Tisdale thanked for service
China Town Manager Dan L’Heureux and the board of selectmen recently thanked Mary Tisdale, above, for her service at the China Transfer Station, and wished her good fortune in her next endeavor.
Contributed photo
Window inserts offer available for residents
by Mary Grow
Vassalboro and area residents tired of drafty windows or interested in lower fuel bills – or both – are invited to sign up for energy-saving, draft-blocking window inserts provided through a Vassalboro organization.
Leaders of FAVOR (Friends Advocating for Vassalboro Older Residents) decided at an Oct. 11 meeting they will enroll with Window Dressers, a Rockland-based non-profit organization. The organization helps local residents build and install custom-fitted window inserts, clear plastic with wooden frames, to add a layer of insulation.
FAVOR’s primary target is Vassalboro residents, but people in nearby towns are welcome to join. The program offers financial assistance to low-income homeowners and tenants, but is not a welfare program — any homeowner, any renter who pays his or her own fuel bills or any landlord who pays tenants’ fuel bills is welcome.
Churches and businesses are also eligible for the program, Window Dressers representative Laura Seaton said at the Oct. 11 meeting.
Those interested need to get in touch with Town Manager Mary Sabins, who volunteered to be the local program coordinator, by Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the latest. The date was chosen to give people one more chance to learn about Window Dressers at the polls on Nov. 7.
The other volunteers needed are a volunteer coordinator to work on scheduling and related issues; two two-person measuring teams who will go to houses and apartments and measure windows, starting with initial sign-ups and continuing through mid-November; and many more people to put the inserts together at in-town workshops scheduled to start Friday, Dec. 15, and continue through the weekend and if necessary into the next week.
Seaton said people from Window Dressers will train the Vassalboro measuring teams, who will use laser measuring tools (borrowed from Window Dressers) and enter results into a computer. Once Rockland headquarters people get Vassalboro’s list of windows, they cut the wooden frames to size and may, depending on the size of the order, put them together.
Just before Dec. 15 someone from Vassalboro brings the pre-cut wood and other materials to Vassalboro for a community build, the name given to the assembly process. Seaton said usually the transporter rents a U-Haul van, for which Window Dressers pays. Volunteers, including but not limited to people getting inserts, put the frames together if necessary, stretch the plastic tightly over them and add an outside foam gasket that makes them fit snugly.
The place for the December community build is not firm. Sabins said possibilities include a room in Ray Breton’s mill in North Vassalboro, the East Vassalboro Grange Hall or the town office meeting room.
The volunteer assemblers usually work four-hour shifts with a meal break. The not-yet-named volunteer coordinator is responsible for scheduling and for soliciting donated food.
Seaton said residents usually prioritize windows, doing north and west ones, for example. The inserts are removable and reusable. Vassalboro resident Holly Weidner, who participated in a build some years ago, said the inserts are so clear that she leaves some in year-round.
The price of a window insert varies with the choice of finish, pine or white-painted, and with the size of each window. Seaton estimated eight feet as the maximum length or width available.
She said this year Window Dressers has led 27 community builds and provided between 5,000 and 6,000 inserts.
In addition to making houses more comfortable, Seaton said a study by University of Maine at Orono economists and customer feedback find an average 20 percent reduction in fuel use.
Mary Follet recognized for 30 years of service
Mary Follett, left, accepts 30-year service award from District Governor Norman Hart as Whitefield Lions Club President Cindy Haskell Lincoln looks on. Contributed photo
Mary Follett, a local member of the Whitefield Lions Club, was honored at a meeting in Whitefield recently, celebrating 30 years of service to her community. District Governor Norman Hart and past District Governor Paula Beach were on hand for the event.
For more information on the Whitefield Lions Club go to www.WhitefieldLionsClub.com or call President Cindy Haskell Lincoln at 242-2477.
Erskine Academy inducts 22 Leo Club members
New members of Erskine Academy’s Leo Club. Contributed photo
Twenty-two Erskine Academy students were inducted into the Erskine Academy Leo Club at the Whitefield Lions Club, on October 12.
The new members joined an original 25, making the Erskine Academy Leo Club the largest in the state.
Leo Club members were presented with a banner supplied by the Whitefield Lions Club.
During the induction ceremony performed by District Governor Norman Hart, and past District Governor Paula Beach, members were awarded Leo pins by Whitefield Lions Club President Cindy Lincoln and Club Director and Leo Club organizer, Barry Tibbetts.
The Leo Club was formed last Spring in conjunction with the Whitefield Lions Club and Erskine Advisor Roxanne Malley.
Whitefield Lions Barry Tibbetts, Ron Kenoyer and Calvin Prescott have been instrumental in the formation and support of this club, which helps students conduct local civic duties and develop leadership skills.
Erskine Leos have attended Whitefield Lions Club meetings and helped with their local fundraisers including a golf tournament, fishing derby and working at the Windsor Fair.
The Erskine Leos plan a pumpkin painting and visitation day at the Country Manor Nursing Home, 132 Main Street, in Coopers Mills, on October 26, at 2:30 p.m. They are also looking for donations of pumpkins.
For more information about the Leo club or to make a donation, please contact Roxanne Malley at 314-9859/rmalley@erskine247.com or Barry Tibbetts 549-3109. To learn more about the Whitefield Lions Club and upcoming events www.WhitefieldLionsClub.com.
Week of October 12, 2017
Week of October 12, 2017
China to conduct survey for a Lifetime Committee
China community friends, we, the members of the China for a Lifetime Committee, want you to know that The Town Line next week will include a survey that we have developed. We hope you will take and return the survey. In the survey, we have asked a number of questions, the answers to which we think will assist us, with your support and participation, to facilitate China becoming even more a community that allows all of our citizens to have more of their needs met and to develop a greater feeling of community and acceptance. Our goal is to really live up to our name and transform our town so that you want to live in China “for a Lifetime”… [read more…]
Your Local News
Next year is China’s Bicentennial Anniversary!
Help us celebrate by sharing your stories about China History. Photos, too!
Send your story, with name, phone, or email, to townline@fairpoint.net or P.O. Box 89 Jonesbrook Crossing, So. China, ME 04358. FMI: 445-2234. Town Line Contact page.
Town Line Original Columnists
Get Back On Your Feet—Tips For Running At Any Age
(NAPSI)—Running can seem like a daunting workout no matter your age. It takes an impressive amount of dedication to run long distances. However, 66-year-old Barbara McGirr did not let that deter her. Starting at the age of 62, McGirr set her sights on completing her first half marathon. After only six months of training and a lot of hard work, she achieved that goal.
Running can seem like a daunting workout no matter your age. It takes an impressive amount of dedication to run long distances. However, 66-year-old Barbara McGirr did not let that deter her.
Taking advantage of the free fitness membership she received through the SilverSneakers program offered by her Medicare plan, McGirr started her training by walking to build up endurance. From there she started running small increments and gradually increased over time to reach her ultimate goal. Now, even after retirement, McGirr continues to compete in 4K and 5K races.
Her inspiring fitness journey was recently recognized by SilverSneakers as she was named the national winner of the SilverSneakers Richard L. Swanson Inspiration Award, which honors older adults who improve their health through fitness. Running has greatly improved McGirr’s quality of life, and she shares that it helps keep her body and mind in shape.
If you are interested in running and improving your health, SilverSneakers offers the following tips:
• Talk with your doctor: You’re never too old to start running, but it’s always good to check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine.
• Get the proper gear: Invest in a good pair of shoes. Consider getting fitted at an athletic store to keep your feet comfortable.
• Start slow: Start with brisk walks and then slowly transition to running. Running for one minute, then walking for one minute is a great way to build stamina.
• Set manageable goals: Take it easy at first and listen to your body. If running a longer distance is your goal, work up to it gradually—walking for a few weeks, then intervals of jogging and walking. Before you know it, you’ll be running with ease.
• Don’t skip the cooldown: Always cool down with a slow walk and lots of stretching to reduce recovery time.
SilverSneakers partners with more than 13,000 participating fitness locations and wellness centers, giving members access to the site’s basic amenities, including weights, treadmills, pools, etc., as well as specialized SilverSneakers exercise classes led by certified SilverSneakers instructors. The program is offered at no additional charge through the nation’s leading Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement carriers and group retiree plans.
For more information, to check eligibility or enroll, visit www.silversneakers.com.
Winslow youth football at homecoming
Members of Winslow Youth Football teams pose for a photo at the homecoming game at Poulin Field, in Winslow, on September 23. Photo by Carol Fredette, Central Maine Photography
SCORES & OUTDOORS: Gathering winter’s fare
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee
During one of the final weekends of camp, my wife and I, one day, were sitting on the deck, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and watched nature as we made our plans for closing up camp for the summer. It was a warm, sunny day with a slight breeze coming out of the northwest. During that time I was able to watch this one particular chipmunk, which I would have to describe as resilient and determined.
Right in front of our storage sheds, he had dug one of his many entry holes. As we later went about our business of closing things up, the chipmunk’s hole kept getting filled in. Over the next few days, we would wake up in the morning and the hole had been re-opened.
On the fourth day I noticed his hole had not been re-opened from the day before.
Suddenly, out of the brush he came, and right there in front of us, began to dig as if we were not there. I know he knew we were there, but I couldn’t figure out whether he wanted to show us that we were not going to discourage him, or maybe he was just being plain defiant.
They are cute little buggers and very industrious. We watch them at our camp all the time, and they become braver as the summer turns to fall.
The common name of the chipmunk comes from the native Ottawan word jidmoonh, meaning “red squirrel.” The earliest form of “chipmunk” appeared in the Oxford Dictionary of 1842, although it appears in several books from the 1820s. They are also referred to as striped squirrels, chippers, munks and timber tigers.
They are omnivorous, primarily feeding on nuts and other fruits, buds, grass, shoots and many other forms of plant matter, as well as fungi, insects and other arthropods, small frogs, worms and bird eggs. Oh, and did I mention bird seed.
They forage basically on the ground but will climb trees for hazelnuts and acorns. They begin to stockpile food in early fall. They stash their food in their burrows and remain underground until spring, unlike some other species which make multiple small caches of food, such as the gray squirrel.
As small as they are, they fulfill several important functions in forest ecosystems. Their activities harvesting and hoarding tree seeds play a crucial role in seedling establishment. They consume many different kinds of fungi, including those involved with trees, and are an important vehicle in the dispersal of the spores of truffles which have co-evolved with these and other mammals, and thus lost the ability to disperse their spores through the air.
The eastern chipmunk hibernates during the winter.
Chipmunks also play an important role as prey for various predatory mammals and birds, but are also opportunistic predators themselves, particularly in regards to bird eggs and nestlings.
Chipmunks, on average, live about three years, but have been known to live up to nine years in captivity. In captivity, they sleep an average of 15 hours a day. It is thought that mammals which can sleep in hiding, such as rodents and bats, tend to sleep longer than those that must remain on alert.
Well, when we left our little friend on Sunday afternoon, his hole was open and he was seen scurrying around in the leaves, gathering the acorns that were falling from the trees …as if we weren’t even there.
Legal Notices, Week of October 12, 2017
STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801
The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice is October 5, 2017.
If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide.
See 18-A MRSA 3-804.
2017-257 – Estate of CHERYL A. LESSARD, late of Madison, Me deceased. Allen R. Lessard, PO Box 201, Madison, Me 04950 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-260 – Estate of PAUL E. TEKVERK, late of Cornville, Me deceased. Jean C. Tekverk, 1839 East Ridge Road, Cornville, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-261 – Estate of BEVERLY P. MERRY, late of Norridgewock, Me deceased. Joel A. Merry, 161 New Meadows Road, West Bath, Me 04530 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-266 – Estate of DONNA M. McGUIRE, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Frederick L. McGuire, 69 Lang Hill Road, Palmyra, Me 04965 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-267 – Estate of VIRGINIA GALLANT, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Ronald Gallant, PO Box 388, Anson, Me 04911 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-270 – Estate of BERNARD H. LEONARD, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. H. Diane Leonard, 7 Merrill Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-226 – Estate of LEONA F. QUIMBY, late of Norridgewock, Me deceased. Susan Butterfield, PO Box 9, New Sharon, Me 04955 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-278 – Estate of IRENE T. POISSONNIER, late of Anson, Me deceased. Linda Poissonnier, 126 Preble Avenue, Anson, Me 04911 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-279 – Estate of JEFFREY L. MORIN, late of Embden, Me deceased. Heather Morin Taylor, P.O. Box 470, Anson, Maine 04911 AND Brittany Morin, 194 Pierce Hill Road, Moscow, Maine 04920 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.
2017-281 – Estate of BARBARA L. KITCHIN, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Pamela V. Robbins, 86 Oxbow Road, Palmyra, Me 04965 and Stanley Kitchin, Sr., 17 Glen Eagle Court, Pittsfield, Me 04967 appointed Cop-Personal Representatives.
2017-283 – Estate of STEVEN A. DAVIS, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Claire Klopp, 26 Charland Street, Winslow, Me 04901 appointed Personal Representative.
To be published on October 5 & October 12, 2017.
Dated: October 2, 2017
/s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(10/12)
STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, ss
SKOWHEGAN, ME
PROBATE NOTICES
TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW
Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be, on October 18, 2017. The requested appointments may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-A MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.
2017-265 – of BRENDON JOSEPH WHITE, adult of Fairfield, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Brendon Joseph White, 20 Western Avenue, Fairfield, Me 04937 requesting his name be changed to Brendon William Rogers-Zion for reasons set forth therein.
2017-268 – Estate of STEVEN D. PRESLEY, adult of Madison, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Steven D. Presley, 183 Shusta Road, Madison, Me 04950 requesting his name be changed to Steve Douglas for reasons set forth therein.
2017-272 – Estate of TIA LYNN FILLMORE, minor of Skowhegan, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by tiffany and Vincent Cook, 234 Dudley Corner Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 requesting minor’s name be changed to Tia Lynn Fillmore-Cook for reasons set forth therein.
2017-269 – Estate of ISABELLA GRACE CALDWELL, minor of Pittsfield, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by petitioners Monica and Matthew Caldwell, 429 Somerset Avenue, Pittsfield, Me 04967 requesting minor’s name be changed to Clara Fay-Grace Caldwell for reasons set forth therein.
[REDACTED AT REQUEST]2017-282 – Estate of COLBY JOSIAH WEBBER, minor of Fairfield, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by Terry McKenzie-Webber, 6 Ten Lots Road, Fairfield, Me 04937 requesting minor’s name be changed to Josiah McKenzie Webber for reasons set forth therein.
Dated: October 2, 2017
/s/ Victoria M. Hatch
Register of Probate
(10/12)
STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
SOMERSET, SS
NOTICE TO HEIRS
Estate of DONNA M. McGUIRE
DOCKET NO. 2017-266
It appearing that the following heir of DONNA M. McGUIRE, as listed in an Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative is of unknown address as listed below:
Ruby D-K McGuire
THEREFORE, notice is hereby given as heir of the above named estate, pursuant to Maine Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 4(d) (1) (a), and Rule 4 (e) a.
This notice shall be published once a week for two successive weeks in The Town Line, with the first publication date to be October 5, 2017.
Names and address of Personal Representative: Frederick L. McGuire, 69 Lang Hill Road, Palmyra, Me 04965.
Dated: October 2, 2017
/s/ Victoria M. Hatch
Register of Probate
(10/12)
I’m Just Curious: A collection of thoughts
by Debbie Walker
How about I start out with “You Are Not a Duck!” Bet you are wondering where I am going with that one! Well… Oil of Olay had a commercial once upon a time that used that quote. For some reason that one really caught my ear-sight, even though I’m not one for a ritual of skin care. The rest of the ad has a picture of a duck and a woman. The words for that part said, “To camouflage her body, the female mallard duck assumes a dull, colorless hue, ‘You are not a duck!'”
I am sure there are still some people who believe it is wrong for a woman to dress and “color” herself up. I am not one. Right now my hair is burgundy. The other day I had a laugh with a lady who looked at me and said “your hair matches your top!” She was right, it did! My hair has been a variety of “reds.” There was one time when it came out like a funny clown’s hot pink hair. That day I was going to my niece’s birthday party. I rang the doorbell and my little niece answered the door. She looked at me and finally said, “Auntie, did you do that on purpose?”
Fortunately, I have a wonderful friend, soul sister, etc., who can fix just about anything I can mess up with hair color! It’s a miracle that I still have hair after all the things I have done to it!! I am definitely not a duck!
People soon may be wondering if I am a zoo keeper when they see my pocketbooks. That sounds like a strange comment but I am running around now with a moose pocketbook. I love it. People smile, some laugh and some stop to talk. My pocketbook has antlers and his name is Humpfree. Ken, of course, just shakes his head slowly but Mom, well that is another subject. I believe Mom knows that I am going to be her “forever child.” To save my mom from embarrassment I believe she just reminds herself and tells other people that it’s okay, what I do, because I volunteer with first and second graders. And yes, the kids love Humpfree. (I have a unicorn, pony and fish coming soon!)
Speaking of the kids, I love being part of their reading and writing program. The teacher gave them an assignment the other day. They were going to be writing about a personal experience they had that day. They were going to have 10 minutes to do this. You just never know what a child is going to say, that was proven again that day. Some of the kids wrote about an outside run, and some of the little writers wrote about our now painted and decorated classroom bench. One of our little writers, when asked what he was writing about, he replied “about 5 minutes on the toilet.” Needless to say the teacher and I had to control our expressions! I keep learning over and over again; don’t ask a child (or grown man!) if you don’t want to know!
I am just curious about some of the daily personal subjects you would like to write about. As usual, please contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with your questions and comments. And don’t forget to try out our web page. Thank you for reading.