State Rep. LaRochelle withdraws recount request for Senate District 15

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Raegan LaRochelle

by Lauren McCauley
Maine Morning Star

Richard Bradstreet

On Saturday, the Office of the Maine Secretary of State confirmed that the recount for Senate District #15, initially scheduled for Monday, had been officially withdrawn.

Election night tallies had Demo­cratic outgoing state Rep. Raegan LaRochelle trailing Republican Richard Bradstreet 10,621 to 10,820 votes. The seat, previously held by Repub­lican state Sen. Matt Pouliot, who announced in January that he wouldn’t seek reelection, was among those that Democrats had tried aggressively to flip.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the national party’s arm that focuses on winning state legislatures across the country, contributed roughly $95,000 to Maine’s Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and spotlighted LaRochelle’s bid. Senate District #15 covers Augusta, Belgrade and China, in Kennebec County.

 

 

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Vassalboro planning board approves site review application by public works dept.

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members held a special meeting on Nov. 19 at which they unanimously approved a site review application from the town’s public works department.

The action will let groundwork begin for the proposed 50-by-100-foot pole barn on the public works lot on Bog Road.

Planners rejected the proposal at their Nov. 12 meeting, because they had only a building application, not a site review application (see the Nov. 14 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

The next regular Vassalboro Planning board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Dec. 3.

EVENTS: Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30

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Small Business Saturday is this coming Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 30, 2024. Are you interested in writing a story on the holiday shopping season or want to arrange an interview with a small business advocate in the area? The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association, is here to help. NFIB State Director David Clough is available to discuss the importance of Small Business Saturday to the local economy and how shopping small benefits consumers, employees, and business owners alike.

NFIB State Director David Clough can be reached at (207) 807-4900, and you can contact Senior Media Manager Mike Donohue at (202) 525-9835.

“In addition to creating good-paying jobs and strengthening the local economy, small businesses shape our communities by volunteering their time and financially supporting charitable organizations,” said Clough. “A recent NFIB report highlights how small business owners and their employees benefit their communities, beyond operating their businesses. As we kick off the holiday season, I encourage all Mainers to shop small, especially on Small Business Saturday, and thank a small business owner for how they enrich your community.”

Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday began in 2010 as a way to help local stores and restaurants recover from the Great Recession. It has quickly transformed into a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, becoming one of the busiest sales seasons for small business owners nationwide.

Windsor select board recommends abolishing Conservation Commission Committee

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by The Town Line staff

At their October 22 meeting, the Windsor Select Board voted unanimously to recommend a warrant article to abolish the Conservation Commission Ordinance at the June 2024 town meeting.

Adrian Prindle, chairman of the Conservation Commission Committee reported they were going through the process of the ordinance and there is legal technology within the ordinance that is confusing and is causing the committee members to have many questions..

The conservation commission committee members are entertaining to have the ordinance abolished and then create a Belle Grove Parke Advisory Committee. The same members of the conservation commission would want to be part of the Belle Grove Parke Advisory Committee and would submit by-laws/rules.

They are meeting on Tuesday, December 10, at 6 p.m., and will suggest the process of forming a new group. Chester D. Barnes Jr. said the legal terms of this ordinance are for them to maintain a list of wetlands public and private property and he feels the town does not have the authority to do that, commenting, “We are not DEP.”

In other business:

– Town Manager Theresa Haskell said she has two letters from the assesdor’s agent regarding abatements and an abatement denial. The board approved an abatement in the amount of #3,761.88 for errors in building valuations for the Hysom, Shelia, heirs of $439; Carver, Ryan and Loralee of $958.62; Castle, Marcella and Collins, Matthew of $701.04; Bradbury, Joseph and Debra of $153.74 and Shorey, Timothy of $851. The board also approved the recommendation of the assessor’s agent for the denial at 139 Casey Road which lacks supportive documentation to substantiate what the assessment should be and is unclear as to how they calculated the reduced assessment.
– Public Works Supervisor Keith Reed reported on multiple issues with town trucks. He said the new truck was shipped November 14. Also, truck #5 needed to have transmission lines replaced at a cost of $3,000; when asked about what the future is going to bring for plow truck drivers, he said everyone that drives wants $30-plus per hour. He said, “we’ll have to go with what we have since we have not had many applicants.”

On the backhoe, locking pins, control switch and wiring had to be replaced at a cost of around $2,000.

– It was reported the medical marijuana petition will need to be formally voted and denied by the select board and for them to state the reason. The Maine Municipal Association recommends that it’s OK to have an ordinance ready before any vote. It was approved by the board on Select board member Allison Whynot’s motion to deny the petition as the wording is not a specific warrant question.
– Haskell handed out an updated Windsor Educational Foundation and Reed Fund Statment of Investment Policy for the select board to review until tne next meeting, and having someone from Kennebec Wealth Management attend the meeting as well.
– Haskell said the June 30, 2023, audit is complete and will be receiving the final audit soon.
– Finally, Haskell received a request from Aaron Ready to allow his truck to be parked in the town’s parking lot because he comcommutes to his job at Bath Iron Works with another driver. The select board said they had no issue at this point but would suggest they do not utilize the parking lot during snowstorms.

The next meeting of the select board was held on November 5.

EVENTS: China flag retirement ceremony set for Dec. 5

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by Mary Grow

A flag retirement ceremony is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Boynton-Webber American Legion Hall, in South China. Transfer station safety officer Cheyenne Houle said it will honor the more than 300 worn-out United States flags that have been left in the flag disposal boxes provided at the transfer station, plus others from Boy Scouts and other local groups.

The event is open to the public. Anyone with a worn-out or damaged flag is welcome to bring it to be added to the ceremony, Post Commander Neil Farrington said.

An on-line document from the National Flag Foundation describes a typical procedure for this ceremony, which honors the used flags. One is selected as representative of all: it is hoisted to the top of a flagpole by a color guard, saluted by the audience, who then recite the pledge of allegiance; and respectfully lowered and folded.

The best-known way to dispose of used flags is by burning them and burying the ashes. Farrington said the Dec. 5 ceremony will use an alternate method, cutting flags in half vertically and again horizontally, without damaging the block of 50 stars. The pieces are returned to the transfer station.

Vassalboro transfer station committee reviews changes manager claims are overkill

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by Mary Grow

At a Nov. 13 meeting, Vassalboro transfer station task force members reviewed plans for changes at the transfer station that new station manager Adam Daoust thinks may be overkill.

Presently, users disposing of municipal solid waste (MSW) at the Lombard Dam Road facility have to back up to the waste hopper. Occasional accidents led to a select board decision last fall to work toward a new plan that would eliminate the need to drive backwards.

The proposed alternative is drive-through area. It would have a roof, to keep water out of the waste, and open ends, to prevent build-up of gases.

In January, Vassalboro select board members contracted with Senders science, engineering & construction, of Camden, to design the new building, after company head Jeff Senders visited the facility and met with task force members.

Senders presented three slightly different plans. In addition to the new building, part of the plan is having separate entrance and exit driveways instead of the present single driveway.

Task force members reviewed the plans and talked about costs, needed permits and approvals, accommodating commercial haulers as well as individual residents, traffic issues on Lombard Dam Road and disruptions of service during construction, among other issues.

Select board and task force member Chris French pointed out that voters have supported putting away money for the project for two years. Perhaps, he said, Vassalboro could contract to use China’s disposal facility during the change-over.

Daoust suggested taking down the tower that now rises above the facility; putting a cover over the MSW hopper and another over the separate bulky waste hopper; and leaving the traffic pattern as it is. He thinks the proposed changes would do little to improve traffic flow and might increase waiting time.

Town Manager Aaron Miller asked task force members to send their suggestions to Daoust, and Daoust to write up a response and his ideas.

Task force members tentatively scheduled their next meeting for 5:15 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12, before that evening’s select board meeting.

Vassalboro school board listens to plans for school building upgrades

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 12 meeting, Vassalboro School Board members heard and watched on screen a presentation from three representatives of their consultant on building upgrades, Energy Management Consultants (EMC), of Portland.

President Thomas Seekins and engineers Adam Hodgkins and Erik Rodstrom had created an on-line program that describes work they recommend be done at Vassalboro Community School. Projects include everything from complex technical rearrangements to replacing current incandescent lights with LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and fixing a small hole in the basement wall (after finding out what caused it).

The EMC representatives had three main reasons for their suggestions.

First, they pointed out that although VCS has been well maintained, much of it is now 32 years old, and the life-time of many components is 25 years or less.

Second, some of the original equipment is so out of date that replacement parts are hard to obtain and technicians are no longer trained to work with it.

And third, many of the suggested changes will save enough energy to reduce costs.

The EMC presentation included suggested priorities, based partly on need, like replacing things most likely to fail due to old age, and partly on advantages, including easier use, increased comfort and convenience and energy savings. School board members plan to propose their own priority list after they have had time to review the EMC report.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said 2025-26 budget deliberations will begin early in 2025, so decisions on projects for next year (if any) should be made promptly. Until the board approves a plan, no cost or savings estimates can be made.

In other business Nov. 12, board members discussed traffic problems as parents drop off and pick up students before and after classes. Consensus was that given the number of cars and the procedures needed to ensure student safety, school staff are doing a good job of managing the twice-daily congestion.

Board members approved several appointments, including Cheryl Coffin as half-time fifth-grade science and social studies teacher.

They accepted the resignation of school nurse Molly Carter. Pfeiffer said Carter has accepted another position that offers more hours. She plans to stay at VCS until the Christmas vacation; applicants for the position will be interviewed starting soon.

The superintendent reminded board members that VCS is a designated Red Cross emergency shelter. A dozen people have signed up to volunteer if the shelter has to be opened; more are welcome, and can sign up by contacting Town Manager Aaron Miller or Town Clerk Cathy Coyne at the Vassalboro town office.

The next Vassalboro school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the school.

Vassalboro select board ponders changing bank, town attorney

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by Mary Grow

The Nov. 13 Vassalboro select board meeting included two phone-ins, as board members debated whether to change the town’s bank and the town attorney.

After the discussion of switching banks, with Jennifer Seekins, of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, they postponed a decision. Board member Chris French said he wanted more options to consider.

When board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico asked why switch, the principal reason was that the town’s bank accounts are currently not fully insured. Bar Harbor offers complete FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) coverage.

The second telephone conversation was with Patrick Lyons, of the law firm Eaton Peabody. Board members voted unanimously to hire him as Vassalboro’s town attorney, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Lyons is based in Eaton Peabody’s Ellsworth office; he serves as an Ellsworth city councilor. His family camp is in Vassalboro, off Seven Mile Stream, so he is familiar with the town. He specializes in municipal law, which he likes for the variety of issues it offers, and he enjoys meeting municipal office staff around the state.

Lyons said he would come to Vassalboro when necessary, including for an introductory in-person meeting. He is comfortable with zoom meetings and telephone calls.

Other decisions the select board made in a lengthy Nov. 13 meeting included:

— Adding to the fee schedule for marijuana growing operations in Vassalboro, $250 annually for medical marijuana operations (which the state allows municipalities to regulate, but not to prohibit). Denico said other Maine municipalities charge from $250 to $1,000 a year; depending on how much of the codes officer’s time these operations require, the board might change Vassalboro’s fee.
— Approving a contract with Calderwood Engineering for design work on the Dunlap Bridge replacement on Mill Hill Road, now that voters have approved funding for the project. The first question on the Nov. 5 local ballot asked permission to spend up to $360,000 in existing funds for the project; 1,383 voters said yes, 1,169 were opposed.

Board members spoke favorably of continuing to hold town voting at Vassalboro Community School instead of at the town office. Town Clerk Cathy Coyne said the town office meeting room makes an awkward voting area, and after the Nov. 5 experiment at VCS, she “heard nothing but good things” about using the school gymnasium.

Denico said VCS has a form that groups can fill out asking to use a school space. He recommended the town start using it.

Three decisions were postponed.

— Board members opened two bids from people asking to be Vassalboro’s new alewife harvester. They intend to review references and make a decision at their Dec. 12 meeting.
— They need more information on acquiring a larger propane tank for the Riverside fire station, after a discussion of sizes, leasing versus buying and costs.
— Town Manager Aaron Miller wants time to make sure of the proper procedure to create a handicapped parking space at Hair Builders, at 653 Oak Grove Road, in North Vassalboro. He said the business requested one; state transportation officials said it was a town decision; he is in favor, but wants to do it right.

The next Vassalboro select board meeting is currently scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12.

China committee, manager continue talks on transfer station changes

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by Mary Grow

China Transfer Station Committee members and Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood continued discussion of pending changes at the China facility at a Nov. 12 meeting.

Station manager Thomas Maraggio said the new building to cover the sandpile available to China residents for winter driveway sanding is almost done. He plans to post informational signs on it.

One sign will direct people where to put “hot loads,” defined as “loads of solid waste that are on fire, smoldering, or are potentially flammable by spontaneous combustion.” Disposal of hot loads is illegal, “but we get ’em,” Maraggio said.

“Common sense is not all that common,” observed committee chairman Christopher Bauman, saying he was quoting Will Rogers.

E-cigarette cartridges are also unacceptable at the transfer station, Maraggio said. The state Department of Environmental Protection defines them as hazardous waste.

Hapgood said China has received a grant to pay for a new baler that will let the transfer station accept #1 plastic for recycling. It should be in operation early in 2025; there will be publicity.

Maraggio shared an updated five-year plan for the transfer station and an updated fee schedule. Committee members recommended by consensus the select board approve the fee schedule.

Hapgood said 2025 transfer station stickers will be available beginning Dec. 1 at China and Palermo town offices and at the transfer station with presentation of a valid vehicle registration in China or Palermo. The charge is $2. Transfer station users will have until the end of January 2025 to update their stickers.

The next transfer station committee meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the China town office.

China planners set hearings on two applications

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by Mary Grow

The three China planning board members at the Nov. 12 meeting scheduled Nov. 26 public hearings on both applications on their agenda.

They decided the first hearing, at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 26, in the town office meeting room, will be on the application to add a records storage vault to the town office building (see The Town Line, Oct. 31, p. 3, and Nov. 14, p. 3).

The second hearing, which they expect will be longer, is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Its topic will be proposed improvements to Town Landing Road, which leads to the South China boat landing.

The only question about the new plan for the vault was about its location in relation to China Lake. Codes officer Nicholas French explained that the town office is outside the shoreland zone, which has extra restrictions.

The office is within the larger area covered by China’s Phosphorus Control Ordinance. This ordinance applies in the watersheds of China Lake and Three Mile Pond. The permit application says the vault project does not exceed allowable phosphorus export.

Joining virtually in discussion of Town Landing Road were several members of the Neighborhood Association, South China Village residents who live near the boat landing. Their main concerns at this stage were receiving information before the Nov. 26 hearing, and ensuring the hearing is well publicized.

A large paper drawing of the landing plan was on the town office meeting room wall. French said he needs a smaller version to copy for the website and other publicity; he hoped to have one in a few days.

Board chairman Toni Wall assured residents that property-owners abutting the landing will be notified and the hearing will be broadcast for virtual viewing.

Several members of the group indicated they intend to present objections to and questions about the work. Wall said she hopes someone involved in planning it will be at the Nov. 26 hearing with explanations.

As the planning board meeting began, Wall was re-elected board chairman. Select board members reappointed her to the board on Nov. 4.

Also on the Nov. 12 agenda was discussion of amending China’s subdivision ordinance and adding a site review ordinance. Both were postponed.