SCORES & OUTDOORS: How do animals, like deer, survive during the worst of winter

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

During the blizzard that swept through our area a little while back, I was standing at my kitchen window, watching the bird feeders. To my surprise, even during the peak of the storm, with heavy snowfall and howling winds, the birds kept coming to the feeding stations.

“Tough little buggers,” I thought while watching.

That got me to thinking. How do these animals and birds survive these harsh winters?

So, I decided to do some research on the white-tailed deer. I had recently read an article that said the “mild” winter so far made it easier for the deer to move in search of food. That all changed that weekend. Now that there was a significant amount of additional snow on the ground, how will they survive the remainder of this season?

White-tailed deer have developed a set of adaptations that enable them to survive the deep snow and cold temperatures that occur in Maine. Maine is the northern-most point of their range and there are very few of them north of the St. Lawrence River. Also, the further north you go in their range, the larger the body size, as compared to their counterparts in the south.

According to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists, deer shed their hair in the spring and fall. The summer hair has solid shafts and lacks the undercoat, but the winter hair has hollow hair shafts, and dense, wool-like under fur, providing effective insulation.

Also, deer will alter their diet to accumulate and retain more fat under their skin and around organs, providing them with insulation and energy reserves for the months that lie ahead. The winter diet is lower in protein and less digestible than the summer diet, requiring more energy to digest and resulting in fewer calories. The stored fat is burned during winter to partially compensate for the lack of energy in the winter diet. Deer will lose weight during the winter. If winters become too long (early start and late finish) deer could run out of stored energy and die.

Fat reserves in adult does can account for up to 30 percent of their body mass in the fall.

Their winter habitat is also important. Dense softwood canopies intercept more snow, resulting in reduced snow depths. Gathering in these areas also allow many deer to share the energy cost of maintaining a trail network to access food and to escape predators.

As you would suspect, the greatest mortality in the winter is found among fawns, followed by adult bucks and then does. Severe winters can drastically deplete the fawn population, resulting in fewer young to mature into adulthood. Consecutive severe winters can have a devastating effect, by as much as 90 percent, of young maturing, depleting the adult herd.

So, should you try to help out these critters?

Although supplemental feeding of deer is usually well-intentioned, it could have some severe adverse effects. Just to touch on a few of the reasons to leave the deer to Mother Nature’s natural course:

  • Supple­mental feeding may actually increase predation. Providing supplemental food sources crowds deer into a smaller area than their usual range, making it easier for coyotes and bobcats to hunt down the deer, by limiting their escape routes;
  • Feeding sites near homes may place deer in danger of free-roaming dogs;
  • Deer feeding stations may increase deer/vehicle collisions. Feeding stations near homes also place the deer in close proximity to well-traveled highways;
  • Deer could actually starve when fed supplemental foods during winter. It takes deer two weeks to adjust to new foods, and could starve in that time period;
  • Deer compete aggressively for scarce, high-quality feeds;
  • They could die from eating too much at one time;
  • Deer concentrations at feeding sites may increase the vulnerability of deer to disease. MDIFW has documented deer concentrations equal to 350 deer per square mile at some feeding sites can cause an outbreak of infectious diseases, such as the bovine tuberculosis in 1994, and more recently, the fear of introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease, which, by 2016, had only been found in deer and moose. Although CWD, a disease that causes weight loss leading to death, has not been detected in Maine, the disease, which originated in the midwest, seems to be making its way east. It is now found in 23 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.

Finally, predation and vehicle collisions claim more deer during the winter than starvation. Mother Nature has provided well for her creatures, so just sit back and watch them go about their daily routine.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which NFL quarterback has the fewest Super Bowl rings, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, John Elway or Jimmy Garoppolo?

Answer can be found here.

Roland’s Trivia Question for Thursday, March 3, 2022

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Trivia QuestionsWhich NFL quarterback has the fewest Super Bowl rings, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, John Elway or Jimmy Garoppolo?

Answer:

None, they all have two: (Garoppolo won his as backup to Tom Brady in New England).

WINDSOR: Mowing contractor to cut back on roadside mowing

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by The Town Line staff

All members of the Windsor select board were present for the February 1, meeting except for Richard H. Gray Jr.

Keith Hall, road supervisor, reported that following the most recent snow fall, a culvert on the Legion Park Road was frozen, causing water to overflow. The public works department workers were able to chisel the ice to get the culvert unplugged.

Also, Town Manager Theresa Haskell receive a letter from Aggressive Cuts stating the company had arrived at the decision to cut back on roadside mowing for towns.

Resident Tom Reed spoke to acknowledge the public works department’s team in keeping the roads safe during the recent storms.

Animal Control Officer reported the deadline for registering dogs was January 31. There will now be a $25 late fee on future dog license renewals.

Haskell stated the special budget meetings began on February 8, and at the time of this meeting, was still awaiting quotes from the fire department. There was some discussion about using the ARPA funds for communications for the fire department.

On March 8, Howie Tuttle will be attending the select board meeting to present the RSU #12 proposed school budget for 2022-23.

The next meeting of the select board was held on Tuesday, March 1.

LETTERS: Support broadband expansion

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To the editor:

In the ‘90s, teachers and community volunteers ran wire in Maine’s local schools to connect our students to the world. Technology continued to grow rapidly, but our broadband expansion faltered. We connected our schools, but failed to light up our homes. The pandemic made the impact of this issue painfully acute, and it is an ongoing problem. Many students still can’t submit online assignments, they can’t collaborate on group projects, and they can’t benefit from digital resources offered by larger schools. Our schools have blazing fast internet, but it stops at the parking lot.

Affordable high speed internet access for remote learning, telemedicine, and working from home is still not available for everyone in Maine. And this is not unique to rural areas. I attend online meetings with people in Portland who have unreliable service.

But there is a chance for success. Across the state, even the smallest rural communities are finding ways to make high speed connectivity affordable and equitable. We should look to those regions as models to help us solve our connectivity challenges here in Somerset County. Our first goal should be to engage local communities so that we ensure that the unsolved issues of the last three decades are handled the right way.

A Broadband Planning Report for Somerset County with recommendations has already been completed. We have community leaders with the knowledge and skills to make this happen. Now we need local input. If your town wants to make broadband a priority, they should reach out to the county and ask how they can participate and voice their needs. They can also sign onto the Maine Broadband Coalition guiding values to mark their community as a hotspot for development. Let’s support this work and get connected!

Pamela Partridge
North Anson

 

LETTERS: People need respectful representation

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To the editor:

This letter is in response to Senator Scott Cyrway’s false and misleading press release announcing his candidacy for the Maine House of Representatives. Cyrway falsely claims that removal of the Shawmut dam on the Kennebec River, “…would result in the closure of the Sappi mill, resulting in the loss of tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs.” It is unfortunate that Mr. Cyrway apparently feels that he has to lie to the people of Maine in order to be re-elected. In my own experience with him at the State House, he called me aside and tried to coerce me from exercising my First Amendment right to free speech. The people of Maine need and deserve representatives in the legislature who respect the U.S. Constitution and the truth. In my opinion, Mr. Cyrway seems to respect neither.

John M. Glowa, Sr.
South China

Prayer hour at China Baptist for Ukraine

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China Baptist Church

The crisis in Ukraine has prompted the China Baptist Church to invite the community to prayer, this Saturday, March 5, from noon to 1 p.m. Pastor Ron Morrell is announcing an hour of prayer for the people of Ukraine.

The China Baptist church will be open so local residents can unite in prayer for the country and people of Ukraine. You can come in and pray at any time during the hour and pray privately for as long as you would like. There will be a register to sign if you would like to show prayer support for the people of Ukraine and the Russian people. The country has the largest group of Baptists in the Eastern Europe, and we will be attempting to contact and share with Ukrainian church leaders our registry of names to show ongoing prayer support. There will be no obligation to sign the register. You can still pray for the people of Ukraine. Join with your neighbors and friends in China and the surrounding towns in prayer during this critical time. Please call Pastor Morrell at 968-2366 with any questions or for further information

OBITUARIES for Thursday, March 3, 2022

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ANNA CARTER

WINSLOW – Anna Carter, 87, of Winslow, passed away on Monday, January 17, 2022. She was born in Neidenbach, Germany, to a family of 15 children.

Anna had a rough start in life, as she grew up during World War II. As a woman in her 20s, she worked for American military families at Bitburg Air Force Base and spoke fluent English. There she met a handsome Airman named Roland with whom she fell in love. They would later marry and move to the United States. Anna became a citizen and lived the American dream. She and Roland traveled the world and the States, making many friends and enjoying life. They were even blessed to visit relatives in Germany several times.

Anna was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who spent her life caring for her loved ones. She was an amazing cook who loved to feed everyone, especially those in need. She crocheted, knitted scarfs and made blankets for family and friends. In her younger years, she sewed for herself and her daughter matching beautiful dresses and pant suits. Anna also baked and decorated special occasion cakes.

Anna was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Roland S. Carter; and her sons Jeffrey Carter and John Carter.

She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer M. Foust and her husband Joey and their two sons, Derek and Jason LaRocque, from Chesterfield, Virginia; her son, Joseph Carter and his wife Carla, of Fairfield, and their daughter Tia Timmins, husband Eric and grandson Ethan, of Benton; as well as her grandchildren Jerrit, Ryan, Sarah, and Amanda Carter.

Anna’s funeral will be determined at a future date, where she will join her husband at the Maine Veterans Cemetery, in Augusta.

Arrangements are entrusted to Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

In lieu of flowers, prayers would be greatly appreciated.

EDWARD S. McMAHON

WATERVILLE – Edward S. McMahon, 58, of the Waterville and Winslow area, passed away on Thursday, February 10, 2022. Eddie was born on June 6, 1963, the son of Richard J. McMahon and Nellie (Gwazdosky) McMahon, at the old Sisters Hospital, on College Avenue, in Waterville, which is now Mt. St. Joseph.

He spent most of his life in the Waterville/Winslow area, working in the food service industry, starting with Georges Restaurant & Catering, in Waterville. Later he would own and operate George’s “Home of the King Steak” and served Lebanese cuisine. He participated in “The Taste of Waterville” events and won “Best Entrée” for his BBQ Ribs.

He took a brief detour to New York City to work in his sister’s fabric/quilting store helping the ladies and gentlemen select their fabric and supplies.

He is survived by his siblings, Michael, Richard “Rick,” and sister, Patricia McMahon; his stepmother, Marie Foster McMahon; his stepbrother, Douglas Foster; and his stepsisters, Ramona, Bea, and Suzette.

Per Eddie ‘s wishes, there will be no service or visiting hours at this time. A graveside service will be held in the spring.

Arrangements are in the care of Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church St., Oakland, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

BERNADETTE MASSEY

WATERVILLE – Bernadette (Champine) Massey, 95, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Mount St Joseph Nursing Home in Waterville. She was born and raised in Fairfield, the daughter of Archie and Marie Champine.

She graduated from Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, and then attended a one year bookkeeping program at Thomas College, in Waterville. She worked in this profession at the Lockwood-Dutchess Textile Mill, in Waterville, until 1949, at which time she married her husband John “Steve” Massey. Bernadette became a housewife and mother, as well as part-time booker, supporting her husband’s business ventures, including the Silver Dollar and Steve’s Restaurant, both in Waterville.

She was a devout Catholic, and her faith became her lifelong support. Her family members were always in her prayers, and her grandchildren always appreciated the fact that whatever their endeavors, Grammy’s prayers were with them. She will also be remembered for her dry wit and sense of humor, her love of dogs, and her strong will and independent spirit.

Bernadette is survived by her son, Scott Massey and wife Brigitte; grandsons John Massey (Katie Woodworth) and Matthew Walters; granddaughters Katy DeBlois (Nick), Lauren McCabe (John), Aimee Massey and Christina Massey; great-grandchildren Oliver, Madeleine, Jack and Daxton; sister, Anita Mathieu; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased in death by husband, John “Steve” Massey; son, Stephen Massey, daughter, Sandra Walters; twin sister, Jeanette Duguay, sister, Estelle Maillet and brother, Carl Champine; as well as her parents.

There will be no visiting hours. A funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, March 5, at 9 a.m., at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 116 Silver St., Waterville.

GREGG SMART

ALBION – Gregg Smart, 62, passed away on Sunday, February 13, 2022. He was born on February 20, 1959, in Seville, Spain, to Harris, Sr. and Catherine Smart.

He leaves behind his wife, Kim; daughters Alicia Salley and husband Sam, Darcia Gonzalas and husband Eloy; sons John Smart, Jason Thibodeau and wife Megan, Randall Thibodeau and wife Felicia, Anthony Thibodeau and wife Beckie; his mother Cathy; grandchildren Jasmin, Ashlee, April, Nikita, Cheyenne, Makayla, Gracelynn, Leila, Javin, Elijah, Blake, Simon, Nolan and Warren; eight great-grandchildren; siblings Monica Warren and husband Neil, Laurel Doiron and husband Bob, Harris Smart Jr., Renee Cuthbertson and husband Arthur; and many nieces and nephews; in-laws Sharon Stevens, Deanne Hyer and husband Alton, Glendon Farmer and wife Cathy, Greg Farmer and wife Debra.

EDIE M. KING

WATERVILLE – Edie M. King, 76, passed way peacefully at Northern Light Inland Hospital, in Waterville, on Monday, February 14, 2022. Edie was born on May 13, 1945, in Providence, Rhode Island.

She moved to Sedgewick at the age of nine. Edie attended public schools and graduated in 1963 from George Stevens Academy. She graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1967 with a degree in Bacteriology. She worked for the State of Maine Public Health Lab for 25 years as a microbiologist.

Upon Edie’s retirement she and her husband Louis became active in the UMO Community including the Edith Path Society, Kennebec Valley Alumni, UMaine Foundation and Alumni Association. She sponsored three annual scholarships for students in Microbiology. She was a MES member.

Locally Edie belonged to the Waterville and Augusta Garden Clubs, and the Waterville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. She also supported the arts as a member of the Waterville Opera House. Edie could find something in common with anyone and often engaged in conversations with perfect strangers. She had many hobbies.

She was a lover of flowers with Lilies being her favorite. She curated an extensive insect collection and had her own home laboratory. She collected German Steins and Black Bears.

Edie is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Louis (Louie) C. King; her four stepchildren, Cathy Simpson of Glenburn, Susan Bishop of Howland, Bethany Henderson (Thomas) of Guelph, Ontario, and Mary Ward of Bangor; sister, Jeanette Gray of Blue Hill, three brothers, Norman (Gib) McVay of Hampden, Raymond (Pudgy) McVay of Sedgwick and Bryan McVay of Brooksville; sisters-in-laws, Brenda Stilphen and Lelia LaChance. She is also survived by eight grandchildren; three great- grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Edie was predeceased by her parents, Gilbert and Norina (Norma) McVay.Edie will be dearly missed by all who loved her. The family would like to thank the staff at Northern Lights Inland Hospital Comfort Care unit for their compassionate care for Edie.Visiting hours will be held from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville, Maine. A short service will be held at 3 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home. An online guestbook may be signed, and condolences shared at http://www.gallantfh.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following charities: Humane Society Waterville Area100 Webb RoadWaterville, ME 04901 or: The Home for Little Wanderers93 Silver St.Waterville, ME 04901

EVELYN H. TOWNE

WATERVILLE – Evelyn Hamilton Hanscom Towne, 97, passed away on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in Waterville. She was born on June 18, 1924, in Lewiston, to Robert and Esther Coolidge Hamilton.

She was educated in the Auburn schools, graduating from Edward Little High School in 1942 and from Central Maine General Hospital School of Nursing, in Lewiston, in 1945.

Evelyn was a registered nurse, working private duty and in the admitting office at CMG prior to her marriage to Basil C. Hanscom in 1948. Mr. Hanscom was the first director of the YMCA, in Waterville, and they resided in Waterville until he was transferred by the YMCA to Michigan where he died unexpectedly in 1956. At that time, Evelyn and their two children returned to Maine, living in the Lewiston area for a year prior to moving back to Waterville where she lived until the end of her life.

In 1957 she became associated with Thayer Hospital, in Waterville, becoming the Director of Admissions in 1964. She worked at Thayer until 1974, when she married Dr. Charles E. Towne, of Waterville. She and Charles spent winters in Naples, Florida, and summers in Waterville and Hancock Pond.

Over the years, Evelyn was an active member of the First Baptist Church and the Pleasant St. United Methodist Church, in Waterville, where she served on various boards and committees at the churches, including the Greater Waterville Council of Churches. She was a member of the Maine State Nurses Association and served on several committees at Thayer Hospital. She served as the chairman of the Individuals Committee of the United Way of Waterville for three years, was a former member of DAR, a lifetime member of the Waterville Women’s Club, and a member of the Founders Group of the current YMCA/Boys Club/Girls Club of the Alfond Youth Center. In 2011 she was inducted into the Inspirational Hall of Fame of the Alfond Youth Center.

Evelyn was preceded in death by husbands Basil C. Hanscom and Dr. Charles E. Towne, Mary Towne Sondergeld and Connie Towne.

She is survived by her son Daniel R. Hanscom (Susan), and daughter Deborah H. Christopher (Gilbert), Dr. John W. Towne, Donald Sondergeld; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service and burial will be held in the summer.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Greater Waterville Food Bank, 61 Pleasant St., Waterville, ME 04901 or Maine General Hospice, 10 Water St., Suite 307, Waterville, ME 04901.

BERNARD D. BULMER

OAKLAND – Bernard Dean Bulmer, 100, passed away on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in his home on Messalonskee Lake, which he built himself in 1962. Bern was born in Smithfield on the Sand Hill Road where the house still stands today. He was the son of Dean and Della (Brooks) Bulmer.

He attended Williams High School, in Oakland, where Bern was raised. He often told of being picked up by a wagon to go to school each day. Bern graduated high school in 1939 and was soon after drafted into the Army. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas as a machine gun instructor. Little did Bern know that Texas would change his life forever, when he walked into the Five and Dime store, where he met his Million Dollar Baby, Annie Rose Ratliff.

Bern was a man of many hats. After being discharge from the Army he learned the craft of a watch maker. While working at this job he traded a $15 watch for a 15-acre parcel of land in Smithfield. A few years later, the Maine woods began calling his name, so he went on to become cruiser to run lines and scale wood for Diamond Match Company, of Oakland. Later years, when his daughter, Virginia, was born he decided that he wanted to be closer to home. He then became an auto body/mechanic for Pullen Ford, in Oakland. That is where he bought right off the car carrier, a 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible and a 1969 Ford Ranger that are still in the family in their original state to this day. In 1979, Bern heard of a night watchman / boiler operator position for Cascade Woolen Mill, in Oakland, where he worked until retirement at the age of 75.

In 1961, with great pride, Bern joined the Masons Messalonskee Lodge #113. As well as the Masons, Bern had many other interests. He spent many hours with his family, hunting and exploring the state brook fishing. One of Bern’s proudest accomplishments was this past fall when he shot a 170-pound, 6-point buck, making him Maine’s oldest person to harvest a deer in state.

Bernard was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Annie; his brothers, Donald, and Wallace; and his granddaughter, Lorna Labbe Brackett.

He is survived by his daughter, Virginia Labbe and son-in-law, Mike; his grandchildren, Rick Labbe and his wife, Nancy, Dana Labbe and his wife, Barbara; his great-grandchildren, Tyler Brackett, Maureen Mosher, Ciera Lambert, and Jenna Murray; his five great- great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews; his sister, Marion Bulmer; his brother-in- law, Richard and his wife, Callie Ratliff, where Bern spent many evenings in his later years eating supper and sharing stories of his life.

A March Celebration of Life at Wheeler Funeral Home, in Oakland, will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements are in the care of Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church St., Oakland, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

JAMES R. ARNOLD

WINSLOW – James Raitt Arnold, 72, passed away on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at home. Jim was born in Johnstone, Scotland, in 1949.

He moved to the United States when he was 14 years old. He was a writer, journalist, DJ, and newspaper editor.

When he lived in the Syracuse, New York, area, Jim was active with the local theater, worked tirelessly in service of his local community, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Syracuse Press Club.

Jim and Sheri moved to Maine shortly after they were married. Jim cherished the way the Maine coastline reminded him of the rocky shores of Scotland. His decades of sobriety and wide circle of friends were a treasure to Jim; he was a wonderful example of living a sober life.

Jim loved football (the soccer kind), and rock music. He loved books, especially Kurt Vonnegut and Stephen King. Jim and Sheri also shamelessly loved reality TV and their rescue cats. Jim was particularly proud of his popular, tongue-in-cheek, and encouraging newspaper column, “Finding the Pony”, about his journey with multiple myeloma.

Jim, his wicked sense of humor, and his big heart were dearly loved and will be greatly missed. In the near future, we will gather online to share our love of Jim at a virtual memorial.

Jim is survived by his wife Sheri Arnold; his daughters Jennifer Terry and her husband Mark, and Alison Bouchard and her husband Jim; his five grandchildren, Jacob, Matthew, and Joshua Terry, and Emma and Sam Bouchard; and his stepchildren Kristie Dahlia Home and Jason Haag.

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

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations to the Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Rd., Waterville, ME 04901 or Hospice of Eastern Maine, 885 Union St., Bangor, ME 04401.

JUDITH E. WESTMAN

VASSALBORO – Judith E. Westman, 72, passed away Saturday, Feburary 19, 2022, at the Mt. Joseph Nursing Home, in Waterville. Born in Caribou on April 22, 1949, she was the daughter of Orick E. and Marjorie F. (Danforth) Westman.

Judith was raised in Waterville and attended Waterville High School. In the early 2000s she went back to school and received her CNA certification. She loved taking care of people.

In 1968, she married Armond Boudreau, giving birth to three beautiful children. In the early 1970s she then married O’Neil Carpenter and blessed her family with another son.

Her diverse careers included working for Pizza Hut, in Virginia, doing construction with Bancroft Construction Corp., and serving many years for Logan Painting before going into the CNA field. This career was in what Judith took the most pride. She loved being around people and taking care of them. She made many friends and met some wonderful people during this chapter of her life.

Judith also spent many happy hours with her family watching the New England Patriots play football and betting on the Super Bowl game every year with her sister Barbara. Judith also loved knitting, making sure everyone had a blanket in their favorite color as well as being outside and gardening in her younger years. She traveled to many parts of the country including Canada, Vermont, California, and Arizona.

Besides being with her children and grandchildren, Judith loved listening to Elvis Presley and was blessed with making a trip to Graceland with her family in the early 2000s. She also got to see one of his last concerts, in Augusta, after spending the night waiting at the door for the ticket master to open. Judith was a caring, warm, and loving person to her family and all who met her. When she became a great-grandmother, she was on top of the world. She will be missed so much.

Judith was predeceased by her parents; son Jason Carpenter; sister Barbara Varney, brother Mark Westman; niece Gretchen Sally; ex-husband O’Neil Carpenter and his son Timothy Carpenter; and her best friend Butch.

Survivors include her children, David Boudreau, Jodi Carpenter-Jones, and Peter Boudreau; her sister Evelyn Carter; her extended family, Jackie Sweigart, Violet White-Carpenter, and James Carpenter; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. Judith was loved by so many; the list is too long to write but know, you all meant so very much to her.

In keeping with Judith’s wishes, she will be cremated and buried at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 78 Grove St., Waterville. Services, burial and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan ME 04901.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Rd., Waterville, ME 04901.

China rec committee talks about possible pickle ball court

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by Mary Grow

Pickleball, anyone?

Reacting to local requests, China Recreation Committee members discussed the possibility of adding a pickleball court to the town’s recreational facilities at their Feb. 23 meeting.

Pickleball requires a paved court. Committee Chairman Martha Wentworth’s first idea was to convert a corner of one of the two ballfields near the China schools that the committee oversees.

Raigan York protested that soccer uses every inch of the ballfields, and often school fields as well.

Wentworth then proposed the currently-wooded area along the north side of the school property. She intends to investigate further.

York said there are two sizes of pickleball court, 30-by-60-feet or 34-by-64-feet.

Addition of an outdoor basketball court was mentioned as another possibility.

In other business Feb. 23, committee members unanimously approved a so-far-informal request from officials of Central Church, on Route 3, to use a ballfield for an Easter egg drop the afternoon of Saturday, April 9.

Wentworth said she understands that several hundred Easter eggs will be scattered on the ground, with another 200 “special eggs,” some containing prizes, dropped from a helicopter. She intends to get more information.

Planning for the upcoming sports season, committee members talked about browntail moth control, field maintenance, portable toilets and making sure users clean up the snack shack.

Wentworth said the recreation committee could use one more member. Interested residents are invited to contact the town office.

Committee members postponed detailed discussion of their proposed 2022-23 budget to their next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.

VASSALBORO: Special select board meeting acts on tax abatement requests

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members held a special Feb. 24 meeting, partly to act on a tax abatement request (approved after a discussion in executive session) and partly to consider again Road Commissioner Eugene Field’s request that the town buy a roadside mower.

Specifically, Field wants a mower that can be attached to the front-end loader the town already owns. An alternative would be a tractor-mower, but that would be a single-use piece of machinery, he said.

A new mower currently costs $106,000, Field said. A used one might be available for around $89,000.

Vassalboro’s past procedure has been to rent a roadside mower. Field said summer mowing is standard. There was no second mowing in the fall of 2021, and he thinks there should have been one – tall grass was blocking motorists’ sight-lines in some places, he said.

By consensus, select board members left in their draft budget $106,000 for a town-owned mower. The budget is for fiscal year 2022-23, from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Since Field expects a July order will take weeks to fill, they added $8,800 to cover a fall 2022 mowing with rented equipment.

If voters don’t approve a mower in the 2022-23 budget, Field said he will need to repeat the request for the next year. By then, he said, he will also be asking voters to begin setting aside money for a new public works truck.

Select board members further debated whether they should recommend paying for the equipment from next year’s budget, or extending payment over two or three years (with interest added).

Discussion of the 2022-23 budget will continue at the select board’s Thursday, March 3, regular meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m., half an hour earlier than usual. It will be followed by the Vassalboro Budget Committee’s organizational meeting at 7 p.m.

Sabins said human resources consultant Laurie Bouchard, of LBouchard and Associates, who did an area salary survey and offered recommendations for Vassalboro town employees, will explain her work to budget committee members.

China planners decide to schedule two public hearings

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by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members decided at their Feb. 22 meeting that they need at least two public hearings. They scheduled one, on SunRaise Investments’ expanded solar project on Route 3 (see The Town Line, Feb. 3, p. 3), for their March 8 meeting, with a review of the application to follow.

One or perhaps two hearings on amendments to China’s Land Use Ordinance remain to be scheduled. Board member are dealing with two separate issues; they have drafted amendments to two chapters and wording for a proposed new chapter.

Land Use Ordinance amendments need approval from local voters and from state regulators. Municipalities may have stricter environmental regulations than the state’s, but they are not allowed to be less stringent.

The amendments to Chapter Two and Chapter Eleven were approved by China voters in 2019 and conditionally approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in May 2021. DEP staff listed changes they required for full approval. Planning board members presented revised versions to the select board in the summer of 2021, aiming for a November vote.

Select board members were not satisfied with the planning board’s format and took no action. Planners resubmitted their request at the end of January for the June 14 town business meeting.

Select board members accepted the revised version at their Feb. 14 meeting, but rescinded their vote Feb. 21. Reasons given were that not all the DEP changes were included, and planning board members had held no public hearing as they worked on the document in the spring of 2021.

Planning board members agreed on Feb. 22 that a hearing should be held. Veteran board member James Wilkens thought all DEP changes had been included, and wondered if an incomplete version had somehow reached the select board. He insisted that planning board members can re-review a document they already approved only after select board members send them specific recommended changes to consider.

The other proposed ordinance change is addition of a new Chapter Eight to the Land Use Ordinance, titled “Solar Energy Systems Ordinance.” Town Attorney Amanda Meader had sent comments on the draft; planners discussed them briefly, but took no action.

Documents related to proposed ordinance amendments are on the town website, china.govoffice.com, under the Planning Board (which is listed under Officials, Boards & Committees).

The March 8 planning board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the town office meeting room. The public hearing will be advertised ahead of the meeting.