, was selected to participate in the seventh cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.

“Workforce is one of the largest issues that our members face. I am excited to be part of this program to learn innovative ways that we can help them solve their workforce challenges,” says Meisner.

“We created the Business Leads Fellowship Program in response to the needs of our state and local chamber partners,” says Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President of the Center for Education and Workforce. “They, better than anyone, see the critical link between education and economic development, and we are glad to be able to support them as they take on this critical leadership role in their community.”

Following a competitive application and selection process, Meisner was selected along with 34 other state and local chamber executives, economic development professionals, and association leaders to participate in the seventh class of this program. The six-month program, consisting of both in person and virtual meetings, will cover the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce development.

Upon completion, Business Leads Fellows will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s dedicated network of over 250 chambers of commerce and statewide associations from around the nation who regularly engage on education and workforce initiatives.

For more information on the Business Leads Fellowship Program, visit the program’s website.

Local sports figures inducted into Legends Hall

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Mike Roy, left, and Bethany LaFountain.

by Mark Huard

Mike Roy, of Waterville, and Bethany LaFountain, of Winslow, are two of seven 2022 inductees into the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Honors. In addition, seven student athletes, including Brooke McKenney, of Madison Memorial High School, and Emily Rhodes, of Lawrence High School , in Fairfield, are this year’s selections. The Legends organization was founded in the 1990s honoring individuals who have contributed to athletics to provide additional support to Maine high school graduates who plan to continue their education and participation in athletics.

Mike is a graduate of Waterville High and Colby College who left for Georgia and returned four and a half months later via the Appalachian Trail. In 1978 he began a municipal career as the Community Development Director for the Town of Fairfield. He became town manager for the towns of Vassalboro, Oakland and Waterville, where he became the first city manager for over 16 years until he retired in 2021.

Married to Schari Roy with two adult children and two grandchildren, he has served in Rotary Club for 34 years, High Hope, Central Maine Youth hockey, United Way, Friends of Quarry Road and the Central Maine Growth Council. He served as president of the Maine Municipal Association. In 1964, Waterville sent a Pee Wee hockey team to the national tournament in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and a Little League team to the regionals in New Hampshire. There were only two players that were on both teams, Mike and the late Jim Rancourt.

In a letter of support for Mike’s candidacy, John Cullen wrote “I have known Mike for 60 years, first as an opponent in Pee Wee Hockey and then as a teammate and friend because of our playing days. He was a three-sport standout at Waterville High School, graduating in the class of 1970. He was one of only four freshmen to make the varsity team his freshman year. In baseball, again Mike was the leader of the team as the ace of the staff. He was a star player in every sport and every season he played. Mike Roy was a leader both on and off the field and his devotion to Waterville is second to none.”

Bethany is the first woman to coach varsity boy’s baseball at Winslow High School. She was a pitcher for the 2004 state champion Winslow softball team. Having played 16 years of softball year ’round, she’s crossed over to a different diamond. “There’s a lot of overlap between softball and baseball. I’m really going to focus with this group with starting back to the basics by breaking down fundamentals within the program. We’re starting from scratch by focusing on pitching and defense all the way,” she says. LaFountain is Winslow’s fourth coach in as many seasons to try to tackle a rebuilding effort. Russell Mercier, varsity baseball coach at Lawrence High School worked with Beth coaching the Central Maine Senior Legion baseball team. He says, “From the beginning of the season, it was clear to me that Beth stood out with her attention to detail, positive attitude, and desire to learn and compete at the highest level.” She conducted various clinics for youth in baseball and softball and even helped work on Winslow baseball and softball fields. Beth’s grandfather, Wally Lafountain, coached the Winslow High football team and coached and officiated high school wrestling. She has three sons, Ben, Tyler and David Fisher. The two Central Mainers will have their names added to a plaque at the Alfond Youth Center honoring all inductees beginning with the selection of Harold Alfond.

Other Hall of Honors inductees from Northern Maine are John Plourde, Monica Bearden and Ron Ericson and, from Eastern Maine, Tracie Martin and John “Jack” Cashman.

Emily is a resident of Clinton. She was captain of the varsity soccer team in both her sophomore and senior years, participated in Lawrence indoor soccer and was a member of the Central Maine Premiere Soccer Club. President of the National Honor Society, she ranked fifth in her senior class. Currently employed at Natanis Golf Course, in Vassalboro, where she serves in the snack bar and on the course, she is preparing for a career in healthcare and has been accepted at the University of New England in the Medical Biology pre-physician assistant program. Emily says she wants compassion for others to not only be the focus for herself, but also the focus for others around her. She is the daughter of Jody and Anthony Rhodes.

Brooke is a four-year varsity awards recipient in softball at Madison Memorial High School, Class C champions in 2019. She was captain of the team in her junior and senior years. She was also a varsity basketball player her sophomore, junior and senior years, captain of that team, as well as the golf team as a junior. She was also named Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year and was a first team conference All Star as a freshman and as a junior. Graduating second in her class, she was also a National Honor Society member and high honor roll student. The daughter of Daniel and Laurie McKenney, Brooke says she comes from a family of medical professionals. Christopher LeBlanc, Principal, AD and head softball coach says, “I look forward to her educational and athletic growth as she pursues her future endeavors.” Heath Cowan, Madison golf coach and head women’s basektball coach at the University of Maine at Augusta says, “Brooke puts the same amount of time in the classroom as she does on the field. She ranks second in her class with an amazing 98.8 GPA.”

Issue for October 6, 2022

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Issue for October 6, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

Girls from 10 different schools attend Shine-On Saturday

GETTING THEIR SHINE ON: Messalonskee High School girls soccer welcomed a record 46 girls, pre-kindergarten to grade five, to the 7th annual “ShineOn Saturday” held September 24 this year at Messalonskee Middle School… by Monica Charette

Your Local News

Planners postpone action on “solventless hashlab” application

CHINA – A bare quorum of the China Planning Board took no action at the Sept. 27 meeting. There was one application on the agenda, from Bryan Mason, to change the use of a shipping container at his 1144 Route 3 property. Mason wrote that he intended to use it as a “solventless Hashlab”…

China emergency committee to meet

CHINA – The China Emergency Preparedness Committee is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, in the portable building behind the town office. Committee members will continue review of the town’s emergency preparedness plan, recommending changes and updates they think are needed…

Over two dozen citizens attend public hearing on moratorium

VASSALBORO – The Vassalboro select board’s Sept. 29 public hearing on the solar moratorium question that’s on the Nov. 8 local ballot drew more than two dozen residents and lasted almost an hour. Most of the discussion was on a different topic…

Town to see increase in cost for roads winter plowing

WINDSOR – At their September 13 meeting, the Windsor Select Board unanimously approved the awarding of the plowing contract for the 2022-23 winter to McGee Construction. McGee Construction had notified Town Manager Theresa Haskell that they were increasing their hourly rate from $110 to $125 per hour…

LETTERS: Enjoyed M*A*S*H story

from Kitty Clair Gee (Chesterville) – I really enjoyed reading the Story behind the creator of M*A*S*H. I lived in Waterville in the ‘50s and ‘60s and I remember Dr. Hornberger and Dr. Pratt very well. They were wonderful doctors. I also remember another, Dr. Clarence Dore. He was “one of a kind.” I look forward to your paper every week in my mailbox. Keep up the good work. Thank you…

LETTERS: Gives Hemenway full support

from Terri McAlister (Northport) – The November election is coming up soon and there are important decisions to be made for Waldo County. I support Stephen J. Hemenway for District #39. He supports all of the issues that are important to me…

LETTERS: Let’s Not Go Down That Path

from Chris Johnson (Chairman, Lincoln County Democratic Committee) – A recent political mailer from a conservative PAC seeks to spread hateful innuendo and disinformation about Maine educators and schools to scare voters while asking them to vote Republican. Maine doesn’t need attacks on the overworked and underpaid educators that run our schools and teach our kids and grandchildren. Nor do we need dishonest attacks in our politics…

LETTERS: We must protect our children

from Alva Philbrook (Belfast) – Let me preface this letter by saying I’m a Conservative Republican. I’m that because I believe in a strong border, the right to life, and the strength of family. I met Steven J. Hemingway several times and he told me that when he saw the legislation pushed by Jan Dodge to keep parents from listening to their children’s classes while online learning is being conducted, well he got my attention. We have seen what the lefts agenda and the NEA’s agenda toward parents is. Labeling them as domestic terrorists…

LETTERS: Democrats helped him hear

from Geoff Bates (South Bristol) – “Whazzat?” This was me in 2017. My patient wife suggested an audiologist appointment to determine whether I needed hearing aids and to get an estimate of their cost. The resultant report was yes, I had significant hearing loss. The fee for the hearing aids that were recommended? $1,750 each – $3,500 for both – and that was with the $750 each that my generous (at that time) insurance would cover. We decided we couldn’t afford them…

LETTERS: Hemenway admirable

from Madi Gleason – Stephen [Hemenway] wants to preserve the beauty of Maine…I agree! I also agree as a parent you should be able to witness the lessons being taught in the “remote classroom”. I find his time working in law enforcement extremely admirable! Overall, he is very personable and a friend to many!…

LETTERS: Where do candidates stand on high speed internet?

from Paul L. Armstrong (Palermo) – As someone who lives in rural Maine, I am concerned about the lack of affordable high-speed internet coverage in our state. Maine is one of the most rural states in the nation and 37 percent of rural Americans nationwide lack high-speed internet access at home…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is October 6, 2022…

EVENTS – Lithgow Library event: Singer/songwriter Karen Grimshaw

AUGUSTA – Karen Grimshaw is a singer / songwriter and member of the Hallowell-based band, The Blenders. Inspired by her rural Kansas roots and a childhood spent listening to her parents’ diverse record collection, she crafts songs that blend folk, blues and country into intimate stories about love and life…She will perform on Tuesday, November 1, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m…

EVENTS: 26th annual Maine International Film Festival opens submissions

WATERVILLE – The Maine Film Center has opened submissions for the 26th annual Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). The Festival, scheduled for July 7-16, 2023, will be hosted at the Paul J. Schupf Arts Center, which will be the new home for the Maine Film Center, in downtown Waterville…

Northern Light offers schedule care online and skip the hold line

CENTRAL ME – On September 21, 2022, all Northern Light Inland Hospital Primary Care practices introduced patient online self-scheduling, a new appointment scheduling option that has been rolling out statewide since June when the online self-scheduling option went live for screening mammograms…

PHOTO: It’s apple picking time

FAIRFIELD – Ashley Wills, of Palermo, recently went apple picking, with a little assistance from her dog, Floyd, at the Apple Farm, in Fairfield…

TEAM PHOTOS: Winslow Youth travel soccer

WINSLOW – Team photos for Winslow U14 boys travel soccer team, and Winslow U9 boys and girls travel soccer team, by Central Maine Photography…

Celebrating Maine history

Click here for all of our recent stories about the local history of Maine!

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 6 (new)

WATERVILLE HISTORY – This article is planned as the first of a three-part subseries in which your writer introduces readers to some of the businessmen (and other people) mentioned in the previous weeks’ descriptions of Waterville’s Main Street Historic District, and sometimes to members of their families… by Mary Grow [1464 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 5

WATERVILLE HISTORY – Returning to the 2016 enlargement of Waterville’s Main Street Historic District, the final two buildings included are the four-story Cyr Building/Professional Building, on the northeast corner of Main and Appleton streets at 177-179 Main Street; and the Elks Club, on the north side of Appleton Street… by Mary Grow [1727 words]

The story behind the creation of M*A*S*H

MAINE HISTORY – The show was based on the movie of the same name, which came out in 1970; and the movie was based on the novel MASH, written by Richard Hooker and published in 1968 by William Morrow & Company… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 4

WATERVILLE HISTORY — This article continues the description of Waterville’s Main Street Historic District, going northward on the west side of Main Street between Silver and Temple streets, and adds most of the buildings in the 2016 expansion of the district… by Mary Grow [1826 words]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Upcoming activities at Vassalboro Grange

VASSALBORO — The Vassalboro Grange has announced that their Harvest supper will return after two years absence. The public Harvest Supper, 6 p.m., Saturday, October 22, at the Vassalboro Grange. The grange is in great need of replenishing their funds and this event will serve as a fundraiser… and many other local events!

2022-’23 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Real estate tax due dates for the towns of Albion, China, Fairfield, Oakland, Palermo, Sidney, Vassalboro, Waterville, Windsor and Winslow…

Obituaries

PALERMO – Dean Alan Willoughby, 80, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2022, at the Alfond Center for Health, in Augusta. Dean was born November 12, 1941, the son of Freelan (Peanut) and Edna (Gatchell) Willoughby… and remembering 12 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Hannaford Supermarket! Email your answer to townline@townline.org or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!

Previous winner: Jackie Leach, Whitefield

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | I recently received an email from Phil and Joann King, of Palermo, telling of a sighting on a bobcat in their yard. They live on the Hostile Valley Road, and the bobcat casually strolled through their property during the night. They say he glanced through the sliding glass window and strolled up to the garden. According to them, he seemed completely unconcerned…

ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric W. Austin | Well, my mother got scammed on the internet, again. Last week, she received a text on her phone claiming to be from the shipping company UPS. The text message said they “were unable to complete your delivery due [to] incomplete address,” and included a website link for her to schedule a new delivery. The link took her to a website with the UPS logo and asked her to enter her credit card information to pay for a $1.14 “redelivery fee”…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | For all the fascination of the first 11 characters to occupy the White House, they did not grab my interest to quite the same degree as #12, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), affectionately known as “Old Rough-and-Ready”…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I have been scanning some of my magazines today and kept coming across little bits of information that I decided to share with you. I understand if you are not interested in all I found, but maybe some part of it. I hope…

VETERANS CORNER

by Gary Kennedy | Well here we are again. It has been a nice summer and a beautiful September. We have a lot of rain but we have need of every drop of it. Some information has come out on the veteran side of things. As you all know some of us belong to groups and some of us just receive information via media, correspondence and just word of mouth…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | Keep enjoying your homegrown herbs all year round. Harvest throughout the growing season and include them in garden-fresh meals. Then preserve a few for the winter ahead…

LIFE ON THE PLAINS

by Roland D. Hallee | Part 3 of a walk down old-time Waterville in pictures…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | You may never have thought about it much, but your liver is essential to your life. It’s the largest solid internal organ and performs so many vital functions, including filtering toxins from your blood, producing bile so you can digest fat, storing sugar for energy, and more…

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Did you know?

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by Debbie Walker

I have been scanning some of my magazines today and kept coming across little bits of information that I decided to share with you. I understand if you are not interested in all I found, but maybe some part of it. I hope.

So…Halloween: Neighborhood tricker treating, as we know it today, started in the 1930s. The tricks associated became out of control during the Depression. Communities needed a better way for kids to celebrate. Sugar rationing during World War II put a big damper on the tradition. It regained the Halloween custom in the 1950s. (Info came from MyHomeTownCitrus.com)

Next… Quaker Oats introduced instant oatmeal in 1961. Did you know the picture of the man on the box is not a real character, but he is affectionately known as Larry! (Woman’s World 9/19/22)

Bazooka bubblegum came out in 1947, not long after World War II. It had a wrapper of patriotic red ,white and blue, with a name likely in homage to the wrapper developed during the war. (Woman’s World 9/26/22)

The animated short A Wild Hare was released in 1940, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny. “What’s up, doc?” was the first line he said to Elmer Fudd. (Woman’s World 7/25/22)

Lassie premiered in 1954. The collie named Pal, who ended up playing Lassie, had originally been rejected because he was a male. (Woman’s World 9/12/22)

The AARP had a section in the paper from the October/November and the article is called Money Saver. It’s comparing then and now. Bananas: 1990 = lbs ‘$0.53, Today: $0.64. Levi’s 501 = 1990: $32.00 Today: $69.00. Medicare Part B premium: 1990 $28.60, Today $ 170.00.

Miracle Cleaners that I found in Woman’s World dated 7/29/19 : Preserve wood furniture with an olive oil polish. Mix one part olive oil, one part vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.

Clean Kitchen counters: 3 oz. spray bottle halfway with water, then add a squirt of dish soap and two Tablespoons of rubbing alcohol .

Lift soap scum with a hot spritz: In a spray bottle mix one cup baking soda, ½ cup of dish soap, ½ cup of borax, one Tablespoon of white vinegar and one cup of warm water.

Now ladies, here is a few smiles for you: Seven Things You’re Sure Your Husband Will Never Say:

1. “The mall? Can I go, too? “

2. “Do these Dockers make my butt look big?”

3. “Beer? Nah! I’ll have sparkling water instead.”

4. “Why don’t we call your mother right now.”

5. “Honey, where did you leave the vacuum?”

6. “Which channel is Lifetime, again?”

7. “Let’s just cuddle.”

The Farmers Almanac listed some weather folklore and popular sayings that might help you get ready for the snow.

A halo ’round the Moon means ’twill rain or snow soon.

If the first week in August is unusually warm, the coming winter will be snowy and long.

For every fog in August , there will be a snowfall the following winter.

If there is thunder in winter, it will snow seven days later.

I am just curious if any of those sayings are accurate. You have your snow warnings, and we have hurricane warnings. After we get through this one, I will tell you a story. Thanks for reading and contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org.

ERIC’S TECH TALK: How the internet tricked my mom

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Screenshot of actual text message that tricked my mom.

by Eric W. Austin

Well, my mother got scammed on the internet, again. Last week, she received a text on her phone claiming to be from the shipping company UPS. The text message said they “were unable to complete your delivery due [to] incomplete address,” and included a website link for her to schedule a new delivery. The link took her to a website with the UPS logo and asked her to enter her credit card information to pay for a $1.14 “redelivery fee”.

When she told me about it later in the day, I immediately found the incident suspicious. I receive packages from UPS all the time and have never been required to pay for a redelivery. She also told me she got the text at 4 a.m., but who is doing deliveries at that time of day? I asked her to show me the text message. It came from an “unknown” number, and the link they provided was a shortcut — a link designed to redirect someone from a short URL to a longer, more complex address. This one started with “bit.ly”, which is a common provider of URL shortcuts. That doesn’t mean that any similar link is automatically suspicious, since there are many credible people and organizations who use this service to shorten links shared on social media, but scammers will use this method to disguise the fact that they are sending you to an illegitimate website.

On her phone, this link had sent her to a webpage with an address beginning with “www45.”. I was not able to discover exactly what this prefix means, but the first Google result referencing a similar address came from a user complaining about getting a virus from it.

When I forwarded the text message to my own computer and opened the link in my browser, it did not take me to a faux UPS website, as it had on her phone, but instead opened to a different random website each time I clicked on it, which my browser’s anti-malware security software automatically killed as a safety precaution before I could even view its content. I believe the link in the text message was programmed only to open to the fake UPS site when launched on a smart phone, because that was the platform they were targeting. (It should be noted, I emphatically do not recommend anyone click on such a link, as it could potentially install a virus on your computer, but I was curious about where it would take me and I have precautions installed on my PC and know how to deal with a virus if I get one. For everyone else: never click on a suspicious link!)

Although I couldn’t find an exact match to this scam on the official UPS website, they did acknowledge awareness of similar scams on their FAQ page.

Based on this brief analysis, I think there is no question that this text was sent to my mother by a scammer and it was not actually from UPS about a package delivery. We called her bank and canceled her credit card. A new card should arrive in a few weeks and, according to the bank, no unauthorized charges had been made on her account. It’s inconvenient but no lasting harm was done.

But why did my mom fall for it? She’s a smart lady and is well-aware of the prevalence of scammers who frequently prey on senior citizens like her. Part of the reason, I think, is the fact that she was expecting a package and that delivery was late. “How did they know I was expecting a package?” she asked incredulously when I told her I thought she had been the victim of a scam.

And I think this reaction is the key to why she was duped. She was expecting a package, it was late, and the text seemed to fit into the pattern she was expecting to see. How did the scammer know she was expecting a delivery? Did they steal her order information from Amazon or UPS? I recommended she change her Amazon password just in case, but I’m not sure the scammer had any special knowledge about her ordering habits.

We live in the age of Amazon and other online retailers. In any given week, I am probably expecting a package. We don’t realize just how often most of us regularly receive items through the mail. Something that was fairly rare two decades ago has become a commonplace occurrence today. I suspect this scammer sent a similar text message to thousands (maybe millions?) of people, and (I’m guessing here) maybe 80 percent of them are anticipating the receipt of a package from somewhere at some point during the week. Although it’s possible the scammer hacked Amazon or the UPS website and stole my mother’s information as part of an effort to target her, I think it’s more likely they just got lucky in the timing of their text message.

Hopefully, this article can serve as a reminder to everyone to be aware of such predatory behavior. Seniors seem to be especially targeted by these scammers. My mother frequently receives phone calls on her landline from people who claim to be one of her grandchildren and in desperate need of cash. She’s learned not to trust such calls. Now, she will be wary of suspicious texts too. If you are one of these older folks, be suspicious! Ask your kids for advice if you have a concern. If you are a younger person, look out for your parents and grandparents. Speak to them about these issues and caution them to be watchful.

And it’s always a good practice to avoid clicking on links in emails or text messages unless you are certain the source is trustworthy.

Email the author at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Liver Transplants Help More People Live

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(NAPSI)—You may never have thought about it much, but your liver is essential to your life. It’s the largest solid internal organ and performs so many vital functions, including filtering toxins from your blood, producing bile so you can digest fat, storing sugar for energy, and more.

The Problem

If your liver fails, you may need a liver transplant. As diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) become more common, more people will need liver transplants. Research shows 80 to 100 million Americans have fatty liver disease and it is present in 75% of overweight people and 90% of people with severe obesity. NAFLD is the most common form of childhood liver disease in the U.S. and NASH is expected to become the leading cause of liver transplantation by 2025.

An Answer

Living donor liver transplantation offers a solution. A person can donate a portion of their liver to someone else. The liver is the only organ that can regrow, so just a portion is needed for transplant. Before donating, a doctor will run tests, including blood work and physical and psychological exams, to ensure someone is a good match and well enough for surgery. For the transplant, a donor will spend about a week in the hospital and within two to three months their liver will grow back to full, functioning size and so will yours. What are the benefits of a living donor liver transplant? There are over 14,000 people in the U.S. on the wait list for a liver transplant. Each day people die waiting or are removed from the wait list because they’ve become too sick to undergo a transplant or their liver cancer becomes too advanced. Living donation reduces wait time—often by years—allowing someone to get this lifesaving operation when they need it.

Living donor liver transplant:

• Saves valuable time by reducing the risk of the recipient’s liver condition getting worse.
• Typically results in quicker recovery and improved long-term outcomes for the recipient because they’re receiving a portion of a healthy person’s liver.
• Allows time for the donor, recipient and caregivers to plan for the operation.
• Saves another life by allowing the next person on the waiting list to receive a deceased donor liver transplant.

5 Tips to Find a Living Donor:

1. Social Media—Facebook groups are a great way to share your story, photos and more.

2. Word of Mouth—be ready to talk about finding a living donor with everyone from family members to that friend you bump into at the grocery store.

3. Social Networks—confide in groups you regularly interact with such as book clubs, recreational sports, religious groups or your child’s school.

4. Print Materials­—create materials about your story for people to share.

5. Public Media—reach out to newspapers, television, radio and news stations.

If you’re looking for a living donor or are interested in becoming one, the American Liver Foundation and UPMC can help. They’ve created a new series of five animated videos to walk you through the process. Learn More For additional stats and facts, visit www.liverfoundation.org/livingdonor.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: President Zachary Taylor

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Zachary Taylor

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Zachary Taylor

For all the fascination of the first 11 characters to occupy the White House, they did not grab my interest to quite the same degree as #12, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), affectionately known as “Old Rough-and-Ready”.

The unsigned essayist in Volume 4 of the American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans astutely made the case for Taylor’s phenomenal jump to fame during the mid-1840s as the Whig Party nominee for president:

“After nearly forty years of relative obscurity as a United States Army officer, Zachary Taylor suddenly found himself propelled to prominence by the war with Mexico. He had long been respected by his colleagues for his obvious ability to lead soldiers and for his bravery and effectiveness as a frontier commander. Although Andrew Jackson told James Polk that Taylor would be ‘the man to lead our armies ‘ in any war with England, junior officers criticized General Taylor’s lack of organization. But General Taylor was at his best once a fight was under way, improvising, and inspiring his men. It is said his sudden appearance on the battlefield at Buena Vista, and his coolness while his clothes were ripped by bullets, were enough to rally the American Army from the verge of defeat. He became an instant legend and a potential presidential candidate. ”

During his presidency, he stood firmly on California and New Mexico being admitted as states on their own terms instead of those dictated by the Henry Clay compromising Congress – and he knew they’d be free ones; thus he ticked off both Clay and his other fellow Whigs – and, although Taylor was a Southerner from Kentucky and a slaveholder, he alienated the Southern Democrats who were hoping for the expansion of slavery in those western states. When the South was talking about secession, Taylor even threatened to use military force to put down any revolt.

(Interestingly Taylor’s daughter Sarah got married in 1835 to future Confederacy President Jefferson Davis but died within four months from malaria at the age of 21 . Taylor was at first miffed when his daughter and Davis married without the permission of her parents, and, even though Davis also contracted malaria and almost died, Taylor blamed him for Sarah’s death. But years later he came to have a high regard for his son-in-law. )

Margaret Taylor

Zachary Taylor married Margaret Mackle Smith (1788-1852) in 1810. In addition to Sarah, they had five other daughters and a son. Two of the daughters died about the same time during very early childhood from what was termed “bilious fever” in 1820, then one of the hazards of frontier life when Taylor was serving at a military outpost.

Taylor’s wife, known affectionately as Peggy, was hoping that, after her husband resigned from the military, they could enjoy a much-needed retirement and was very upset when he felt called to run for president. During his administration, she let another daughter Mary Elizabeth (1824-1909) assume the duties of hostess and retired to her suite, receiving only a handful of visitors.

For decades, Margaret Taylor was the only First Lady of whom no photo or sketch existed until 2010 when a daguerreotype plate turned up and was verified as being of her.

Son Richard Taylor (1826-1879) served as a general in the Confe­derate Army during the Civil War while his uncle Joseph Pannell Taylor (1796-1864) was a general in the Union Army.

On July 9, 1850, Zachary Taylor died from gastroenteritis which was believed to have been caused by eating some uncooked fruit and vegetables; he was 65.

 

 

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Pictorial stroll on west side of Water St. – Part 3

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The Maine Theater, showing Three Married Men, starring Roscoe Karns and Mary Brian. That part of the buildings no longer exists.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee
Photos courtesy of  E. Roger Hallee (Waterville, ME)

Daviau’s Pharmacy, on the corner of Water and Gray streets.

Service station, later to become Belliveau’s Service Station, on the corner of Water and Gold streets, now part of KVCAP campus.

H.A. Marshall and First National Stores, on the corner of Water and King streets.