China select board members sign warrant for the annual town meeting

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“Taxpayers in the Town of China are not gonna be happy this year.”
– Selectman Brent Chesley

by Mary Grow

At their April 8 meeting, China select board members signed the warrant for the June 11 annual town business meeting, at which voters act on the 2024-25 municipal budget (and other items), and heard a presentation on the 2024-25 school budget, which will be voted on separately the same day.

Board member Brent Chesley’s summary: “Taxpayers in the Town of China are not gonna be happy this year.”

Because the Kennebec County budget is not yet final, China taxpayers don’t yet know exactly how unhappy they will be. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood and several select board members planned to attend the April 9 Kennebec County budget meeting that will move toward determining whether a preliminary $238,000 increase will hold.

The municipal budget increase, if voters approve recommended spending, will be $374,495, according to Hapgood.

China is in Regional School Unit (RSU) #18, which also includes Belgrade, Oakland, Rome and Sidney. Superintendent Carl Gartley said the RSU budget will increase by $1,459,447.19, or 3.4 percent.

China’s share of the RSU #18 budget is in two parts, the EPS (Essential Programs and Services) component and additional local funds. The approved budget posted on the RSU #18 website shows the former up by $216,273 and the latter by 228,274 for a total increase of $444,547.

Gartley began his presentation with a comparison of RSU #18 with other central Maine school units. RSU #18 students consistently rank at the top of the list on national language and math tests, he said, and in the bottom half in per-pupil spending.

Select board schedules public hearing on warrant articles for May 6

China select board members have scheduled a public hearing on the articles to be voted on at the June 11 annual town business meeting for 5:45 p.m. Monday, May 6, in the town office meeting room.

Board member Janet Preston’s suggested the hearing be made more prominent – “an event,” she recommended – to attract more voters was modified to a proposal to serve light refreshments.

Because the June 11 town business meeting will be by written ballot, the May 6 hearing will be voters’ only chance to ask questions and get answers from board members and Hapgood about what they are voting on.

Board members acknowledged that some residents want to go back to the pre-Covid open town meetings. No one spoke in favor of doing so. Chairman Wayne Chadwick has repeatedly said that in his opinion, too few people attended the open meetings to fairly represent residents’ preferences.

In reply to select board members’ questions, Gartley explained several of the specific increases. RSU #18, he said, is not facing the “fiscal cliff” that some other school districts are with the end of federal covid funding: the unexpected money was mostly spent for lasting improvements, like re-siding China Middle School, not to hire personnel whose wages and benefits now become local responsibilities.

Select board member Brent Chesley asked about policies on controversial issues like critical race theory and gender. Gartley replied that the RSU board – whose two China members he praised – and he agreed on accepting state-required policies, but not looking for more.

“We don’t get into teaching political opinions,” the superintendent said. The philosophy is to teach students how to think, not what to think, and he believes most teachers adhere to it most of the time.

Gartley said while school expenditures have gone up, RSU #18’s state subsidy has been reduced by $500,000. Subsidies are calculated based on local valuations.

The issue of state changes increasing local taxes had come up earlier in the meeting, when Hapgood told board members most of the legal bill they approved paying was for integrating the 2021 state affordable housing law, still called LD 2003, into China’s Land Use Ordinance.

In other business April 8, select board members unanimously approved the request from Four Seasons Club President Thomas Rumpf to extend approval for ATVs to use about two miles on Bog and Peasant View Ridge roads for another year.

When Rumpf presented the proposal at a May 22, 2023, public hearing, he explained that the roads would substitute for the unusable Beaver or Bog Trail to create a loop trail between southeastern and northeastern China.

Rebuilding the Bog Trail to state standards might cost as much as $700,000, Rumpf said. Because there was so much storm damage to trails throughout Maine this winter, state funds are unlikely to be available this year.

Rumpf and Hapgood said using the roads had generated maybe half a dozen complaints in a year, about issues like late-night traffic and speeding. Rumpf said all complaints he knew of had been settled within a day.

In other business April 8, board members unanimously appointed Rachel Anderson a member of the Transfer Station Committee. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 16.

Speaking for Director of Public Services Shawn Reed, Hapgood said the high water level in China Lake is delaying putting in the docks at the boat landing by the causeway.

From the transfer station, Hapgood said the annual drug take-back day is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and a paper shredding machine will be available Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Items postponed to a future meeting included:

— A proposal from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office to share the antenna at the China town office, pending legal review.
— Discussion of buying a new public works truck, while awaiting a second price quote as requested by the budget committee. [See budget committee meeting story also in this issue.]

The next regular China select board meeting will be Monday evening, April 22.

China budget committee endorses select board proposal

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by Mary Grow

China Budget Committee members have endorsed the select board’s proposed 2024-25 budget, to be presented to voters at the June 11 annual town business meeting.

At their April 3 meeting, committee members also supported buying a new town truck, at a cost not to exceed $296,715, with a condition and a suggestion.

Twenty-one of the 32 articles on the June 11 warrant need, and have, budget committee recommendations. There were no dissenting votes; on some of the articles, a member abstained, for example to avoid a conflict of interest.

There was almost no discussion except over the truck purchase.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said Director of Public Services Shawn Reed recommends buying a Western Star truck from O’Connor Motors, in Augusta. The recommendation is for a wheeler, rather than a single-axle truck, because the wheeler is more versatile – two budget committee members agreed ­– and costs only $16,000 more.

The purchase price is to come from the equipment reserve and from the 2024-25 budget, if voters approve it on June 11. An older truck will be traded in or sold to make up for a small part of the expenditure.

Commenting on the truck body, the plow gear, the extended warranty, the delivery delay (December 2024 or later) and other factors, Hapgood observed, “It’s hard to believe it’s this hard to buy a vehicle.”

Budget committee members had no objection to the choice; but they made their endorsement conditional on the select board getting at least one more price quote, “just to see what the number might be,” as committee member Timothy Basham said.

Taryn Hotham suggested town officials try negotiating with O’Connor for a better price.

Protecting water quality in local lakes theme of Vassalboro planning board meeting

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by Mary Grow

Protecting water quality in Vassalboro lakes, especially Webber Pond, was the theme running through most of the discussion at the April 2 Vassalboro Planning Board meeting.

The issue was presented by representatives of the Conservation Commission and the Webber Pond Association; was the purpose of board member Paul Mitnik’s suggested amendments to the town’s Shoreland Zoning Ordinance; and was discussed during review of Ron Blaisdell’s application to replace a storm-destroyed shed on Norton Road, in the Webber Pond shoreland.

The only exception was a brief discussion with Raymond Breton about an application for a new business at 913 Main Street, in North Vassalboro. His small building has housed a series of commercial tenants.

Breton said he has filed six applications on behalf of potential business owners in the last few years. The agenda says the latest is Paula Stratton, doing business as Passion Photography Maine; Breton said the building would become a photography studio.

Board members tabled the application Breton filed at the March meeting because instead of repeating information for the seventh time, he answered most questions “N/A” (not applicable) – the simplest application he ever filed, he said indignantly, and the board tabled it.

Chairman Virginia Brackett explained that “N/A” is not an adequate response. Breton could have written “No change” instead, she suggested. The board again tabled the application.

Webber Pond Association (WPA) President John Reuthe, Conservation Commission spokesman Holly Weidner and others presented information about the need for a watershed management plan for Webber Pond and Three-Mile Pond.

Blaisdell’s application was to replace a shed on Christopher Kew’s lot that was destroyed by a fallen tree. He planned the replacement to be 64-square-feet, instead of the original 54-square-feet. Because the shed is less than 100 feet from Webber Pond’s high-water mark, board members said it cannot be expanded, but can be rebuilt the same size.

Such a non-conforming structure should also be moved farther from the water, if possible. Blaisdell convinced the board majority that because of the slope of the lot, moving the shed is not feasible.

Much of the hour-long discussion was about relocating the building and about requiring other changes, like replacing storm-toppled trees or installing run-off control measures. Board members decided for a replacement, they have no authority to add requirements.

Blaisdell’s application was approved 4-1. Mitnik dissented, because without seeing the property, he was not convinced the shed could not be rebuilt farther from the water.

At their March 12 meeting, the rest of the board encouraged Mitnik to draft proposed ordinance amendments to strengthen water quality protection. Mitnik distributed a document that focused on requiring trees be planted on shorefront lots in connection with most applications for building work.

The topic will be continued at future meetings. Board members do not intend to ask voters’ action at the June 3 annual town meeting.

Webber Pond Association (WPA) President John Reuthe, Conservation Commission spokesman Holly Weidner and others presented information (also shared with the select board; see the March 28 issue of The Town Line, p. 3) about the need for a watershed management plan for Webber Pond and Three-Mile Pond.

Weidner said including the planning board is part of creating a communications network to support a coordinated effort.

Brackett replied that the planning board’s job is to implement policies, not to make them. She suggested it is time to review and update Vassalboro’s entire comprehensive plan (named a strategic plan when it was adopted in 2006, she said, because state regulations then required a comprehensive plan to include zoning and Vassalboro’s plan has no zoning).

A watershed management plan would be a useful part of a comprehensive plan, Rebecca Lamey and Peggy Horner suggested.

Reuthe and others said about one-third of the over-abundant phosphorus in Webber Pond comes from Three-Mile Pond, one-third from the surrounding land and one-third from the sediment in the bottom of Webber Pond.

In other business April 2, Codes Officer Jason Lorrain said Tim Dutton applied for a six-month extension to his permit to re-open the former East Vassalboro corner store, as board members suggested last month. The extension was approved unanimously.

Lorrain expects representatives of Sidereal Farm Brewery, on Cross Hill Road, to attend the May 7 planning board meeting to talk about changes made since the business was approved more than four years ago.

Activities abound at RSU #18 schools

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National Pancake Day

 

Top, Mr. Moody and Mrs. Ridgeway treated China Primary School staff to a yummy pancake breakfast for National Pancake Day! What are your favorite toppings?

Surfrider Foundation Donation

Above, China Primary School’s fourth graders were recently engaging in a persuasive writing unit, and during the unit one student passionately wrote about how their school should have a fundraiser to raise money to help support a cleaner ocean. Mrs. Jacobs’ class organized a popcorn fundraiser with the support from the China PTO. They raised over $400 to donate to the Surfrider Foundation in Maine.

March Making a Difference Award

Congratulations to Maren O’Connell, left, and Christine Meader for receiving the March Making a Difference Award at Williams Elementary School’s recent Be the Light Assembly, in Oakland. The school appreciates all they do each day to support the students at Williams Elementary School.

Sharing Nonfiction Writing

Mrs. Couture’s second grade student, Eli, at the Atwood School, in Oakland, read his nonfiction writing piece about wolves to Superintendent of Schools, Carl Gartley. Eli shared, “I felt a little bit nervous but mostly honored to read to Mr. Gartley.” Gartley enjoyed Eli’s sophisticated word choice and fun facts. After Eli left central office, he said, “This was the best afternoon ever!” Eli’s work was definitely Atwood awesome.

Mobile Science Lab

China Middle School’s fifth through eighth grade students had the opportunity to work in the Mobile Science Lab! Two different programs were offered to students. Some students learned about balancing ecosystems with invasive species. They developed tools to mitigate the effects of the invasive species. Other students participated in the Micropipette Challenge where they practiced measuring and transferring liquids using a pipette. CMS was the first school the new Mobile BioLab visited. Sixth graders at China Middle then attended the kick-off event for Educate Maine and the Maine Mobile BioLab, at the State House, in Augusta!

Issue for April 4, 2024

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Issue for April 4, 2024

Celebrating 36 years of local news

Anchor ME Farm offers non-clinical goat therapy activities

A local goat farm, in Windsor, is offering non-clinical therapy activities with their goats for people with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The farm, called ” Anchor-ME Farm,” owned by Cara and Brian Cribb, is home to goats, ducks, geese and dogs. The goats are all friendly and well-socialized, and they love to interact with people of all ages. The Anchor-ME farm, located at 584 Ridge Road, Windsor, offers a variety of non-clinical therapy activities, including… by Jeanne Marquis

Town News

Budget committee reviews select board’s draft

VASSALBORO – Vassalboro budget committee members reviewed the select board’s draft 2024-25 municipal budget at two lengthy meetings March 19 and March 26…

Select board approves 32-article warrant at special meeting

CHINA – At a short special meeting April 1, China select board members approved the 32-article warrant for the June 11 annual town business meeting…

Board of appeals grants site size variance for apartments

CHINA – The China Board of Appeals has granted Carrol White’s application for a variance from lot size requirements to allow him to seek planning board approval to convert the former Silver Lake Grange Hall in China Village to apartments…

Planners endorse proposed ordinance changes

CHINA – At their March 26 meeting, China planning board members unanimously endorsed three proposed ordinance changes that select board members are considering presenting to voters at the June 11 annual town business meeting…

Road committee prepares list of roads to be repaved

CHINA – China road committee members met March 26 and prepared a preliminary list of roads to be repaved in 2024, money permitting. The proposed work, according to committee member and China deputy clerk Jennifer Chamberlain, totals 5.27 miles…

Bill to protect veterans unanimously clears key legislative committee

AUGUSTA – Veterans in Maine may soon have more financial security after a bill providing protection from fraudulent and predatory claims practices cleared a key legislative committee last week. The bill, LD 2259, was sponsored by Sen. Brad Farrin, R-Somerset, and provides increased protection for veterans who are applying for U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) benefits…

Webber’s Pond

This comic is illustrated by an anonymous central Maine resident (click to enlarge thumbnail…)

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: “A martini. Shaken not stirred.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is April 4, 2024…

ShineOnCass animal baby shower set for May 5 in Albion

ALBION – Children dressed in their pajamas will welcome baby lambs, goats, calves and other newborn animals also wearing pajamas, on Sunday, May 5, at the ShineOnCass Animal Baby Shower & PJ Party, at Hart-to-Hart Farm & Education Center, in Albion…

Scouts receive Papa Bear award

CENTRAL ME – Congratulations to John Wood, Alan Duplessis, Sherwood Hilt, and Karla Talpey on receiving the Ray “Papa Bear” Kimball Award of Service at the Kennebec Valley District Annual Scouting Recognition Dinner, held on Sunday, March 24, at the Winslow Parks & Recreation Department Hall… by Chuck Mahaleris

Oakland bike group takes the plunge for charity

OAKLAND – On March 16 the American Legion Riders of Decker-Simmons Post #51, Oakland, along with other groups from the area gathered at the boat launch in Oakland for the Polar plunge to raise money to help fight food insecurity at the Alfond Youth and Community Center. They raised $1,986 with a grand total over all of $30,000…

Three scouters honored for decades of service to scouting

AUGUSTA – Three scouters were recognized for decades of service helping youth develop in the scouting programs. Scouting only happens due to the continued service of these volunteers. Scott Bernier, of Augusta, was honored for 45 years of scouting tenure, Alan Duplessis for 35 years and Karla Talpey for 30 years…

Inland Hospital podiatrist shares foot health tips

CENTRAL ME – You depend on your feet to get you everywhere in life but are you giving them the respect and attention they deserve? April is national Foot Health month and Northern Light Podiatry is stepping up to help you love your feet…

Local students named to dean’s honor list

CENTRAL ME – Zachary Craig, of Benton, Catherine Estes, of Sidney, and Rebecca Riley, of Chelsea, were named to the dean’s honor list at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, Ohio, for Fall 2023.

Emma Concaugh named to College of the Holy Cross’ dean’s list

OAKLAND – Emma Concaugh, of Oakland, a member of the class of 2024, was named to the College of the Holy Cross dean’s list, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Local residents named to Clark Univ.’s dean’s list

CENTRAL ME – The following local residents were named to Clark University’s Fall 2023 dean’s list, in Worcester, Massachusetts: Sam N. Golden, of South China, was named to second honors; Maya L. Patten, of Mercer, was named to second honors; Frankie D. Roberts, of Unity, was named to second honors.

Ella Conway earns dean’s list

CENTRAL ME – Emerson College student Ella Conway, from Skowhegan, is named to the College’s dean’s list for the Fall 2023 semester, in Boston, Massachusetts. Conway is majoring in media arts production and is a member of the Class of 2026.

Local happenings

EVENTS: Safe, practical storage and display spaces for historic objects

FAIRFIELD – Explore the best ways to care for your personal or museum collections. Come join this free workshop Monday, May 6, 2024, Safe Practical Storage and Display Spaces for Historic Objects Workshop, at the L. C. Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley…

EVENTS: Bird migration in central Maine lecture

UNITY – A bird migration in central Maine lecture will be held on Thursday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m., Unity Community Center, 32 School St., Unity…

EVENTS: Understanding Land Surveying workshop

BENTON – An Understanding Land Surveying workshop will be held at the Benton Grange Hall, 29 River Rd., Benton, on Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 – 8 p.m…

EVENTS: Gibbs Library National Poetry Month event to be held Saturday, April 20

WASHINGTON – Gibbs Library presents a National Poetry Month event Saturday, April 20, at 3 p.m., in the Bryant Room, Gibbs Library, 40 Old Union Road, Washington,. Celebrated and award-winning Maine poets Jefferson Navicky and Dawn Potter will read their poems and discuss their craft…

EVENTS: Bar Harbor Bank & Trust accepting scholarship applications

CENTRAL ME – Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is currently accepting applications for the Bank’s 2024 Career & Technical Education Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to income-eligible high school seniors who attend a technical career program as part of their high school curriculum and are planning to attend a college or technical school in the academic year immediately following graduation…

EVENTS: AARP Tax-Aide program available in central Maine

CENTRAL ME – The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free federal and state income tax preparation and electronic filing to low-and moderate-income individuals. Returns are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers. The program is funded by the AARP Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization, and the IRS…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Soup & Pie Social fundraiser

PALERMO – The Palermo Community Library is hosting its very popular Soup & Pie Social fundraiser on Saturday, April 13, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Come on down and dine-in, drive-up, or carry-out. The cost is $7 for a meal which includes a delicious bowl of homemade soup, cornbread, oyster crackers, water, and a slice of pie… and many other local events!

Local town meetings schedule for 2024

Schedule for town meetings in 2024 for Albion, China, Palermo & Vassalboro..

Obituaries

ALBION – Rick True Fuller, 54, passed away Friday, March 22, 2024, at An­droscoggin Hospice House, following a brief battle with cancer. Rick was born in Waterville on July 18, 1969, to parents Percy Ralph and Viola M. Fuller… and remembering 6 others.

Celebrating Maine history

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

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Two Augusta women poets (new)

AUGUSTA HISTORY — As mentioned last week, the list of writers in Henry Kingsbury’s Kennebec County history includes many from Augusta, Hallowell and Gardiner. Among them were two Augusta women listed as poets, Emma Nason (born Emma Caroline Huntington) and Olive Eliza Dana… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Some early Maine poets

CENTRAL HISTORY — As promised last week, no more ponds for a while. Instead, your writer turned to Thomas Addison’s chapter on Literature and Literary People, in Henry Kingsbury’s Kennebec County history. She hopes you will enjoy meeting a few of the writers mentioned… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Sidney ponds

SIDNEY HISTORY — Here is the last article (for a while) on central Kennebec Valley ponds and people for whom they might have been named. This week’s topic is ponds in the Town of Sidney (which was until Jan. 30, 1792, part of Vassalboro, despite being on the other – west – side of the Kennebec River)… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Ponds named after people

VASSALBORO HISTORY — Returning to early settlers who had ponds named after them and related topics (discussed in many recent articles in this series), your writer starts with a reader’s question: is Webber Pond in Vassalboro named for Charles Webber, mentioned at the end of the Jan. 11 article?… by Mary Grow

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 11, 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: Wayne Morris, Norridgewock

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Have you ever heard of a pumpkin bug? Well, neither had I until someone asked about them. The pumpkin bug, or squash bug, are also called stink bugs, but are not the traditional stink bug…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | Make some room in your garden or containers for the new All-America Selections 2024 National award-winning plants. These winning varieties are tested in trial gardens across the United States and Canada. Volunteer judges rate entries based on their improved performance, flavor, disease resistance, and other unique qualities related to their performance in gardens and containers…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | The October 1904, Atlantic Monthly, out of Boston, Massachusetts, had an article, The Art of Miss Jewett, on South Berwick Maine’s own Sarah Orne Jewett (1849 – 1909) , via which Charles Miner Thompson (1864-1941) stated the following…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

HEALTH | There could be good news if you or someone you care about is ever among the one in 6,000 Americans the National Institutes of Health estimates will be diagnosed with keratoconus…

FOR YOUR HEALTH: What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink Procedure

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(NAPSI)—There could be good news if you or someone you care about is ever among the one in 6,000 Americans the National Institutes of Health estimates will be diagnosed with keratoconus (KC).

The Problem

This is a sight-threatening and progressive eye disease that occurs when the cornea thins and weakens over time. It causes the development of a cone-like bulge, which can dramatically and permanently distort vision.

An Answer

There is no cure for keratoconus, but the cornea can be strengthened to slow or halt the progression of the disease with an FDA-approved cross-linking procedure called iLink®. Once diagnosed, there is a lot of information for patients to digest and for eye doctors and their staff to explain in a way that is thorough, educational, and not overwhelming.

Helping Patients Understand the Procedure

With that goal in mind, Glaukos, the company that developed the iLink procedure, launched a 10-part video series called WiseEyes, available on the Glaukos Cornea patient YouTube channel. The format of each short video depicts two young “podcast hosts” talking about everything from keratoconus signs and symptoms and the risk of vision deterioration to what to expect before, during, and after the iLink procedure. Episodes also address insurance coverage, financing options, and financial assistance programs for the procedure. The goal of the WiseEyes video series is to help patients get the information they need so they can feel comfortable and confident in making decisions as they relate to their keratoconus journey and treatment with iLink.

Glaukos is committed to consumer awareness. Last year, the company launched a massive KC awareness initiative through a unique website called www.livingwithkeratoconus.com that offers details about KC signs and symptoms; an online, downloadable five-question quiz; and a link to “Find a Doc” to make an appointment to be screened. The campaign was supported by videos, social media, collateral materials, and media relations in partnership with eye doctors to encourage people – primarily between the ages of 14 and 35 – to be screened for KC. Both campaigns, designed to educate people about KC, are based on the fact the disease is commonly underdiagnosed but can progress rapidly and result in significant vision loss. If left untreated, as many as one in five patients with progressive KC may eventually need a corneal transplant.

More good news is that people are starting to talk about KC and better understand the signs and symptoms that should be discussed with an eye doctor. This has come through Glaukos’ efforts and patients with KC sharing their experiences on social media channels.

“Corneal cross-linking is an effective treatment for stabilizing cornea rigidity to preserve vision and spare patients with KC from possibly having to undergo cornea transplantation,” said Dr. Clark Chang, an optometrist at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. “The WiseEyes campaign was created with diagnosed KC patients in mind to provide a clear understanding of what to expect from the FDA-approved treatment and to allay any fears.”

Learn More

For more facts, visit www.glaukos-iLink.com.

Emma Concaugh named to College of the Holy Cross’ dean’s list

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Emma Concaugh, of Oakland, a member of the Class of 2024, was named to the College of the Holy Cross Fall 2023 dean’s list, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Local residents named to Clark Univ.’s dean’s list

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The following local residents were named to Clark University’s Fall 2023 dean’s list, in Worcester, Massachusetts:

Sam N. Golden, of South China, was named to second honors.

Maya L. Patten, of Mercer, was named to second honors.

Frankie D. Roberts, of Unity, was named to second honors.

Ella Conway earns dean’s list

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Emerson College student Ella Conway, from Skowhegan, is named to the College’s dean’s list for the Fall 2023 semester, in Boston, Massachusetts. Conway is majoring in media arts production and is a member of the Class of 2026.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Sarah Orne Jewett

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Sarah Orne Jewett

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Sarah Orne Jewett

The October 1904, Atlantic Monthly, out of Boston, Massachusetts, had an article, The Art of Miss Jewett, on South Berwick Maine’s own Sarah Orne Jewett (1849 – 1909) , via which Charles Miner Thompson (1864-1941) stated the following:

“…I always think of her as of one who, hearing New England accused of being a bleak land without beauty, passes confidently over the snow, and by the gray rock, and past the dark fir tree, to a southern bank, and there, brushing away the decayed leaves, triumphantly shows to the faultfinder a spray of the trailing arbutus. And I should like, for my own part, to add this: that the fragrant, retiring, exquisite flower, which I think she would say is the symbol of New England virtue, is the symbol also of her own modest and delightful art.”

Thompson’s statement might be encrusted by a bit too much purple scrub brush prose but he did show a discerning appreciation of a writer for her gifts at endowing the “bleak land…gray rock…[and] decayed leaves ” of our Pine Tree State and conveying its own special beauties and truths in this at times very scary universe.

As with William Faulkner’s hot dusty roads in Mississippi and Willa Cather’s Nebraska wheat fields, Jewett’s Southern Maine was transformed into a microcosm that resonated with so many readers.

In her short story collection The Country of the Pointed Firs, one story in particular, The Flight of Betsey Lane, has an opening paragraph that conveys in its simple narrative just how much Miss Jewett absorbed into her “little piece of dirt” in Southern Maine (She lived in South Berwick most of her life and, as a child, traveled with her father on his rounds as a country doctor.); since it’s too long to quote in its entirety, I offer a few sentences that hopefully will convey the spirit of the author :

“One windy morning in May, three old women sat together near an open window in the shed chamber of Byfleet Poor-house. The wind was from the northwest, but their window faced the southeast, and they were only visited by an occasional waft of fresh air.

“There was a cheerful feeling of activity, and even an air of comfort, about the Byfleet Poor-house. Almost every one was possessed of a most interesting past, though there was less to be said about the future.

“There was a sharp-faced, hard-worked young widow with seven children, who was an exception to the general level of society, because she deplored the change in her fortunes. The older women regarded her with suspicion, and were apt to talk about her in moments like this, when they happened to sit together at their work.”

Faulkner wrote, “A writer needs three things – experience, observation and imagination, any one or two of which can supply the lack of the others.”

Willa Cather, who was a friend, wrote of Sarah Orne Jewett, “She early learned to love her country for what it was. What is quite as important, she saw it as it was. She happened to have the right nature, the right temperament, to see it so- and to understand by intuition the deeper meaning of all she saw.”

Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg

An RCA Victor cassette contains Edvard Grieg’s a minor Piano Con­certo and two of his solo Lyric Pieces; and the Con­certo of Robert Schumann, also in a minor, as performed by Artur Rubinstein, with Alfred Wallenstein conducting a studio pickup orchestra for the Grieg and Carlo Maria Giulini directing the Chicago Symphony in the Schumann.

Rubinstein played with his wondrously expressive musicianship that he brought to a wide range of composers from Mozart and Beethoven to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff and they can be heard via YouTube. He could at odd moments smother the music with his personalized individuality but in general he conveyed the spirit of each composer in his many recordings.

 

 

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