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.
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.
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:
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.
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
Local police and fire departments, in collaboration with students from Kaplan University’s bachelor’s in nursing program, participated in a mock mass casualty training exercise late last month on the University’s Augusta campus.
The day-long event provided an opportunity for emergency personnel to evaluate response time and effectiveness when dealing with similar situations and allowed them to identify areas for improvement in their approach. The mock scene involved evaluating preparedness, responsiveness, and community coordination while helping students achieve course objectives in community and public health nursing.
Fire and rescue personnel participate in a mock disaster response.
Internet photo
Nearly 100 participants played important supporting roles in the training, but only a handful of leaders knew of the details providing a very realistic experience.
Lieutenant Kevin Lully of the Augusta Police Department said, “On behalf of the Augusta Police Department and City of Augusta, we are pleased to be able to share in this type of proactive and team-oriented networking. The utilization of police and fire services, incorporated with the eagerness and energy of Kaplan University students resulted in a very dynamic and diverse training. Although this particular training event has been in the planning stages for the past couple months; given recent national events, the timing could not be more appropriate. We look forward to our on-going partnership with Kaplan in the future.”
As part of the Community Health Nursing course at Kaplan, students learn the various roles nurses play in the community including collaborating with community partners, evaluating processes/procedures relating to community needs, and educating based on needs of individuals as well as communities.
Dr. Shannon Packard, director of nursing for Kaplan University’s Maine BSN program, added “The amount of planning and collaboration that goes into an event like this really affords students an opportunity to implement the nursing process from a different perspective. Collaborating with community partners, planning and implementing within a group also strengthens teamwork skills, leadership skills, and communication skills. All necessary skills within the nursing profession.”
The China Planning Board has postponed action on Parris and Catherine Varney’s application to host commercial events in the barn on their Neck Road property to the Oct. 25 board meeting.
A public hearing on the application at the board’s Oct. 11 meeting drew more than two dozen people, mostly residents of Neck Road and fire roads off it. The majority of those who spoke opposed the application. Planning Board Chairman Frank Soares began the hearing by inviting the Varneys to respond to questions a neighbor submitted in advance. The Varneys said:
• They plan to host events like weddings, wedding and baby showers, birthday parties and conferences. They foresee a maximum of four events a month, mostly from May through November and mostly on weekends.
• Most events would last from four to six hours, after a day or two of preparations. They plan an 11 p.m. closing time for all events.
• The only thing outside the barn, besides the portable toilets they intend to provide, might be a tent, for example if a couple wanted to exchange vows outdoors. They plan no outdoor music and no fireworks, hayrides or other features that would extend beyond their property.
• They expect those attending to park in the grassy field behind the barn, not along the road.
• They would be willing to notify neighbors in advance of each event.
Most of the 20 or so people who spoke at the hearing expressed concerns about adverse effects on the neighborhood, including noise, erosion of the parking area, traffic congestion and the lack of local law enforcement to deal with problems that might arise. The project, they argued, did not belong in a residential and agricultural area on a narrow dead-end road.
Because the Varneys intend to allow liquor at their events, several neighbors fear guests who overindulge will drive recklessly or trespass on neighbors’ properties. Two of the three people supportive of the application asked if the applicants and the neighbors could work out a compromise to allow the business without undue disturbance.
After half an hour of testimony, Soares closed the hearing and board members voted to table the issue until Oct. 25, to give themselves time to consider issues raised and the Varneys time to consider modifying their plan.
Codes Officer Paul Mitnik presented a second, unrelated issue involving discomfort in a rural area, saying he had received numerous complaints about odors from Ralph and Linda Howe’s Dirigo Road property. He and former Codes Officer Scott Pierz said after the China Planning Board rejected the Howes’ application for a biodiesel plant on Dirigo Road in 2005, they received a permit for the plant in Oakland, and are storing waste from the Oakland facility in the barn on their China property. Soares asked Mitnik to seek legal advice on what, if any, authority the town has over the waste lagoons.
Planning Board members unanimously approved the only other application on their Oct. 11 agenda, giving Dylan Fortin a permit for an auto repair business at his home at 427 Pleasant View Ridge Road. The permit is conditional on a letter from China Village Fire Chief Timothy Theriault saying Fortin’s property has adequate access for emergency vehicles; Fortin said Theriault gave him a verbal assurance.
The China board of selectmen has issued the following summary of ballot questions for residents to use when deciding on how to vote. It is a refinement that is intentionally brief because of the amount of information.
Question 1. Shall amendments to the “Town of China Solid Waste Flow Control Ordinance” be enacted?
Question 2. Shall amendments to the “Town of China Solid Waste Disposal Ordinance” be enacted?
The Select Board asked the Transfer Station Committee to review and update the town’s dated ordinances, to reflect current day realities in solid waste processing.
Question 3. Shall amendments to the “Town of China LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE,” Chapter 2, LAND USE ORDINANCE and Chapter 11, DEFINITIONS be enacted?
The Planning Board reviewed the town’s respective sections of the China Land Development Code and proposed specific changes to reflect current State Law.
Question 4. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the municipal officers/Select Board to acquire land, more specifically described as Map 38, Lot 010-C, and further to appropriate $12,000 from the town’s Unassigned/Unrestricted Fund Balance for the acquisition of the land and further to authorize the Select Board to execute said transaction as they deem in the best interest of the Town of China.
The town has an opportunity to purchase a parcel of land adjacent to the town office property at a reduced price, assessed value of $21,000. The property would allow the town to determine use of adjacent property. It could be incorporated in the town’s long term plan for a community center or any other centralized concept plan.
Question 5. To see if the Town will vote to accept an unconditional gift of land from Wachusett Properties, Inc., more specifically described as Map 63, Lot 008 in the town’s tax map records and located off Lakeview Drive, and further to authorize the Select Board to accept a Warranty or Quit Claim Deed on behalf of the town for said described and gifted property.
Wachusett Properties, Inc. intends to unconditionally gift a 38 acre parcel (13 lot subdivision) to the town. Conversations about use of the land focused on a potential future relocation of an emergency services building from the Causeway Road to this site. The remaining unused land could be sold; the town’s cost basis $0.00.
Question 6. To see if the Town will vote to create a Transfer Station Capital and Equipment Account in the Town of China Reserve Fund and to appropriate the Town of Palermo’s $18,000 Annual Town Contribution for the use of the China Transfer Station for the Account; the Account established for the purpose of major capital purchases or repairs of transfer station buildings and equipment, the funds in which may be used upon a majority vote of a quorum of the Select Board; and further, said appropriation of the Town of Palermo Annual Town Contribution to the Account to continue through the length of the multiple-year agreement (initial 17 year agreement with three 5-year options) between the towns of China and Palermo for Palermo residents’ use of the China transfer station.
The Town of Palermo will contribute $18,000 annually toward the capital maintenance and replacement needs at the China Transfer Station. The Select Board felt it important to dedicate those annual contributions to a China Transfer Station Capital and Equipment Account that would ultimately fund capital equipment and maintenance over the long term, helping to stabilize the town’s mil rate. The additional per bag costs for Palermo residents would accrue to the China general fund and would adjust if China’s cost of operations increases.
Question 7. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate an amount up to $3,800 from the Unassigned/Unrestricted Fund Balance to conduct a community needs assessment relating to the understanding of the challenges facing older residents as they age in China.
A recent demographic study of China indicates the general average population age to be increasing significantly. The funds requested would take a deeper dive into the needs of the community that might allow residents to “age in place”, that is, to remain in their own homes as long as possible, or move to nearby housing in China if made available to them.
Question 8. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Municipal Officers/Select Board to appropriate an additional $5,000 from Unrestricted/Undesignated Fund Balance for police services.
The town is experiencing a significant increase in calls regarding speeding and nuisance activities. The current low budget of approximately $11,000 for policing services is not sufficient to respond appropriately. The additional funds will provide for additional policing details to augment our community policing program.
Question 9. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $100,000 from the Unassigned/Unrestricted Fund Balance for the Municipal Capital and Equipment Account of the Reserve Fund (established for the purpose of major capital repairs and purchasing and/or repairing vehicles to be used for snow plowing, grading, transfer station operations, and other public purposes), the funds in which may be used upon a majority vote of a quorum of the Select Board.
The town has significant investments in capital structures and equipment; over $1,300,000 in emergency services equipment, winter maintenance equipment and transfer station equipment. The Municipal Capital and Equipment Account, used to do major repairs to and replace that equipment has a low balance and would be able to accommodate most circumstances with this added amount to the account. It is seen as a good long term planning step in financing.
Question 10. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to sell to the South China Public Library a Portable Classroom owned by the town for $1.00 and costs incurred by the town associated with the moving of the portable, said portable to be used for library purposes; offer by the town to the South China Public Library to be valid for 60 days after town vote, if passed; and further to authorize the Select Board to execute the sale and transfer of the portable to the South China Public Library under such terms and conditions as the Select Board deems in the best interest of the Town of China.
The town recently acquired this Portable Classroom from RSU#18 for $1 and moving/relocation costs. The Board feels that repurposing this unit for use by the South China Library would be appropriate.
Question 11. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $50,000 from the Development Program Fund (established through revenues received from the Central Maine Power/China Lake Tax Increment Financing District and Development Program) for the purpose of Trails Maintenance and Bridge Capital Projects/Repairs associated with the China Four Seasons Club Trails Program; said maintenance and capital projects of the Four Seasons Club to be done on the CMP Powerline in the current fiscal year.
A main purpose of a Tax Increment Financing Program is economic development. A focus of China’s TIF Program application included trails maintenance. This request is directly related to economic development and will be used to repair trails.
Question 12. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Municipal Officers/Select Board to acquire land, more specifically described as Map 63 Lot 059-A, and further to appropriate an amount up to $10,000 from the Development Program Fund, (established through revenues received from the Central Maine Power/China Lake Tax Increment Financing District and Development Program) for the purpose of acquiring the property, and further to authorize the Select Board to execute said transaction as they deem in the best interest of the Town of China.
The town is considering economic development opportunities on the Causeway Road and this property would provide better options for the town. The improvements would positively affect pedestrian safety, lake quality, and recreational activities and also improve the aesthetics in the local area. The property to be purchased would be integral to a comprehensive Causeway Road improvement.
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.
The bounty of the community garden in full bloom.
Photo by Connie Bellet
Nonetheless, the original idea of providing a community meeting space for social bonding, education, art, and music was written into the bylaws and continues today. To date, the foundation, which is now known as the Living Communities Foundation, has never accepted any tax money and is totally supported by the people it serves. All of the people who help make up the board of directors and “staff” are volunteers. That situation is also unique, considering how much work it takes to manage and maintain a building constructed of donated materials and built largely by very talented volunteers. This is why there are no “business hours,” as such. The Community Center, which is located on Turner Ridge Road across from the ball field, is open by appointment (call Connie at 993-2294 or e-mail pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net) or for various meetings and events.
Volunteers Peter Nerber Jr., right, and Marina Grant, sorting vegetables for the food pantry. Below, members of the Great ThunderChicken Drum. The drum meets every Tuesday evening from 7 – 9 p.m. and is open to all.
Photo by Connie Bellet
For the last five years, the Community Center has hosted the Palermo Food Pantry every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon. For nine years, the center has sponsored a potluck dinner-and-a-movie on the last Friday of the month. This month’s feature is “Cracking Your Genetic Code ” on October 28. The Great ThunderChicken Drum meets on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., for a rousing, yet soothing, practice session and welcomes newcomers. On October 26 at 6 p.m., Jock Robie will join the Waldo Organic Growers to harvest worm castings and maintain worm bins. The Community Center has also been used for classes in biblical scripture and American sign language, as well as for weddings, Thanksgiving dinners, musical concerts, and computer classes. The foundation gave away some 300 refurbished computers to disabled seniors and students, and sponsored four Palermo World’s Fairs, with exotic foods and entertainment from many cultures. There is also a large community garden with 32 raised beds that helps to supply the food pantry.
All told, there are many reasons to help support the Living Communities Foundation. The building does need a new roof, and any amount would be received with great appreciation. Donations may be sent to LCF, care of Connie Bellet, P.O. Box 151, Palermo ME 04354. Food may be dropped off on Tuesday mornings before 10:30 a.m. Many thanks go to Joel and Annalisa Miller of Wild Miller Farm, to Good Shepherd Food Bank and to Hannafords for their support.
Front row, from left to right, Phil White Hawk, Cindy Keller, Tom Thornton III, and Laura Sullivan. Standing, Mike Dunn and Judy Thornton. Absent from photo is Connie Bellet.
In this talk, maritime historian Lincoln Paine will use the history of the Kennebec River as a lens through which to examine Maine and American history since the pre-Columbian period. Examining the different ways that people have approached the Kennebec over time provides us with a new way of reading and understanding the history of the United States and its people. Abenaki culture was deeply informed by the way that people related to the Kennebec, which also helped shape patterns of exploration and settlement by early European settlers and the subsequent commercial and industrial development of the late colonial and post-independence period.
While the Kennebec has often been viewed in terms of its importance to navigation – both for shuttling goods and people between the hinterland and the sea, as well as for shipbuilding – it has also been a source of industrial power, a conveyor belt for the lumber industry, a source of harvested ice, and latterly a showcase for environmental restoration. In this respect, the many uses of the Kennebec offer a periodization of history that affords us a more nuanced appreciation of how Maine and the United States developed.
Lincoln Paine is a maritime historian, author, editor, and curator whose books include the award-winning The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World (2013), Down East: A Maritime History of Maine (2000), and Ships of the World: An Historical Encyclopedia (1997).
The Kennebec Historical Society October Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Augusta City Center, located at 16 Cony Street in Augusta.
Colby-Sawyer College, in New London, New Hampshire, welcomed 297 new students to campus, including first-year students, transfers and the college’s first cohort of graduate students set to earn a master’s of science in nursing.
Tiara Meng, of Athens, a member of the class of 2020 pursuing a B.S. in biology.
Haley Carver, of Sidney, a member of the class of 2020 pursuing a B.S. in nursing.