So. China American Legion plans expansion of Veterans monument

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South China Post commander Neil Farrington at the Veterans Monument.

by Eric W. Austin

The Boynton-Webber American Legion Post #179 has recently announced plans to expand the veterans memorial at the four corners in South China Village. The plan entails adding a brick pathway leading up to the monument, with the names of veterans engraved on each brick.

The GAR Hall which used to be at the location of the South China veterans monument.

“My idea for the brick walkway at the South China memorial is to honor our local veterans,” says Post #179 Commander Neil Farrington. “It really doesn’t matter if you served during a time of war or in peacetime. This project is meant to honor all area veterans.”

The site of the South China memorial has historical significance to the town of China. Originally, it was the location of a GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall dedicated to a local hero of the Civil War, Captain James Parnell Jones, who was known as the “Fighting Quaker” for his bravery in that conflict. Later, in 1949, the spot became the site of the first American Legion Hall, in South China, before the current building on Legion Memorial Drive was erected in 1968.

A sample of the engraved bricks.

There is already a memorial at the town office for veterans who served in World War II, but Commander Farrington hopes this project will be an opportunity to honor those who served in other conflicts, including the Civil War, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan, as well as veterans who served during peacetime between 1953-1963, a period of service that often goes unrecognized.

The new pathway will be built using 180 bricks purchased by the public and engraved with the names and service dates of local veterans. The cost for a brick is $100, with twenty-percent covering the cost of the engraving and the rest going toward the cost of a new heating and cooling system for the Legion Hall. (The American Legion is a registered nonprofit and donations for the project are tax-deductible.)

Anyone in the area towns around South China is invited to purchase a brick to remember a friend or relative who served in active duty or the National Guard. There will be room for up to three lines of 20 characters per line on each brick.

Bricks can be ordered by mailing a check payable to American Legion Post #179, PO Box 401, South China, ME 04358. Interested parties can request an order form by email at peachclassof68@gmail.com (or download it here), or by phone at 462-4321.

Orders should be submitted as soon as possible, with construction expected to commence in the spring.

The lights here at the monument show the location of the planned brick expansion.

Glidden family honors WWII soldier from Palermo

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The Glidden family, group on left, Buffy, Sam, Nelson, Gayle and Sue. Group on right, Amy, Laraine, Paul, Pat, Clair and Delores. (contributed photo)

Submitted by Patricia Glidden Clark

Saturday, September 30, 2023, family members of World War II soldier from Palermo, Malcolm Leroy Glidden, honored his memory with a gathering at the Malcolm Glidden American Legion Post #163, in Palermo. The presentation was put together by Post Commander Paul Hunter with documentation that he researched and obtained from the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri, and information from other sources like Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com, Sons of Liberty Museum and American Legion records. It was supplemented by historic records, clippings and photos that Mr. Glidden’s parents, George and Esther Glidden, had saved from the 1940s. Two of their granddaughters, Patricia (Pat) Glidden Clark and sister Laraine Glidden (daughters of Malcolm’s brother Lawrence) provided a great deal of information to the Legion.

Malcolm left Palermo on March 20, 1944, at just 18 years old, to serve his country in the U.S. Army. He served in the European Theater of Operations, Signal Corp, 94th Division of General George Patton’s 3rd Army. Unfortunately, he never made it home, becoming the only soldier from Palermo to be killed in World War ll. Malcolm died in battle in Germany on March 23, 1945, near Luxembourg. He would not be returned home until April 9, 1949, and was buried on April 10, 1949, at Chadwick Hill Cemetery, in South China.

Family members in attendance were: Patricia Glidden Clark and Laraine Glidden (children of brother Lawrence Glidden); Delores Kennedy Douglas (daughter of sister Eloise Glidden Kennedy), Buffy Glidden Whitaker (daughter of Malcolm’s namesake nephew Malcolm) and son Sam, and Nelson and Gayle Glidden (children of Malcolm’s brother George). Additional family present included Amy Glidden, widow of Bruce Glidden who was brother to Buffy; Clair Clark, Pat’s spouse, and Nelson’s wife Sue. We were also joined by Paul’s wife Bonnie and daughter Chelsea.

Paul and Bonnie put together a booklet for the family with many of the significant details of Malcolm’s life and service to his country. The family is looking forward to receiving copies of the booklet for each member. At the close of the visit, Pat and Laraine presented the American flag to the Legion that had been given to them following the death of their father Lawrence in 1982.

China resident presents new plan for property development

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by Mary Grow

China resident Chris Harris presented a new proposal for his land on Route 3 to town planning board members at their Oct. 24 meeting. Board members advised on next steps, planning continued review in November.

At their June 27 meeting, board members unanimously approved Harris’s proposed self-storage units at 623 Route 3. Since then, Harris said, enough other self-storage businesses have opened to lead him to reconsider.

At the Oct. 24 meeting, he presented a preliminary plan to subdivide his property into four house lots. He already lives on one, plans a house on another and will postpone development on the remaining two.

Board co-chairman Toni Wall summarized some of the requirements in China’s subdivision ordinance, calling the application process “pretty extensive.” She and co-chairman James Wilkens agreed the area of the existing access driveway across Lot D to the Harris house needs to be deducted from Lot D’s lot area as the driveway becomes a right-of-way.

They also discussed the need to locate wells, septic system and probably house sites on each lot in a final plan. After the final plan is presented, board members will decide whether it is complete, and if it is, will decide whether to hold a public hearing.

The other major agenda item Oct. 24 was the draft revised Planning Board Ordinance, prepared by town attorney Amanda Meader.

Board members found much to like in Meader’s draft, but also had disagreements and questions.

  • They do not support her recommendation that planning board members be appointed by the select board, instead of elected as they are now. Using phrases like “an arm of the select board” and “dependent on the select board,” they recommended continuing with an elected planning board.
  • They also prefer to continue to have board members elected from four districts in town, rather than from the town at large. Wilkens, especially, praised a system that lets neighbors know who represents them on the planning board.
  • They approved the suggestion that terms be longer than the current two years, but recommended three years rather than the five Meader suggested.
  • Elaine Mather, the newest board member (who has a legal background), asked if phrases like “sufficient evidence” and “adequate notice” need additional definition.

Wall intends to redraft the ordinance to incorporate suggestions.

The next regular China planning board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Nov. 14. The agenda is likely to include a public hearing on Novel Energy’s application for a community solar garden on Parmenter Hill Road (see the Oct. 5 issue of The Town Line, p. 2). The hearing was originally scheduled for Oct. 10, but was postponed because the planning board had no quorum that evening.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Lung cancer screening saves lives

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Submitted by MaineGeneral
Medical Center

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Though lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer in Maine and the U.S., catching lung cancer early increases the chance of survival by 20 percent.
MaineGeneral offers low-dose CT (LDCT) screening, an important tool that can save your life.

Patients urge others to get scanned

Millard Jackson, of Augusta, got screened at the urging of his family – and is glad he did. “The screening is a real piece of cake,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to find out what’s wrong with your car to fix it, right? The same is true for yourself!”

A screening and biopsy found Jackson had two different types of cancer in the same lung. He had surgery performed by Dr. Seth Blank, thoracic surgeon at MaineGeneral, to remove his lower lobe. Now, he’s cancer-free.

“I’m back to work, happy, feel good… healthy!”

Sharon Mercier, of Sidney, was urged to have a screening by her primary care doctor. “I didn’t expect them to find anything,” she said. “I had no symptoms, no shortness of breath, no weakness. My results came back and I had a mass in my left lung.” Mercier also had surgery and is recovering well. She urges others to think about getting a LDCT scan.

“The scan is very easy. It’s not scary or intimidating,” she said. “It’s really a regular test. I knew my results within four days, and they moved right on it. I can’t stress enough for people to get theirs early. I just thank God every day that they caught mine in time – and they wouldn’t have if not for that CT scan.”

What is a low-dose CT scan?

A low-dose CT scan is a type of X-ray that looks for early-stage lung cancer. The scan does not hurt and takes less than five minutes to complete.

Talk to your doctor about getting screened if you:

• Are 50 to 80 years old;
• Are a current or former smoker;
• Have quit smoking within the last 15 years;
• Have smoked one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years.

If a scan finds cancer

At MaineGeneral, you have access to a complete set of services for state-of-the-art care, including screening, diagnostic testing and treatment with specialists in thoracic surgery, medical and radiation oncology and interventional pulmonology.

Currently, MaineGeneral is the only medical center in Maine with robotic broncoscopy, performed by MaineGeneral Pulmonary, which maps a lesion and can access otherwise hard-to-reach lesions in the lung.

“We do flexible bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound and robotic bronchoscopy at the same time,” said Dr. Ranganath, of MaineGeneral Pulmonary. “We get the diagnosis and the staging made at the same time. So, when that patient goes to a surgeon or oncologist, they already know the diagnosis and the staging.”

All this care is available right here in the Kennebec Valley. There is no need to travel to get a screening and, if needed, treatment.

Learn more

Visit our webpage devoted to lung health information:

• Hear from MaineGeneral patients who got low-dose CT screening;
• Watch a video about the screening;
• Hear about cancer prevention;
• Learn about other lung cancer risks such as radon and arsenic;
• View videos by some of our caring doctors and support staff and submit questions for our doctors to answer.

Go to www.mainegeneral.org/lung.

BUSINESS NEWS: New Dimensions FCU names Grenier as new executive vice president

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New Dimensions Federal Credit Union in Waterville, Maine.

Michael Grenier

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union has announced the promotion of Michael Grenier to Executive Vice Presi­dent. In this new role, Grenier will oversee operations, develop growth strategies, and enact the vision set forth by the Board of Directors and CEO.

Grenier brings nearly 20 years of credit union experience to the position, including ten years as an examiner for the State of Maine and the National Credit Union Administration. He began in 2014 with Taconnet FCU as Chief Financial Officer but later transitioned into Chief Operations Officer during the 2018 merger with Taconnet Originally from Rumford, Grenier holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in Finance and Management Information Systems from the University of Maine. He currently resides in Central Maine with his wife and two sons.

CEO Ryan Poulin stated, “I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Mike for the past several years, and he has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, business acumen, and commitment to serve our members. His skills, experience, and vision will strengthen New Dimensions FCU’s operation in this new role.”

LETTERS: More volunteers needed at Window Dressers workshop

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Damaris Mayans at the China build in 2022. (photo by Eric W. Austin)

To the editor:

Last year The Town Line ran a piece about Window Dressers, a grassroots, volunteer-run, nonprofit organization that trains, supplies, and supports volunteers to construct Insulating Window Inserts for residents who need help in keeping their homes warm.

Even though I did not get a response last year when I applied, this year volunteers came to my house and measured my windows for the inserts I desperately need.

I volunteered to construct my inserts and inserts for others for three days in the November 6 – 11 period that they will be doing this at the Olde Mill Place, 934 Main St., No. Vassalboro.

As the saying goes, “life happens”, and I had to call today to see if I could go in on November 7, at 12:30 p.m., instead of the 8:30 a.m. shift that I had signed up for in October.

During the conversation I heard that more volunteers are very much needed.

If you know anyone who has a few hours in a morning or afternoon, from November 7 – 11, to help construct insulating window inserts for those people who need help keeping Maine’s cold winter days and night outside, it will be very much appreciated.

Anyone who has the time can get contact details at https://windowdressers.org/

Another one of those great nonprofit positive things happening in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

You know more people than I do in this area, so thank you for contacting anyone who might have the time.

Roberta Barnes
Windsor

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Just passing time

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by Debbie Walker

That is right. Quite a bit of time I am working on one project or another. The most recent one has Dave scratching his head in wonder. I have been wanting to do some matchy (means I want the different pieces to match) things for the bedroom. I found a comforter for the bedroom, truthfully, I bought it to help me cheat in making a quilt. But… some other idea traveled through my head before I got to the quilt (I’ll just have to buy another one to cheat with.).

I have had a lightweight quilt om my bed for quite some time. One side of it was all the bright colors I like. On the other side of it is a print with a white background and flowers outlined in black. Did I mention the quilt is black with a little white mixed through it. So, I have the comforter for the bed and yesterday I started cutting up the black and white flowered comforter to make something like blinds for the windows. Got a pair done and discovered the sun shined through and showed the bright colors of the other side of the comforter. I was kind of bummed but I got over it. I just have to put another thickness of fabric to hide the bright colors, not really a problem.

I also bought some black cotton to make some simple curtains for over the “blinds”. I have to get some more fabric because I want to make some king-sized shams, too. If I complete the entire project, I will let you know. If I don’t you will know another project got my attention. (I always have more than one going).

My friend, Ed, sends some of the neatest emails out daily, some just funny, and some are very interesting. This week one of them is something I am going to do for yet another project. This is written for the month of December, daily. Each day you pick up some form of food, canned or maybe dry foods, common sense items you could use anytime. You know, what you use regularly. Your church or local food banks will certainly accept the contribution or gift it privately. I will let you know how my gift box is progressing.

I was reading our local paper the other night and an article became interesting. We have a local theater group, and they were looking for people who would audition for a part or even volunteer for other needs. And yes, I called the next morning. I will be going over Saturday to meet the people and audition. Isn’t that a hoot! The play is a comedy, and I am anxious to hear more about it. I am ready for some new experiences, fun ones. When I was working at the school in Corinna I used to dress up and act out stories for the kids, and I do miss that.

When we first moved here, I was so shy. I was always a shy kid. My first year my boss at the recreation club had me on the stage and that was just the beginning of speaking to the crowds. I also found out then if you put on some kind of costume, you can be anyone you need to be.

I’m just curious what your latest projects are. Let me know, please. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Have a great week.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Gerald Ford

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Gerald Ford

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Gerald Ford

The 38th President Gerald Ford (1913-2006) always struck me as the most personally likable of our 46 chief executives. His geniality helped immensely in generating good will on both sides of the aisle during his 25 years in the House of Representatives before President Richard Nixon appointed him as vice president on December 8, 1973, after Spiro T. Agnew was forced to resign.

However, at the same time, when Ford became vice president, I confess to knowing very little about him, except for the name, and, despite having more interest in our nation’s leaders 50 years ago than nowadays, I had very little interest in knowing more about Ford (Congressmen L. Mendel Rivers and H. Edward Hebert interested me more.). But I do remember Ford serving on the Warren Commission investigating JFK’s assassination.

Eight months later on August 9, 1974, President Richard Milhous Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford became president and would appoint Nelson Rockefeller as vice president (it was a choice between Rockefeller and George H. W. Bush.). Ford also kept Henry Kissinger on the job as Secretary of State and William E. Simon as Treasury Secretary.

Certain memories of the Ford Presidency stick out:

A photograph in Time magazine shows Ronald Reagan shaking hands with D.C. Federal Judge John J. Sirica, who became best known during the Watergate investigation for demanding that Nixon turn over the White House tapes; Ford is standing between the two men with a look of panic on his face.

First Lady Betty Ford did a cameo appearance on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

During September 1975, two assassination attempts were made on President Ford’s life 17 days apart – the first by a Charles Manson follower named Squeaky Frome and the second by Sara Jane Moore. Both women served prison terms for more than 30 years before finally being paroled.

Ford’s decision to pardon former President Nixon may have been the most controversial one of his two years in office and is still being debated by scholars.

Ford’s televised debates with Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter were marked by what struck me as lots of warmth and cordiality – the amount of time the two spent shaking hands seemed at times forever.

A few memories after Ford left office:

In the late ‘70s, Ford was a guest on the Dick Cavett Show and had the most ingratiating smiles and laughs at Cavett’s witticisms.

At the 1980 Republican Convention, it was reported that Reagan offered Ford the chance to be his running mate before selecting Bush.

During the late 1990s, a cable channel televised a program at the Ford Presidential Library in which the former president introduced historian David McCullough who gave a speech about his just published biography of Harry Truman.

On December 26, 2006, President Ford died from coronary disease at his home, in Rancho Mirage, California; he was 93.

Davidson Nature Preserve Full Moon Hike

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Join Kennebec Land Trust staff and volunteer property stewards to take advantage of the full moon for a hike at the Davidson Nature Preserve on Monday, November 27 at 5:30 p.m. Bring what you need to be comfortable for a night walk, including a headlamp or flashlight, warm clothes, water, snacks etc. The family-friendly hike will be approximately one mile long. For more information or to RSVP, contact Marie at mring@tklt.org or 207-377-2848

Directions: From Augusta or Waterville take Route 201 to Vassalboro. Turn east on Bog Road for approximately 2.2 miles to the intersection with Taber Hill Road. Turn north (left) on Taber Hill Road for approximately 1 mile. Look for the KLT sign, parking lot, and sign-in box on the left (west) side of Taber Hill Road, just before Hussey Hill Road.

MY POINT OF VIEW: New veterans made every day

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by Gary Kennedy

November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson set November 11 aside as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. President Wilson stated, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations”. The day was to have a suspension of work beginning at 11:00 a.m. On June 4, 1926, the U.S. Congress officially recognized the end of World War I. The world’s worst war had come to an end; Armistice Day had begun.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the Eleventh of November of each year a legal holiday, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace. The intention of Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor those who served in World War I. After World War II and Korea, the 83rd Congress was urged by veteran organizations to change the word Armistice to Veterans. That is when (public law 380) was made effective (6-1-1954). November 11 directed the holiday to legally become Veterans Day.

So that tells us how it happened and when it happened but it was supposed to end with “The War of all Wars”, World War I. World War II slipped in with even greater death and destruction. Then come the Korean War in June 29, 1950, which once again brought about more death and destruction leaving widows and orphans and thousands of broken hearted parents and friends. Many veterans became veterans again. The same occurred with Vietnam.

The world never learning from history, decided to give it a go again in the Middle East which also left voids in many family units. World War I left us 20 million deaths and 21 million wounded. World War II, military deaths were between 21-25 million which included those in captivity; those we couldn’t bring home. Korea wasn’t quite so bad, only 1.9 million military casualties. Then came Vietnam, which had 58,200 U.S. military losses. Looks like we are beginning to learn our lesson. We seem to be giving less and less of our precious resources, our sons and daughters.

Last but certainly not least is the multiple conflicts and incursions in the Middle East, which have taken nearly 10,000 of America’s finest. Not too bad you say; well, I guess I should mention there have been more service related suicides than there are from combat in these Middle East conflicts. Why is that?

Diminished public support for the country’s ongoing wars, a sexual assault epidemic in the military ranks, a masculine military culture (consider hazing and other demeaning events). Last but certainly far from the least there has been more civilian deaths then military deaths. Wow! So, as you can see there is a lot to all of this, as well as the creation of a veteran. So, I would like you to ponder on my key word SUPPORT.

“The making of a soldier is the creation of a Veteran”. He or she went to school with you, and played sports with you, went to church with you and perhaps may have even married you. He/she is one of us now and forever, in the good and the bad times. When the uniform comes off and the wrinkles begin to form and steps are not always steady, they most likely will end up needing your help and that of the Veterans Administration. When they reach out don’t let them fall. Be there for them as they were for you. We, in these United States of America, walk tall and free because of their sacrifice. Try to understand how they feel if they are ignored, especially in an hour of need.

As I always say, “it isn’t what you take with you; it’s what you leave behind”. The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away, Job 1:21, thou Shalt Not Kill, you shall not murder, is one of the 10 Commandments in the Torah; the Quran states, if any one slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. These references are for individuals and expectance is expected to be acknowledged by the individual thus if adhered to will reach the collective.

If a veteran is given a fair shake he or she will be just fine. As longs as we don’t follow the Good Books there will be veterans. The answers to all are there. It is your duty to search. God bless and have a happy and safe Veterans Day with those you care for, and God bless the veteran who gave his/her all for each and every one of us.