Obituaries, Week of October 27, 2016

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RICHARD L. DONALD

PALERMO––Richard L. Donald, 40, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 7, 2016. He was born August 11, 1976.

Rich loved the outdoors and was an avid sportsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends and family. He had a reputation of being a hard worker, who was not afraid to get his hands dirty or help out a friend if there was a tough job to do.

Rich is survived by his two sons Lucas Donald and Cole Donald, of Palermo; daughter Brittany Gilboy, of Chelsea; girlfriend Kelly Goulet, of Sidney; brother Scott Dyer and wife Mayu and their two children Kai and Amelia, of Bedford, Massachusetts; sisters Vicky Glusker and husband James and their four children Elizabeth, Eli, Samuel and Stephen, of Augusta and Brandi Hayes and husband Steve and their two children Mason Dyer and Sarianna Hayes, of Readfield; mother Norma Donald, of Augusta, and father Richard Donald, of Blanco, Texas; and many uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces.

Memorial donations may be made to the Donald children’s scholarship fund in care of Norma Donald.

ERROL F. CLEMENT

BENTON––Errol F. Clement, 93, of Benton, passed away on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Augusta. He was born in Smithfield on January 10, 1923, the son of the late Hanson and Ida (Caswell) Clement.

Errol attended schools in Smithfield and Fairfield. Following his schooling, he served with the US Army during World War II from February 2, 1943 to December 4, 1945.

On October 21, 1949, he married the former Caroline Haskell. Errol worked various jobs over the years. Later in life he was employed by SAD #49 for 15 years. Following retirement, he was a self-employed mechanic, always tinkering on something for someone.

Errol was a member and two time commander for Fairfield VFW Post#14.

He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, and plowing snow. He especially enjoyed playing competitive horseshoes, which he continued into his 90s. Errol was very well liked in the community and would always lend a helping hand to those in need.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his son, Errol W. Clement; his brothers, Malcolm, Leo, Erlon, Harry, and Theron, and his sisters, Josephine Sopia and Christine Bickford.

Errol will be sadly missed by his wife Caroline; children, Sandra Perrine and husband Don, Wendell Clement, David Clement, Pamela Smith and husband Walter, Carol Dudley and husband David, Roger Clement, Gerald Clement, Bernard Clement and wife Tanda, Michael Clement and wife Ruth, and Brenda Coombs and husband Carl; several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

An online guestbook may be signed and memories shared at www.lawriybrothers.com.

EILEEN PLEAU

WINSLOW––Eileen Pleau, 79, of Winslow, passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2016.
Eileen was a remarkable woman. From the early age of three she was saddened to lose her mother.

She and her late sister Yvette Clark found themselves often fending for themselves. Even though faced with the tragedy of losing her mother, Eileen grew to become an amazing woman. Eileen married her husband, Lionel, and was blessed with having six children.

Eileen worked at Inland Hospital for 37 plus years. She was a hard worker and dedicated employee and a friend to her coworkers. Eileen rarely would ever miss work. A work ethic she valued and passed down to her children. She loved her job and, in fact, even after she so-called retired, continued to work on a regular basis. She enjoyed being at work and truly valued the friendships she had made daily. Eileen’s position was never filled so she could return to her job.

You would seldom see Eileen without a book in her hand. She loved reading novels and it was her favorite thing to do in the evening before settling in for the night. Eileen enjoyed playing Bingo on Sundays with her two daughters, sometimes her granddaughter and a true friend from Waterville High School. Recently, being introduced to the Bangor slots, Eileen found herself enjoying a past time she was never familiar with in her early life and grew to look forward to taking trips to Bangor.

Eileen would never become a rich woman, but was rich in character.

Eileen is survived by her children, Michael and wife Jill, of Vassalboro, Angela, of Waterville, Lisa Nelson and husband Vince, of Thorndike, Paula Pooler and husband Carleton, of Winslow, Mary Greene and Robert, of Freeport, and Cherry Frewin and husband Wes, of Florida; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to Alfond Center for Cancer Care Giving, Maine General Health, Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 828, Waterville ME 04903.

DEBRA A. POMELOW

CHINA – Debra A. Pomelow, 59, passed away October 14, 2016, at Maine­Gen­eral Medical Center, in Augusta. She was born Oct­ober 1, 1957, in Skow­hegan, the daughter of John and Carlene (Lagasse) Lanctot.DEBRA A. POMELOW

She was educated in the schools of Augusta and graduated from Cony High School in 1976. On July 4, 1975, she married Richard Pomelow, in Augusta. She was employed at Tri City Tire and was the owner of Olde Tyme Primitives. Debra enjoyed photography, crafts, horses, cruising the country side with friends, sports cars, panning for gold, digging for diamonds, and cross word puzzles.

Debra is survived by her husband Richard Pomelow, of China; son, Shane Pomelow and wife Heather, of South China; daughter, Angela Nelson and husband Troy, of Palermo; mother, Carlene Roy and husband Lucien, of China; father, John Lanctot and wife Joyce, of Skowhegan; mother-in-law, Natalie Pomelow, of Skowhegan; sister, Lisa Gilbert, of Augusta; step-sister, Kim Roy and companion Aaron Feldmus, of Belgrade; brother-in-law, Donald Pomelow and wife Holly, of Vassalboro; sisters-in-law, Diane Orcutt and husband Gary, of Norridgewock, Joan Reed and husband Gil, of Strong, Linda Nickerson and husband Brian, of Canaan; grandchildren, Jacob Pomelow, Madilyn Pomelow, Alicia Nelson, Royce Nelson; niece, Lauren Gilbert, of Augusta; along with many other nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father-in-law, Raymond Pomelow.

A private graveside service will be held Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 10:00 am at the Chadwick Hill Cemetery in China followed by a private gathering at Rick’s house.

Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society, New England Division, One Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, Maine 04086-1240.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.

DEBORAH E. HUCK

FAIRFIELD­­––Deborah Elizabeth Huck, 60, of Fairfield, died in Augusta, Tuesday, October 18, 2016, following seven years of battling cancer and the health care system. Debbie was born on November 18, 1955, in Oak Park, Illinois, and grew up in Sierra Madre, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Greenwich, Connecticut, and rural Pennsylvania.

Her passion for books and learning resonated throughout her life and career. She graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in English, her first job teaching English and running the library at Fairfield (Montana) High School. Moving to Maine in 1986, she worked as a librarian in York and Wells public libraries. While raising two kids, she eventually settled at Benton Elementary School working first as a substitute teacher, then a special education aide, then a library assistant. She usually had five books and her kindle open at the same time.

Debbie’s other great love was cooking and baking. She created a cookbook “The Huck Family Greatest Hits” for her children. There will be many family and friends missing her amazing cookie platters this Christmas.

Debbie was also active in Amnesty International, leading the Waterville area chapter for over 14 years, acting as legislative coordinator for Maine, and organizing events, fair booths and exhibits statewide.

Debbie was predeceased by her mother and father, Beverly Lou and Robert Voss Bock, formerly of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her husband of 36 years, Christopher Huck, of Fairfield; children, Matthew Huck, of Portland, Oregon, and Nicole Huck, of Fairfield; sister Kimberly Beggs and husband Jim, of West Caln, Pennsylvania; brother Christopher Bock and wife Bonnie, of Spring City, Pennsylvania; adopted brother Sung Yun Bock, of Victoria, Australia; sister-in-law Lisabeth Huck, of Guilford, Connecticut; brother-in-law Michael Huck and his husband Andres, of Huntington Beach, California; and 11 nieces and nephews.

An online guestbook may be signed and memories shared at www.lawrybrothers.com.

Memorial donations may be made to the library book fund at Benton Elementary School.

ELVAN PRINCE

BENTON––Elvan Prince, 84, passed away Thursday, October 20, 2016, at Inland Hospital. Elvan was born May 24, 1932, in Benton. He was the son of Albert and Hazel Prince.

He graduated from Waterville High School, and was a proud veteran of the Army during the Korean War, stationed in Germany. Elvan was a professional truck driver for over 30 years for Spector Freight; he then went on to a second career with the HVAC department at Colby College for 11 years. After retiring from Colby, Elvan worked at Caverly Farms as a driver for several more years.

Elvan was a member of the Shawmut Baptist Church where he served as head deacon. Elvan was also a member of the Vassalboro Masonic Lodge #54 where he was a past master. His favorite hobby was reading and his greatest happiness and pride came from providing for his family.

Elvan is survived by his wife of 49 years Diann Prince; son Mark Prince and wife Simone; daughter Lori Tibbetts; granddaughter Taylor; brother Blynn and wife Ruth; sister-in-law Roseann; and nieces, Emily, Katie, Cathy, and Karen.

An online guestbook may be signed and memories shared at www.lawrybrothers.com.

Memorial donations may be made to: Masonic Scholarship Fund, Vassalboro Lodge #54, c/o Jim Maloy, 1001 Webber Pond Road, Vassalboro ME 04989.

GERMAINE JACQUES

SIDNEY – Germaine (Michaud) Jacques, 85, passed away Friday, October 14, 2016, at Lakewood Continuing Care Center, in Waterville. She was born February 19, 1931, in Waterville, the daughter of Magloire and Yvonne (Cote) Michaud.

GERMAINE JACQUESShe attended Notre Dame School, in Waterville. On September 1, 1951, she married Richard Jacques.

They were married for 63 years.

She was employed for many years by C. F. Hathaway Shirt Factory, in Waterville, and was a homemaker to raise her family. She was a member of Notre Dame Church, in Waterville, and loved gardening and canning.

Germaine is survived by seven children, Stewart Jacques and wife Elaine, of Sidney, Daniel Jacques,of Waterville, David Jacques and wife Patricia, of Sidney, Mark Jacques and wife Deborah, of Fairfield, Raymond Jacques and wife Vickie, of Waterville, Patrick Jacques and wife Lisa, of Sidney; daughter, Paula Denis and life partner Donald McNeal, of Waterville; grandchildren, Sarah of Keene, of New Hampshire, Danielle and Jessie, of Waterville, Megan, of Waterville, Alex, of Fairfield, Eric and Cassie, of Waterville, Matthew and wife Michelle, of Lincoln, Ryan, of Sidney, Nicholas, of Sidney; great-grandchildren, Cayden, of Sidney, and Amelia, of Lincoln; sister, Arlene Nadeau, of Fairfield; brother, Fern Michaud, of Clinton.

A memorial service will be held Friday, October 28, at 10 a.m., at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mt Vernon Road, Augusta.

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.

OTHERS DEPARTED

KEITH L. WINCHENBACH, 93, of Panama City Beach, Florida, passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, from natural causes. Locally, he is survived by daughter Terry Johnson, of Jefferson.

RICHARD L. WALLACE, 83, of Scarborough, passed away on Thursday, October 6, 2016, at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice Home. Locally, he is survived by a won, Scott Wallace and wife Stephanie, of Fairfield.

WELDON L. WASSON, 86, of Norridgewock, passed away on Friday, October 7, 2016, at Somerset Rehabilitation and Living Center, in Bingham. Locally, he is survived by grandchildren Rob Morrison and wife Lesley, of Sidney, and Paul Morrison, of Vassalboro.

GERARD ST. AMAND, 70, of Enfield, New Hampshire, on Saturday, October 8, 2016, following a courageous battle with cancer. Locally, he is survived by daughter Lorri Lacroix, of Vassalboro, and granddaughters Nichole Burke, Kelsie Farrin and husband Brandon, and Danielle Colfer.

MAURICE C. HODGKINS JR., 70, of Chelsea, passed away on Monday, October 10, 2016. Locally, he is survived by a son, Michael and wife Lori, of Jefferson.

JULIETTE I. FORTIN, 95, of Hallowell, passed away on Tuesday, October 11, 2016, at Hillside Terrace. Locally, she is survived by a son David E. Fortin and wife Tracye, of Vassalboro, daughter Judith A. Thornton, of Windsor; and sister Rita Chamberlain, of Vassalboro.

PAULA M. BAILEY, 60, of Athens, passed away on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at Tissue’s Country Estate, in Athens. Locally, she is survived by an aunt, Virginia (Beale) Levesque and husband Peter, of Oakland.

Board of appeals to meet Oct. 27

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The Vassalboro Board of Appeals meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, to hear Jonathan Blumberg’s appeal of the codes officer’s issuance of building and plumbing permits for Bernard Welch at Welch’s South Stanley Hill Road property.

Letters to the editor, Week of October 27, 2016

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Glowa visit to Hime Hill

To the editor:

Mr. Glowa, I am writing in regards to your letter to the editor in The Town Line of the October 13 issue. After reading your letter I quickly arrived to some opinions that are not favorable towards you.

First, I thought to myself – what does consuming alcohol on ones own property have to do with your campaign for House District #79? Actually nothing! You do not know what was in those glasses – it could have been a hot cup of tea, water, orange juice or even perhaps it was a beer. The fact remains it does not matter as all was consumed on private property and drinking is not a crime last I knew.

Was it your sole intent to make people look bad? Drinking alcohol has not one single thing to do with your campaign. The fact is we were sitting around a campfire mourning the loss of my dad, Roy Dow, a man who was good, honest, hard working, and very much devoted to his family and his wife, and then you arrived on the scene. You became confrontational, because we did not agree with your way of thinking. To you maybe things are a “no brainer” but to us, and many others, it could be a much different view. Also, instead of having to be asked to leave, maybe you should have realized that some function was taking place and you should have politely excused yourself and left – that is a “no brainer.” Instead you hung around until you were finally asked to leave, and even then you didn’t.

You had to be escorted to your car, a bad choice on your part especially when one is campaigning for a seat in the House.

Secondly, after reading your letter I came away with the thoughts – Wow, that man is on a one man agenda. In case you didn’t know it takes teamwork when you’re elected and you work for the good of people who elected you. You write about how you’re going into the House to change everything.

Thirdly, I would recommend that one should not go around bragging to all that one worked for the State of Maine for 5 or 6 years and did nothing each day yet collected a hefty salary. I don’t know about you but I take deep pride in doing an honest day’s work for a pay check.

Finally, my biggest beef with you is how you have tried to portray my family. You have attempted to portray your visit as one where we were belligerent and intoxicated, when in truth, you intruded upon a private mourning time and did not leave when asked. In the eyes of many, this has made you seem as though you cannot properly interact with the public and furthermore you, perhaps, have lost their votes.

Jane Dow Glidden
Palermo

Don’t sit this one out!

To the editor:

Last week I set out to write a supporting letter for Mr. Graves’ [letter to the editor] entitled Christians need to get involved. But after reading Eric Austin’s piece, I feel I first need to respond to two of Mr. Austin’s assertions.

First, Mr. Graves was addressing Christian, not “ordinary people.” Second, Mr. Austin makes no mention of the Declaration of Independence which embodies the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based. To quote the preamble, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Can one really believe that the authors meant “Mother Nature” by using the term “Creator?” God may not be explicity expressed in either the constitution or the Bill of Rights, but there is no doubt that Judeo-Christian values have had a fundamental impact on the history of our country since before its inception. The denial or the dismissal of this understanding is precisely one of the reasons our country is headed in the direction of the Titanic (to paraphrase Mr. Pauley’s comment in another [letter]) and precisely why Christians need to stand up for the right to have their beliefs heard and respected by our fellow citizens, as any other religious group’s rights should be respected.

This belief is why I hope many quiet Christians like me have taken Mr. Graves’ words to heart, to become involved, at least as far as studying the substance behind this presidential election. As a Christian whose relationship with Jesus Christ is personal, I have been frustrated for many months by the lack of clarity in the media’s portrayal of the two major candidates. Like Mr. Graves, I am directing this [letter] to other Christians, especially those who feel they cannot make a wise decision based on what they hear blasted at them 24/7 by the many media outlets.

There is no denying that both Clinton and Trump are flawed, but who of us is not? Romans 8:28 is quite clear. It is so easy to become distracted by this continual bombardment of accusation and innuendo. By focusing on the flaws, we lose sight of the really important issues, which have everything to do with the future direction of America. Because Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have profoundly different world views, their solutions to the threats facing America are diametrically opposed. Set the candidates aside for the moment and consider the impact of what they propose concerning the role of the federal government, the protection of our Constitutional rights, our national security and defense, the future of the Supreme Court, etc. When talking to neighbors and friends, I am stunned to find that so many have no idea where each of these candidates stands on any of these issues.

Christians, the media blitz is designed to discourage you from exercising your responsibility to vote. Pray for God’s guidance and wisdom to make the right choice. For some deeply thoughtful insights into where each candidate would like to take our country, you can find an election guide that clearly defines the differences between the two candidates on all the major issues of importance to Christians, in the September 2016 issue of Decision Magazine, online at billygraham.org.

The future of our country and our personal liberty is at stake. The single thing that makes America different from any other country in the world is the belief that our rights are granted to us by a Creator God, not by nature or mother earth, and especially not by the government. If we continue to exclude, ignore, and even deny God in the public square, our freedoms cannot long endure and the decline of this great nation is assured. Don’t sit this one out. We are supposed to make the difference.

Carole Johnson
South China

Nadeau cares about veterans

To the editor:

My mom has a lot of respect and really cares about veterans. Her father, Richard “Duke” Caron, served in the Marines during the Korean War. My uncles John and Paul are veterans. I am a veteran having served in the United States Coast Guard.

My pépère died in 2009 after a long courageous battle with cancer and was buried in the Maine’s Veterans Cemetery in Augusta. Every year since then, each Memorial Day, mom joins a group of volunteers who place more than 30,000 flags on the graves of the brave men and women that are buried at both VA cemeteries in Augusta. She now serves on the committee that organizes these events.

Mom has served the citizens of Winslow for over 25 years and I believe her experience, work ethic and true caring nature are what we need more of in Augusta.

Jim Nadeau
Winslow

Nadeau leads by example

To the editor:

November 8 is fast approaching and I’m sure you’re as tired as I am of all the negative campaigning. Even in my wife’s race there are false claims and twisted facts being sent out by those supporting her opponent. Let me tell you what I know to be true.

During the past four years I have seen Cathy spend countless hours in Augusta working tirelessly on behalf of the citizens of Winslow and Benton. Even though Cathy is a Democrat she strives to work together with members of both parties to do what’s in the best interest of all the people of Maine. She does what is ethical and leads by example. This is what we surely need more of in Augusta and Washington.

I am extremely proud of the work Cathy has done and encourage you to re-elect her on November 8.

Bob Nadeau
Winslow

Know your audience

To the editor:

Mr. Glowa, political differences aside and perspectives aside (as we all know every one’s glasses are a different color), I am the daughter of Roy M. Dow, Jr., whom passed away on May 29, 2016, Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. He was the tender age of 86 years old. He has a large family – a wife of 65 years whom you met the day you visited us on your door-to-door campaign trail (and you probably don’t know which one of the persons she was), five children and spouses, 11 grandchildren and spouses, and nine great-grandchildren, five of whom were born right before he passed away.

Roy Dow was a pillar in the town of China for 65 years. He owned China General Store, he owned the ice cream stand “Custard’s Last Stand,” he owned the town little league fields, he plowed the driveways of China’s residents, he pumped the septic tanks of China’s residents, he owned and operated the heavy equipment of the town, he owned and managed woodlots, he worked for the state of Maine (yes, your employer who paid you to do nothing for five years, self-proclaimed); and the litany continues. He hunted, he fished, he trapped, he lobstered, he dug clams, he was a sharp shooter, he was a pilot. He was friend, he was a voice of reason, he was a giver. He had it, you needed it, he gave it to you. He was a creator.

He created “Hime Hill Road,” our private property, our family compound. Private the operative word here. You came onto our private property, unannounced and uninvited, walking into the middle of a very private family time….when the patriarch of the family had just passed and we had just gathered; and to top it off, you refused to leave when asked. You had to be told multiple times, like a child, to leave.

Mr. Glowa, you have no intuition. You have no political savvy. You have no social etiquette. You wrote in a letter to the editor of The Town Line published on October 13, 2016: “When I arrived at the property as part of my door to door campaigning, a number of people were sitting around a campfire consuming alcohol. I was not “asked” to leave, I was ordered to “get off my property.”

Roy Dow would have told you the same thing: ‘get off my property,’ because you were not welcomed there. Furthermore, we can drink all the alcohol we want on our private property. Not a political issue. Were you trying to paint a picture?

Lastly, regarding the Northern Maine Woods, Roy Dow [knew] every inch of the Northern Maine woods by vehicle, by boat, by snowmobile, by plane, and by foot. I can guarantee you that he could take you in there, and you would never find your way out – because you most likely do not know the Northern Maine Woods.

I would recommend that if you ever campaign for anything again you know your audience, because not knowing your audience is political suicide.

Roberta Ann Dow
China

Vassaboro News: Procedural issues dominate school board meeting

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by Mary Grow

Procedural issues dominated at the Vassalboro School Board’s Oct. 18 meeting, as AOS (Alternative Organizational Structure) #92 officials explained some of the issues the central office deals with for Vassalboro, Waterville and Winslow schools.

Superintendent Eric Haley described the process by which bills are generated and paid, listing the numerous reviews both in the local schools and in the central office aimed at ensuring expenditures are justified. Assistant Superintendent Peter Thiboutot explained the federal programs in which AOS #92 schools take part. The purpose of federal school funding is primarily to help students who fail to meet educational standards by assisting in various areas of need. Each category is called a title.

Vassalboro receives funds from three of the six federal Titles, Thiboutot said. In 2016-17, Title I provides $152,481; Title II, $24,306; and Title VI, $24,000. Title I programs provide support in reading and math; allocations are based on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches. At Vassalboro Community School, 43 percent of students receive free lunch and another seven percent receive reduced-price lunch. One teacher and two educational technicians are paid with Title I funds; a third technician works in the program but is paid from the local budget because the federal funds are inadequate.

Title II money is used for professional development activities. Receiving schools are allowed to transfer up to half their Title II money to Title I; Vassalboro does so, Thiboutot said.
Title VI is called Rural Low Income, and Thiboutot described it as a catch-all that covers a variety of support activities, from contracts with behavioral health counselors to certain after-school clubs and activities.

In preparation for the Oct. 27 meeting of the Maine School Board Association, Vassalboro board members reviewed and endorsed four proposed resolutions. Three ask for legislative action to: 1) confirm that allowing a student to transfer to a school in another town should be a decision of the two superintendents involved, not to be overridden by state officials; 2) review rising teacher retirement costs that the state shifted onto school districts’ budgets in 2015; and 3) create a task force to review special education costs and needs. The fourth resolution asks the governor’s office to nominate a new Commissioner of Education for 2017 legislative confirmation.

The next Vassalboro School Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Nov. 15.

Alternate member sought for planning board

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro selectmen would like to appoint a new alternate planning board member at their Nov. 3 meeting, so anyone interested in the position should notify the town office by that day at the latest.
At the selectmen’s Oct. 20 meeting, Town Manager Mary Sabins said former Codes Officer Paul Mitnik was so far the only applicant to succeed Paul Breton, who resigned earlier in the month.

The meeting opened with two public hearings, one on amendments to the appendices to Vassalboro’s General Assistance Ordinance and one on renewal of junkyard and auto hobbyist permits. Since no members of the public were present, the hearings were extremely short.

After the hearings, selectmen approved the changes in general assistance and nine permits, as follows:

  • Junkyard/auto graveyard permits: James Cagley (Ron’s Parts Inc.), Main Street; Dale Clement (Bondo’s Garage), Taber Hill Road; Bill Pullen (Freddie’s Service Center), South Stanley Hill Road; Stanley Garnet (Garnett Motors), North Belfast Avenue; Olin Charette (Weeks Mills Garage), Riverside Drive; and Voit Ritch (Autowerkes), Route 3.
  • Auto hobbyist permits: Keith Lemieux, Priest Hill Road; James Jurdak, Baker Road; and Robert Dore, Church Hill Road.

Vassalboro Food Pantry officials requested permission to add a carport on the food pantry building beside the North Vassalboro fire station and further asked selectmen to waive the permit fee, since the town owns the building. Selectmen unanimously granted both requests.

Sabins said the food pantry had received a gift of money for the project, which is intended to protect the front door of the building from the weather.

In other business, Sabins said cemetery committee members have been putting up identifying signs at all known Vassalboro cemeteries and planning two administrative-type projects, extending the regulations adopted for the North Vassalboro cemetery to the other active cemeteries in town and computerizing Vassalboro cemetery records. For the second project, Sabins said, she is looking for grants to cover costs of the computer program committee members recommend and the data entry work.

Following up on an issue from September, Sabins said she talked with Jan Clowes of the Vassalboro Historical Society about shared maintenance of the grounds around the former East Vassalboro school building that the society leases from the town. The two did not reach agreement, she said. Board Chairman Lauchlin Titus advised research to determine the exact boundaries of the schoolhouse lot.

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: A closer look at question 3 on China ballot

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by Paul Mitnik
Codes Enforcement Officer
Town of China

Question 3: Shall amendments to the Town of China Land Development Code, Chapter 2, Land Use Ordinance and Chapter 11 Definitions be enacted?

This following article is written so that residents of China may better understand the amendments that they will be voting on in the third ballot question. The amendments can broadly be divided into three major categories. The first of these pertains to the signs. China enacted language in their Land Use Ordinance in 2010 to regulate the size and amount of signs on their property and other issues pertaining to signs. However the new language did not grandfather existing signs and, in fact, had a sunset provision which required property owners to comply with the new regulations within ninety (90) days. The sunset provision was never enforced, and as a result most of the existing commercial businesses do not comply with Ordinance requirements. The proposed ordinance changes add grandfathering to all signs that existed in 2010 except operational items such as lighting and hold time for changing digital signs. If this is not enacted, many commercial signs in China will have to be removed or reduced in size, some of which have been in existence for decades.

The second item pertains to seasonal conversions. Some camps in the shoreland zone are only permitted to be occupied for seven months of the year based upon whether or not they were occupied year round from 1977 to 1981. Seasonal conversion permits must be obtained to occupy seasonal camps year round for those camps that were seasonal during this period. The state law for obtaining this permit requires the property to have full septic systems containing a tank and disposal bed adequately sized and functioning properly that meet setbacks to the lake high water mark, wells, and property line and buildings. China has a provision in their Ordinance which also requires both the lot to meet minimum lot size and the camp to meet the 100 foot water setback in order to obtain this permit. The amendment proposes to repeal these provisions in China’s Ordinance, since once the camps are built the septic system is really the main issue for water quality protection of the lake. If a property has an adequate septic system, staying in the camp another five months annually should not have any additional impact to lake water quality. The proposed changes will not affect when a property owner can visit their seasonal camp since the state rules do not require that the seven months be consecutive.

The third amendment is the adoption of the updated DEP requirements for 2015. This includes changes to expansions of non-conforming structures; adoption of the statewide timber harvesting standards; and new sections giving guidelines to hazard, storm damaged, or dead tree removal; revegetation requirements for properties in violation of clearing standards; and exemption to clearing standards. The expansion provision of these changes may be the most controversial and difficult to understand. The new standards use footprint of a building rather than the formerly used standards of volume and floor area. Floor area is a sum of the footprint of all stories.

The footprint is a more scientific way from a water quality perspective, since it is the footprint or the amount of impervious area that produces runoff which could potentially pollute the lake. The new expansion standards should level the playing field, since expansions for large structures will become more stringent but expansions for small structures less stringent. Currently what is allowed for expansions for large structures with multiple stories can be enormous, while the single story small structure is very limited in its size for expansions.

The Town’s TIF committee is planning a project on the causeway which addresses safety issues and runoff treatment. A fishing platform, wood plank trail, and phosphorus infiltration treatment system is planned for this area. A minor change was made to the ordinance to clarify that Town owned fishing platforms are a functionally water dependent use and are exempted from water setback requirements which is consistent with state law. Currently many people fish from the causeway on China Lake. Safety from automobile and boating traffic is an issue. The phosphorus treatment system will intercept sediment runoff that is currently entering the lake below the causeway and into the wetland above the causeway.

Torch is passed at historic Albion institution

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Harry Yeaton and Shawn Esler

Harry Yeaton, above, has owned and operated Yeaton’s Service and Supply, on Main St., in Albion, for 69 years. On September 30, he transferred ownership to Shawn Esler, also of Albion. The Albion Lions Club recently presented Harry with a certificate of appreciation for his generosity to the club over the years. Esler is also a firefighter/EMT and captain on the Waterville Fire Department, and deputy chief on the Albion Fire Department. Pictured with Harry is his sister, Betsy, also of Albion.
Contributed photo

Students pursue skills employers claim are in short supply

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When was the last time you updated your resume? Did you include skills like problem-solving, critical-thinking and communication? According to a study conducted by LinkedIn in partnership with the Wall Street Journal, those are exactly the types of skills and attributes we should all be highlighting if we want to stand out in a job search. This week at Pine Tree Camp, in Rome, about 180 middle school and high school students from across the state gathered for JMG’s annual Leadership Education Conference (LEC). The Conference is an overnight intensive that gives students the unique opportunity to learn those soft skills employers are looking for.

JMG’s annual Leadership Education Conference (LEC)

Recently, at Pine Tree Camp, in Rome, about 180 middle school and high school students from across the state gathered for JMG’s annual Leadership Education Conference (LEC). The conference is an overnight intensive that gives students the unique opportunity to learn those soft skills employers are looking for. Contributed photo

Robbie Clark is an eighth grader at Winslow Middle School. He said, “When we’re at school, we’re usually working by ourselves or with our close friends. But, here at LEC you have to work with kids from all over that you’ve never met before. We have to work together to solve problems and meet deadlines. It challenges us.”

The conference, held from October 18 – 21, includes a series of hands-on activities that require students to practice their communication, time management, and teamwork skills. For example, the Army National Guard was on hand teaching them how to build emergency shelters. The students had to take some very basic materials, a few instructions, and work together to build a functional shelter in a certain amount of time. Chances are relatively few of these students will ever need to build a shelter, but the soft careers skills they’re honing will come in handy throughout their lives.

Ryan Moore, vice president at Bank of America, in Belfast, is a volunteer at LEC. Moore says, “This type of student event gives these young people the chance to get out of the classroom and offers them the opportunity to practice skills that are in high demand in the job market.”

Along with the skill-building activities, the theme of the conference was “grit.” Students learned about the importance of this combination passion and perseverance.

Week of October 20, 2016

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Palermo Community Center celebrates 20 years

It’s not too often that a small, “kitchen table” foundation manages to make it to age 20, much less serve a broad area encompassing four counties.  Moreover, the original founders, the late John Potter, Ted Bigos, Jim Osier, Dennis Sturgis, and Herb Flint, had different ideas about which community needs the Palermo Community Foundation would address.  For a brief time, it was the Palermo Community Health Center and later housed  Palermo Online, a community internet provider run by Mike and Sheila McCarty.  Feelers were put out to house a library, but the building proved inadequate for the weight of that many books. […]

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IM JUST CURIOUS THUMBFragile delivery (???)

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Review PotpouriRecording artists: Chad & Jeremy; Composer: Rachmaninoff; TV series: House of Cards

Talk always turns to the weather

Youth football action

Week of October 20, 2016

Youth football action

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Winslow third/fourth grade youth football team member Ethan McCaslin runs with the ball while Messalonskee youth team member Owen Kirk goes for the tackle during a recent game. Photos by Mark Huard, owner Central Maine Photography

Winslow third/fourth grade youth football team member Ethan McCaslin runs with the ball while Messalonskee youth team member Owen Kirk goes for the tackle during a recent game.
Photos by Mark Huard, owner Central Maine Photography

 

Winslow Youth Football team member Seth Adams

Winslow Youth Football team member Seth Adams runs for a touchdown during a game earlier this season.
Photos by Mark Huard, owner Central Maine Photography