China Lake Association updates public on 10-year watershed plan

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by Eric W. Austin

On Thursday, December 2, the China Lake Association hosted a two-hour Zoom webinar to present the public with their 10-year plan for the China Lake Watershed. The plan represented work over a two-year period by multiple organizations to survey the China Lake watershed and develop a plan for preserving and improving it.

Stephen Greene

Stephen Greene, president of the China Lake Association, served as moderator for the event. Jennifer Jespersen, owner of the environmental consulting company Ecological Instincts, was the keynote speaker, with Amanda Pratt, of Maine DEP, presenting information about the recent watershed survey and moderating the question and answer session afterwards. Dr. Ken Wagner, a consultant from Water Resources Services, who Jespersen described as a “water professional specializing in the management of internal loading in lakes throughout New England”, was also on hand to answer questions from the audience.

China Lake Association president, Stephen Greene, introduced the evening by saying, “What are we trying to accomplish? In a nutshell, to restore water quality in China Lake, to end recurrent nuisance algae blooms. And why is this important? We all know that China Lake is the drinking water supply for 22,000 people. China Lake is the heartbeat of the community in the region. It is an economic engine. It serves as a large part of the tax base. It is home to people and wildlife in our community. It is a center of recreation.”

The previous watershed plan, formulated in 2008, was out of date, Jen Jespersen explained, and in order for local groups that do important restoration work in the watershed to apply and receive grants, the watershed plan must be updated every 10 years.

Jespersen began her presentation by explaining some of the problems China Lake is facing now and historically, along with reviewing some of the characteristics that make the China Lake watershed unique. Consisting of land in and around China Lake, both the east and west basins, 89 percent of the China Lake watershed sits within the borders of China, with nine percent in Vassalboro, two percent in Albion, and a tiny slice, making up only 0.1 percent, in Winslow. In total, the watershed includes about 27 square miles, with most of that surrounding the east basin (20 square miles). The surface area of the lake is about 6.2 square miles total.

The watershed is the area of land surrounding the bodies of water and determined by the sources that drain into the lake. Most of this area is forested (56 percent), with the remaining being wetlands (19 percent), agricultural areas (12 percent), developed land (11 percent) and roads (2 percent).

Water flows from the north end of the east basin, down the length of China Lake and then into the west basin (also known as the Big Lake), and into Outlet Stream which eventually drains into Sebasticook River and from there into the ocean.

Maximum depth of the lake is 92 feet in the west basin, and 56 feet in the east basin. Average depth across the lake is about 25 feet.

Screenshot taken from the China Lake watershed presentation.

Currently, China Lake is on the state’s list of impaired lakes because of the frequency of algae blooms, because China is considered a “high contact” body of water, and because of the high level of phosphorous and low oxygen levels detected in the lake. Part of the goal of the proposed 10-year watershed plan is to address these problems.

One of the problems China Lake suffers from is a lower than average flush rate. This is the rate at which all of the water in the lake is replaced by new water. Jespersen said that while the average for lakes in the state is between 1-1.5 flushes per year, China Lake is much lower at just .65-.72 flushes per year. This means that when pollutants are washed into the lake, it takes longer for the lake to flush them downstream than other comparable lakes.

Jespersen explained that they have arrived at their recommendations through extensive data collection, including Secchi Disc testing for water clarity at multiple stations around the lake, lakebed sediment testing, the collection of water samples to test for total phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a content, and water column readings, which test for dissolved oxygen in the water and also water temperature. This data is then fed into several data models to identify the best approach for management and restoration.

Algae problems in bodies of water like China Lake are directly related to the nutrient load on the lake. This “load” comes in two varieties: external load and internal load. The external load on the lake refers to the sources of nutrients flowing into the lake from external sources, including leaky septic systems, new land development and runoff from agricultural activity like farming and animal husbandry.

Impact overview of China Lake watershed. Screenshot taken from the China Lake watershed presentation.

The internal load is a bit harder to explain. This is the amount of nutrients already trapped in the sediment at the bottom of the lake. Some of this internal load on the lake is natural, coming from the decomposing bodies of animals, fish and plant matter that settle to the bottom of the lake, but much of it is also due to human activity. Today, there are regulations to manage the leakage of nutrients into the lake from things like land development and septic usage. But that wasn’t always the case. In the past, septic systems leaked directly into the lake, and no effort was made to reduce the influence of land development or agricultural activity on the watershed. Over time, these nutrients drained into the lake and built up in the sediment of the lake bottom, just waiting for the right moment to feed an explosion of new algae growth. That moment came in 1983 with the first major algae bloom, and this incident spurred regulatory changes to prevent it from happening again. But by that time we were already fighting a losing game against the internal nutrient load which had been building for years.

Because of this history, the China Lake Association and its partners must focus on the problem from two fronts, the external load, or the amount of new nutrients being fed into the lake, and the internal load, which refers to the nutrients already stored in the lake as a result of years of development and mismanagement of the lake’s watershed.

Algae blooms cause multiple problems. They can threaten the safety of drinking water for those residents that source their drinking water from China Lake. Blooms also damage the recreational and aesthetic value of the lake, and can negatively impact shoreline property values. Additionally, certain types of algae can be toxic to people and pets who come into contact with them.

The team’s research has suggested that the greatest impact on the west basin (the Big Lake) comes from sources in the east basin, and so dealing with the east basin’s internal load will result in the most improvement across both bodies of water. They have also identified the largest contributors of nutrients into the lake as a way to help formulate a management plan. For example, land used for agriculture makes up only 12 percent of the area of the watershed, but it contributes 38 percent of the nutrients feeding into the lake.

The goal of the proposed plan is to reduce the phosphorous in the east basin by 656 kg/year, a reduction of 7.5 parts per billion (ppb), and to reduce the phosphorous in the west basin by 229 kg/year, a reduction of 2.1 ppb. Currently, the total phosphorous in the lake, according to the ten-year average, stands at 17 parts per billion (ppb). This plan would aim to reduce that to 10 ppb, a significant reduction, which should, based on the data models the team is using, lower the probability of major algae blooms in the lake from 28 percent to 2 percent over the next ten years.

Screenshot taken from the China Lake watershed presentation.

Most of the questions asked by audience members after the presentations centered on the proposed alum treatment to address the lake’s internal nutrient load. This treatment involves adding aluminum sulfate to the lake which prevents the phosphorus in the sediment from being released as nutrients for potential algae blooms. Jespersen says that such a treatment could reduce the phosphorus in the east basin by as much as 90 percent, with an estimated cost of $1,445,000. She emphasizes that more analysis of lake sediment needs to be done to determine correct dosage for the alum treatment, which will also influence total expenses.

Ken Wagner, a consultant with Water Resources Services, addressed concerns about the treatment. While nothing is without risk, he said that aluminum is the second most common metal contained in the earth’s crust (after iron), and is commonly used as a treatment for drinking water. In fact, the companies that provide lake treatments are primarily involved in the treatment of drinking water.

Robbie Bickford, an employee with the Kennebec Water District, jumped on the call to confirm that aluminum is used as part of the KWD water treatment process.

Other proposals, such as oxidizing the lake to raise the dissolved oxygen level, or dredging the lake bottom to remove nutrient-rich sediment, were suggested by audience members. Dr. Wagner said that while such ideas have merit to achieve greater water clarity, both suggestions were discarded because of the enormous costs involved when compared to the expected improvements. An alum treatment is more cost effective, safe, and expected to provide benefits for 20-30 years into the future.

A question was asked about how the recent return of alewives to China Lake might impact water clarity. Dr. Wagner said he doesn’t think there will be a substantial impact either way.

Much more detail and additional information was included in the presentation than could be fit into this article. A recording of the presentation should be available on the China Lake Association website by the time this article is published.

(View the full presentation below or click this link to watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1RCFlW0sFw)

Windsor receives plowing contract for $27,500

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by The Town Line staff

At their November 9 meeting, the Windsor select board dealt with an abbreviated agenda.

Town Manager Theresa Haskell reported she has received the plowing contract from McGee Construction, in the amount of$27,500, and $94 per hour after 250 hours for the 2021-22 winter season. Selectmen accepted the bid unanimously.

The new insurance rates received for January 2022 show the health POS C plan went up two percent and the dental plan went up one percent.

In other business, it was reported that clean up at the transfer station, in preparation for winter, has been completed. Tires, air conditioners, television and metal can have been removed. The monthly financial report showed revenues down $1,585.78 from the same date in October of last year, and are down $2,483.26 for the first four months of the current fiscal year.

Animal Control Officer Kim Bolduc-Bartlett will be off from December 1 to December 14. Peter Nerber will be her back up.

The cemetery sexton, Joyce Perry, has reported the cemetery gates are now closed for the winter.

A meeting to begin plans for the Windsor Bicentennial was held on November 15. Haskell recommended a committee get started to include members of the town office, historical society, Windsor Fair Association, Windsor Elementary School, Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, Windsor Rescue, and the general public.

Assessors Agent Vern Ziegler sent the request for proposal to Haskell for the town valuation for her review. All bids need to be returned to the town office by January 2022.

Finally, Haskell circulated photos of the new fence that was completed through an Eagle Scout project, and would like to attach a sign on the fence to recognize the Eagle Scouts who did the project. The select board agreed to the sign.

The next regular select board meeting was scheduled for November 23.

China’s Municipal Building Committee (MBC) accepts chairman’s recommendation to select board

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by Mary Grow

At a short meeting Nov. 18, members of China’s Municipal Building Committee (MBC) accepted Chairman Sheldon Goodine’s recommendation on documents to be forwarded to China select board members.

The committee, active since last spring, has been asked to suggest where and how to provide additional space, primarily for storage, at the town office. Members have focused on a single-story addition designed for keeping town records and related documents, so that the well-filled storage rooms in the present office would be available for other uses.

Goodine’s list included minutes of committee meetings and other information members have discussed, and the CAD (computer-aided design) drawings committee member and Codes Officer Jaime Hanson prepared.

Goodine said he thinks committee members have come up with proposals that are both aesthetically acceptable and practical. A main contribution is providing specific information on amounts and types of storage space needed.

The next step is to get select board members’ reactions and suggestions as a basis for more detailed design work.

MBC members did not expect to be on the select board agenda until the Monday evening, Dec. 6, meeting, at the earliest. Pending discussion with select board members, they did not schedule another committee meeting.

China select board listens to three speakers on different topics

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by Mary Grow

Speakers on three different topics at the Nov. 22 China select board meeting gave board members information to ponder and perhaps act on later.

Board member Janet Preston shared profiles of three different voting methods town officials could consider as alternatives to the present local method.

Bob Parsloe, of Portland-based Wireless Partners, LLC, offered a possible alternative source of internet service for China residents, besides existing providers and those the town’s Broadband Committee has been exploring.

Lauren Gaudet, field service representative for the Maine Municipal Employees Health Trust, summarized programs the organization offers.

Preston thinks China’s present local voting system, which asks voters to mark as many candidates’ names as there are open seats on the board they’re voting for, is self-contradictory when voters take it literally. If you vote for two or more people, “you’re voting against your own choices,” she said.

Citing a website called nonprofitvote.org, she said one alternative is called limited voting: voters cast fewer votes than the number of seats to be filled. The example she used was a race with five open seats, but voters limited to two votes.

Cumulative voting is another method: voters have as many votes as there are open positions, but they can allocate their votes as they please: one to each candidate, all to one candidate, or anything in between.

The third option Preston presented is the ranked-choice system Maine already uses for some statewide elections.

More information on all three methods is available on line.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood was unsure whether select board members or town voters were the appropriate body to change the local voting method, if a majority of the select board decided a change was desirable.

Parsloe’s virtual PowerPoint presentation explained what Wireless Partners, LLC, offers for internet service, with a focus on rural towns in northern New England.

His company, he said, would design and build a network, operate it for a while (typically five to seven years) and sell it to “a major carrier.” He expects not to require town investment; to offer competitive prices to subscribers; and to need to build additional towers in town.

Company websites are wireless-partnersllc.com and mytrailrunner.com.

Robert O’Connor, chairman of the China Broadband Committee (CBC), was in the audience and intends to communicate with Parsloe to get more information.

O’Connor gave select board members a summary of relevant parts of CBC studies. Recently, he said, Spectrum Communications’ parent company, Charter Communications, had asked to discuss “new options.”

O’Connor asked whether select board members wanted to meet with a Charter or Spectrum representative, or whether CBC members should do it. Select board Chairman Ronald Breton was happy to have CBC members handle the discussion.

The Augusta-based Maine Municipal Employees Health Trust is a nonprofit group associated with the Maine Municipal Association. China town employees currently get health insurance through one of its plans. Gaudet listed other plans for which China is eligible, with some of the financial advantages and disadvantages of each.

In other business Nov. 22, select board members approved Town Clerk Angela Nelson’s proposed timeline leading to a written-ballot town meeting on June 14, 2022. Deadlines she and Hapgood noted there and elsewhere include:

  • Requests for 2022-23 funding from China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund are due by Jan. 3, 2022 (earlier if possible).
  • 2022-23 budget requests from town department heads and others who receive town funding are due by the end of January 2022, for review by the budget committee before select board members approve them for the town meeting warrant.
  • Proposed new town ordinances from the planning board are due by early February 2022.
    Nelson’s schedule calls for the select board to approve the final draft of the town meeting warrant at an April 11, 2022, meeting.

Select board members appointed Karen Morin a new member of the TIF Committee.

The December meetings of the China select board are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, and Monday, Dec. 20.

Vassalboro school heads ask for more early release days

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

The liveliest discussion at the Nov. 16 Vassalboro School Board meeting was over the administration’s request for additional early release days, when students are sent home for the afternoon so teachers can work together.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer and Assistant Principal Greg Hughes explained that teachers at Vassalboro Community School (VCS), dealing with Covid-related changes and requirements in addition to their pre-Covid responsibilities, need more group time. They use it to plan dealing with issues like curriculum adjustments and implementing new Department of Education directives; to share information on common problems and useful techniques; and to provide mutual support.

The 2021-22 calendar approved in 2020 included three early release days. One has been used; the other two are scheduled in January and May 2022, Pfeiffer said.

He and Hughes recommended two early release days each month, starting in December 2021.

School board members reacted immediately: sending kids home that often will be really hard on parents.

Audience members, mostly parents, replied promptly: we can take care of our kids, give teachers the time they need.

Some suggested changing proposed dates from Wednesdays – chosen to break up the week, Pfeiffer said – to Fridays, when some people might find it easier to leave work early, if teachers were okay with Fridays.

Using a whole day, instead of an afternoon, wouldn’t be possible, Pfeiffer said, because the state requires 175 “seat days” a year, and half-days count as seat days.

School board members unanimously approved two early release days a month beginning in December, with dates to be considered again at the Dec. 21 board meeting.

As at previous meetings this fall, several of the dozen audience members had questions about pandemic-related procedures. Answers from Pfeiffer, school nurse MaryAnn Fortin or both, included:

  • There are no plans to host a vaccination clinic at VCS, because parents have enough other options.
  • There have been positive results from some of the pool testing, and yes, classmates outside a pool in which at least one student tested positive do need to be quarantined.

One parent expressed support for the testing, masking and distancing measures being taken to prioritize health and safety at VCS and thanked board members, administrators, staff and students for their efforts to make it possible for students to stay in school.

Board and audience members heard presentations from three staff members, School Counselor Meg Swanson, Social Worker Tabitha Sagner and new Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) Master Specialist Delaney Wood.

Swanson’s and Sagner’s main jobs are to assist students with social, emotional, behavioral and other non-academic difficulties that can affect their academic performance. Both spoke – but did not complain – about how much more difficult Covid has made this type of work, not just at VCS but state-wide and probably nation-wide.

More students experience stress, anxiety and uncertainty. Many express their insecurity through disruptive behavior in the classroom. More than the usual number need extra counseling, in small groups or individually.

Teachers, too, are stressed and overwhelmed. A shortage of staff makes their situation more difficult. The staff shortage is not just in schools, Swanson added; the outside agencies on which teachers have relied are also short-staffed and putting would-be clients on waiting lists.

Swanson sees no quick fix for the interrelated problems. Despite ongoing efforts to adapt and despite increased federal funding for multiple aspects of education, she expects the impact on “student response, learning and behavior” will last “at least a decade.”

Wood’s presentation on JMG was more upbeat. A graduate of Winslow High School and Wesleyan University, she is in her first year of full-time teaching, following Victor Esposito, “Mr. E,” who retired at the end of last year.

JMG’s website says it is a nonprofit corporation that partners with Maine schools, from middle school through college or university, to give students “the guidance, skills and opportunities they need to succeed in their careers.”

The emphasis is on hands-on, adventure-based learning, Wood said – for example, the garden Mr. E started. Students told her they would like to go on local field trips, like a visit to the fire station. To raise money for use of a bus, they plan a wreath sale, Wood said.

In other business Nov. 16, Assistant Principal Hughes said he was pleased by the number of parents who came to VCS for parent-teacher conferences. He thanked the PTO for the refreshments members supplied.

Hughes said the homework club has started and the drama club and explorers club are scheduled to start in December. With construction work nearly finished, classroom rearrangements are under way.

Construction work was responsible for the unplanned early dismissal on Nov. 3, Superintendent Pfeiffer said. A workman accidentally cut a cable, activating the fire alarm system, and no one could make it turn off.

Finance Director Paula Pooler reported the budget is still on track, including the school lunch budget that has lost money in past years. She again reminded parents to fill out the application form for free lunch, even though it is free anyway, so that VCS can get the state subsidies to which it is entitled.

A link to the form is on the front page of the school’s website, vcsvikings.org.

The next regular Vassalboro School Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Vassalboro select board looks at issues that could turn into 2022-23 budget requests

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 18 meeting, Vassalboro select board members agreed on a variety of issues that are likely to turn into 2022-23 budget requests and recommendations.

Town Manager Mary Sabins had organized and categorized the goals they discussed at an October special meeting (see The Town Line, Nov. 4, p. 9). Board members set as priorities:

  • Reinvigorating the town recreation program, perhaps by asking voters to approve adding a town office staff member whose responsibilities would include acting as recreation director.
  • Recreating a version of the capital improvement plan developed in the past, to provide a tentative schedule of upcoming major expenditures. (Fire Chief Walker Thompson assured Board Chairman Robert Browne he does not foresee an immediate need for a new fire truck.)
  • Improving town planning – they even mentioned “the z word,” zoning, which was not popular with Vassalboro residents – so they won’t need to rely on one-at-a-time ordinances to prevent unwelcome effects of development.

A specific development topic was the proliferation of solar arrays in town, currently reviewed by the planning board under the town’s Site Review Ordinance. Select Board members Chris French and Barbara Redmond thought an ordinance specific to solar projects would be valuable. Sabins suggested reviving Vassalboro’s Solar Committee.

Sabins presented again her request that board members approve a wage study to see how town employees’ pay compares to other towns’ pay scales. The $3,800 cost is included in the current year’s administration budget, she said. Board members approved.

Resident Thomas Richards urged select board members to do something about the Cushnoc Road bridge, which is state-owned, weight-limited to 20 tons and, Road Foreman Eugene Field said, likely to be increasingly restricted and ultimately closed.

Richards said it is already closed to most fire trucks and all but the smallest town plow truck, requiring detours. “What’s a person’s life worth?” when emergency vehicles are delayed, Richards demanded.

And, he asked, “How is Bill Green [of WH Green & Sons, Inc., a construction company at 180 Cushnoc Road, south of the bridge] gonna get his cranes out?” The turn north on Riverside Drive (Route 202) from the south end of Cushnoc Road is awkward for a large vehicle.

The town could take over the bridge and replace it, people suggested. Field and board members estimated a new bridge would cost at least a million dollars, more money than Browne is willing to consider borrowing.

Members of the Vassalboro Conservation Commission presented a plan for creating a new park on town-owned land along Route 32 and Outlet Stream, north of East Vassalboro village. Holly Weidner explained that in the first two years, they hope to provide a small parking area, a path to the stream, picnic tables and a seasonal porta potty.

The project would include landscaping and plantings. Commission members envision mowing the area twice a year and putting up signs.

Select board members expressed approval and said they will include a funding request for the park – they estimated $2,000 – in their suggested 2022-23 budget.

Former board member John Melrose sent an email from the Trails Committee asking if the current board members wanted the committee to develop draft rules for use of the Town Forest and Red Brook trails. They said yes.

Melrose also asked for $250 to make Vassalboro a municipal member of the Kennebec Land Trust. The answer was again yes.

In other business, select board members:

  • Appointed Marianne Stevens, currently the alternate member of the planning board, as a full member to succeed Sally Butler, who resigned; and appointed Paul Mitnik as planning board alternate, effective in January when he plans to hand over codes enforcement duties to Ryan Page.
  • Gave preliminary approval to Sabins’ proposed budget preparation time-line in advance of the 2022 annual town meeting, which is currently scheduled for Monday evening, June 6, 2022, with municipal elections Tuesday, June 14.
  • Scheduled their next meeting for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9.
  • Scheduled their second December meeting for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 22, so that the town office can close at 4 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 23, instead of the usual 6:30 p.m. Thursday closing. Over Browne’s mild objection, they did not extend staff members’ hours on Dec. 22 to make up for shorter Thursday hours.

SOLON & BEYOND: News from Solon Elementary School

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

We were not able to hold our outdoor Fall Open House because at the time half of our students and some staff members were quarantining. Please check out our open house webpage created by our new Title I ed tech Samantha Taylor. You can see our classrooms and read about each teacher’s goals for 2021-22 school year. You can find the webpage at https://solon.carrabec.org/home. We hope to have a big outdoor open house in the spring.

Parents and teachers have been busy meeting for fall conferences during October and November. Together they have set goals for each student for the school year. Thank you for participating in this process. Your involvement in your child’s education means so much.

Our school board has instituted a mask mandate through the holidays to be reassessed at their January 5 meeting as a way to curb the spread of COVID in our schools and reduce the number of students and staff who have to quarantine. Keeping students healthy and safe is our top priority. This year students have the whole week of Thanksgiving off as vacation time. I hope that even though we all have to follow COVID safety protocols, you will be able to enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday week. And Christmas is right around the corner!

The First Quarter Honor Roll : All A’s ­ – Maxxwell Caplin, Lydia Dixon, Hunter Ingersoll, Hunter Poulior, and Spencer Rogers. All A’s & B’s – Keirra Brooks, Kabella Chretien, Ehren Hill, Allyssa Hutchins, Landen Jacobs, Olive MacDonald, Kira Medwick, Ryan Medwick , Martin Plourde, Emma Pooler, Dylan Priest, Wilder Taylor Braelin Vaughn, Ally Williams, and Madison Wyman.

Solon Students Win District Awards : Solon Elementary School is proud to have three award winners in the 2020-21 school year. Each year one student in third grade, one in fourth grade, and one in fifth grade, win an award for scoring the highest in the district on the Maine Educational Assessment in reading or math. A science award is usually given to a fifth grader, but since the test was new last year and just given as a field test, the next winner in science will be for 2021-22.

Award winners each received a certificate and a check for $50, and their names are displayed on a plaque in the lobby at Carrabec Community School. The monetary prizes for this program are donated by Mr. & Mrs. Chet Hickox and the three elementary school PTO’s.

Halloween Fun: On October 29, we held a Halloween Parade, and students enjoyed treats donated by families at a Halloween buffet. Thanks to the Solon Fire Department for providing a fire truck to escort us around town. Halloween Dime Raffle winners were Ellie Smith, Anthony Sandoval and Hunter Pouliot.

We want to recognize our top sellers in the fundraiser. Kindergartner Paul Yocum sold 37 items for a total of $426. Fifth grader Spenser Rogers sold 30 items for a total of $464. Great job, Paul and Spencer.

Solon HOLDS WALKING SCHOOL BUS ACTIVITY: On October 20, we held a Walking School Bus activity as part of our wellness action plan. Students and staff met at the Solon Thrift Shop and walked to school. Once they arrived , they enjoyed a breakfast prepared by our cook Mrs. Lawrence. We are planning a second Walking School Bus activity on December 1. NOTES FROM THE NURSE. School-BASED DENTAL CLINIC: We will soon offer this program, which accepts all insurances and offers services for students who do not have a regular dentist and would like to receive dental care. They do oral exams, oral hygiene instructions, dental cleanings fluoride treatments, sealants on molars and premolars and temporary fillings. The second dental program offers oral exams and fluoride treatment. This is free to all children in grades K-6. Please send in your permission forms to participate in any of these programs.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Students ages 19 Vaccine Clinic. Students ages 5 and up December 21, 2021. Immunizations. It is important to have your child up to date on higher on his /her immunizations before November 29, 2021. After this date, if your child’s immunizations are not up to date, he/she will be excluded from attending school until these immunizing are up to date.

Will finish the rest of this news next week, but now it’s time for Percy’s memoir entitled, “My Earnest Prayer: Today, I pray for others, Lord, Who seem less blessed than I. That in your love and mercy, You’ll heed their desperate cry. For those depressed and lonely, Please be their constant guide… And show them they are not alone, For You are by their side! For those in pain of body… Dear Lord, Please make them whole, And those who doubt….increase their faith, Reveal their glorious soul! Feed those who live in hunger, House those who have no home, And free this world from hatred; Show us we all are one Dear Lord, thank you for listening, And answering this prayer, This world seems much less frightening, Just knowing that you care.”

China Broadband Committee (CBC) continues exploring options for funding

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 17 meeting, China Broadband Committee (CBC) members continued exploring options for funding better internet service for China residents, after voters said no to borrowing money through a town-issued bond.

At their Nov. 4 meeting, the main alternatives considered were seeking an arrangement with other towns or continuing to develop a China-only service (see The Town Line, Nov. 11, p. 3). As the meeting ended, Axiom Technologies President Mark Ouellette said he would look for possible sources of financing, government or private.

Private investors seem more likely, because, Ouellette and committee member Jamie Pitney agreed on Nov. 17, state and federal funds are aimed mainly at unserved populations. They could not find that improving slow or unreliable service qualified for government funding.

Only an estimated five percent of China residents get no internet service to their houses. The majority are served by Spectrum or Consolidated Communi­cations.

CBC members consider that neither company provides adequate service for contemporary needs. So far, neither has offered an upgrade that committee members have found acceptable.

Ouellette suggested a useful activity to begin as soon as possible: asking residents to check the speed of their internet systems and report results, to help evaluate current providers. Information on running tests and forwarding results will be publicized. Testing is as simple as finding the phrase “internet speed test” on the web and following the directions.

Ouellette has worked with other towns where private investment has made expanded internet possible through Axiom. The possibility of such an arrangement for China is “generally positive,” he said, but he had no specific plan to report.

Based on other towns’ experience, he advised trying to find investors in the Town of China, who will accept a low rate of return in order to benefit their neighbors.

Organizational possibilities were mentioned. Pitney cited an intertown nonprofit created to provide ambulance service. Ouellette knew of a four-town utility district.

Committee member Tod Detre suggested CBC members form a nonprofit organization and ask for money through one of the crowdfunding platforms on the web.

Ouellette and Piney intended to schedule an appointment with the acting head of the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), the state agency that promotes business development, to see if China qualifies for help there.

CBC Chairman Robert O’Connor and others planned to attend the Nov. 22 select board meeting, where O’Connor said board members were scheduled to hear a presentation from a wireless internet provider.

Pending information on FAME and the select board meeting, CBC members postponed scheduling their next meeting.

Transfer station committee members agree on two monetary issues

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by Mary Grow

China Transfer Station Committee members agreed unanimously on two monetary issues at their Nov. 16 meeting.

One was to ask selectmen to choose an engineer to design a cover for the pre-crusher and controls beside the mixed-waste hopper at the transfer station. Committee members recommend an engineered plan because they want the new cover attached to the present structure.

Building the cover is included in the draft five-year facilities plan as one of two items recommended for fiscal year 2022-23. The cost is tentatively estimated at $15,000.

The other project the draft plan now proposes for the coming fiscal year is providing electricity in the free for the taking building, so volunteers and “customers” can enjoy heat and can test donated electrical appliances. That project cost is estimated at $5,000, Transfer Station Manager Ronald Marois said.

Committee Chairman Lawrence Sikora plans to ask for final approval of the five-year plan at the committee’s Dec. 14 meeting. Once approved, it will serve as a recommended guide for expenditure requests to the select board and voters.

At the Nov. 16 meeting, there was brief discussion of buying a screen for compost. The material is double-composted, but without being screened it contains small sticks, rocks and other debris unwelcome in residents’ gardens.

Marois said he has no trouble getting rid of the unscreened compost. Committee members took no action.

The second monetary decision was on the committee’s requested budget for FY 2022-23.

For the current year, Sikora asked for and received $1,000. His intention was to support members attending Maine solid waste conferences and workshops, visiting other towns’ facilities and otherwise expanding their knowledge.

In October, he and Chris Diesch, one of Palermo’s two representatives on the committee, went to a multi-day conference for which the registration fee was $275 apiece.

When Sikora asked that the two fees come from the committee’s budget, some China select board members asked why China money should cover Diesch’s fee. Board members ultimately decided, on a split vote, to pay this time but hereafter to expect Palermo to support its own committee members (see The Town Line, Nov. 11, p. 2).

Transfer Station Committee members made it clear at the Nov. 16 meeting that they think all committee members should be equally supported by committee money. They emphasized the usefulness of regional and state meetings and the desirability of having several members attend to provide different perspectives. They also pointed out that the $1,000 budget would not have covered registration for even the one conference if all eight committee members had attended.

Consequently, they authorized Sikora to ask for a $2,500 Transfer Station Committee budget in 2022-23. Robert Kurek, Palermo’s other representative on the committee, abstained on the vote; Disch was absent.

Sikora shared some of the things he learned at the October conference.

A decision on increased bag fees for Palermo residents was again postponed, this time because the cost of the bags is apparently going to rise substantially due to supply chain issues. Palermo has been given the required six-months’ notice that there will be an increase in the spring, so Kurek had no problem with the exact amount being left undecided.

Committee members voted unanimously to buy 17 cases of bags their supplier is said to have on hand.

In addition to the Dec. 14 meeting of the full committee, a Visioning Subcommittee meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 1. Both meetings will be at 9 a.m. in the portable building behind the China town office.

Committee corrects two false impressions

China Transfer Station Committee members want to correct two false impressions that they said are creating problems at the transfer station.

One is that the free for the taking building is a place to dispose of things like computers, televisions and worn-out furniture, to avoid paying disposal fees. The free for the taking building only accepts items that other residents can happily take home and use. Its space is limited.

The second error is the belief that residents of neighboring towns besides Palermo can obtain China transfer station RFID (radio frequency identification) placards. Placards are issued only to residents of China and, by contract, Palermo. China has no contract with any other town.

CHINA: Rollins, Wilkens to lead planning board

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by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members began their Nov. 9 meeting by electing new leaders, since former Chairman Randall Downer has retired. Co-chairman Toni Wall moved that Scott Rollins become chairman and James Wilkens co-chairman; the motion was approved.

Rollins welcomed new member Michael Brown.

Board members then unanimously approved both commercial applications on their agenda, finding they met all criteria in town ordinances.

Jayson Mortimer has approval to open an automobile service business in the existing garage by his home at 86 Vassalboro Road. Michael Marois has approval to add more than 100 cubic yards of fill to expand seating and parking at his MJEK Seafood and Grill, at 239 Lakeview Drive.

The board’s short public hearing on Mortimer’s application drew no comments. Mortimer still needs a sign permit from Codes Officer Jaime Hanson, and he said he is waiting for state approval of his proposed inspection station.

Marois intends to move the outdoor seating area south and turn the present seating area into parking, he said.

Rollins reminded the applicants that neighbors have 30 days to appeal the board decision. Neither man expects objections. Mortimer said at an earlier meeting that he has helped several neighbors with their vehicles, and Marois commented, “Most of my neighbors are family.”

The next China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23.