Dylan Presby
After being presented with the prestigious male sportsmanship award at Newbury College, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Dylan Presby, of China, was recognized by being named to the Malloy All Sportsmanship team for the entire conference. The Nighthawks sophomore will transfer to LaSalle College, in Newton, Massachusetts, next season after Newbury closed at the end of the current school year. He is the son of David and Michelle Presby, of China.
From left to right, Gwen Lockhart, Elijah Crockett, Reiana Gonzalez, Colby Willey, Alexia McDonald, Sam Boynton, Hailey Estes, Senator Pouliot, Lilly Fredette, Joe Wing, Dominick Breton, JMG Specialist Ryan Sweeney. (Contributed photo)
China Middle School students pose for a picture with Senator Matthew Pouliot after participating in the Honorary Page Program.
This survey seeks input from the residents of the town of China about the operating hours for the town office. Your participation is critical to ensuring the needs of community are being adequately met in the schedule of operating hours. If you have already completed and returned a paper version of this survey, please do not complete the online survey.
There will be paper versions of the survey at the town office and the transfer station.
The survey is available online here.
Nichole Lee
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has announced the promotion of Nichole Lee to Branch Relationship Manager II. With this promotion comes the added responsibility of managing two branch locations: 245 Camden Street, Rockland and 368 Route 3, South China.
Nichole joined Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in 2013 as a customer service representative. Working from the South China office, Nichole has risen quickly through the ranks acquiring the knowledge and skills to assume her new position as Branch Relationship Manager II. In the community, Nichole serves on the board of the South China Public Library, volunteers at China Middle School through Junior Achievement programs with JMG, and teaches financial education at Erskine Academy, where she is an alumna.
Respectfully submitted by,To the people of the town of China:
First and foremost thank you all for your continued support. At the June 11, 2019, municipal and RSU #18 election, you will be asked on question 2 to vote on whether or not you want the town to spend $25,000 for an engineering and cost study for an emergency services building and a community building.
The way this proposed project has been presented to the town by the town manager and the select board, by presenting drawings at town meeting and by placing this item on the ballot, has given the impression that this project has been well thought through, and by implication, has the backing of the volunteer fire departments.
This could not be further from the truth. We feel it important to make the residents aware that during several discussions with the town manager and the select board and at two public hearings on the subject, China’s three fire departments have stated unequivocally that they neither need nor want such a building and feel that it would be a waste of the $25,000 to contract for the study since there is absolutely no demonstrated need for an emergency services building.
The China Village VFD has no current plans to move from their station, and if they did they would want to move into a building that they own, not a town-owned building. As we have stated many times, China’s Volunteer Fire Departments are all separate and individual, private nonprofit corporations organized under Maine law and we have no plans to make any changes. As demonstrated by their recent words and actions, the town manager and some members of the current select board appear to want to make changes to this system that has been working very well since at least 1947 and have suggested changes that we cannot agree with. The system we have works very well for the town and there is no need to fix something that is not broken.
By presenting this project in this manner, the town manager and the select board give the impression that we need to start down the road to consolidation or to becoming a municipal fire department. Having had discussions on this topic with the volunteers at each station, we assure you that is the last thing that we would recommend for the town at this time. Such a move would not be a positive change, it would negatively affect membership and would be enormously expensive. Please understand and rest assured that should we have a real need for any major change, the VFDs will not hesitate to come to the town and make it very clear what that change is. This is not that time.
Although supported by the town manager and select board, there was a unanimous vote of ought not to pass by the budget committee and recommendations from the three VFDs not to proceed with this at the budget hearing and budget committee meeting.
We urge you to vote no on this question, thereby telling the town manager and select board that they are not listening and have once again overstepped by putting this on the ballot regardless of the facts.
by Wayne ChadwickI would like to offer up some insight on the proposed warrant articles for the upcoming June 11, 2019 Municipal and RSU #18 election.
You will be asked to vote on whether or not you want the town to spend $25,000 for an engineering and cost study for an emergency services building and a community building. Where is the justification for such an expense? There appears to be a “build it and they will come” mentality with our present town leadership. The town manager stated that there is no town building to meet in that holds 200 people. When asked how often there was such a requirement he gave the annual town meeting and voting as an example. This has historically been done at the school which your tax dollars already pay to maintain. So why do we need another building for a few occurrences per year at best.
Everything we build, even if it is originally provided fully or in part by grant money, still has a tax dollar requirement for maintaining it. You are being asked to pay for an engineering study without being given any estimated cost for maintaining it after the fact. Consider the cost of plowing, mowing, heating, cooling, repairs and preventative maintenance and utilities.
You will also be asked to approve the purchase of land for a potential beach/swimming area and boat ramp. The parcel in question is located slightly north of and opposite the town office. This site is steep, steep enough that it has to be protected by guardrail for the entire length of its road frontage. Here are some potential issues to consider: It was stated at the May 26 select board meeting that DOT did not want to issue a permit for a driveway for the property. The Four Seasons Club has agreed to discuss potentially allowing access across their property for the sole purpose of accessing a boat launch, no swimming area. Additionally, to my knowledge, to date there has been no discussion with the DEP to determine if this site meets requirements for permitting. And last but certainly not least, there is the cost. The extreme grade to this property is unequivocally going to increase the cost of development and maintenance. Issues such as erosion, storm water, etc. These are continuous maintenance requirements that will never decrease in cost.
Here again we are looking at the purchase separate from the potential cost.
I offer this in hope that it will provide a more informed voting public.
by Mary GrowChina selectmen spent most of their May 28 meeting reviewing bids for outdoor summer work, with mixed results. Their decisions annoyed a resident with a personal interest in the matter.
The bid requests were in three categories, each subdivided: materials, equipment to be rented (with an operator) and mowing.
Two contractors bid on materials, mostly different types of gravel. Public Works Foreman Shawn Reed recommended rejecting all bids and buying materials as needed. Contractor (and budget committee member) Wayne Chadwick agreed from the audience, saying he thought the bid prices were high. The four selectmen present (Board Chairman Robert MacFarland was absent; Ronald Breton was elected temporary chairman) accepted the advice.
Three contractors bid to provide equipment, with Hagar Enterprises offering to provide up to 16 items (backhoe, excavators, dump trucks, loaders, bulldozer) as needed and the other two bidding on three or four items. Selectmen and Reed agreed it would be easier for the public works crew to have a single contract.
However, selectmen realized that the bidders had not been asked to supply delivery charges for moving machines to China. Despite Chadwick and Reed warning that time is getting short to line up equipment and start work, they postponed a decision to their next meeting, scheduled for June 10.
Bidders for the summer mowing contract were asked to submit prices for ballfields, cemeteries and town properties (the town office lot, the adjoining lot where the red barn stands and the former Weeks Mills Schoolhouse lot). They were also asked for labor and equipment prices per hour for work done outside the contract, an addition that several selectmen found confusing.
Danforth Lawncare was the only company to bid on all three categories; William Danforth said he has done China’s mowing for many years. The job includes cleaning up the properties spring and fall and mowing and trimming in the summer, he said.
Ace Home and Camp Care bid only on town properties, and was the highest bidder. Rumpf’s Backyard Services was the low bidder on the ballfields and the town properties. On the ballfields, Danforth’s bid was $5,700, Rumpf’s $2,800; on town properties, Danforth’s bid was $4,175 and Rumpf’s $3,500.
Informed that Colby Rumpf is 16 years old and just starting his business, selectmen unanimously awarded the entire mowing contract to Danforth, based on his experience and history of reliability.
Later in the meeting, Tom Rumpf, Four Seasons Club president and Colby Rumpf’s father, talked about possible cooperation between the Four Seasons Club and the town to provide an access road to a public landing on the Hall property, if voters approve buying it on June 11 and if selectmen then develop it. (See The Town Line, May 2, and May 30.)
Before his presentation, Tom Rumpf rebuked selectmen for “somewhat wasting the town’s money” on the summer mowing. There were people in the audience who would have given references for his son, he said, if Breton had recognized them so they could speak. Breton later apologized.
Tom Rumpf said the Four Seasons Club board authorized negotiations with town officials to share the club’s driveway for a boat launch only, not a swimming beach. The Hall property has a rocky shore, he said; the club has the only sandy beach suitable for swimming.
Redesigning the road and agreeing on maintenance might be difficult, Rumpf said. “It needs to go slow right now.”
Selectman Jeffrey LaVerdiere has suggested the town buy and distribute to residents Four Seasons Club memberships, to gauge the level of interest in public lake access. Rumpf said the club would consider discounting prices for a reasonable number of memberships if selectmen adopt the idea.
In other business May 28:
The May 28 meeting was governed more strictly than in the past by Robert’s Rules of Order, which selectmen adopt annually. Heath purchased a podium (for $88 at Marden’s, he wrote in a May 23 email) and Breton expected everyone, including Heath and selectmen, to be recognized before speaking and audience members to come to the podium.
Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood had the honor of christening the podium. Asked about one of the expenditures selectmen approved early in the meeting, she left her seat in the back row, walked to the podium, said “Yes” loudly and distinctly as required, and returned to her seat.
An executive session to discuss personnel issues followed the open selectmen’s meeting. Afterward, Heath emailed that board members directed him to poll the public about closing the China Town Office on Saturdays. Currently it is open Saturdays from 8 to 11 a.m.
Front row, from left to right, Valedictorian Braden Soule, Salutatorian Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, Hagen Wallace, Elizabeth Sugg, and Jacob Praul. Back, Conor Skehan, Olivia Kunesh, Samantha Heath, Caitlin Labbe, and Kassidy Wade. (contributed photo)
Erskine Academy has announced the Class of 2019 Top Ten Seniors. Valedictorian is Braden Soule, son of Amanda and Jamie Soule, of Fairfield. Throughout his four years at Erskine, Braden has participated in such activities as National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, the EA Leadership Team, Basketball, and Baseball and he has completed nearly 300 hours of community service projects. Braden is a Maine Principals Association Award recipient and a four-year honor roll recipient. Braden plans to attend the University of Maine to study business management.
Salutatorian is Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, daughter of Mary Throckmorton, of Somerville. Willow is a member of National Honor Society and she has participated in such activities as the LEO Club, and Track & Field. A student who has received high honor roll distinction every trimester, Willow has received awards of excellence in the areas of English, Spanish, and Physical Education, she was the recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa award, and she has received Renaissance Recognition and Senior of the Trimester awards. Willow plans to attend the University of Maine where she will major in biology.
Third in academic standing is Hagen Joki Wallace, son of Andrea Ando-Albert, of Manchester and James Wallace, of Augusta. Hagen is a member of National Honor Society and he has participated in such activities as Student Council, Drama Club, Math Team, Future Business Leaders of America, the Debate team, Indoor Track, Baseball, and he has completed over 200 hours of community service projects. Hagen has received high honor roll distinction every trimester, awards of excellence in the areas of English and Latin, and he has received a Renaissance Senior of the Trimester award. Hagen plans to attend Bowdoin College with a major in biochemistry.
Fourth in academic standing is Elizabeth Sugg, daughter of Heather Spaulding Sugg and William Sugg, of Palermo. Elizabeth is a member of National Honor Society and she has participated in such activities as the LEO Club, American Field Service (AFS), Prom Committee, Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse, and she has served as Class President for three of four years. Elizabeth is a four year high honor roll student, she has completed 250 hours of community service projects, and she has received a Renaissance Recognition award. Elizabeth plans to attend Wellesley College to pursue studies in the area of neuroscience.
Fifth in academic standing is Jacob Praul, son of Erika and Darryl Praul, of China. Jacob is a member of National Honor Society and he has been a participant of the LEO Club, Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis. Jacob was a recipient of the Rensselaer Award, he has received high honor roll distinction every trimester, and he has received awards of excellence in Algebra, PreCalculus, Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. Jacob plans to attend the University of Maine with a major in civil engineering.
Sixth in academic standing is Conor Skehan, son of Michelle and Robert Skehan, of Vassalboro. Conor is a member of National Honor Society and he has participated in such activities as Math Team, Debate Team, and Robotics. Conor has received high honor roll distinction every trimester, awards of excellence in Social Studies, English, US History, and Animation, and he has received a Renaissance Recognition award. Conor plans to attend Trinity College with a major in English.
Seventh in academic standing is Olivia Kunesh, daughter of Hollie Kunesh and Jason Thomas, of China. Olivia is a member of National Honor Society and she has participated in such activities as LEO Club, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, and she has completed a variety of community service projects. Olivia was a recipient of the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, she has received awards of excellence in Health, Spanish, and Statistics, and she has received a Renaissance Recognition award. Olivia plans to major in environmental science at the University of Maine at Farmington.
Eighth in academic standing is Samantha Heath, daughter of Jessica and Jonathan Heath, of Vassalboro. Samantha is a member of National Honor Society and she has been a participant of the Drama Club, LEO Club, American Field Service (AFS), the EA Leadership Team, Soccer, Tennis, and she has completed over 125 hours of community service projects. Samantha has been a recipient of the Society of Women Engineers award and the Smith Book award, she has received high honor roll distinction every trimester, and she has received an award of excellence in German. Samantha plans to attend the University of New England with a major in nursing.
Ninth in academic standing is Caitlin Labbe, daughter of Michelle Joler-Labbe and Richard Labbe, of Vassalboro. Caitlin is a member of National Honor Society, she has participated in such activities as LEO Club, American Field Service (AFS), Future Business Leaders of America, Prom Committee, Soccer, Lacrosse, and she has completed over 100 hours of community service projects. Caitlin has received high honor roll distinction every trimester. Caitlin plans to major in business administration at Thomas College, in Waterville.
Tenth in academic standing is Kassidy Wade, daughter of Robert and Jamie Wade, of Vassalboro, and Storm and Bradley Kelso, of Vassalboro. Kassidy has participated in such activities as EA Leadership, Future Business Leaders of America, American Field Service (AFS), Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse, and she has completed nearly 500 hours of community service projects. Kassidy has earned honor roll status every trimester, and she has received Renaissance Recognition and Senior of the Trimester awards. Kassidy plans to major in neurobiology at the University of California San Diego.
China selectman Irene Belanger was caught, once again, volunteering. Here she is seen working in the flower gardens next to the China Town Office, in front of the Old Town Hall, on Lakeview Drive. (photo courtesy of Becky Hapgood)
(photo credit: Erskine Academy)
The Erskine Academy Annual Spring Concert will take place on Friday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m., in the James V. Nelson Gymnasium. Admission is free. Participating ensembles are Chorus, Concert Band, Collaborative Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Music Lab. Each ensemble will reveal their own artistic identity as well as perform many favorites including The Sound of Silence, Summertime, Let it Be, and Imagine. Please celebrate the musical arts with these wonderful young people!