The following students have been named to the dean’s list at the University of Vermont, in Burlington Vermont:
Devin Beckim and Melissa Petersen, both of Augusta; Kayla Christopher, of Oakland; and Delaney Curran, of Skowhegan.
In honor of their outstanding academic achievement, Emmanuel College, in Boston, Massachusetts, has named more than 700 students to the dean’s list for the Fall 2016 semester. Local students on the dean’s list include:
Alexandra Gorrill, of Whitefield; Paulina Hersey and Katherine Thompson, both of Waterville.
Chelsea: Kassidy Frost and Tricia Tzikas; Fairfield: Katlyn Champagne, Holden Cookson, Katie LeBlanc, Hannah Tompkins and Lauren Wadleigh. Freedom: Christina Hall; Jefferson: Allison Fortin and Bridget Humphrey; Liberty: David Mallow; Madison: Alexis Lanctot and Rebekah Powell; Oakland: Mara Balboni, Natalie Corrigan, Tyler Creasy, Harley Davis, Derek Guerette and Christopher Knight; Palermo: Nicole Glidden; Sidney: Spencer DeWitt, Chelsey Oliver and Shawna Oliver; South China: Tyler Belanger, Marissa Chamberlain, Gage Currie, Simon Rollins and Rebecca-Ann Severy; Unity: Donna Chason; Vassalboro: Brianna Benevento, Nathan Bowring, Sean Cabaniss, Benjamin Cloutier, Alicia Stafford and Abbe Waceken; Washington: Olivia Vanner; Waterville: Molly Brown, Avery Isbell, Christa Jordan, Mattie Lajoie, Jacob Montgomery, Kara Patenaude, Sarah Ringer, Lydia Roy and Jinni-Mae Workman; Whitefield: Jordan Bailey, Katherine Newcombe and Emily Russell; Windsor: Victoria Condon; Winslow: Morgan Clark, Kayla Davis, Megan Denis, Mariah Greatorex, Sara Jackson, Stephanie Michaud and Christina Taylor.
The University of Rhode Island, in Kingston, Rhode Island, has announced the Fall 2016 dean’s list. The following students were named to the dean’s list within their area of study: Alexandria M. Jarvais, of Madison, majoring in Pharm D, and Rachel Cambridge Pratt, of Cornville, majoring in Kinesiology.
With the local marijuana referendum behind them – voters on Jan. 9 approved banning commercial non-medical marijuana businesses in town – and 2017-18 budget work not beginning until February, Vassalboro selectmen had a short and routine meeting Jan. 12.
Town Manager Mary Sabins has not forgotten the discussion of speeding through East Vassalboro on Route 32. She showed selectmen a solar assisted battery light borrowed from the state Department of Transportation and proposed buying two to go atop new warning signs at each end of the village.
Total cost for two lights and two signs would be less than $500, and, Sabins said, if the lights proved ineffective or annoying to neighbors, the town public works crew could use them to warn of construction work, downed trees and other temporary issues.
Selectmen unanimously approved. Because of Dig Safe requirements and frozen ground, the new warnings might not be installed until spring.
Board members renewed the agreement with Kennebec Water District for management of the China Lake Outlet Dam and approved a slightly revised contract with the town assessors and a minor revision to the town personnel policy.
They approved reports from Sabins on town finances; Road Commissioner Eugene Field, listing a lot of overtime plowing and sanding; new Police Chief Mark Brown; and the Vassalboro First Responders.
The First Responders’ report included concern about the high price of EpiPens, a tool members like to carry with them for immediate treatment of allergic reactions and similar conditions. They fear they will have to limit themselves to keeping an EpiPen in each Vassalboro fire station.
The next regular selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Jan. 26. Board members adjusted their February schedule to avoid meeting during school vacation week; at this point, they plan a meeting Thursday evening, Feb. 9; a budget workshop Monday afternoon, Feb. 13; and a meeting Thursday afternoon, March 2.
China Planning Board members tabled both substantive items on their Jan. 10 agenda, including Parris and Catherine Varney’s application to rent out their barn at 701 Neck Road for weddings and similar events.
The Varneys initially applied at the board’s Sept. 27, 2016, meeting. After an Oct. 11 public hearing and discussion, the board denied the application on Oct. 25. The Varneys appealed to the China Board of Appeals.
On Dec. 15, the Board of Appeals ruled unanimously that the planning board had failed “to meet the requirements of the [Land Use] ordinance due to the lack of proper findings of fact and conclusions of law.” The board of appeals sent the Varneys’ application back to the planning board.
The application was therefore on the Jan. 10 planning board agenda. However, on Jan. 10 a group of Neck Road residents filed an appeal of the Board of Appeals decision in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta.
The appeal alleges that the China Board of Appeals’ decision “was in violation of constitutional or statutory provisions, made upon unlawful procedure, affected by error of law, unsupported by substantial evidence on the whole record, and arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion, causing prejudice to Plaintiffs [the Neck Road residents].”
Further, the appeal claims the board of appeals ruling was incorrect, and the board of appeals exceeded its jurisdiction under the town ordinance.
In light of the reference to Superior Court, all three attorneys attending the Jan. 10 planning board meeting – Mathew Manahan representing the Neck Road residents, Matthew Evans representing the Varneys and Alton Stevens representing the Town of China – had asked that the board postpone action.
Acting board Chairman Milton Dudley objected to the delay. He said the board has a responsibility to deal with matters brought before it, and should not necessarily be guided by attorneys’ wishes, even the town’s attorney.
Toni Wall and Tom Miragliuolo disagreed, and the motion to table until after the Superior Court decision was approved on a 2-1 vote.
Stevens said afterward he expects the court to take at least two months to act.
About three dozen residents, mostly from Neck Road, came to the meeting. Dudley warned them at the beginning, before the vote to put off action, that they would not be invited to speak. “There will be no opportunity for public comment during this discussion,” he said.
The other agenda item was review of Land Use Ordinance amendments that were rejected by voters on Nov. 8. The three board members present agreed unanimously to postpone the discussion until Chairman Jim Wilkens and Vice-Chairman Frank Soares are present.
Sandra Kostron, one of three residents who stayed for that issue, said she believes voters rejected the proposed changes because they lacked information. She said town officials should not rely on The Town Line newspaper to publicize important public events like referendum votes, but should send individual first-class letters, “even though it’s my money” that would help pay for such mailings.
The next China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Jan. 24.
With the local marijuana referendum behind them – voters on Jan. 9 approved banning commercial non-medical marijuana businesses in town – and 2017-18 budget work not beginning until February, Vassalboro selectmen had a short and routine meeting Jan. 12.
Town Manager Mary Sabins has not forgotten the discussion of speeding through East Vassalboro on Route 32. She showed selectmen a solar assisted battery light borrowed from the state Department of Transportation and proposed buying two to go atop new warning signs at each end of the village.
Total cost for two lights and two signs would be less than $500, and, Sabins said, if the lights proved ineffective or annoying to neighbors, the town public works crew could use them to warn of construction work, downed trees and other temporary issues.
Selectmen unanimously approved. Because of Dig Safe requirements and frozen ground, the new warnings might not be installed until spring.
Board members renewed the agreement with Kennebec Water District for management of the China Lake Outlet Dam and approved a slightly revised contract with the town assessors and a minor revision to the town personnel policy.
They approved reports from Sabins on town finances; Road Commissioner Eugene Field, listing a lot of overtime plowing and sanding; new Police Chief Mark Brown; and the Vassalboro First Responders.
The First Responders’ report included concern about the high price of EpiPens, a tool members like to carry with them for immediate treatment of allergic reactions and similar conditions. They fear they will have to limit themselves to keeping an EpiPen in each Vassalboro fire station.
The next regular selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Jan. 26. Board members adjusted their February schedule to avoid meeting during school vacation week; at this point, they plan a meeting Thursday evening, Feb. 9; a budget workshop Monday afternoon, Feb. 13; and a meeting Thursday afternoon, March 2.
Boy Scouts working on their Eagle Scout service projects in Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox, Somerset and Franklin Counties in 2016 provided more than 6500 hours of service to their communities as they worked towards Scouting’s highest honor. The Kennebec Valley District Boy Scout committee released the numbers on the 2016 Eagle Scout class and they show that 37 young men in our area completed all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank and one female Venture Crew member from Winslow who has dual citizenship in Canada earned Scouts Canada’s equivalent to the Eagle badge- the Chief Scout of Canada. Together they provided leadership to projects that gave 6,635 hours of service.
Eagle Scout Devon Handley, right, of Troop #401 Sidney, with Scoutmaster Ryan Poulin. Photo courtesy of Charles Mahaleris
Over the years, requirements for the Eagle Scout Award have changed to meet the needs of the era; however, certain elements of the program have remained true from the original Eagle Scout requirements. A boy must demonstrate citizenship and caring for his community and others, leadership qualities, and outdoor skills that show his self-sufficiency and ability to overcome obstacles. Today, a boy must earn 21 merit badges, 12 of which are required. Beyond the merit badges, a candidate must also plan and carry out a service project to benefit the community. In addition, he must have held a troop leadership position during his Scouting tenure. Finally, the Eagle Scout candidate undergoes a rigorous board of review in which his district, council, and troop leaders evaluate his “attitude and practice of the ideals of Scouting.” Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout must happen before a boy’s 18th birthday.
Scouting in Kennebec Valley District is run by hundreds volunteer leaders with support from a small professional staff. One of the key leaders is District Commissioner Charlie Fergusson of Windsor. “The importance of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout cannot be overstated! The impact it has on, not only the Boy Scouts’ future, but also the parents and family of the Eagle Scout. It is an accomplishment never forgotten. I am forever proud that I have two sons who achieved scouting’s’ highest rank that there are no words that can do it justice. It has already opened so many doors of opportunity for both of them, such as colleges and career opportunities. I cannot tell you how many times when I have discussed scouting that someone has said they have a Father, Brother, or Brothers who are Eagle Scouts and how it has immeasurably improved their life circumstances. Eagle Scout is more than a rank in scouting. It is a life changer,” Fergusson said.
Part of the rank of Eagle requires the youth member to give leadership to a meaningful project that will benefit their community. Kennebec Valley District which delivers Scouting to the five counties of Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox, Franklin and Somerset- saw projects ranging from trail improvements in Benton to the preservation of the history of local veterans at the Library of Congress, from tree and plant identification signs at Smithfield Plantations to the collection of school supplies for needy children in Zambia, from the construction of costume racks and theatre improvements at Gardiner Area High School to the securing of back to school supplies for kids in the foster child program, and from the construction of a bridge at the West Gardiner Nature Trail to the crafting of 50 baby quilts for sick babies and toddlers at Reddington Fairview General Hospital, and from major improvements at the Quaker Hill Cemetery in China to the building of lockers for personal equipment at Titcomb Mountain Ski Area in Farmington. The list goes on and on.
Eagle Scout Willie Neubauer, right, and his mom, Angela, holding one of the 50 quilts that were donated to the sick children at Redington-Fairview General Hospital, in Skowhegan. Photo courtesy of Charles Mahaleris
Ryan Poulin is the Scoutmaster of Troop #401 in Sidney and saw several Scouts earn their Eagle rank last year. “In today’s society, the Scouting program couldn’t be more important to a young person. I have personally experienced the impact that the Scouting program has had on these individuals and their families. The scouting program has been and continues to be a pillar in our local community setting a strong foundation for everyone. I am still amazed at how the Scouting programs continue to grow in our community state and nation and I could not be any prouder to be part of such a great organization.”
The Eagle Scout badge was first given in 1912 to Arthur Eldred, a Scout from Brooklyn, New York. By 1982, more than 1 million young men had reached the rank, and the 2 millionth Eagle Scout was recognized in 2009. In 2011, the BSA welcomed more than 51,000 new Eagle Scouts. The organization has averaged more than 50,000 new Eagle Scouts per year over the past six years.
Young men who earned Eagle nationally in 2015 combined to record 8,503,337 hours of service on Eagle projects. That’s an average of 156.4 hours of service per Eagle project. With the value of volunteer time at $23.07 an hour, that means Eagle Scouts and the volunteers they led contributed more than $196 million worth of time working on these projects.
Chris Bernier, retiring Scoutmaster of Troop #433 in Winslow: “I have seen a huge growth in my daughter Paige since she started her Scouting trail. Transitioning from Scouts Canada to Venturing BSA has been great for her. Also watching Boy Scouts within our own Troop and Crew we have seen a climb in membership as kids these days are positively impacted when serving their community. I have observed that charge of positivity in the youth become infectious between circles of friends. Our program has seen membership growth because of the eagerness of our youth to serve. Just ten years ago Winslow only had seven scouts, and in that time we have grown to over 35 youth active in Scouting/Venturing.”
Devon Handley, Troop #401, Sidney; Parker Denico, Troop #410, Vassalboro; Jonathon Cook, Troop #431, Skowhegan; Dan Brown, Troop #479, China; Jacob Brownd, Troop #479, China; Tayler Croft, Troop #417, Waterville; Christian Hunter, Troop #479, China; Paige Spears, Crew #433, Winslow (Chief Scout of Canada); Owen Corrigan, Troop #401, Sidney; William Neubauer, Troop #485, Skowhegan; Matthew Cote, Troop #401, Sidney; Matrim Glazier, Troop #436, Waterville; Timothy Martincic, Troop #433, Winslow; Ryan Pellerin, Troop #446, Albion; Dan Crouse, Troop #417, Winslow/ Waterville; Jacob Lennon, Troop #446, Albion.
Dr. Ashley Rice grew up in California, Kentucky, and has concentrated her education on the study of biology, human anatomy and physiology. After experiencing a back injury in high school, her parents sought out the help of a chiropractor. With the help of adjustments from her doctor, she experienced great relief and became very interested in chiropractic.
Following high school, Dr. Rice joined the United States Air Force as an air traffic controller and medic. Following the military, she received her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, in Montgomery, Alabama. While there, she completed an accelerated program that allowed her to start chiropractic school earlier than most. She then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she attended Logan University College of Chiropractic. While there, Dr. Rice completed her certification in acupuncture, applied kinesiology, and fascial work.
In her free time, Dr. Rice loves to experiment with paleo and gluten free cooking, exercise, and spend time with her family.
The following area students have been named to the dean’s list at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham, New Hampshire.
Kelly McCormac, of South China; Michaela Hinckley-Gordon, of Benton; Kellie Bolduc and Luke Violette, both of Waterville; Sarah Wildes, of Winslow; Myrilla Hartkopf, of Albion; Andrew Marden, of Bingham, Maxwell Kenney and Kyle McLain, both of Fairfield; Adam Bovie and Rebecca Grenier, both of Vassalboro.
Erskine Academy has scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, January 18, from 3 to 7:30 p.m.,(snow date will be Thursday, January 19). Progress reports will be emailed to parents by January 17. For those parents who have not yet submitted a primary email address, please stop by the Guidance Office for a printed copy of your student’s progress report. No appointments are necessary as teachers will be available to speak with parents in their respective classrooms. Refreshments will be available in the library and the Sports Boosters will be selling Erskine apparel and other merchandise during the evening.
In addition, a representative from the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) will be in attendance to present information about paying for college. Soup and salad will be served in the cafeteria from 5 – 5:30 p.m., for attendees. The FAME presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria and will end at approximately 6:20 p.m. In addition to financial aid information, the guidance department will provide information about course offerings, dual enrollment opportunities, PSAT, and SAT testing dates.
Please feel free to contact the Guidance Office at 445-2964 with any questions or concerns regarding this information.