EVENTS: Explore China’s transportation history at upcoming presentation
Railroad owner Carson Peck and his party, on an inspection trip, around 1910 or so, in Windsor. (courtesy of the WW&F Museum)
by Eric W. Austin
The China Historical Society is pleased to invite the public to an engaging presentation on the history of the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington (WW&F) narrow gauge railway. This event, featuring local experts Bob Wallace and Phil Dow, from the Albion Historical Society, will take place next Thursday, October 17, at 7 p.m., at the China Baptist Church.
The presentation will offer a unique opportunity to explore the history of the narrow gauge railway that once played a vital role in connecting China to other towns in the region. Wallace will provide an in-depth look at the railway’s development and its significance to local communities, particularly the Weeks Mills station. In addition to the talk, attendees will be treated to a slideshow of historical photographs, offering a glimpse into the past and showcasing the railway’s impact on the area.
The WW&F railway, launched in the 1890s, was an essential transportation route for residents and businesses, ferrying people, produce, and goods between towns from Wiscasset to Windsor.
However, as automobiles and gasoline-powered trucks became more widespread in the mid-20th century, the narrow gauge railway could no longer compete, and it eventually ceased operations. While the tracks are no longer in use, the history of the railway continues to be an important part of the town’s heritage, offering a window into a time when the railroad was the lifeblood of rural Maine.
In addition to the historical insights provided by Bob Wallace, attendees will have the opportunity to see rare, archival photographs that capture the daily workings of the railway, including images of the Weeks Mills station and the railway’s trains.
The event is free and open to the public, although the China Historical Society encourages donations to support its ongoing work in preserving local history, and attendees are invited to consider joining the society as members. Annual membership dues are a modest $10, and these contributions help ensure that important stories like that of the WW&F railway continue to be shared with future generations.
The China Historical Society’s Narrow Gauge Railway Presentation will be held on Thursday, October 17, at 7 p.m., at the China Baptist Church, at the north end of the lake. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply curious about the role the railway played in shaping the town’s development, this event promises to be an informative and engaging look into a fascinating chapter in China’s past.
Attend the presentation to meet other members of the community who are passionate about preserving and sharing China’s rich heritage, and for more information about upcoming events, follow the China Historical Society Facebook page.
China select board approves concept plan for new vault
by Mary Grow
China select board members approved a concept plan for the new storage vault they’ve discussed for three years, and will have an engineer’s plan prepared as soon as possible.
Building committee chairman Sheldon Goodine presented the plan at the board’s Oct. 7 meeting, after he outlined it for the board on Sept. 23. The vault will be in a new room added on the south side of the town office building, close to the east end.
Goodine said the room would be 26-by-28-feet. Adding it would cover two windows in what is currently deputy clerk and assistant to the assessor Kelly Grotton’s office, and would require a corridor to a second east-end door.
Select board chairman Wayne Chadwick queried the price. Glad you asked, Goodine replied: about $80,000 less than the original plan, which he said would have cost around $267,500.
At the 2023 and 2024 town business meetings, China voters appropriated more than $255,000 from federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for the vault.
Board members voted unanimously to ask Keith Whitaker, the engineer from Presque Isle based B. R. Smith Associates who has been working on the project, to convert the concept plan to an engineered plan. With that plan, they will decide whether to seek bids from contractors for the whole project or to act as the main contractor and seek bids for specific tasks.
The vault will provide storage space for paper records that the state requires municipal offices to keep forever. Whitaker said in earlier discussions that it needs to be all concrete, with temperature and humidity controls.
Another ongoing town project is relocating the ice rink from the school grounds to the town-owned lot south of the town office, on the north side of the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Alder Park Road. Town Manager Rebecc Hapgood said she, recreation committee chairman Martha Wentworth and Director of Public Services Shawn Reed inspected the lot recently and tentatively sited the rink, minimizing tree-cutting.
Hapgood revived another topic: in May 2023, after board and public discussion, select board members unanimously agreed to join the Community Resilience Project (CRP), a state program administered in this area by the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.
Hapgood summarized progress on China’s seven chosen projects. The first, minimizing erosion at the South China boat landing, has been started, but work is delayed until spring by the unavailability of concrete planks.
The Thurston Park Committee has been working on improvements in Thurston Park, and town office staff are investigating digitizing town records. Board member Janet Preston has been looking for sites for electric vehicle charging stations.
Adding sidewalks in China Village appears prohibitively expensive. So far little has been done toward installing solar panels on the school forest building or improving public transportation.
Select board members appointed Melissa Cowing, one of China’s representatives on the Regional School Unit #18 board of directors. She will serve until the Nov. 5 election, succeeding T. James Bachinski, who has resigned. At the election, she is a declared write-in candidate for a full term on the board.
Hapgood asked board members’ opinions on Delta Ambulance’s offering member towns a discount if they pay their 2024-25 accounts in advance. Voters at the June town business meeting approved $110,200 as part of the public safety budget, based on Delta’s bill of $25 per resident. The manager estimated paying by the Nov. 1 deadline would save China about $5,500.
Hapgood said if Delta’s board of directors has a contingency plan in case the organization’s funding situation becomes unmanageable, she would recommend the pre-payment. She hopes to have more information before the next select board meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21.
CHINA: William Lankist turns 90
William Lankist, of China
William Lankist, of China, was honored on the occasion of his 90th birthday, at his home, recently. William was born on September 29, 1934, in Guilford, the oldest son of William and Hilda Lankist. He was educated in Guilford schools. He had three brothers, and is the sole survivor. He has been a resident of China for over 20 years, where he resides with his partner, Ruth Fuller.
Family and friends, especially his daughter, Tammy Bailey, attended from Guilford, Sidney, Albion and Unity, and William received a special telephone call from a nephew, Edward Lankist, who resides in Florida.
William did small engine repairs for most of his life.
PHOTO: Moose on the loose
A Killdeer Point resident provided The Town Line with this photo of a moose that wandered down the road after a swim in China Lake. According to many residents, it was the first such sighting in memory. From all indications, it obeyed the speed limit sign.
EVENTS: Erskine Academy Parent/Teacher Conferences scheduled
(photo credit: Erskine Academy)
All parents of Erskine Academy students are invited to attend fall Parent/Teacher Conferences on October 9 and 10, 2024, from 3 – 7 p.m. To avoid long waiting lines, Wednesday, October 9, has been designated for students whose last names begin with A – K; and Thursday, October 10, has been designated for students whose last names begin with L – Z. No appointments are necessary as teachers will be available to speak with parents in their respective classrooms. In addition, the Guidance Office will host a Senior Blast for parents on each of these evenings from 6:30 – 7 p.m., to provide helpful updates and information about the post-secondary planning process, financial aid, and other pertinent senior year details.
China Village library launches renovation to improve accessibility of historical building
Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village.
The Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village will soon be more accessible to the community thanks to an upcoming renovation.
“The current layout of the library makes it difficult or impossible for many, including those who use mobility aids, to visit and attend our programs. We have been working hard to ensure these updates make our space more inclusive while preserving the beautiful character of our historic building,” said Dr. Louisa Barnhart, president of the library’s Board of Trustees.
Plans include a ramp, wider entryway and doorways, and a wheelchair-accessible restroom so that people of all abilities are able to benefit from the library’s programs. Library leaders plan to begin work in the coming weeks.
The renovation is possible in part thanks to Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities, and a Sustainable and Resilient New England Libraries Grant awarded by the Association for Rural and Small Libraries.
Barnhart said the library’s trustees are working with the community to secure additional financial support necessary to complete the renovation.
“Making our library’s space and programs more accessible is especially meaningful to me, because all people deserve a welcoming, functional public library,” she said. “I believe this is a project we can all feel excited about supporting, and I am deeply grateful for donations from library patrons and supporters to make it possible.”
The Albert Church Brown Memorial Library has served China and surrounding communities since 1936. Its mission is to enrich the lives of its patrons by providing access to information, culture and connection free of charge. The library is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To learn more about the library’s programs, visit www.chinalibrary.org. To donate in support of the renovation project, visit www.chinalibrary.org/p/donate.html or mail contributions to P.O. Box 6164, China Village, ME 04926.
Shoreline buffer workshop offers property owners ways to protect China Lake
Shoreline buffer attendees. (contributed photo)
by Gerry Boyle, CLA Director
More than 30 area residents gathered at China Baptist Church Park* for a Shoreline Buffer Workshop on August 21, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce phosphorus runoff into China Lake.
Example of shoreline buffer plantings.
The hands-on workshop was hosted by the China Lake Association (CLA) and reminded the community of the importance of vegetated shoreline buffers, demonstrated planting methods, and offered free, native plants for local owners to take home to plant on their shorefronts.
“When landowners around the lake collectively do their part to prevent soil erosion and improve their shoreline buffers, it goes a long way toward helping improve China Lake’s water quality,” said Jen Jespersen, ecologist and owner of the environmental consulting and design firm, Ecological Instincts, who helped coordinate the workshop.
After additional presentations from CLA member Elaine Philbrook about LakeSmart and China Region Lakes Alliance Executive Director Jessie Mae MacDougall, about Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), attendees observed YCC employees Nathaniel Levesque, Sam Worthley, and Noah Bechard (who is certified in erosion control practices by the state Department of Environmental Protection) demonstrated buffer-planting techniques along eroded areas of the church park before receiving plants to take home.
Plantings included sweet fern, yarrow, low bush blueberry, low creeping juniper, black-eyed Susan, bush asters, goat’s beard, and upland ferns. The plants are all preferred for being native or very well suited to the lake environment, as well as being deep-rooted to hold soil in place and prevent erosion, McDougall said. Erosion control mulch – a special mulch made of ground-up woody material and heavy sand – was used. The special mix doesn’t float and wash away, as typical bagged mulch will do in heavy rain.
The workshop was a “two-fold success,” said CLA President Stephen Greene. “The church park site was improved and the community learned how easy-to-install buffers are a line of defense against stormwater runoff and shoreline erosion. Without them, phosphorus runoff would foster algae blooms and deteriorate water quality.”
Additional workshop sponsors included Kennebec Savings Bank, Kennebec Water District, and Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District. Organizers expect the hands-on event to be repeated annually, Greene said.
Landowners within China Lake’s watershed are encouraged to contact CLA’s Watershed Grant Remediation Program via chinalakeassociation.org/grantprogram or leave a voicemail at (207) 200-6640 for additional information on property remediation. Please allow five business days for a response.
* China Baptist Church Park was identified during the 2020 China Lake Watershed Survey as a nonpoint source pollution priority site.
China planners approve two agenda items
by Mary Grow
At a short Sept. 24 meeting, China Planning Board members approved two agenda items, with almost no discussion.
As promised, Ironwood Maine representative Wade Bedsaul brought a map showing locations of two new small buildings and a parking lot expansion (from four spaces to seven) at the South China residential facility for troubled teen-agers. At their Sept. 10 meeting, board members postponed a decision on the additions (See the Sept. 19 issue of The Town Line, p. 2, for more information.)
The second request, from Michael Littlefield, was to combine two lots in an existing subdivision that board chairman Toni Wall said is at the intersection of Neck and Stanley Hill roads. Board members signed a revised subdivision plan for the Registry of Deeds.
Codes Officer Nicholas French and board members talked briefly about town ordinances that need to be updated. They plan to work on them over the next few months, with the goal of asking voters to act on revisions at the June 2025 annual town business meeting.
The next regular China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8.
CHINA: Nine attend select board’s “apple crisp” public hearings
by Mary Grow
The promise of fresh-baked apple crisp with ice cream drew nine people to the China select board’s Sept. 23 public hearings on Nov. 5 local warrant articles and on amendments to the town’s General Assistance Ordinance. Six stayed for at least part of the select board meeting that followed.
The apple crisp was praised.
China’s Nov. 5 voting includes local elections and five referendum questions that were topics of the first public hearing. The municipal ballot is on the town website, chinamaine.org, under the Elections tab in the green box on the right-hand side of the main page.
The referendum question that drew most discussion was the proposed new Budget Committee Ordinance. If approved, it will replace the present system under which four of China’s seven budget committee members are elected, one from each of four districts. Instead, select board members will appoint budget committee members.
Voters approved a similar change for the planning board at the annual town business meeting in June.
The main reason for proposing the change, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said, is the lack of candidates for budget committee seats. On the Nov. 5 ballot, Timothy Basham is running unopposed for re-election from District 4; write-ins (if any) will fill the District 2, secretary and at-large positions.
Write-ins complicate ballot clerks’ lives, Hapgood said. If there is a tie between write-ins, the clerks must contact each person to see whether he or she wishes to serve. Anyone who does not wish to serve must sign a sworn (notarized) oath turning down the office that must be filed with the town clerk.
If more than one person tied for a position is willing to serve, there would need to be another election for the position.
Hapgood said when a town official asks someone to volunteer for a committee position, the answer is more likely to be yes, perhaps because there is no need to collect signatures on nomination papers.
Tod Detre, one of five Nov. 5 candidates for three seats on the select board, and former select board member Joann Austin expressed concern about the five select board members appointing members of all other major town committees.
Current board chairman Wayne Chadwick said he thinks China select board members have never “stacked” committees they’re empowered to appoint on the basis of beliefs, geography or any other factor.
A broader discussion of the lack of civic engagement and related topics followed.
Select board member Brent Chesley said in two years on the board, he’s not received a single call from a resident about town business, though his cellphone number is on the town website.
Austin argued in favor of returning to the pre-Covid open town business meeting in the spring, so voters can ask questions and know what they’re voting on. Detre and Chadwick said a written-ballot meeting lets more people participate.
The second public hearing, on the state-presented amendments to the local General Assistance Ordinance and its appendices, drew no comments. Select board members adopted the amendments at their meeting following the hearing.
Three ongoing issues on the select board agenda were the planned storage vault for town records; the South China boat landing; and the revised solid waste disposal agreement with Palermo.
Sheldon Goodine, chairman of the town’s building committee, outlined Plan No. 4 for the new storage area. This plan calls for an addition to the town office building on the south side, at the east end (farthest from Lakeview Drive) rather than the west end as an earlier plan proposed.
Goodine expects more information in a week or so.
Hapgood said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has approved a permit for proposed run-off controls at the South China boat landing. The next step, she said, is acquiring the needed concrete planks. One company will have none until spring; she will contact other companies.
Select board members approved the agreement with Palermo to allow that town’s residents to continue to use China’s transfer station. Hapgood said Palermo’s town meeting to act on the revised agreement is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17.
Hapgood announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $51,436.15 to reimburse China for cleaning up roadside debris after the December 2023 storm. She is still talking with FEMA officials about reimbursement for other storm-related expenses.
The manager announced that China’s 2023 town report received an award from the Maine Municipal Association. She thanked Town Clerk Angela Nelson for her work on the report, and Jason Rushing for his cover photo.
MMA’s letter, published with the select board meeting agenda, begins: “I am pleased to announce that China has been selected as the ‘supreme’ first place winner of the 2024 Annual Report Competition in the 2,500 to 4,999 population category.”
The report will be displayed, with other winners, at the MMA convention in Augusta Oct. 2 and 3. Select board members appointed Director of Public Services Shawn Reed as China’s voting delegate at the convention’s business meeting, with Hapgood his alternate.
The next China select board meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, Oct. 7. Hapgood announced other events early in October: absentee ballots for Nov. 5 will be available Monday, Oct. 7; town departments will be closed Monday, Oct. 14, to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day; and the docks at the boat landing at the head of China Lake’s east basin are scheduled to be removed the week of Oct. 14.