Covers towns roughly within 50 miles of Augusta.

Troop #603 earns Paul Bunyan award

Group photo, left to right, Sgt. Scott Maddox, Life Scout Ian Martin, 1st Class Zach Corson, Life Scout Trenton Franklin, 2nd Class Jeffrey Mason, and Life Scout Tristan Morton. (contributed photo)

by Jeffrey Morton

It rained Friday, May 23, soaking the ground and pulling the temperature into the 50s for the start of Paul Bunyan Training the next day. Scouts arrived smiling as rain is good news when working with Maine Forest Rangers – a lower chance of the Rangers being called out on a fire. Senior scouts from Troop #603 arrived at the Bolton Hill Regional Facility eager to learn, demonstrate, and train. They were met by Sergeant Scott Maddox, District Forest Ranger and Eagle Scout.

The day began with safety and equipment. Each scout was issued helmets, eye protection, leather gloves, and walked through the proper use of six tools including the sharpened Forestry Shovel, Pulaski, Sharpened Fire Rake, Single Head Axe, Bow Saw, and Pick Hoe. Moving to a slash pile at the edge of the Helicopter Landing Zone, each scout demonstrated proper employment of the tools and safety consideration.

Next the Scouts had to create a fire line which was a daunting task and then they stepped into a helicopter to see what it would be like for the firemen to have to go into a remote area via helicopter to reach a fire in a wilderness area.

Troop #603 gained a huge appreciation for the mission of Maine’s Forest Service and discussed the career pathways that support joining this diverse, well trained, and critical capability in our “Pine Tree State.”

Scouts in Helicopter (contributed photo)

Creating a Fire Line (contributed photo)

Northern Light Inland Hospital ends clinical services

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Northern Light Inland Hospital and clinical services ended. The facility, associated services, and most practices have been winding down services and working to transition patients to new care locations since announcing the closure earlier this year.

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025:

• The emergency department stopped accepting new patients at noon.
• All clinical services ended.

The following practices will remain open to serve patients and the community:

• Northern Light Primary Care, Unity, as part of Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital
• Northern Light Walk-In Care, Waterville, as part of Northern Light Mercy Hospital
• Northern Light Primary Care, Madison, as a practice of Redington-Fairview General Hospital.

Many providers will continue to offer care in Waterville and the surrounding area at new practice locations, and many current patients can choose to continue care with their current provider. Letters have been mailed to established patients of closing practices advising on any action needed to continue care with their current provider or to transition care to a new provider/practice.

As a reminder, this closure does not affect Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood, which operates as a separate entity in Waterville.

Additional information about the closure, answers to frequently asked questions, and up to date information about providers, can be found at NorthernLightHealth.org/InlandNotice.

Spectrum Generations seeks subcontract for older and disabled adults with local providers

Spectrum Generations, Central Maine’s Area Agency on Aging, provides community- based services through the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III, parts B, C, E, and D. Spectrum Generations serves Kennebec, Somerset, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc Counties as well as the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell. The mission of Spectrum Generations is to promote and advance the well-being and independence of older and disabled adults, with the support of their care partners, to live in their community of choice.

To best serve local communities, Spectrum Generations seeks proposals to subcontract Older Americans Act services with local providers. Those services include:

OAA Title IIIB

– Money Minders
– Community Center Activities for Older Adults
– Telephone Reassurance
– Adult Day Services
– In-home Supportive Services (chore, personal care, and homemaker

OAA Title IIIC

– Home Delivered Meals
– Congregate Dining
– Nutrition Counseling and Education

OAA Title IIID

– Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

OAA Title IIIE

– Care Partner Support Groups and Training

Refer to Older Americans Act service definitions and reporting requirements for information on these services.

Single-year grant agreements will cover a period of one fiscal year, beginning October 1 and ending September 30. Providers must be familiar and compliant with rules and policy sections of the Office of Aging and Disability Services, Maine Nutrition Standards, the Older Americans Act, and standard terms and conditions required by Maine employment law and contracting guidelines.

Providers must also demonstrate the capacity to continue quality services in the case of delayed state payments or reduced award amounts due to state contractual amendments. Federal Funds through the Older Americans Act are often not received until January for contracts starting in October and typically include 2 to 3 amendments during the contract year. Award amounts are based on service type, service area, and units of service.

Any services provided by a subcontractor must fall within Spectrum Generations planning and service area listed above, though they need not cover the entire area. Providers must meet all requirements and submit all data prior to receiving payment. Providers may not means test or subcontract services.

Interested organizations must submit a Letter of Intent by June 23, 2025. Submissions will not be accepted after the closing date. Submissions should demonstrate the capacity to meet all requirements herein as well as the regulatory requirements from the sources listed above. Current subcontractors are not required to submit a letter of intent for those services currently under contract.

SNHU announces Spring 2025 president’s list

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), in Manchester, New Hampshire, congratulates the following students on being named to the Spring 2025 president’s list. The spring terms run from January to May.

Ascher Ter Kuile, of Vassalboro, Ryan Cunningham, of Skowhegan, Blake Laweryson, of North Anson, Alex Akers, Tamara Butler, and River Garling, all of Madison; Zachary Eggen, of Liberty; Stormy Wentworth, Grace Marshall, and Allison Nickerson, all of Fairfield; Jasmine Cayford, of Canaan; Jacob Colson, of Albion; Sierra Winson, Joseph Slater, and Trevor Lovely, all of Winslow; Duncan Sawyer, and Oase Erkamp, both of Waterville; Murphy Duffy, of Washington; Andrew Cronk, of China; Jennifer Anastasio, of Jefferson; Jaimie Thomas, of Sidney; Krista Neal, Renee Kimball, Krista Knight, Kristopher Mank and Jamison Bragdon, all of Augusta.

Lincoln County Historical Society opens season (2025)

Colonial Maine Living History Association reenactors honor veterans on Memorial Day, at the Pownalborough Court House, in Dresden. The event begins at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 26. (photo courtesy of Bob Bond)

The Lincoln County Historical Association (LCHA) is kicking off its 2025 season with a range of engaging events that invite the public to experience history in different ways. Highlights include a Memorial Day ceremony, a visit from historical archaeologist Tim Dinsmore, new hands-on experiences at the Old Jail, and Community Day offering free admission to three historic sites on Sunday, June 1.

Seasonal programming begins on Monday, May 26, at 11 a.m., with a Memorial Day observance at the Pownalborough Court House, in Dresden, where visitors can join historical reenactors in honoring nine veterans of three different wars buried in the Old Court House Cemetery. The event will include flower placements on graves, a brief prayer, and a ceremonial flag-raising, followed by guided tours of the 1761 Pownalborough Court House.

On Saturday, May 31, historical archaeologist Tim Dinsmore will be at the Chapman-Hall House, in Damariscotta, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m., to talk with visitors about his archaeological work at the site. This informal opportunity gives guests the chance to learn about the goals and findings of the excavation, and ask questions about historical archaeology.

Sunday, June 1, marks LCHA’s annual Community Day, with free admission to all three historic sites: Pownalborough Court House (1761) in Dresden, Chapman-Hall House (1754), in Damariscotta, and the Lincoln County Museum & Old Jail (1811), in Wiscasset.

At the Old Jail Museum, families can engage in new hands-on activities that bring 19th-century daily life to life for younger visitors. Children will explore what it was like for the jailer’s family in the early 1800s, making for an interactive and educational experience.

Seasonal hours begin after these special events, and all sites will be open during weekends through the summer. Pownalborough Court House will be open Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Indigenous Peoples Day. Chapman-Hall House will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through October 12, and the Old Jail Museum will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through September 28.

For more details, including event information and seasonal programming, visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org or follow LCHA on social media. Facebook: Lincoln County Historical Association (Maine) and Pownalborough Court House Museum, instagram: @historicallincolncounty.

Support Maine 4-H with a paper clover donation at your local Tractor Supply

The Jolly Juniors 4-H Club hosting a bake sale during the Paper Clover Campaign at the Tractor Supply Co. store in Ellsworth. Pictured left to right: Leah, Samantha, Brenda Jordan (Club Leader), and Cassidy.

The bi-annual Paper Clover fundraising campaign is in full swing at Tractor Supply stores across the state. Imagine a generation of young people in Maine equipped with the skills to lead, innovate and build a brighter future. This vision becomes a reality through the long-standing partnership between 4-H and Tractor Supply Company. Since 2010, this effective collaboration has raised over $24 million nationwide through the Paper Clover campaign, directly impacting the lives of countless youth by providing them with invaluable life and work-ready skills.

Donations to the Paper Clover campaign make a local impact, with 100 percent of the funds raised in Maine directly benefitting Maine 4-H youth and providing vital resources for hands-on learning experiences, leadership development and community engagement. These funds also directly support Maine’s 4-H Camps and Learning Centers, offering transformative opportunities for young people to connect with the outdoors, build confidence and develop essential life skills.

This spring’s campaign, which runs through May 5, holds special significance as Maine proudly declares 2025 the Year of Youth in Agriculture, a statewide initiative celebrating and supporting the young individuals shaping the future of our agricultural landscape. The initiative underscores the role 4-H plays in cultivating the next generation of farmers, producers and agricultural advocates. The Year of Youth in Agriculture will feature various events, educational opportunities and leadership development programs including the upcoming Northeast Livestock Exposition (NELE), taking place at the Windsor Fairgrounds from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18. This event will showcase the talent and dedication of young livestock exhibitors, many of whom are Maine 4-H members.

Maine 4-H provides experiential opportunities for young people to develop essential skills in animal science, crop production, and sustainable farming practices. The Paper Clover program directly supports these local programs, helping to ensure a vibrant future for Maine’s agricultural sector.

To learn more about Maine 4-H or to enroll, please visit the program website or contact 207.581.3877, 1.800.287.0274 (in Maine) or extension@maine.edu

Local students go to state house to support girls’ sports and spaces

Bianca Wright, of Benton, speaking before the Maine Judiciary Committee, in Augusta. (contributed photo)

Female student athletes from across the state came to Augusta to testify in favor of bills to protect women’s sports and spaces. Most Mainers recognize these bills are commonsense policy that needs to be passed.

Dozens of brave girls came to testify in front of the Judiciary Committee. They shared their stories of how they’ve been negatively impacted by Maine’s current practice that allows biological men to compete in girls’ sports and invade women’s spaces.
“The vast majority of Mainers believe the rights of biological girls and women must be upheld. It’s up to us as legislators to protect these girls,” said Sen. Sue Bernard, R-Aroostook. “These bills will ensure privacy, safety and fairness for all Maine girls and re-affirm the protections that have been afforded to women since the passage of Title IX in 1972.”

Zoe Hutchins, of Fairfield, speaking before the Maine Judiciary Committee, in Augusta. (contributed photo)

Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: 19th century lawyers

Kennebec County Courthouse

by Mary Grow

Winslow wasn’t the only small town in this section of the Kennebec River valley with its own 19th-century lawyer(s), though no other seems to have been as conspicuous as Eleazer Ripley (see The Town Line, May 8, 2025, page 10).

Or maybe many were, and appear less known and important now only because of lack of information. A legal case that in 1825 enthralled an entire town and determined the futures of a dozen people might be completely forgotten by 2025.

Several local lawyers practiced in more than one town; and often, a lawyer who started in a small town would gravitate to Waterville or Augusta (or a more distant city). Your writer is reminded, again, that in the 1800s a trip from Sidney or China to a courthouse in Augusta or Waterville was not the casual undertaking that it is today.

This week’s article will offer information on three lawyers who, James W. Bradbury wrote in Henry Kingsbury’s 1892 Kennebec County history, practiced in the small town of China. The first two lived in China Village, in the north end of town.

* * * * * *

Chronologically as well as alphabetically, lawyer Abisha Benson comes first. He arrived in China in or before 1817, the China bicentennial history says (it does not say where he came from). Bradbury said he was practicing in China Village in the 1820s; two nephews, brothers Samuel Page Benson and Gustavus Benson, studied with him after Samuel graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825.

(Samuel and Gustavus were sons of a pre-1810 settler in Winthrop, a doctor named Peleg Benson. Bradbury wrote that Samuel opened his law practice in Winthrop in 1829 and was Maine’s secretary of state in 1838 and 1841 and a two-term Congressman in 1853 and 1855. He said nothing more about Gustavus.)

Of Benson’s law cases, your writer found no record. He left traces in town records as an apparently trusted and useful citizen.

Between 1819 and 1824 one of the topics at China town meetings (then held up to five times a year) was maintenance of the bridge across the stream feeding into China Lake’s east basin, just east of China Village. The history says an April 3, 1820, town meeting authorized paying Jacob McLaughlin $10 for a year’s repairs; a Nov. 6 meeting awarded a 10-year repair contract to low bidder, Benjamin Lewis, for $178.

On June 18, 1821, voters decided to review the Lewis contract and appointed lawyer Benson and two other men “to ‘examine’ the bridge and the contract.” In September, Lewis accepted a replacement seven-year contract. After more discussion, in which Benson’s participation is not recorded, in March, 1824, voters appropriated $694 for a new bridge.

In 1825, Benson was chosen a member of a larger committee to investigate whether China should create a poor farm to house paupers. The committee’s report, if any, is not recorded, the bicentennial history says; not until 1845 did China establish its poor farm.

The China history identifies Benson as a Mason, the first Master of Central Lodge, No. 45, in China Village. The Lodge’s charter was requested at a Dec. 27, 1823, meeting, and was approved April 8, 1824; Benson is listed as master from December, 1823, to June, 1826.

In March, 1827, Central Lodge members voted gifts of money to four members, including G. A. Benson (probably Abisha’s nephew) and J. H. Benson, “in consequence of their loss in the late fire.” The bicentennial history offers no additional information.

* * * * * *

Lawyer Alfred Fletcher, according to Bradbury’s summary, was a China native, born in 1818 (according to Find a Grave, Aug. 31, 1817). He was a Bowdoin College graduate. He read law with Sandford (elsewhere Sanford) A. Kingsbury “and practiced in China all his life.”

Fletcher first appears in the China bicentennial history in 1850, after almost 20 years of renewed public discussion of that bridge at the head of China Lake’s east basin that had taken some of Abisha Benson’s time in 1821.

The series of events Fletcher got involved in started with a special town meeting in the spring of 1831, at which voters appointed a bridge committee (unnamed in the history); recessed for 20 minutes while members reached a recommendation; and approved spending $800 to elevate their almost-new bridge by two feet.

The reason, as rediscussed at a Sept. 12, 1831, meeting, was that the Vassalboro mill owners who owned the China Lake outlet dam in East Vassalboro were keeping the lake’s water level so high as to repeatedly damage the bridge. The controversy continued through the summer of 1834, then disappeared from town records until May 19, 1843.

That day, town meeting voters appointed S. A. Kingsbery (probably lawyer Sanford Kingsbury) as one of two “agents” to either sue or make an agreement with the Vassalboro mill owners, and appropriated $149.50 for repairs. Discussions were suspended that fall, because, according to a resolution adopted at a September town meeting, there wasn’t much damage the previous spring; and “it is uncertain whether property can be found to respond [to] any verdict for damages that might be obtained.”

A June 1850 town meeting discussion led to the appointment of the committee Fletcher served on. Its assignment was to consider options: sue Vassalboro millowners, negotiate with Vassalboro millowners, repair the bridge and road. The history says the committee report does not appear in town records; but the bridge was repaired in 1851 and 1852.

The China history lists Fletcher as a selectman from 1851 through 1856; says he served on China’s town school committee in 1856-57; and lists him as selectman for another two years in 1865 and 1866.

Bradbury wrote that Fletcher “served two years in the state senate.” Legislative records found on line show he served in the House in 1857 and in the Senate in 1858 and 1859.

The legislators’ payroll for the legislature’s 36th session, a term from Jan. 7 to April 17, 1857, lists Fletcher as the representative from China and says he attended 101 days (as did the majority of legislators). His travel distance was 25 miles (one way, undoubtedly) and he was paid $207 for his service.

(Also on the payroll were three Aroostook County legislators who also attended 101 days, and obviously did not travel back and forth very often. The one who was only 195 miles from his home in Linneus got $241; the one from No. 11 [probably now Ashland], 250 miles from Augusta, got $252; Madawaska’s representative, 300 miles from home, got $262.)

A payroll for the Senate of the 37th legislature, for a term from Jan. 6 to March 29, 1858, names Alfred Fletcher as one of three members from the fourth (Senate) district. This document lists his travel distance as 50 miles (round trip); he was paid $171 for attending 83 days (the standard for that term).

During the Civil War, Find a Grave says, Fletcher enlisted Sept. 10, 1862; was mustered in a month later in Augusta; and was a captain in the 24th Infantry, Company G. The site describes him as “dark complexion, blue eyes, blk hair, 5′ 10 and ½ [inches].”

He left the army Jan. 10, 1863, short of his nine-months’ enlistment period. Find a Grave gives no explanation; it says simply “Resigned and discharged.”

Kingsbury’s chapter on military history lists six Fletchers from China who enlisted after the 1861 rush of Union volunteers subsided and state governments began offering bounties and other inducements. They included Abisha B. Fletcher and Capt. Alfred Fletcher. Abisha B. (for Benson) was Alfred’s younger brother, born in 1822; Find a Grave says he was a sergeant.

Alfred Fletcher married Elizabeth P. Larrabee on Dec. 12, 1841, in Vassalboro (according to FamilySearch). Elizabeth was born Aug. 22, 1821, or 1822, in Unity (then in Hancock County, after 1827 in Waldo County) or in Kennebec County (no town named).

The Fletchers had three sons, Find a Grave says: Eben L, born Oct. 11, 1842, moved to Belfast as a young man and died there June 1, 1920; George A., born in China July 9, 1845, and died there Sept. 8, 1848; and a second George A., born April 11, 1852, and died in Maine Sept. 22, 1907 (Find a Grave says he is buried in Dixfield).

Alfred Fletcher was 50 when he died Aug. 18, 1868, in China, according to his gravestone in the China Village cemetery. Family members buried there include his parents, Col. Robert and Nancy (Sprague) Fletcher; his widow, Elizabeth, who died Feb. 2, 1875; their second son, George, who lived only three years; and Alfred’s brother, Abisha Benson Fletcher, who died in June 1906.

* * * * * *

Then there is attorney Kingsbury, mentioned above as Alfred Fletcher’s law teacher (probably in the 1840s) and the town’s agent in 1843. Bradbury wrote one sentence about him: “Sandford A. Kingsbury practiced law in China as early as 1824.”

FamilySearch says Kingsbury was born July 31, 1782, in Claremont, New Hampshire. Your writer found two Sanford A. Kingsburys, father and son, listed in the on-line “Ledger,” self-described as “A Database of Students of the Litchfield Law School and the Litchfield Female Academy.” This law school was established in Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1774, and closed in 1833, after educating more than 1,100 students.

The Ledger says the younger Sanford Kingsbury attended the law school in 1801. He graduated from Dartmouth College the same year, and got a master’s degree from Dartmouth “between 1807 and 1828.”

According to this source, Kingsbury moved to Maine and began to practice law in Gardiner.

FamilySearch adds that on Sept. 29, 1807 (or in October, according to the Ledger), in Hallowell, Kingsbury married Hannah Nye Agry. They had three children, listed as Rev. Sanford Agry Kingsbury (born Feb. 19, 1809, in Gardiner, became a Baptist minister, died Jan. 28, 1895, in Alton, Illinois); Caroline Hannah Kingsbury (1812 – Jan. 12, 1813, born, died and buried in Gardiner); and George Henry Kingsbury (born Oct. 6, 1817, in Gardiner, died Nov. 21, 1895, in Galesburg, Illinois).

FamilySearch says Kingsbury lived in Gardiner “about 10 years.” It lists him in East Windsor, Connecticut, in 1860 – before adding that he died in March, 1849, aged 66, and is buried in Gardiner.

The Ledger partly fills the gap after 1807. It says that in 1834, Kingsbury (and family?) moved to Kingsbury, Maine, “a new town…that had been named for him.”

(Kingsbury, Maine, Wikipedia says, is now Kingsbury Plantation, about 50 miles north of Waterville, in southwestern Piscataquis County. “Judge Kingsbury” paid $4,000 for it in 1833. He built two mills on Kingsbury Pond in 1835, sparking enough growth that the Town of Kingsbury was incorporated March 22, 1836. It was unincorporated in 1886 and “reorganized as a plantation in 1887.” Its 2020 population was 28.)

The Ledger lists among Kingsbury’s accomplishments working as a banker, helping incorporate the Maine Historical Society and serving as a Maine state senator from 1828 to 1830. The legislature’s database lists him as a senator from Kennebec County in the 9th, 10th and 11th sessions (1829 through 1831).

FamilySearch says Kingsbury and his widow, who died January 25, 1860, are buried in Gardiner’s Oak Grove cemetery. Find a Grave lists only two Kingsburys in that cemetery, Hannah and her daughter Caroline.

There is one Kingsbury in the index to the China bicentennial history. His name was William, known as Bill; he was a tavern-keeper in South China who continued to sell liquor after Maine outlawed sales. When members of a nearby Baptist church objected, he hired a neighbor, “for a barrel of flour and a barrel of pork,” to burn down the church. Bill was sentenced to two years in prison.

Main sources

Grow, Mary M., China Maine Bicentennial History including 1984 revisions (1984).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).

Websites, miscellaneous.

AARP Maine calls for nominations (2025)

AARP Maine announces a call for nominations for its second annual Champion in Aging award, which will be presented to a nonprofit organization in Maine that has demonstrated an innovative commitment to serving older adults in the state.

Organizations nominated for the award are required to be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service with a status of 501©3, 501©4 or 501©6. Eligible organizations must have advanced an activity or initiative for at least two years that is specific to older adults (50+) and consistent with AARP’s mission: “to enhance the quality of life for all as we age.”

“AARP Maine’s annual Champion in Aging award celebrates an exceptional, local nonprofit organization that has advanced meaningful initiatives consistent with AARP’s mission which are specific to older adults in the Pine Tree State,” said Noël Bonam, AARP Maine State Director. “Through this award, we recognize innovation, inclusion and a deep commitment to enhancing the lives of older Mainers and their families.”

The award’s nomination period ends July 15, 2025. Nomination forms may be requested by sending an email to me@aarp.org. The recipient of the 2025 Champion in Aging award will be announced at AARP Maine’s annual meeting in the fall.

The winner of AARP Maine’s inaugural Champion in Aging award was Healthy Peninsula, whose mission is “to mobilize, support, and collaborate with community partners to improve the health of all residents of the Blue Hill Peninsula, Deer Isle and Stonington.”

To learn more about AARP and our work in Maine, visit www.aarp.org/me and follow us on social media @aarpmaine. For more information about volunteering with AARP Maine, click here.

New Dimensions FCU announces 2025 scholarship winners

Sofia DeRosby

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union (NDFCU) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Scholarship Program: Sofia Derosby and Alan Crawford III. Each student has been awarded $2,500 for their college tuition this fall, recognizing their outstanding academic achievements, community involvement, and exemplary essays.

Sofia Derosby, a graduate of Messalonskee High School, will attend the University of Maine to pursue a degree in music education. Alan Crawford III, a Forest Hills Consolidated School graduate, will study computer technology, at Central Maine Community College. Both students impressed the scholarship committee with their academic excellence and strong recommendations.

Alan Crawford

Ryan Poulin, CEO of New Dimensions, expressed his pride in this year’s winners, stating, “We are excited to support these talented students as they take the next step in their educational journeys. Both Sofia and Alan demonstrate the qualities we admire: dedication, hard work, and a passion for learning. We look forward to seeing their continued success.”

For more information on New Dimensions FCU’s scholarship program, please visit https://www.newdimensionsfcu.com/resources/youth-scholarships/ or contact the Marketing Department at marketing@newdimensionsfcu.com.