Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed this sail boat on China Lake on one of the summer-like days the area experienced over the last week.
Eli Cates, sitting, with his younger brother Isaac, demonstrate what happens when you don’t buy your kids electronic devices. (Photo courtesy of Emily Cates)
High Honors: Brenna Audet, Molly Babson, Gavin Blanchard, Madison Boynton, Jenna Butler, Joseph Clark, Cameron Falla, Madeline Geidel, Ashley Gillis, Sage Hapgood-Belanger, Samantha Heath, Eleanor Hodgkin, Kayla Hodgkins, Amber Rose Holmes, Andrew Jackson, Christopher Jamison, William Jones, Kyli Julia, Robert King, Morgaine Kmen, Olivia Kunesh, Caitlin Labbe, Noah Labbe, Milo Lani-Caputo, Rivers Malcolm, Tara Maltese, Joshua Peaslee, Jacob Praul, Seth Reed, Hannah Reid, Christina Roy, Jessie Sepulvado, Conor Skehan, Katherine Smith, Braden Soule, Briana Strout, Elizabeth Sugg, Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, Shay Tripp-Laliberty, Kassidy Wade, Hagen Wallace, Jacob Wright, Alana York and Peilin Yu.
Honors: Samantha Allen, Dominque Andrews, Alex Barney, Nina Boudreau, William Bourque, Justin Browne, Arthur Carey, Nicholas Cates, Shannon Cornett, ArizonaLee Crooker, Caitlyn Denico, Damien Doe, Keara Doughty, Travis Dow, Tiffany Doyle, Marshall Dugal, Dominic Durant, Samuel Falla, Courtney Gallagher, Phillip Gilbert, Regina Harmon, Alexis Haskell, Tristan Hawk, Russell Hoffman, Alicia Hotham, Peyton Houghton, Antonio Jacobs, Jack Jowett, Garrett Keezer, Dylan Keller, Paige Leary, Searra Lord, Maverick Lowery, Alexander Mahon, Mya Maxim, Desiree Mayo, Mireya Noa’Dos Santos, Myles Nored, Conner Paine, Dakota Peaslee, Zachary Plourde, Nicholas Rancourt, Saif Rifat, Cole Roberts, Austin Roderick, Hunter Rushing, Caleb Sacks, Anthony Sanborn, Seth Savage, Shaine Staples, Mercedes Tibbetts, Megan To, Jack Tobey, Caden Turcotte, Ashlyn Wing and Jiwei Jeff Ye.
High Honors: Lucy Allen, Jay Austin II, Alec Baker, Julia Basham, Derek Beaulieu, Haley Breton, Abigail Cordts, Lily DeRaps, Alyssha Gil, Annika Gil, Joshua Gower, Tori Grasse, Keimi Henry, Summer Hotham, Sarah Jarosz, Luke Jordan, Parker King, Benjamin Lavoie, Eleena Lee, Stephanie Libby, Jordan Linscott, Brandon Loveland, Reece McGlew, Adalaide Morris, Lyndsie Pelotte, Hunter Praul, Miina Raag-Schmidt, Benjamin Reed, Dominic Rodrigue, Alyssa Savage, Taylor Shute, Jacob Sutter, Brandon Tibbs, Cameron Tyler, Mary-Jane Williams and Richard Winn.
Honors: Adam Bonenfant, Faith Bonnell, Ashlee Bossie, Kole-Tai Carlezon, David Chubbuck Jr, Summer Curran, Colby Cyr, Devin Davis, Vincent Emery, Cheyann Field, Jada Fredette, Mitchell Gamage, Lydia Gilman, Boe Glidden, Bryce Goff, Alyssa Hale, Emma Harvey, Jesse Hayes, Gage Henderson, Nicholas Howard, Ashley Huntley, Emily Jacques, Cameron Johnson, Colby Johnson, Tristan Klemanski, Cole Leclerc, William Leeman, Madison Leonard, Lexigrace Melanson,Kaytie Millay, Jakob Mills, Jamara Moore, Krysta Morris, Nathaniel Mosher, Isaak Peavey, Matthew Picher, Mitchel Reynolds, Andrew Robinson, Katelyn Rollins, Shawn Seigars, Serena Sepulvado, Santasia Sevigny, Alissa Sleeper, Kayla Sleeper, Dominic Smith, Lily Solorzano, Alisha Stevens, MaKenzi Strout, Nicole Taylor, Katelyn Tibbs, Ashleigh Treannie and Matthew Veilleux.
High Honors: Philip Allen, Isabella Bishop, Abbygail Blair, Jane Blanchard, Samantha Box, Trevor Brockway, Eleanor Brown, Zoe Butler, Cody Devaney, Jacob Devaney, Abigail Dumas, Amelia Evans, Addison Gamage, Margaret Gamage, Avril Goodman, Patrick Hanley, Nathan Howell, Emma Hutchinson, Muzzammil Iqbal, Delaney Ireland, Bryan Joslyn Jr, Madyx Kennedy, Sierra LaCroix, Isabela Libby, Emily Lowther, Chiara Mahoney, Jonathan Martinez, Michael Nicholas III, Ian Oliphant, Brian Ouellette, Courtney Paine, Sydni Plummer, Harry Rabideau, Kristin Ray, Acadia Senkbeil, Hanna Spitzer, Emma White, Samuel York and Kelby Young.
Honors: Mara Adams, Brooke Allen, Nicholas Barber, Rylee Bellemare, Everett Blair, Christopher Bourdon, Hailey Brooks, Emma Burtt, Ethan Cates, Anthony Chessa, Adrianna Cook, Joleigh Crockett, Katelynn Dubriel, Jake Emond, Luciano Giampetruzzi, Cameron Gifford, Hailey Haskell, Avery Henningsen, Braydon Hinds, Paeshance-Rae Horan, Keith Knowles, Kaylah Kronillis, Haley Laird, Joanna Linscott, Colby Lloyd, Eva Malcolm, Hailey Mayo, Riley Mayo, Mikala McIntyre, Isaiah Michaud, Gavin Mills, Alicia Nelson, Tyler Ormonde, Olive Padgett, Isabella Parlin, Annaliese Patterson, Lexis Perry, Aiden Pettengill, Allison Roddy, Colby Rumpf, Hailey Sanborn, Paul Slimm, Alessandro Smith, Carly Spencer, Hunter St. Jarre, Aarick Staples, Ariel Stillman, Joshua Tobey, Jake Williams, Mollie Wilson and Dylan Wing.
High Honors: Isaac Baker, Jacob Bentley, Jack Blais, Lilian Bray, Evan Butler, Emily Clark, Tabitha Craig, Colby Cunningham, Isabella DeRose, Luke Desmond, Emma Fortin, Samantha Golden, Trace Harris, Isaac Hayden, Grace Hodgkin, Rachel Huntoon, Emma Jefferson, Grace Kelso, Taidhgin Kimball, Aidan Larrabee, David Martinez – Gosselin, Hayden McMurtry, Adam Ochs, Devon Polley, Lilly Potter, Sarah Praul, Mackenzie Roderick, Abbey Searles, Shawn Searles, Hannah Soule, Natalie Spearin and Lily Vinci.
Honors: Anastasia Ames, Griffin Anderson, Julia Barber, Alana Beggs, Joshua Bonsant, Wyatt Brann, Austin Campbellton, Nathaniel Collins, Hunter Colson, Liberty Crockett, Jasmine Crommett, Daniel Cseak, Caleb Cyr, Madison Devine, Tiana Dingwell, Kaden Doughty, Alexander Drolet, Abigail Dutton, Kelsie Fielder, Jacob Fisher, Chase Folsom, Jenna Gallant, Josette Gilman, Ciera Hamar, Larissa Haskell, Skye Havey, Hayden Hoague, Hannah Huff, Mallory Landry, Lili Lefebvre, Madison Lully, Isavel Lux Soc, Calvin Mason, Robert McCafferty, Wes McGlew, Christian Moon, Rebecca Morton, Brady O’Connor, Abigail Peaslee, Garrett Peebles, Kaden Plourde, Paige Reed, Riley Reitchel, Parker Reynolds, Kadince Rideout, Natasha Ryder-Lewis, Andrew Shaw, Hugo Smith, Hannah Strout – Gordon, Hannah Torrey, Brennen Wade, Samuel Worthley, Emily York and Hannah York.
Dylan Presby
China resident Dylan Presby has been presented with the prestigious male sportsmanship award at Newbury College, in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Dylan, who just completed his sophomore season at the liberal arts college, finished the season with a .301 batting average, good for second on the team, was tied for the team lead in runs scored with 21, second in hits, which included three doubles, two triples, one home run, and 14 runs batted in.
Dylan is only the third baseball player to achieve this honor.
In what was thought to be a rebuilding season coming off a 5-15 record in 2017, Newbury College won its first-ever Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament birth in 2018.
Unfortunately, Newbury College is one of the small liberal arts colleges that will be closing at the end of the current school year.
Dylan will be transferring to Lasell College, in Newton, Massachusetts, in the fall.
Dylan played his high school baseball at Erskine Academy, in South China. During his senior season, he batted .490, and went 4-2 as a pitcher with two saves. His regular position is second base, although he did fill in playing center field.
For his accomplishments at Erskine, Dylan was named the Kennebec Journal’s Baseball Player of the Year, an accolade that, it is believed, has never before been given to a China resident.
He will be taking some time off at home for the next couple of weeks before he starts his internship in the Cape Cod Baseball League, a prestigious Massachusetts league for developing college players.
Dylan is the son of David and Michelle Presby, of China.
See this related story: China baseball player working to crack lineup at Newbury College
Nick’s pottery
On March 28, Troop #479, of China, honored an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor held for South China resident Nick Shelton, at the China Baptist Church. Family, friends and Scouts attended the ceremony marking the advancement of this young man to the highest rank in Boy Scouts.
Eagle Scout Nick Shelton
Nick joins a group of Eagle Scouts who have completed community service projects with the help of fellow Scouts and other volunteers. Each Eagle candidate must plan and supervise an Eagle service project to demonstrate his capacity and willingness to exert his leadership ability in activities that are constructive and worthwhile in his community.
Nick’s project benefited the Waterville community by selecting a project for Waterville Creates! Waterville Creates’ clay studio now has four double-sided free standing shelves. Each side has three color coded shelves to dry pottery and helps keep each individual works separated and easily located. He and fellow scouts and Scouters, friends, and family built and moved the four shelves to the clay studio. This Eagle Service project led by Nick Shelton provided many man-hours of service to the clay studio at Waterville Creates for the ceramic artists. Those who came to his Court of Honor were presented a soup bowl he has made in his pottery shop.
Nick and his parents created a special Eagle Scout ceremony and asked other members of Troop #479 to help him with the ceremony. The Court of Honor was called to order by Kennebec District Advancement Chairman Chuck Mahaleris, Senior Patrol Leader Aiden Pettengill welcomed the guests to the Court of Honor.
Nick is the son of Joe and Terry Shelton, of China, and is a student at Erskine Academy. Nick is currently making pottery for his company called MOPO.
by Mary GrowChina selectmen dealt with a miscellany of business at their April 29 meeting.
Town Manager Dennis Heath announced a public hearing on Monday, May 13, to discuss two June 11 local ballot questions. The hearing will be at 6:15 p.m. in the town office meeting room, before that evening’s selectmen’s meeting.
The two questions voters will answer June 11 are:
Selectmen Jeffrey LaVerdiere and Ronald Breton expressed reservations about the first question. LaVerdiere said the property slopes steeply to the lake, so building a road, a parking lot and other amenities would be expensive. Breton does not want a swimming beach close to a boat landing, citing safety and parking concerns.
Heath said there might be federal and/or state grant money available. He described the lot as “tiered” and said there might be room for three levels of parking lots.
On a different topic, the manager said China’s 2019-2020 school budget might – he emphasized the uncertainty – increase by five percent. If it did, he said, the local tax rate would also have to increase.
Voters in RSU (Regional School Unit) #18 will act on the school budget May 16 in Oakland, with a confirmatory written-ballot vote on June 11.
Selectmen met two new people who will be working on behalf of the town. Shawn Reed introduced Ron Roy, newly hired in the Public Works Department; and Policeman Tracey Frost introduced Jordan Gaudet, who will join Frost and other Oakland officers working part-time in China.
Transfer Station Manager Tim Grotton said Heath had submitted the application for a recycling grant that, if awarded, would distribute recycling bins around town (see The Town Line, April 25). Heath said he is now looking into another grant to help expand broadband service in China, at a cost tentatively estimated at more than a million dollars.
The manager reported that purchase of the Bailey property at the head of China Lake across Causeway Street from the boat landing will be complete when the deed is registered. He invested an additional $1,000 for a survey, he said, and is glad he did: instead of the six or seven acres voters thought they were buying, they acquired more than 11 acres, partly swamp.
Board members informally approved Heath’s draft purchasing policy, which says the manager may make purchases up to $2,500 on his own; for anything between $2,500 and $10,000, he needs several price quotes and selectmen’s approval; and purchases over $10,000 must be by sealed bid. Final action is expected at the May 13 meeting.
Front row, from left to right, Andrew Maxwell, Rachel Maxwell, James Maxwell, Elizabeth McLean, Peter Maxwell and Aurie Maxwell. Back, Abigail Maxwell, Catherine Durant, Caley Pillow and John Burns. The team leader, Ann Austin, is taking the photo.
On April 27, amidst the rain, the China team representing the Food Pantry volunteers, took part in the Feed Me 5K Walk to End Hunger, in Augusta. This annual event was organized by the Maine State Credit Union and involved charitable groups in central Maine. Each walker raised sponsorship donations which will be combined with fundraising efforts of the Maine State Credit Union and returned to that organization next spring. This year the China team raised $620. Last year the China Pantry’s portion was three times the amount they raised in sponsorship money. Thanks to all sponsors and the staff at the Maine State Credit Union for the hard work and caring shown to the community.
Seniors of the Trimester recipients, from left to right, Jack Tobey, Milo Lani-Caputo, Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, Will Bourque and Morgaine Kmen. (Contributed photos)
On Friday, March 29, Erskine Academy students and staff attended a Renaissance Assembly to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards.
Recognition Awards were presented to the following students: Robert Cade King, Isabella Bishop, Justin Browne, Sam Worthley, Jenna Butler, Kaytie Millay, Tara Maltese, Sam Falla, Alyssha Gil, Annika Gil, and Seth Reed.
Faculty of the Trimester recipients, Darrin Wood, left, Marcia Coffin. (Contributed photos)
In addition to Recognition Awards, Senior of the Trimester Awards were also presented to five members of the senior class: Jack Tobey, son of Amy and Christopher Hayes, of China, and Corey and Cheryl Tobey, of Palermo; Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, daughter of Mary Throckmorton, of Somerville; Will Bourque, son of Michelle and Joseph Bourque, of China; Morgaine Kmen, daughter of Christine Little and Mark Kmen, of China; and Milo Lani-Caputo, son of Andrea Lani and Curry Caputo, of Whitefield. Seniors of the Trimester are recognized as individuals who have gone above and beyond in all aspects of their high school careers.
In appreciation of their dedication and service to Erskine Academy, Faculty of the Trimester awards were also presented to Marcia Coffin, attendance secretary; and Darrin Wood, EA community member.
Democratic presidential candidate, and China resident, Fred Wiand received a send off by supporters at The Head of China Lake, on Saturday, April 6. (Photo by Sandy Isaac)
A group of supporters gathered at the north end of China Lake for the launch of Fred Wiand’s “Running for You” campaign tour. Fred, a resident, of China, Maine, seeks the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election.
He emerged from his white recreational vehicle shortly before 1 p.m. to meet and greet the group who came to hear him speak. His RV will act as a mobile campaign office and home for the next few months.
Wiand, a retired Air Force Major, served for over 20 years active duty and was stationed in over 13 countries. He has visited all 50 states and lived in many of them, including Pennsylvania, California, Texas, New Hampshire and Maine.
He said he has been (physically) running since the ‘60s which makes him fit for the job. This was also the inspiration for calling his campaign “Running for You” and at this rate, he has no thoughts of slowing down.
After greeting the supporters Wiand stated, “I may be the dark horse, but I see a path.” He then explained that he does not plan on taking any PAC money to help fund his campaign.
PACs (Political Action Committees) allows corporations or organizations to bundle contributions from their members and channel that money to fund elections of our government officials. This is the fastest way for a candidate to raise the cash needed to run a successful campaign.
When asked if this puts him at a disadvantage, he said, “No, a huge advantage actually. Other candidates will be beholden to those who contribute to their campaign.” He promised to address campaign finance reform once elected.
Wiand went on to speak about some of the issues that he would tackle as president, like universal healthcare, gender equality and gun safety. Two of the biggest topics he elaborated on were global warming/climate change and immigration. He said, “[We] should rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement,” and spoke of looking for alternative energy sources. Solar energy, wave/tidal/ocean options, geothermal, hydroelectric and hydrogen were all areas he felt we should explore more.
Immigration is also an important topic to Wiand. He started by expressing concern for all of those fleeing other countries and “escaping with their lives.”
Wiand mapped out a plan involving working with the Mexican President to ensure a safe and secure travel route for those who wish to come and go from the United States. His plans involve creating stop-over camp sites along the refugee routes in Mexico. He then spoke of villages being built with American and Mexican labor between camp sites, establishing employment opportunities, and all the benefits that a village infrastructure would have. A similar setup could occur on the U.S. side in areas like El Centro, California, and Del Rio, Texas, just to name a few.
He went on to say that electronic surveillance would be put into place instead of a solid wall and that every vehicle must be searched for contraband, no matter how long that inspection would take at designated secure crossings.
Wiand also spoke about gun safety. He mentioned that he was a gun owner, but that military guns should be used only by the military and that better background checks were necessary. He would like to see a universal gun law in place.
The “Running for You” campaign tour will take Wiand first to Massachusetts for a speech before heading south along the coast for stops in New York. Next up will be Pennsylvania to speak at Valley Forge and Gettysburg, then south to Florida.
When asked if he had anyone in mind to be a running mate, he said, “No, not yet. They would have to be like minded politically of course, but I would look for someone to add diversity to the office.”
Wiand was then asked about his negotiating style or philosophy. He said, “You have to be open to friendly negotiations. No bullying. You have to have vision, charisma, persistence and resolve.” For example, he mentioned how President John F. Kennedy said we would have a man on the moon, and although there was push back, he made it happen.
He went on to say that he hoped Democratic voters would not become divided by a third party, stating that “I will support whoever the Democratic National Committee chooses to be their next candidate. I just hope that it will be me.”
To read more about Fred and his philosophies, please visit his website, www.fredwiand.com.
by Mary GrowVassalboro selectmen spent most of their April 18 meeting reviewing the almost-final draft of the June 3 town meeting warrant, with a few other items briefly discussed.
Town meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Vassalboro Community School, where voters will act on Articles 1 through 63, which include 2019-2020 municipal and school budgets. The final three articles will be voted by secret ballot on Tuesday, June 11, at the town office, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Articles 64, 65 and 66 are a reaffirmation (or rejection) of the school budget approved the previous week, known as a budget validation referendum; a question asking voters if they want to continue the budget validation referendum for another three years; and election of municipal officers.
The three positions to be filled are one on the selectboard and two on the School board. Town Clerk Cathy Coyne said incumbent Selectman Robert Browne and incumbent school board members Jessica Clark and Kevin Levasseur are unopposed for re-election.
Five of Vassalboro’s 10 budget committee members will be elected at the June 3 open meeting. Committee members whose terms end this year are Donald Breton, William Browne, Philip Landry, Richard Phippen and Peggy Schaffer.
Selectmen are scheduled to sign a final warrant for town meeting at their May 2 meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the town office.
In other business April 18, selectmen unanimously approved using $250 from the police budget to sponsor Police Chief Mark Brown’s son at the Criminal Justice Academy. Brown said Vassalboro has paid for sponsorships in the past, including one for him in 1984. He wanted selectmen’s specific approval because of the family connection.
Selectman John Melrose continued discussion of improvements at the East Vassalboro park between the boat landing and the former school. He also proposed reviving the Trails Committee, a subcommittee of the Conservation Commission whose activities included establishing the town forest trail in East Vassalboro.
by Mary GrowAt their April 16 meeting, China selectmen made decisions that will impact residents and non-residents on recycling, requirements for town funds for outside agencies and a mass communications system.
The board authorized Town Manager Dennis Heath to apply to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for a $38,000 recycling grant for a $58,566 three-part project, with a local match of $5,566 in cash plus labor or materials.
If the application is successful, most of the money would provide four recycling trailers, each with four bins for different materials. They would be distributed around town, one outside China Village near the causeway, one in South China, one near Tobey’s Market close to Branch Mills and one in Weeks Mills.
The manager also proposed an electronic pass system (RFID, or radio-frequency identification) to get into the transfer station. Residents, and later non-residents who have arranged to use China’s facility, would have a tag in their vehicles that would be recognized by a scanner at the gate. China would not charge for the initial tag, but if it were lost a replacement would cost $10.
A third component of the project is educational, with presentations on recycling at China schools, China Days and other appropriate venues.
Selectman Jeffrey LaVerdiere abstained on the vote; he supports recycling but questioned a recycling trailer at the causeway. Heath replied that it would be less unattractive than trash all over the grounds.
The change in requirements for an estimated 18 to 20 organizations that apply for town funds at the annual business meeting would ask them to prove that they are in conformity with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.
A reference to payment of stipends makes it clear that the change includes China’s volunteer fire departments. Selectmen and fire chiefs have argued for months over how stipends are distributed, how they are reported and how much say selectmen have.
By China’s April 6 town business meeting, town and fire officials had direction from the state Department of Labor. At the meeting, voters gave the fire department more than either the selectmen or the budget committee recommended, with discussion indicating the goal was to let fire departments have funds for stipends they thought necessary. (See The Town Line, April 11, p. 3.)
At the April 16 selectmen’s meeting, board member Donna Mills-Stevens said the policy revision was not aimed at “picking on” fire departments, but was intended to make sure selectmen disbursed town funds as required by law. Heath emphasized that the change applies to all entities seeking town funds, whether or not they offer stipends. Selectmen’s approval was unanimous.
In a related matter April 16, Heath said fire officials told him they would attend selectmen’s meetings to discuss pending issues if they were at the beginning of the agenda, so they would not waste time. Currently, the third agenda item, after action on the previous meeting’s minutes and bills to be paid, is titled “Department Reports,” and fire/rescue is the third report.
Selectmen agreed to move fire/rescue to the first report item. The time spent on minutes and bills varies from meeting to meeting depending on how many questions board members have.
The proposed communications system would let town officials notify residents who signed up to receive message about emergencies, meetings, events of interest and anything else they might need to know. Town meeting voters appropriated $4,000 for the system, called Hyper-Reach.
Heath asked approval to pay the first annual $3,900 fee before the new fiscal year begins so the system could be operational in July. Selectmen had no objection.
Board members also approved the manager’s proposal to use up to $3,580 from this fiscal year’s contingency fund to replace 72 town office light fixtures with LED ballasts and bulbs.
Public Works and Transfer Station representatives said the new Ventrac tractor that plowed South China sidewalks was used to sweep the transfer station yard and started sweeping sidewalks in South China, until it blew a belt. No-charge repairs were expected in about two days.
Saturday, April 27, is a drug take-back day at the transfer station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fluorescent and other bulbs for which disposal fees are charged will be accepted free that day.
According to the town website, the next selectmen’s meeting will be Monday evening, April 29.