LEGAL NOTICES for Thursday, October 17, 2024

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STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
SKOWHEGAN, MAINE
COUNTY OF SOMERSET
Docket No. AA-0241-1

In Re: TRISTAN SCOTT LEE
Minor child

ORDER FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

This cause came to be heard on the Motion for Service by Publication by Petitioners, Alanna J. Salvas and Jayce P. Salvas, of 42 Pine Street, Madison, Maine 04950, for service by publication upon JAMES S. LEE, pursuant to Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 4(g) and Rule of Probate Procedure 4(e) (2), and it appearing that this is an action for Termination of Parental Rights brought by the Petitioners Alanna J. Salvas and Jayce P. Salvas against JAMES S. LEE; and that JAMES S. LEE cannot, with due diligence, be served by any other prescribed method; and that the address of JAMES S. LEE is not known and cannot be ascertained by reasonable diligence; and it is ORDERED that the Petition to Terminate Parental Rights be heard before this Court at 41 Court Street, Skowhegan, Me on November 6, 2024 AT 1:20 PM. or as soon thereafter as it can be heard, and it is ORDERED that JAMES S. LEE appear and defend the cause and file a written response to the Petition by delivering it in person or by mailing it to the Office of the Register of Probate, 41 Court Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976, and by mailing a copy thereof to the Petitioners at their said address on or before November 6, 2024 at 1:20 P.M.

IMPORTANT WARNING: IF YOU FAIL TO FILE A RESPONSE WITHIN THE TIME STATED ABOVE, OR IF, AFTER YOU FILE YOUR RESPONSE, YOU FAIL TO APPEAR AT ANY TIME THE COURT NOTIFIES YOU TO DO SO, A JUDGMENT MAY, IN YOUR ABSENCE, BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU FOR THE RELIEF REQUESTED. IF YOU DO NOT FILE A RESPONSE, YOU MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE WITH THE CLERK IF YOU WISH TO BE HEARD. IF YOU INTEND TO OPPOSE THE PETITION DO NOT FAIL TO ANSWER WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIME.

AN ORDER TERMINATING JAMES S. LEE’S PARENTAL RIGHTS WILL DIVEST SAID JAMES S. LEE and Tristan Scott Lee OF ALL LEGAL RIGHT, POWERS, PRIVILEGES, IMMUNITIES, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS TO EACH OTHER AS PARENT AND CHILD, EXCEPT THE INHERITANCE RIGHTS BETWEEN THE CHILD AND HIS/HER PARENT. FURTHERMORE, JAMES S. LEE SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO NOTICE OF THE CHILD’S ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS, NOR SHALL HE HAVE ANY RIGHT TO OBJECT OR PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCEEDINGS, AND SAID ORDER SHALL HAVE ALL OTHER EFFECTS SET FORTH IN 22 M.R.S.A. §4056.

If you believe you have a defense to the Petition, or if you believe you have a claim of your own against the Petitioners, you should talk to a lawyer. If you feel you cannot afford to pay a fee to a lawyer, you may ask the office of the Register of Probate, at 41 Court Street, Skowhegan, Maine 04976, or any other Register of Probate, for information as to places where you may seek legal assistance.

It is further ORDERED that this Order be published in The Town Line, a weekly newspaper published in So. China, Maine, once a week for three (3) successive weeks.

Dated: October 17, 2024

October 24, 2024, October 31, 2024
/s/ Robert Washburn
Judge of Probate
(10/31)

Around the Kennebec Valley: Augusta education – Part 1

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Cony Female Academy

by Mary Grow

The town – now city – of Augusta was created on Feb. 20, 1797, when the Massachusetts legislature, responding to a local petition, divided the town of Hallowell.

The downriver third remained Hallowell. The upriver two-thirds became Harrington, renamed Augusta on June 9, 1797.

Harrington lasted long enough for voters to hold their first town meeting on April 3, where they raised $400 for education (and $1,250 for highways and another $300 for all other responsibilities).

In that first year, Captain Charles Nash wrote in his chapters on Augusta in Kingsbury’s 1892 Kennebec County history, Augusta officials re-created the eight school districts they inherited from Hallowell. Reflecting the current population distribution, numbers 1 and 2 were on the east side of the Kennebec and the other six across the river.

The traditional three-man district school committees continued, and in addition, Nash said, members of a seven-man town committee were expected “to visit schools,” presumably as overseers.

“This action was twenty-seven years in advance of statute legislation, and nearly a quarter of a century before Maine became a state and required it by law,” Nash commented.

A ninth school district was created in 1803.

James North wrote in his 1870 history of Augusta that 1803 was also the year that an “association of citizens” banded together to start the first post-primary school in town, buying shares to fund a brick grammar school building in the northwest corner of the intersection of Bridge and State streets, on the west side of the Kennebec.

(Bridge Street goes up the hill from the west end of the Calumet Bridge and intersects State Street at a right angle several blocks north of the state capitol complex. State Street roughly parallels the river.)

The building was finished in 1804, North said, and the association hired a Mr. Cheney (not further identified) as “preceptor” for a year, at a salary of $450. Courses included what Nash labeled “dead languages” (Greek and Latin).

Students were shareholders’ children, or children to whose parents a shareholder had “let” a share. Each share admitted one student.

North wrote that the school “flourished” until the building burned on March 16, 1807.

(Disastrous fires were not uncommon; in the next few pages North mentioned the Feb. 11, 1804, burning of a large Augusta building in which an early newspaper, the Kennebec Gazette was printed; the Jan. 29, 1805 (Nash said 1804), burning of the building that housed Hallowell Academy; the Jan. 8, 1808, burning of two adjacent blacksmith shops on Water Street; and the March 16, 1808, burning of the jail [a fire set by an inmate].)

By 1810, North wrote, Augusta was thriving; population and wealth had increased, and $1,000 was raised for schools (also $1,500 for roads and another $1,500 for “Poor and other necessary charges”).

Two years later, due to the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Kennebec Valley economy was in distress. North talked about prices rising and stores closing, but he said nothing about the effect on education or other tax-dependent activities.

* * * * * *

North’s next educational reference was to 1815, when Judge Daniel Cony (see box) started building what looked like a house – but, North said, people asked why he wanted another house there? – at the intersection of Bangor and Cony streets on the east side of the Kennebec.

Adding a tower to the structure led to surmise that it was intended as a meeting-house for worship – and why did the Judge want a meeting-house?

When “seats and desks began to go in,” people concluded the building was a school. They were right; Judge Cony announced it would house Cony Female Academy. On Christmas Day, 1815, the Judge gave the building and lot to five men he had chosen as trustees; they organized themselves as a board on Jan. 5, 1816, and opened the school that spring.

A picture of the building on line (at stcroixarchitecture.com) shows a three-story main block with a steeply pitched roof that provided space for a fourth floor. ­­­On each front corner was a two-story ell with third-story windows under its pitched roof.

The center of the front was a square tower topped with two levels of lattice-work under another steep roof two stories above the main roof. On the front of the base of the tower, a single-story entrance had another peaked roof, an arched door and two side windows.

The roofs were a medium blue, a contrast to the pale beige bricks. Medium-brown chimneys rose higher than the rooftops on the back of the main building and the side of each ell; the color matched the trim on the gables.

As Cony directed, his Academy offered free education to “worthy” orphans and other girls younger than 16. It also accepted tuition-paying students. North wrote that income soon covered expenses, and by 1820 Cony Female Academy “had a sum of money on hand in excess of expenses.”

Meanwhile, on Feb. 10, 1818, the Massachusetts legislature approved a charter for the Academy. In June of that year, North wrote, Cony gave the trustees a bell for the building; “maps and charts” for classes; and 10 shares in the Augusta Bank. He directed them to use five-sixths of the income from the bank shares to educate orphans and the remainder to buy prizes – medals or books – for “meritorious pupils.”

Kingbury wrote that 50 girls were Academy students in 1825. Their tuition was $20 a year; board was $1.25 a week.

In February 1827, North said, the by-then-Maine legislature gave the Academy a half township farther north in Maine (after an 1826 charter amendment gave the legislature a role in adding to or limiting the trustees’ powers). In February 1832 the trustees sold the land for $6,000.

In 1827, a Bostonian named Benjamin Bussey donated land in Sidney, which the trustees sold for $500. That year, too, the trustees oversaw construction of a brick dormitory at the intersection of Bangor and Myrtle streets, two blocks north of the main building, which was still standing in 1870.

Another on-line site quoted an 1828 advertisement that listed courses offered: “orthography, reading and writing, arithmetic, grammar, rhetoric and composition, geography, History and Chronology, Natural History, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, use of the globes, Drawing Maps, and also Drawing, penciling, and painting, and a variety of needlework.”

The school’s library, which in 1829 had 1,200 volumes, was “considered by some historians to be the best in the area at the time,” the stcroixarchitecture.com writer said.

The Academy’s second classroom building, after the school outgrew the original one, was the nearby former Bethlehem church at the intersection of Cony and Stone streets (built in the summer of 1827). The Academy trustees voted to buy it in November 1844 for $765; it, too was still standing in 1870. (They sold the original Academy building for $500, to Rev. John H. Ingraham, who made it into a house.)

North listed the Academy’s preceptresses and preceptors (teachers), usually one but occasionally two, over the years, starting with Hannah Aldrich in 1816 and ending with Mrs. Arthur Berry in 1857, the last year of operation. A minority were men.

Daniel Cony

(See also the Feb. 23, 2023, issue of The Town Line.)

Daniel Cony

Daniel Cony (Aug. 3, 1752 – Jan. 21, 1842) was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, south of Boston. He studied medicine in Marlboro, west of Boston, under Dr. Samuel Curtis.

When the British marched from Boston to Lexington on April 19, 1775, Cony was practicing medicine in Tewksbury, north of Boston (Find a Grave says Shutesbury, half-way across the state and therefore likely an error), and was a lieutenant in the local company of Minutemen. North reported that he was awakened at 2 a.m. by a knock on his door and the shouted message “Ameri­can blood has been spilled and the country must rally.”

Cony and the rest of the company were on the way to Cambridge by sunrise; North did not say what they did there.

Later in the war, Cony served as adjutant in an infantry regiment (the 6th New Hampshire, according to Find a Grave) under General Horatio Gates, at Saratoga, New York, where, North wrote, he once led soldiers through an area commanded by a British battery to assist another company. He was present when British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army to Gates on Oct. 17, 1777.

Meanwhile, on Nov. 14, 1776, Cony had married Dr. Curtis’s niece, Susanna Curtis (May 4, 1752 – Oct. 25, 1733), in Sharon, Massachusetts. He left the army and in 1778 he and Susanna and their first daughter, Nancy (born in 1777), came to Hallowell, where his father, Deacon Samuel Cony, had moved the previous year and where Nancy died the year they arrived.

The couple had four more daughters (no sons): Susan (1781 -1851), Sarah (1784 – 1867), Paulina (1787 -1857) and Abigail (1791 -1875). All married local men.

Historians generally agree that Judge Cony created the Academy in appreciation of his own daughters and, since by 1816 all four were past school age, as a charitable exercise.

The family lived on the east side of the Kennebec. North said their second house, downhill from “the hospital” (the insane asylum) was still standing in 1870. Their third one, built around 1797 on Cony Street, burned in 1834 and was succeeded by “the present brick edifice on the same lot,” where Cony lived the rest of his life.

Cony practiced medicine in the area, was a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society and corresponded with other doctors, North said. In 1825-26, he was one of the founders of Augusta’s Unitarian Church.

He served as “representative, senator, and counsellor [member of the executive council]” in the Massachusetts legislature. Before 1820, he held judgeships in Kennebec County, Massachusetts. He was one of Augusta’s three delegates to the October 1819 Maine constitutional convention, and after statehood, was a Maine Judge of Probate until 1823, when he “resigned by reason of age.”

North wrote that until 1806, Cony frequently moderated Hallowell and Augusta town meetings. In 1830, after some years of not even attending them, he showed up – and was immediately and unanimously elected moderator. The meeting record showed a vote of thanks for “the able, impartial, and dignified manner in which he discharged the arduous duties of this day as moderator” at the age of 77 years and seven months.

In addition to creating Cony Female Academy, North wrote that Cony was “instrumental” in getting legislative charters for Hallowell Academy in 1791 and Bowdoin College in 1794. He was a trustee of Hallowell Academy and a Bowdoin overseer. He supported public education “by the exercise of a constant and healthful influence in its favor.”

Find a Grave displays Cony’s short death notice in the Augusta Age, published the day after his death. It mentions his Revolutionary service and goes on to describe him as a man who had “discharged various and important civil trusts, and was long and honorably connected with the settlement and growth of this section of the State.”

Main sources

Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892)
North, James W., The History of Augusta (1870)

Websites, miscellaneous.

THE BEST VIEW: Fan Letter

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by Norma Best Boucher

Glenna Johnson Smith of Presque Isle died August 8, 2020, at the age of 100.

She had been a potato farmer, an educator, a columnist, an editor, a dramatist, a poet, an author, and a community leader.

At age 90 she published her first book, Old Maine Woman. Her second book, Return of Old Maine Woman, followed shortly after.

I wrote this fan letter to Glenna Johnson Smith in April 2016. I never received a reply. I didn’t expect one. I just wanted her to know how much I appreciated the positive effect she had had on my writing.

Dear Glenna Johnson Smith,

This is an official fan letter from someone you don’t know but from someone who enjoys all of your writing. I am a retired high school English teacher who retired in 1998 after teaching 28 years at Lawrence High School (Fairfield, ME) and Winslow High School.

One of my dearest friends is S.H., who calls you a friend. (He told me that I could name drop his name.) Even my dear 84-year-old cousin Peg told me she knew you years ago when she lived in Presque Isle.

I was expounding to each of them separately about these two great books of essays that I had just read by Glenna Johnson Smith when each of them said, “I know her.”

At first, I was deflated that the writer I had discovered and knew so well through her essays was known and liked by people whom I knew and respected years before I knew her. Then I realized that I had discovered Glenna Johnson Smith and her essays when I needed them.

I have been a writer since I was seven years old.

I had a male English teacher during my senior year who laughed at a male student and me when we said that we were going to be writers. I was 17 years old.

That summer at the MORNING SENTINEL newspaper I published the first of many of my articles proving that I should only listen to those people who believe in me and my dreams.

I vowed that as a teacher I would nourish my students’ dreams. Only they and God know what they will accomplish. I gave my students the best tools and encouragement I could to help them to reach their goals.

I was a reporter during my college summer vacations at the Waterville MORNING SENTINEL during the mid and late 1960s. That was my very favorite job. Bob Drake, editor, was my mentor. He taught me the power of the written word and to respect that power. I was 18-21 years old.

When I was a freshman at Western Kentucky University, I had the privilege of attending a lecture presented by author Pearl S. Buck. I don’t remember all of that speech, but I do remember that through her speech and presentation I felt empowered as a woman. I was 18 years old.

Author/Poet Maya Angelou spoke at a 100-year-old African American church here in Florida. She was captivating, even mesmerizing, with her words, her voice, her total presentation.

She further impressed us when she came out from behind the stage to watch a 12-year-old girl recite Angelou’s poetry. Angelou became one with the audience and allowed that very talented young lady to be the star, which she rightfully was.

Through her unselfish example, Angelou taught us respect, humility and acceptance. I felt empowered as a person. I was 56 years old.

I was writing and publishing in the 80s and 90s. I got so busy with my life and teaching that I just stopped. My friend asked me why I had stopped writing, and I remember saying, “I just haven’t lived enough.”

She thought that was an odd answer. I didn’t quite understand that answer myself, but it proved true. My writing was taking a turn to the personal essay, and I needed to experience more life in order to share.

Then I became ill with breast cancer. I survived, but I had to take stock of how I wanted to spend the remaining years of my life.

My bucket list held only a few things. One experience was to spend a week at the Maine coast. I ended up doing that for several summers all by myself. It was wonderful. I went everywhere around there enjoying the places and the coast.

The next item on my list was writing. I had so many experiences and stories in my head that I had to get them down on paper. Through your books I discovered ECHOES magazine and started submitting. They accepted my work, and I am very blessed to be publishing again.

Right about now you are wondering what all of this has to do with Glenna Johnson Smith.

On one of those coastal Maine vacations, I discovered a book called Old Maine Woman by Glenna Johnson Smith. I devoured the essays. I then bought Return of Old Maine Woman and devoured those essays as well.

By the end of the second book, I didn’t know Glenna Johnson Smith personally, but I felt like part of her life. I had traveled with her on her journey; I appreciated her sense of humor; and I respected her willingness to expose her inner most feelings. Glenna Johnson Smith was a kindred spirit. I was 66 years old.

I am 68 years old now, nearly 69. I am writing again. I am publishing again. I am living my writing dream.

Thank you, Glenna Johnson Smith. You inspired me to keep writing. I will never be too old to tell my stories. You empowered me as a writer, and I promise that I will pay it forward.

Readers, please contact someone who has made a positive difference in your life. Make a telephone call, write a letter, send a text, send an email, or just give a hug. Simply say, “Thank you.” They will be grateful…and so will you.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Disposing of problem plant debris

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by Melinda Myers

You’ve probably read you should remove and dispose of insect pest-infected and diseased plant material to reduce these problems in next season’s garden. This is not as easy as it seems. Most compost piles do not heat up and maintain hot enough temperatures to kill weeds, weed seeds, disease organisms, and insect pests. In many locations burning is not allowed and it negatively impacts air quality. So, what’s a gardener to do?

Start by calling your local municipality and asking about disposal options. Many communities allow you to dispose of invasive plants in the garbage after placing them in a clear plastic bag labeled invasive.

Solarization is an option for managing weeds. Place small amounts of plant debris in clear plastic bags. Then place the bags in a warm sunny location before composting. For larger quantities, set the problem plant debris on a sheet of plastic and securely cover it with a 2- to 6-mil clear plastic tarp. The plastic helps create a greenhouse effect, trapping heat while blocking access to water. The seeds will sprout and then seedlings and other plants are killed by the high temperatures and lack of water. It is most effective when the days are long and hot.

This may be effective if the temperatures are hot enough to kill plant insect pests and diseases. Most plant pathogens are killed when moist soil remains at 145°F for 30 minutes, 160°F for bacteria, and 180°F for weed seeds.

If battling jumping worms, the University of Maryland has found creating a solarization package is effective for managing them in soil, compost, and mulch. Spread a sheet of clear plastic on the ground. Place a 6 to 8″ layer of mulch, compost, or soil on the plastic tarp, leaving enough excess to wrap and completely and securely cover the enclosed material. On a sunny day, the material inside can reach 150°F. Research varies on the number of days needed to kill the jumping worms. Several University sources recommend 3 or more days of at least 104°F or 105°F to kill the eggs, cocoons, and adult jumping worms.

You may want to enlist this strategy when harvesting your compost before applying it to the soil. This extra step may help reduce the risk of introducing problems back into the garden.

Burying diseased material can help reduce the source of future infection of some diseases. Dig a hole, fill it with plant debris, mix it with soil, and then cover it with an inch or two of disease-free soil. Speed up the decomposition of buried material by shredding it before burying it. Avoid growing plants susceptible to the disease in that location the following season.

Remember to disinfect your pots, stakes, and tools that may have housed or touched diseased plants. Disease-causing organisms can survive on these items, increasing disease risk in next year’s garden. Soak pots for 30 minutes in a 10% bleach solution, rinse with clear water and air dry. Store in a clean location. This is much more effective with clay and ceramic pots than plastic. Consider rotating plantings as you would in the garden and changing display areas when using plastic containers if you do not want to dispose of them.

Disinfect garden tools by dipping them in a 70% alcohol solution using rubbing alcohol or something similar for at least 30 seconds. Or you can spray your tools with a disinfectant spray containing about 70% alcohol.

Investing time in prevention will result in fewer problems and better results in next year’s garden.

Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including 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 radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Conversation always seems to turn to the weather

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Isn’t it amazing how when you begin a conversation with someone, inevitably, it always leads to the weather. What would we do if we didn’t have the weather to talk about. Maybe some of us would never speak.

Whether you’re at the supermarket, church, or just bumping into a friend on the street, the conversation always goes something like, “What a nice day,?” or “boy it sure is hot enough.” Get the idea?

Well, the other day, a colleague and I started talking about whether this recent stretch of weather constituted an “Indian Summer.” Which prompted me to think, “what really is an Indian summer and what determines whether we have one or not?”

An Indian summer is unseasonably warm, dry and calm weather, usually following a period of colder weather or frost in the late autumn, in September, October or early November. The Old Farmers Almanac describes it as taking place between November 11 and 20. It states, “During true Indian summer, the atmosphere looks hazy or smokey, and the weather is calm and dry.”

Modern ideas on what an Indian summer constitutes vary, but the most widely accepted value for determining whether an Indian summer is occurring is that the weather must be above 70 degrees for seven days after the autumnal equinox (September 21).

The term Indian summer has been used for more than two centuries. The origin of other “Indian”phrases are well-known as referring to North American Indians, who prefer to be called Native Americans, or, in Canada, First Nations. The term Indian summer reached England in the 19th century, during the heyday of the British Raj in India. This led to the mistaken belief that the term referred to the Indian subcontinent. In fact, the Indians in question were the Native Americans, and the term began use there in the late 18th century.

Indian summer is first recorded in Letters From an American Farmer, a 1778 work by the French-American soldier-turned-farmer J. H. St. John de Crevecoeur: “Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer.”

There are many references to the term in American literature in the following hundred years or so. In the 1830s Indian summer began to be used figuratively, to refer to any late flowering following a period of decline. It was well enough established as a phrase by 1834 for John Greenleaf Whittier to use the term that way, when in his poem Memories,” he wrote of “The Indian Summer of the heart!.”

Or, Thomas DeQuincey, in a republishing of Bentley’s Works of Thomas DeQuincey, 1855, wrote: “An Indian summer crept stealthily over his closing days.”

Also, in his story The Guardian Angel, Oliver Wendell Holmes mentions “an Indian summer of serene widowhood.”

As a climatic event it is known throughout the world and is most frequently associated with the eastern and central states of the U.S., which have a suitable climate to generate the weather pattern. For example, a wide variation of temperature and wind strength from summer to winter.

Why Indian? Well, no one knows but, as is commonplace when no one knows, many people have guessed.

Some say it was from the prairie fires deliberately set by Indian tribes; from raids on European settlements by Indian war parties, which usually ended in autumn; or, in parallel with other Indian terms, it implied a belief in Indian falsity and untrustworthiness and that an Indian summer was a substitute copy of the real thing.

But my grandfather, who could spin a yarn with the best of them, had the best I’ve ever heard.

It seems an Indian chief was concerned about a hunting party that was delayed in returning from a late summer gathering of meat for the winter. The year had been an extremely difficult one and the tribe needed the buffalo, deer and turkey meat for their winter consumption, and the hides for clothing and shelters. Fearing the crops in the fields would go to waste before the braves returned to harvest, the chief sat at his campfire and began to feverishly smoke a pipe, and did so for days, until the air was filled with smokey, warm air. Once the hunting party made its return, the air was still warm enough to gather the crops that had not been damaged by frost, that the chief feared would be destroyed by the impending cold weather. By warming the air with the smoke from his pipe, the chief, essentially, extended the summer, and saved the crops.

Makes sense to me.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

With the possibility this year of an all New York World Series (Yankees and Mets), when was the last time two teams from the same city faced off in the fall classic?

Answer
2000. The New York Yankees defeated the New York Mets. (FYI: It has happened 16 times.)

PHOTOS: Youth football action in Oakland

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Messalonskee youth team member Andrew Proctor running with the football while Winslow’s Tristan Blaney (32), Nathan Merrill (41) and Freddie Pullen (75) move in for the tackle. The game took place on October 7. (Photos by Casey Dugas, Central Maine Photography)

Waterville team member Malahki Klaiber (12) looks for open field while, Alex Sheehan (80), Connor Jones (27) and Quincy Brittingham (4) form a wall on Messalonskee defender Zoeey Emmons. The game ended in a 12-12 tie. (Photos by Casey Dugas, Central Maine Photography)

VETERANS CORNER: Learning from a third world nation tribe

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Veterans Administration facility at Togus. (Internet photo)

by Gary Kennedy

Beauty is as beauty does. I recently read an article about a tribe in Asian. We will call them the Ubuntu Tribe. An anthropologist proposed a game to a group of very young children. The eldest was perhaps 16 years old. The others were 5 – 7, 8 and 9. A basket of fruit was placed at the base of a tree several yards away. The anthropologist wanted to see the mayhem that would ensue after the race. However, he was in for a big surprise and a lesson well learned. He saw the children sprint to the basket of fruit. What was surprising was when the children started their task they first joined hands and ran only as fast as the slowest to the fruited tree. They then sat and shared and enjoyed the assortment of fruit. They ran as one and enjoyed the meal as one. In his amazement he asked the children why they didn’t seek the prize singularly. They all wanted the fruit and they knew the others in their group wanted the fruit, also. However, they collectively replied Ubuntu, Ubuntu, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad? You see in this very primitive tribe “their culture dictates”, “I am because we are”.

This so-called primitive tribe has an understanding of the secret of happiness that many societies claiming to be civilized have lost. These were little naked children; how beautiful, uneducated children who for some reason lived by what I believe is a very beautiful touching philosophy. For them it was a way of life perhaps taught by their parents. In any case it showed what we use to relate to as togetherness. What has happened to us? Why are different parts of the world so different than others?

Veterans have seen many different cultures in their travels; cultures as different as night is to day. I know I have seen the best and worst of them. When I started doing humanitarian volunteerism I learned to be very cautious. Some of the countries I would go to had a good side and a bad side. The same is true here in the U.S.A. If you travel, especially if you work with people, you will find the differences I have described.

When it becomes election time here in the USA, as is true in other places, these groups of people begin to show themselves. I noticed the other day that one political party was trying to show we vets why we should vote for them. It became obvious to me one of the groups was not telling the truth. I happen to know the truth as I have personally done the research.

The subject this group was trying to take credit for was I.V.F.. If you remember we talked about this months ago. When you start using veterans as examples make sure you have your facts together. Politics are so immoral these days. It’s never been great but recently it’s been horrific. Anyway, this group stated that veterans were given great benefit because of them, in the area of I.V.F. (In Vitro Fertilization).

Some of you might remember how this subject played out from personal experience. Yes, its true veterans can in some cases receive many great benefits for their contributions to our country. However, before you start boasting about it with the hope of political gain be sure of your facts.

True, veterans have received an I.V.F. benefit. It’s for their part free. The catch is the wife. I spoke with a Medical Specialist, in Portland, and he explains the easy part was the male extraction but the difficult and expensive part was that which was on the female side. Her process became much more complicated and was not paid for by the government. This doctor went on to give me a minimum of many thousands of dollars. The process doesn’t work on every attempt and can be a money pit and a heart breaker for the couple. I have talked to veterans who wanted this possibility so I thought I would share it with you once again. With enough attention perhaps the government will eventually give the entire package. Be aware of the politics. We are a valuable commodity during this time and our friends and family are not the Ubuntu tribe. God bless and have a great weekend.

The views of the author of this column are not necessarily those of The Town Line newspaper, its staff and board of directors.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, October 17, 2024

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LOUIS J. CAREY

WATERVILLE – Louis J. Carey, 57, of Waterville, passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, in his sleep. He was born at Regional Memorial Hospital, the second of five children, to Daniel Bruce Carey and Mary Lou (Reny) Pascoe on January 9, 1967.

Louis loved music and art, cheap thrills, had excellent penmanship and a poetic soul. He enjoyed the outdoors, and trips to the lake or beach. He kept small circles but would pour into the cups of those close freely and endlessly, never checking his own. Louis spoke his mind and was stubborn but reasonable. He was a very thoughtful, curious person – but never nosey, and he loved to learn new things. He started weekends with a coffee and newspaper and was great at word puzzles.

Louis had excellent coordination and inherited great speed and stamina, a strong athlete in every sense of the word. A runner, like his father before him; most of his colleagues recall how fast he worked, setting records and maxing out many kinds of machines over the years. He especially enjoyed billiards, candlepin bowling, disc golf, and softball. He was a fearless competitor, and an encouraging teammate. He was silent when you needed an earnest ear, and the loudest clap and holler in the room at your concert or recital. Louis had the sharpest funny bone, and he delighted in a good laugh.

Louis was predeceased by his parents Daniel Carey and Mary (Reny) Pascoe; and his sister Eva (Carey) Todd.

He is survived by his wife of four years Lynn (Giles) Carey and her daughter Renā Giles; his son Louis J. Carey II; godmother Margaret (Carey) Soucy and husband Lester, of Waterville; uncle Paul Carey and wife Patty, of Ellsworth; aunts Deb Carey, of Readfield, and Shirley Jolicoeur, of Winslow; sister Michelle (Carey) Alejandro and husband Omar, of Merritt Island, Florida; brother Daniel Carey Jr., of Waterville; sister Tammy Carey, of Waterville; stepdaughter Jaylin Marcoux and her partner Brandon, of Belgrade; many cousins, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at the Waterville Elks Lodge #905, 76 Industrial St., Waterville, on Sunday October 27, 2024,between noon and 4 p.m.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Somerset Valley Remembrance Center, in Skowhegan. Please visit Louis’ memorial page at https://svremembrancecenter.com/obituaries/louis-carey where condolences, photos, and special memories may be shared.

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting youth sports by donating in his memory at https://alfondyouthcenterivsrq.formstack.com/forms/donations1.

BRENDA J. STEVENS

BELGRADE – Brenda J. (Wadleigh) Stevens, 72, passed away at Maine­General Medical Center, in Augusta, on Friday, October 4, 2024. Brenda was born August 18, 1952, in Augusta, the daughter of Everett and Muriel (Hutchinson) Wadleigh.

She grew up in Belgrade and graduated from Messalonskee High School in 1969.

Shortly after graduating she met her best friend and love of her life, David. They married October 7, 1972, and soon after had their daughter, Tonia. Their life was spent enjoying time with family and friends.

In 1992, Brenda and David welcomed their granddaughter, Jordan.

Brenda worked for the State of Maine for over 25 years, retired, and went on to work for Colby College, in Waterville. After a few years she retired from Colby and spent the rest of her working years at Messalonskee High School, in Oakland. While at MHS she made many great friends and the students adored her.

Brenda was vibrant, full of life and always had a smile on her face. As a child, she and her two friends, Jayne Deneen and Debbie Thing, were accomplished baton twirlers and participated in several parades. Her true passion was dance, which she started as a young girl and continued until her body wouldn’t allow it anymore. She and her lifelong friend, Jayne, had a dance studio together for a period of time and she then went on to own her own studio for several years. When the time was right, she retired her studio and went to dance at Studio One with her brother-in-law, Scott.

In January of 2022 Brenda was blessed with her great-grandson, Theodore David James. She spent countless hours with him and went everywhere he did. Teddy will forever love and miss his “Ma” and carry on her vibrant spirit and beautiful smile.

Brenda was predeceased by her parents, Everett and Muriel; her brother, Barry and her sister, Betty; her husband, David; and a brother-in-law, Stevie. Both Brenda and David came from large families and there are a multitude of other family members and friends that they lost over the years.

She is survived by her daughter, Tonia and husband Tony; granddaughter Jordan and partner Eric; great-grandson, Theodore and another grandson coming in November; granddaughters Jenna (Chad), Chrissy (Craig); great-grandchildren, Kayden and Bella; her brothers, and Bryce and wife Pam, Bryan and wife Donna; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Judy, Pam, Donna (Steve) Barbara (Rick) Randy (Diana) Jeff (Lisa) Barry, Scott (Michael), Ann Marie and Debbie; several nieces, nephews; great-nieces and nephews.

A service will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, 1 Church St., in Augusta, at 1 p.m. A graveside sendoff directly after, for those that would like to attend, and then a celebration of life at the Sunset Grill, in Belgrade Lakes.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Care, One Church Street, Augusta.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home website, http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Brenda’s memory to Belgrade Fire and Rescue Association, P.O. Box 404, Belgrade, ME 04917.

LAURA GABRIEL

AUGUSTA – Laura Gabriel, 68, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 4, 2024, following a brief illness. She was born on April 11, 1956, in Mineola, New York, the youngest of three daughters, of the late Harold Gabriel and Betty (Ramirez) Gabriel.

Laura was a graduate of the University of Maine and earned her master’s degree in education. She was a fourth grade teacher at Jefferson Village School for many years and finished her career as an educator at Troy School where she was principal.

Upon retirement, Laura’s love and energy always remained constant with her family and the many friends she had in the community. She enjoyed spending time with her family more than anything, rarely missing a ball game or event that involved her children or grandson. She extended this warmth to the many friends she had far and wide and all the kids she had in her classroom during her career as a teacher. Her presence will be missed beyond measure, but her kind spirit will endure in all that loved her dearly.

Laura is survived by her sons, Brandon Wing and his partner Vanessa O’Neil and their son Braxton Braley, of Augusta, and Justin Wing and his partner Brianne Genschel, of Augusta; and her daughter Melissa Mann, also of Augusta; two sisters, Docthina “Dina” Gabriel, of Brooklyn, New York, and Sophia Gabriel, of Harpswell; and a grandson Arlo Wing, of Augusta, and lastly, her partner Mike Maxim, of Augusta; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

At her request, there will be no public visiting hours or funeral service. A private burial will be held at a later date.

A celebration of life will be held at the Governor Hill Mansion, State St., Augusta, Maine, on Saturday, November 2, 2024, between 3 and 7 p.m..

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

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

JOHN G. MAYO

CHINA – John Gibson Mayo, 87, passed away Sunday, October 6, 2024, at his home in China. John was born on February 23, 1937, a son of Ogilvie and Eleanor (Napolitano) Mayo.

John grew up in Windsor and was a graduate of Erskine Academy, in South China, in the class of 1954. While still in school, he enlisted in the National Guard and served for nine years. On October 5, 1957, he married Judith Gordon and the two settled in China and raised a family. For 47 years, John was employed as a millwright at Hudson Pulp and Paper, (later known as Statler Tissue), in Augusta, before his retirement in 2001.

John was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and ice fishing, snowmobiling and golfing. He was an avid reader, particularly of western novels, and loved gardening on his property. John was also a master woodworker and crafted many beautiful furniture pieces for his family. In retirement, many winters were enjoyed in Yuma, Arizona, his wife Judy.

He was a member of the Dirigo Masonic Lodge #104 AF & AM.

John will be remembered as a kind hearted and respected man.

He was predeceased by his parents, and his brothers, George and Vincent Mayo.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Judy Mayo; his children, Monte Mayo and his partner Karin Sullivan, Mia-Jo Nguyen and her husband Ninh, and Mira-Su Thurston and her husband Michael; grandchildren, Samantha Hayes, Alexander Thompson, and Koriana Thompson; great-grandchildren, Anastasia Thompson and Aubriella Thompson.

No services are being held at this time.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Plummer Funeral Home, 983 Ridge Rd., Windsor, ME 04363. Condolences, stories and photos may be shared by visiting http://www.plummerfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial. donation may be made to Weeks Mills Fire Department, 778 DirigoRd., China, ME 04358.

DONALD C. L. MAHEU

WINSLOW – Donald C. L. Maheu, 89, of Winslow, died Sunday, October 6, 2024, at Lakewood Continuing Care, in Waterville. He was born April 27, 1935, in Winslow, the son of Archeles and Mary Jane (LaFlamme) Maheu.

Donald attended Waterville public schools and married Marilyn Thompson, in 1954.

He worked at Hollingsworth & Whitney, (later Scott Paper Co. and Kimberly-Clark) and Waterville Window Company, both in Winslow, and founding Winslow Aluminum Inc., with his brother. Donald was the president.

Donald coached Little League, Babe Ruth Baseball, and youth football. He was an avid sportsman who loved the Boston Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, and the Bruins. He also loved attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sports games, traveling to both home and away games. Donald was known to enjoy fishing, hunting, and bowling.

He was predeceased by his wife of 54 years; brothers, George, Adolph, George, Napolean, Robert Maheu, and Pete Boutin; sisters, Pearl Ahearn, Florence Pooler, Violet Fecteau, Geraldine Flibbert, and Rose Roy.

He is survived by his daughter Paula Caron, of Waterville; son Marc Maheu and wife Denise, of Fairfield; sister-in-law Nancy Maheu; grandchildren, Jennifer Caron and partner Brian Kelly, Jason Caron and partner Ashley Brooks, and Jack Maheu; great-grandchildren, Gabrielle, Isabelle, and Annabelle Lamoreau; and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2, 11 a.m., at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 116 Silver Street, Waterville.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville. An online guestbook may be signed, condolences and memories shared at http://www.gallantfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Donald’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or at Online Donations – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org).

DR. RODNEY M. REDDING

CLINTON – Dr. Rodney Malcolm Redding, 91, Professor Emeritus of UMA, died peacefully in his home early Sunday morning, October 6, 2024. Born in 1933, Rod was a Korean War Veteran. He was selected for the Honor Flight in 2023 and he proudly went to Washington, D.C., with his best friend and guardian, Bill Lowenstein.

Having dedicated his life to education, he is remembered by many administrators and psychology students from around Maine. He was instrumental in getting Thomas College, in Waterville, and Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), in Fairfield, accredited, which are legacies to this day. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was president of National Council on Alcoholism-Maine and along with his surviving wife Judy, was a primary contributor to the legislation that set precedent to funding programs for alcohol and drug treatment, prevention, and education throughout the state. He died a grateful recovering alcoholic with 45 years of sobriety and was a respected and honored member of the recovery community.

Rod was known for his love of Maine, nature, and fishing, and invited everyone (literally everyone) fishing with him and always said, “I know a place where I can guarantee you’ll catch a fish.”

He will be deeply missed by his wife, blended family of five daughters and two sons, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. They will carry on his sense of humor, love of nature, mineral collecting … and of course, fishing.

Please visit Rod’s memorial page at https://svremembrancecenter.com/obituaries/rodney-redding where condolences, photos, and special memories may be shared.

Donations may be made in his honor to Donations (honorflightmaine.org) or Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs: Instructor Certifications: Educational Programs: Programs & Resources: Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

LETTERS: Will someone do something!

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To the editor:

The view outside my picture window is anything but picturesque. It is a dump – not a land fill ­ ­– but junk, garbage, trash and a disgusting dump that is breeding rats.

No one at the town level or state level seems to be at all concerned about the rats invading our neighborhood. No one lives at the address as it is uninhabitable. The owners live several houses up the street. They receive their mail at the dump site but no one lives there. I have witnessed them adding to this nasty mess – but never taking anything away. The building is falling apart, blowing in the wind and coming apart through weather, rot, and neglect. This has been going on for a few years now.

I have contacted the town codes enforcement officer, Jason Lorrain, and the state CDC and the Department of Environmental Protection – and still no one has done anything. Myself, and my neighbors are trying to keep the rat population down, but I think the rats are winning. Please can’t something be done? Soon?

Marilou Suchar
Vassalboro