MMA announces Spirit of America Proclamation to municipal clerks and ballot clerks

submitted by Rebecca Hapgood
China Town Manager

MAINE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION SPIRIT OF AMERICA PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, Spirit of America Foundation cherishes Municipal Officials’ help with its program and created October as ‘Municipal Officials Appreciation Month’, and in 2024 dedicated it nationally to Municipal Clerks and Ballot Clerks, to express gratitude;

WHEREAS, Municipal Officials make personal sacrifices to serve constituents and deserve more public recognition and respect than they generally receive;

WHEREAS, Municipal Clerks are some of the most dedicated and generous members in our communities, who are almost always involved in a community event or civic organization within a town and most of the time are doing that work on their own personal time;

WHEREAS, Ballot Clerks serve at each polling place throughout Election Day, to ensure the voting process goes smoothly and are vital to democracy;

WHEREAS, the Maine Municipal Association greatly appreciates the services provided by its Municipal Clerks, Ballot Clerks and other Municipal Officials;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the MAINE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION designates October 2024 as “MAINE MUNICIPAL CLERKS AND BALLOT CLERKS APPRECIATION MONTH” and urges citizens to show gratitude to their Municipal Officials, and especially to Municipal Clerks and Ballot Clerks, for all they do to make our communities better.

Beauty from Ashes: Reflecting on 9/11 at China school

From left to right, Everett Packard, Eli Goodwin, Patrick Roberts, James Trojecki, Kennebec Sheriff Deputy Stefanizzi, Chris Berto, Nathaniel Monroe, and Leslie Krajewski. (contributed photos)

by Aimee N. Lanteigne

The searing images of September 11, 2001, will not soon be forgotten by anyone who witnessed the sheer terror of that horrible day. But for some, today’s youth, they have no idea, no context, and no emotion connected to that day that forever changed how Americans live. But they need to know. There are a thousand good reasons why teaching history is so important, but in a nutshell, suffice it to say, “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.” (Robert Heinlein)

Wyatt Kibbin and his mom, Allison, of the Maine National Guard. (contributed photos)

This year, China Middle School seventh and eighth graders learned their history…the details of what happened on 9/11, why it happened, the ensuing War on Terror, and the impact those two hours had on countless innocent lives. They discussed ways to prevent and combat hatred and misunderstandings. Perhaps most importantly, they took it upon themselves to give a little something back to those who gave the last full measure of devotion in the line of duty on 9/11.

Our students hosted a free car wash for First Responders and Veterans in honor of the 23rd anniversary of this tragedy. The support they received was overwhelming. Donations of soap, buckets, sponges, baked goods, and refreshments for our guests came pouring in. Every student made a personalized handmade card thanking them for their service be it in the fire department, the police department, or the military.

They made posters advertising the car wash and happily stood out in the school driveway waving and smiling and cheering any time a car or cruiser would pull into the school yard. They joyfully scurried like busy little bees to escort our guests to the food table, made sure they got a card and a treat, and then commenced spraying and soaping up the cars…perhaps the most fun of all. And before each officer or veteran left, the kids seemed to all shout in unison, “Thank you for your service!” Some of our students even went out of their way to shake hands with our guests and thank them personally.

The appreciation and smiles on their faces as they drove away was all these kids needed to know they had made a difference. It wasn’t a clean car, a cup of coffee, and a cupcake that made the difference. It was the kids’ smiles, their laughter, their joy, their pride in helping, and the simple fact that they had remembered…they had not forgotten. They may not have been alive when the Towers fell, when the planes and all souls aboard vaporized into thin air, or when the fear and darkness that overwhelmed us all that evening began to creep into our hearts. But they remembered. They took time to acknowledge the sacrifice of their brothers and sisters in service for what they lost that terrible day and in the years to follow.

That is how they made a difference.

That is how we keep history alive.

And that is how we can make beauty from ashes.

From left, Colton Oxley, Ellie Soule, and Layla Gunnison wash China Village firetruck. (contributed photos)

Issue for September 19, 2024

Issue for September 19, 2024

Celebrating 36 years of local news

Vassalboro community programs reach all ages

Karen Hatch had a busy summer and this fall is shaping up to be the same way. The 70-year-old, from China, is the Vassalboro Community Program Director, and as such she plans, coordinates and oversees activities for all ages, including youth sports. This winter it will be basketball and then baseball and softball come spring,” Hatch explained. “All of that is made possible by the volunteer youth athletic commissioners…. by Dale Potter-Clark

Town News

Transfer station committee discusses relations with Palermo

CHINA – Relations between China and Palermo were a major topic discussed, in a friendly way, at the Sept. 10 China Transfer Station Committee meeting. Only one of Palermo’s two committee members, Bob Kurek, was present…

Novel Energy granted one-year extension on project

CHINA – China Planning Board members approved one request at their Sept. 10 meeting and postponed action on another, probably to Sept. 24…

School board updated on final summer renovations, other building related projects

VASSALBORO – Vassalboro Community School’s new staff for 2024-25 include two people with experience in Alaska, Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said. One of them spoke with school board members at their Sept. 10 meeting…

OPINION: Town elder concerned about seniors in China

from Sheldon Goodine (CHINA) We cannot let this happen in the China area. Maine folks are tough and try to go with the flow as long as possible, then it may be too late to solve the problem…

Conservation district seeks nominations for board of supervisors

ROCKPORT Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District has one opening on its five-member Board of Supervisors. The volunteer board, which is responsible for guiding the District’s business affairs and operations in it’s mission to provide assistance to the community in conservation of land and water resources, is comprised of three elected and two appointed supervisors, who each serve overlapping three-year terms…

New survey shows Maine residents, regardless of age, don’t see aging as a personal barrier

CENTRAL ME Despite believing older adults are devalued in society, Maine adults of all ages don’t see aging as a barrier, according to new AARP research examining how aging is viewed in the state…

TEAM PHOTO: Waterville football grades 3 – 4

WATERVILLE Team photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography…

TEAM PHOTO: Lawrence girls soccer

FAIRFIELD Team photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to The Maine Film Center, in Waterville: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is October 10, 2024.

Webber’s Pond comic

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by a local central Maine resident (click on the thumbnail to enlarge)…

Local happenings

EVENTS: Apple desserts and ham public supper in Vassalboro

VASSALBORO — Baked ham and apple desserts of all kinds will be served in addition to the traditional baked beans, casseroles, salads and breads on Saturday, September 21, at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC)…

EVENTS: Vassalboro events for October

VASSALBORO — On Saturday, October 19, a Harvest Supper will be held at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) fellowship hall, at 614 Main Street/Rte. 32…

EVENTS: Hazardous waste collection days scheduled

CENTRAL ME – The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, based in Fairfield, plans to host Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days in October in Kennebec and Somerset counties…

EVENTS: Announcing annual wildflower seed fundraiser

ROCKPORT – Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District has announced their autumn fundraiser – native wildflower seeds. October is the perfect month to sow wildflower seeds for spring growth…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: China Historical Society meeting

CHINA – The China Historical Society will be holding its next regular meeting at the Weeks Mills School, at 6 p.m., on Thursday evening, September 19. This gathering will be open and welcoming to all members of the public from China and elsewhere. It will also serve as a lead-in to our planned program on the WW&F Narrow Gauge Railroad set for Thursday, October 10… and many other local events!

Obituaries

CLINTON – Russell S. Bickford, Jr., 76, passed away following a short illness on Friday, September 6, 2024. Russell was born on December 2, 1947, in Waterville, son of Russell S. Bickford Sr. and Laura (Downing) Bickford…

Around the Kennebec Valley: A history of Ford’s Corner, Part II (new)

PALERMO HISTORY — In Part 1, we explored the lives of three key families at Ford’s Corner around the turn of the 20th century: Frank & Addie Wood, Daniel & Nettie Batchelder, and Leander & Alice Bowler, all active members of the church at the corner of Chisholm Pond Road and Arnold Lane. Part 2 will explore the history of that church building and what Ford’s Corner is today… by Andy Pottle

Around the Kennebec Valley: A history of Ford’s Corner, Part I

PALERMO HISTORY — In North Palermo, where Arnold Lane and Chisholm Pond Road meet, the North Palermo Road just before Wilder Young Hill goes down into Freedom, is a place once known as Ford’s Corner. You wouldn’t know it today, but over a century ago this quiet corner was the center of a bustling community in North Palermo… by Andy Pottle

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Early Sidney Settlers

SIDNEY HISTORY — Researching former Sidney residents on line, your writer has repeatedly come across a colorful small book entitled Early Sidney, by Chloe B., with a photo of the historic Levi Powers house on the front… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Lovejoys & Marshes

SIDNEY HISTORY — Previous articles in this series have mentioned two other early Sidney families who intermarried with Bacons and Faughts, the Lovejoys and Marshes. This article will provide more information about both… by Mary Grow

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 17, 2024

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: Shirley Kinney, Augusta

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | While driving to work on the Cross Hill Road, in Vassalboro, one morning last week, I saw a black squirrel. This caused me to remember an email I received a little while back from a reader who said, “I have red, black gray and a new one – dark gray with a brown belly – what is this one? How many litters can they have? I am almost overrun with them all”…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | One of the very first classical records to give pleasure to me during seventh grade was a 12-inch 78 (Columbia Masterworks 12437) of the Second Hungarian Rhapsody, by Franz Liszt (1811-1886), as performed by Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) with the Phildelphia Orchestra and recorded April 18, 1946…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | Welcome spring and create continuous color for several months with a collection of spring-flowering bulbs. After planting in the fall, you’ll enjoy an array of flower colors that combine nicely with other spring-flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

HEALTH | While more than 1.1 million Americans lost their lives due to COVID-19, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, emerging HVAC technology is now available to protect homes from the next pandemic…

PUBLIC NOTICES for Thursday, September 19, 2024

TOWN OF VASSALBORO
Public Hearing Notice

The Municipal Officers of the Town of Vassalboro will meet on Thursday, October 3, 2024 at the Town Office at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the following referendum questions to be voted on Nov. 5, 2024.

1) “Shall the Town vote to appropriate $360,000 from TIF funds or the undesignated fund, in the Select Board’s discretion, to serve as matching funds related to a Maine DOT Municipal Stream Crossing grant that has been applied for, and to authorize the Select Board and Town Manager to take any and all actions and enter any agreements necessary in furtherance of the grant application and any grant award.”

2) “Shall the Town of Vassalboro Development Program for the Natural Gas Pipeline Municipal Development and Tax Increment Financing District (TIF) be amended to allow environmental improvement projects in the Town to be funded by revenues of the District, subject to the Findings and the Amendment to the Development Program attached to the original Town Meeting Warrant as Appendix A, copies of which are available at the office of the Town Clerk?”

3) “Shall the November 2024 Amendments to the Vassalboro Sanitary District Charter be enacted? A copy of the proposed amendment is attached to the warrant and available from the Town Clerk.”

The Town of Fairfield
Notice of Public Hearing and Public Comment Notice

The Fairfield Town Council will hold a Public Hearing at the Community Center, at 61 Water Street, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers for the purpose of hearing public comments on:
– A proposed amendment to the General Assistance Ordinance and Appendices.

Information related to the proposed changes to these ordinances is available at the Town Office. All interested people are invited to attend the public hearings and will be given an opportunity to be heard at that time.

/s/ Brittanee Guerette, Town Clerk

Conservation district seeks nominations for board of supervisors

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District has one opening on its five-member Board of Supervisors. The volunteer board, which is responsible for guiding the District’s business affairs and operations in it’s mission to provide assistance to the community in conservation of land and water resources, is comprised of three elected and two appointed supervisors, who each serve overlapping three-year terms. This year we are seeking nominations for one elected position.

Anyone interested in 1) running for the office of supervisor, or 2) voting in the election must be a registered voter within the boundaries of the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). Candidates need have only an interest in conservation and a willingness, at a minimum, to participate in a monthly board meeting at the District office or online. To run for an elected position, a candidate must submit a nomination paper signed by 25 Knox or Lincoln county residents.

In addition, the SWCD Board welcomes Associate Supervisors, non-voting members appointed by the board, who may have an interest in the general activities of the district or a specific area of interest or expertise to share.

Nomination forms may be obtained by contacting the District office. The completed election document must be received at the District office by 2:30 pm on September 20, after which candidates will be posted on our website, https://www.knox-lincoln.org/board-of-supervisors. Ballots must be received at the District office no later than 8:30 am on November 20, 2024 and will be counted at our Board meeting tentatively scheduled for November 20, 2024, at 9 a.m.; public are welcome to attend.

To receive nomination papers or a ballot, or for more information, contact Election Superintendent at 893 West Street (Route 90) in Rockport, 596-2040 or julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Franz Liszt

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Franz Liszt

One of the very first classical records to give pleasure to me during seventh grade was a 12-inch 78 (Columbia Masterworks 12437) of the Second Hungarian Rhapsody, by Franz Liszt (1811-1886), as performed by Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) with the Phildelphia Orchestra and recorded April 18, 1946.

Franz Liszt

Lasting just under 10 minutes, the piece is divided into two parts, the first being a slowly paced and haunting atmospheric scoring for strings while the second accelerates into an explosively jubilant dance for full orchestra. Ormandy, being justly renowned for bringing the rich string sound, that his predecessor Leopold Stokowski (1882-1975) had already achieved there, to an even greater sustained level, conducted a very exciting performance which can be heard on YouTube.

Ormandy would later re-record the Rhapsody but this earlier one still stands out.

Ormandy also recorded the Liszt tone poem Les Preludes at least twice. Again a 78 set is my favorite for its extra adrenaline and was released on Victor , M-453. It is a very colorful show piece in which Philadelphia’s strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion display their virtuosity (In 1943, Ormandy and the Orchestra would record for Columbia for 25 years before returning to RCA Victor in 1968.).

Liszt composed two Piano Concertos and the Totentanz also for piano and orchestra. In 1960, Ormandy collaborated with pianist Philippe Entremont, himself still living at 90. Ormandy has also left a recording of another Liszt tone poem, Mephisto Waltz.

During his youth, Liszt himself was a legendary virtuoso touring Europe with mobs of screaming women fans; in 1837, he was involved in an affair with Countess Marie D’Agoult and she gave birth to a daughter Cosima who would later marry composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).

Eugene Ormandy

While still living the flamboyant life of a touring celebrity, Liszt, according to the writer Samuel Chotzinoff, “made the quixotic decision to quit the concert stage and accept the post of musical director in the small town of Weimar [Germany], at a salary of a thousand dollars a year, there to devote his time to composing, conducting and teaching the piano without pay.”

For the remaining 38 years of his life, Franz Liszt was unstintingly generous with his time and money to the mentoring of younger composers and musicians. He would eventually practice a religious asceticism, dressed in a priestly cassock and becoming the Abbe Liszt.

Other very good interpreters of Liszt’s music include pianists Artur Rubinstein, Alfred Brendel, Van Cliburn, Sviatoslav Richter, Lazar Berman, George Bolet, Claudio Arrau, Annie Fischer, Walter Gieseking, and Martha Argerich; and conductors Leonard Bernstein, Fritz Reiner, Herbert von Karajan, Selmar Meyrowitz, Alceo Galliera, Antal Dorati, Jascha Horenstein, Sir Thomas Beecham, Anatole Fistoulari and Sir Georg Solti, etc.

A story is told of Schumann and Brahms visiting Liszt, of Liszt playing his own Piano Sonata for the two guests and of Brahms falling asleep. Liszt was not happy.

TEAM PHOTO: Lawrence girls soccer

Front row, from left to right, Kylie Delile, Eliza Gagnon, Taylor Hatt, Addisyn Smith, Amarie Sam, Sage Dugal and Rosabella Garza. Second row, Alex Young, Brook Pooler, McKayla Cole, Zoe Hutchins, Izabella White, Elizabeth Boutin and London Wilkie. Back row, Coach Mountain, Taylor Pellerin, Leah Gallant, Madalyn Provost, Ella Minihan, Zoie Ward, Bianca Wright, Addison Lea, Coach Delile. (photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography)

TEAM PHOTO: Waterville football grades 3 – 4

Front row, Brayden Reed, Landon Nalley, Jaxson George, Jackson-Davenport Coulombe, Kartyr Stevens, Dominic Odonnell, Paxton O’Clair, and Kayson Glidden. Second row, Wyatt Dickey, Jayden Bradley, Rylee Emery, Nyeim Warren, Owen Stevens, Cameron Ray, Owen Champagne, Jayceon Turbide and Grayson Lima. Back row, Coaches Chad Glidden, Jonathan Turbide, Ace Velazquez and Nick Champagne. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Around the Kennebec Valley: A history of Ford’s Corner, Part II

Ford’s Corner today. (Google Earth photo)

by Andy Pottle

(Read Part I here.)

In Part 1, we explored the lives of three key families at Ford’s Corner around the turn of the 20th century: Frank & Addie Wood, Daniel & Nettie Batchelder, and Leander & Alice Bowler, all active members of the church at the corner of Chisholm Pond Road and Arnold Lane. Part 2 will explore the history of that church building and what Ford’s Corner is today.

In Lee Bowler’s obituary, it was said he was “instrumental in building the Methodist church,” but the history of the church on the corner starts about a decade and a half before he moved there.

According to Allen Goodwin’s A History of the Early Settlement of Palermo, Maine, Methodists had been meeting in North Palermo since 1830. Initially gathering at Dr. Eli Ayers’ Grove, where Level Hill Road meets North Palermo Road, and later at the “Clifford School House”, most likely somewhere around where Chisholm Pond Road meets the Hostile Valley Road.

In 1859, the congregation purchased a house, raised it off the ground, and rotated it so that the end faced the road. Once enough pledges were secured, Reverend C. E. Springer led the effort, alongside other church members, to raise the roof by 11 feet, and then ventured into the woods to cut rafters for the new roof. The interior of the newly expanded chapel was then plastered by Jason Wood, the great-uncle of Frank Wood (see part 1).

The Methodist Church, circa 1900.

By 1891, the building had deteriorated to the point of being described as “decayed and dilapidated,” and “thoroughly uncomfortable and unsuitable for use,” according to an issue of Zion’s Herald, a Methodist newspaper.

At that time, the reverend was George J. Palmer, a carpenter and architect. Palmer “knew just what needed to be done with the old structure, and the most economical way to do it.” and got to work planning the renovation.

After several church fundraisers, donations, and a loan from Lee Bowler, Palmer got to work, doing much of the renovation himself. The structure was expanded, the belfry was built with a bell installed, and the church was neatly finished and painted white.

Thanks to the efforts of Bowler, Palmer, and others, this community had a meeting place for regular Sunday services, weddings, and funerals for years to come. It also hosted various events, such as Christmas concerts and talks by traveling speakers.

In 1948, the people of the community and other towns came together again to keep the old building alive. By this time, the church grounds included a second building, the Ladies Aid building, where a supper was served to raise money for repairs to the steeple and for painting the church. Paul Wellman and Arthur Hurd donated lumber and shingles, respectively. By this time the community in North Palermo was made up of both old and new families, and some of the families documented to have helped in some way with this renovation include Besse, Brown, Bryant, Bukner, Coffin, Davis, Dowe, Dyer, Glidden, Howell, Hurd, Nelson, Norton, Palmer, Pottle, Sabin, Soule, Wellman, Willoughby, and Young.

The building mid-transformation, circa 1980.

Ten years later, in 1958, the church buildings were purchased by the North Palermo Baptist Fellowship after the First Baptist Church down the road at Carr’s Corner had been torn down a few years earlier. In an effort to revive rural churches that had fallen by the wayside, the Waldo Larger Parish assigned Miss Barbara Rozelle as pastor. She split her duties between the newly established North Palermo Baptist Church and the Second Baptist Church in East Palermo until she was succeeded by Eric Wiggin Jr. in the mid 1960s. Eric Wiggin Jr., the great-grandson of the aforementioned Frank Wood, never knew that the brother of his great-great-great-grandfather had plastered the walls of this very church over 100 years earlier when it was first converted into a chapel.

In 1968, some members of the North Palermo Baptist Church joined with members of the East Palermo Baptist and Branch Mills Union Churches to form the Palermo Christian Church. By 1969, under the leadership of Pastor Fred Williams, it became clear that the original church building was no longer adequate for the growing congregation. According to the history of the Palermo Christian Church, “about 75 Sunday School students were crowded into four classes, one of which met in the Ladies Aid House, while the other three gathered in separate corners of the small sanctuary.” The lack of running water and modern restroom facilities also contributed to the decision to construct a new church building. The new church was built on Branch Mills Road near Route 3, where the congregation continues to meet to this day.

Pastor Fred Williams recalled the challenging process of removing the old bell from the tower. Fred, along with Church members Neal Pottle and Colin Dyer had tied a rope around the heavy bell and began lowering it down the building. Halfway down, the rope snapped, causing the bell to crash down and embed itself a few inches deep into the ground below. Despite this setback, they managed to retrieve the bell and move it to the new church building, where it still resides.

In the 1970s, the building was sold and briefly owned by the Palermo American Legion. Due to its poor condition, the steeple was removed, along with most of the belfry.

View of the old church building and Christmas tree farm at Ford’s Corner from Chisholm Pond Road, 2024.

In 1979, Neal Pottle purchased the building and undertook a major overhaul to transform it into what it is today. With the help of family and friends, the building was once again lifted off the ground, this time to pour a concrete foundation, replacing the old, dilapidated wooden floor. A garage door was installed in the front wall of the sanctuary, which was repurposed as Neal’s garage. The Ladies Aid building, which had sunk into the mud over the years, was lifted, moved next to the main building, and attached as a machinist shop, equipped with a metal lathe, drill presses, and a Bridgeport mill, among other tools. The siding was replaced with wooden shingles and painted a classic barn red. The cupola and light on top of the building wouldn’t be added until 2008.

In 1985, Neal’s son Ken Pottle started a printing company in the building. A door was added to the top of what remained of the old bell tower, and the space above the former sanctuary was converted into a working print shop. A panel was cut out of the front of the building, allowing printing presses to be moved in using a hydraulic wood loader.

Pottle’s Printing, and later Archer and Pottle’s Printing after Jeff Archer joined as a partner, served local businesses by printing flyers, business cards, and other paper goods. The company also printed the town reports for Palermo from 1985 to 1988 and launched a short-lived community newspaper in 1986, predating The Town Line by three years!

After the print shop moved in 1990, Ken and Neal repurposed the space into a woodworking shop, which has been enjoyed by the Pottle family and their friends ever since. When Neal passed away in November 2023, his casket was built in the woodshop at the top of the old church. He was laid to rest in Smith Cemetery, alongside Leander and Alice Bowler, Frank and Addie Wood, Daniel and Nettie Batchelder, and many others who had lived in North Palermo and spent their time at Ford’s Corner.

Today, the only buildings still standing at the corner are the old Wood residence and the former Methodist Church. The Bowler home, and outbuildings were lost to a fire in 1932, with the Bowler Barn surviving until the ‘60s.

In 2007, Doug Wellman built North Palermo Self Storage on the back corner of what was once the Bowler farm, using lumber milled on-site where the Bowler house had once stood.

In 2022, Randy Pottle planted a Christmas tree farm with 200 trees on the site of the former house and general store, extending behind it. He plans to use the proceeds from the tree sales to buy his grandchildren, Ava and Norman, their first vehicles, by the time the trees (and the grandchildren) are big enough in 2032, 100 years after the house burned down!

The old Batchelder house, which later was home to Neal Pottle’s parents until his mother’s death in 1989, remained at the corner until 2008 when both Neal’s father and the house were lost to a fire.

In the back field behind the property there is an airstrip built by the late Gerald Pottle, brother of Neal, when he purchased his yellow Citabria airplane in 1977.

At the site where the Batchelders once held meetings for the annual Palermo Picnic a century ago, another event now brings hundreds to North Palermo each August from across Maine and beyond.

Neal and Theresa Pottle started the Family and Friends Bluegrass Festival in 2008 to showcase local talent from the Bluegrass Jam hosted at their house every Friday night. The Festival has grown over the past 17 years into a three-day event that has featured music, workshops, contra dances, kids’ activities, food trucks, and more. On the third weekend of each August, the field between the runway and the now-red Methodist church fills with campers and tents from as far away as Georgia and South Carolina.

With the sounds of Bluegrass jams coming from the campsites and laughter from the children’s area beside the old church building, Ford’s Corner once again feels like the center of a community in North Palermo, if only for one weekend a year.

Sources:

Newspaper archives of Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, Belfast Republican Journal, Lewiston Evening Journal
Conversations with Eric Wiggin Jr., Fred Williams, Neal Pottle, Ken Pottle, Ed Hatch, Lindsey Pottle
A History of the Early Settlement of Palermo, Maine, by Allen Goodwin
Zions Herald, September 2 1891

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Prepare Your Place for the Next Pandemic

Germs, pollution and allergens can be spread around your house by an ordinary HVAC system.

(NAPSI)—While more than 1.1 million Americans lost their lives due to COVID-19, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, emerging HVAC technology is now available to protect homes from the next pandemic.

The 2020 pandemic blindsided a nation that found itself without a vaccine and preventatives. Scientists warn a similar coronavirus-type event could wreak havoc again.

SARS CoV-2, like all coronaviruses, was easily transmitted via inhaled and exhaled airborne droplets. Home isolation was often ineffective and didn’t offset outside influences, such as returning schoolchildren, parties, or just visitors who can potentially infect unprotected home environments. Air droplets have been proven to move between rooms mainly via the HVAC system’s air distribution.

New HVAC Technology Combats Viruses

The good news is that the HVAC industry’s air filtration sector has introduced new disinfecting technologies to combat airborne biological contaminants, including coronaviruses. Most submicron-sized contaminants, 95% of them smaller than a grain of sand, easily pass through a standard HVAC filter. However, a new third-party-tested technology disinfects airborne pathogens and enhances particulate filtration, which normally would pass through an HVAC system.

One example is Aireshield® by Reviveaire LLC. This patented non-thermal plasma disinfection system resembles the size and thickness of a common HVAC fabric filter used in most home central air conditioning and/or heating systems. It’s easily installed by HVAC technicians or Do-It-Yourselfers.

How It Works

The non-thermal plasma system electrostatically charges the HVAC supply air with an undetectable plasmic cloud of negative and positive-charged ions. The positive and negative ions electrically attach to themselves and submicron airborne contaminants. This agglomeration process enlarges both biological and non-biological submicron particulates, so they easily entrap in standard fabric HVAC filters. The electrostatic field also disinfects pathogens.

The process also prevents bio-slime, a sludge t­hat easily grows in the dark, moist environment of cool HVAC coils. Bio-slime potentially cuts HVAC efficiency (thermal transfer) by up to 30 percent.

Keeping coils clean and efficient can pay back a non-thermal plasma system’s cost in three to five years with energy savings. The system continues providing protection from viruses, as well as everyday concerns such as allergens, flu, common cold and other airborne biological contaminants for 10 years or more.

Protecting a home from everyday airborne contaminants or pandemics requires readiness.

To find contractors who can install Aireshield, call Reviveaire at 908.987.7089 or email info@reviveaire.com.