China selectmen move quickly through short meeting

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by Mary Grow

At a short March 15 meeting, China selectmen:

  • Elected Wayne Chadwick acting chairman in Ronald Breton’s absence;
  • Held a public hearing, which drew comments only from board members, on the proposed Ordinance Restricting Vehicle Weight on Posted Ways, modeled on the state ordinance;
  • Adopted the ordinance, which applies while roads are posted in the spring; and
  • Appointed Alaina Murray to the Recreation Committee.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood delivered monthly reports from town departments, including her notice that the audit report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020, is available and will be posted on the town website, china.govoffice.com.

Hapgood issued reminders from Town Clerk Angela Nelson that the second half payment of local taxes is due by the close of business Friday, March 26; and from assessor’s assistant Kelly Grotton that applications for legally-allowed tax exemptions must be filed before April 1.

She reported that Central Church, on Route 3, has offered to welcome meetings, like the board of selectmen’s, in its meeting room when more space is needed. The town office and the church will cooperate on an Easter egg drive-through at the town office the morning of Friday, March 27, she said.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 29.

China broadband committee narrows list to one

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee members have narrowed to one the list of companies they will negotiate with, for now, about offering expanded and improved broadband service town-wide.

At their March 11 meeting, they unanimously asked consultant Mark Van Loan, of Mission Broadband, to invite representatives of Machias-based Axiom Technologies to meet with them virtually at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18.

They also asked Van Loan to notify Sertex Broadband Solutions that they are starting with Axiom, but would appreciate Sertex remaining available in case they and Axiom cannot reach agreement.

A week earlier they asked Van Loan to send a similar message to Spectrum Community Solutions. Van Loan reported the Spectrum representative with whom he spoke said the company would renew discussions if invited.

Spectrum, the company that provides service to many China residents, fell off the list first because of a legal issue. Their proposal includes the town issuing a bond to contribute to costs of expanding and upgrading service, but they would retain ownership of the network. Committee member Jamie Pitney, a lawyer, thinks state law does not allow a municipality to issue a bond to finance something it will not own.

Axiom and Sertex both propose they or a subcontractor will build the broadband network; they or a subcontractor will be the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that runs it; and they or a subcontractor will maintain it. The town will own it.

To committee members town ownership offers many advantages. Chairman Robert O’Connor opened the March 11 meeting with a short Institute for Local Self-Reliance video listing them, including local control, local jobs and cost savings.

Pitney expressed a preference for negotiating first with Axiom because he found that company’s proposal and its representatives’ answers to committee questions better organized and more understandable than Sertex’s.

Costs, as estimated at this early stage, are comparable between Axiom and Sertex: better town-wide service will cost between six and seven million dollars.

Committee members divide costs into construction, which will be repaid within a fixed number of years, and on-going operations. They have made no recommendations on dividing the payment obligation among user fees, local taxes and possible other sources, like grants.

Committee members prepared a list of questions they asked Van Loan to send to Axiom in preparation for the March 18 meeting.

China emergency preparedness group meets monthly

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by Mary Grow

China Emergency Preparation Committee members are holding monthly meetings, with assignments in between, as they update China’s Emergency Action Plan. The most recent meeting was March 11; the next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, April 15.

The draft Emergency Checklist Plan, including some of the updates, is on the town website, china.govoffice.com, under the Emergency Preparedness Committee tab.

The version committee members are reviewing has statistics from the 2010 census. They discussed waiting until 2020 census data are available to complete the final draft, so they will not need to update figures within a year.

Discussion at the March 11 meeting began with plans for an emergency in a town building. That section is nearly final.

It includes designation of people in charge at the town office complex, the transfer station and the public works building; a list of alternates in case the designee is on vacation, on the road or otherwise unavailable; each person’s duties; designated gathering places if one or more buildings need to be evacuated; and other aspects of a plan to avoid chaos.

Turning to the plan intended to be town-wide, committee members briefly summarized information on available resources each had collected since the previous meeting. They talked about two communications issues: how to send out a town-wide emergency notice so that all residents get it promptly, and how to share notifications and information among neighboring towns so they can help each other in emergencies.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood said her predecessor, Dennis Heath, tried to set up a hyperlink notification system, but not enough residents signed up. Some towns have sirens, whistles, horns or other old-fashioned systems, committee member Stephen Nichols said.

Another option, Nichols said, would be to have fire department members drive fire trucks around town delivering loudspeaker notices.

China’s three volunteer fire departments have mutual aid agreements with departments in neighboring towns, so that a major fire in one town brings firefighters from miles around. Committee members do not know whether town governments could make similar arrangements.

While considering communications, committee members agreed the directory of FAX machines could be deleted from the plan, because few FAX machines remain in use.

China planners continue work toward solar ordinance

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by Mary Grow

At their March 9 meeting, China Planning Board members continued working toward a new solar ordinance to be added to the Land Use Ordinance. When completed and approved by voters, it will give board members definitions, rules and standards to review applications for solar installations in town, both commercial and private.

The board has approved three commercial solar installations in China, adapting other sections of the ordinance to carry out its review. Both commercial projects and installation of solar panels for individual homes need town approval.

Codes Officer Jaime Hanson explained in an email after the meeting that pending a town ordinance, he is authorized by the 2015 International Residential Code to review residential solar projects, issue an accessory-structure permit when he is satisfied with the plans and charge permit fees based on the size of the installation.

The focus of the March 9 discussion was a 2015 ordinance from the Town of Washington, Maine. Board members found concepts and paragraphs in that ordinance that they asked Hanson to add to their draft.

Board members are working on another proposed ordinance addition that would govern shoreland stabilization projects. Chairman Randy Downer said a Colby College faculty member, who is also a trustee of the Kennebec Water District, will help with that ordinance; he expects her to join the board’s next meeting.

The Kennebec Water District draws the water supply for Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Vassalboro and Benton, and for wholesaling to Maine Water Company, in Oakland, from China Lake’s west basin.

Board members hope to present one or both ordinances to China voters in November 2021.

The next China Planning Board meeting was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23.

STUDENT WRITERS: Why fewer people Are Getting Married

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The Town Line presents the STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

by Grace Kelso (China)
Junior at Erskine Academy

Growing up, many Americans believed they would get a job, buy a house, get married and start a family. However, it seems that for many Americans, life did not turn out that way. The amount of marriages that happen every year in the US is at an all time low at two million a year. This is half a million less than its peak in the early 1980s. The marriage rate is also at a record low at a little more than 50 percent which peaked at 70 percent in 1967. This percentage is only likely to decrease. The Pew Research Center has estimated that by the time today’s young adults are 50, over 25 percent of them will have been single their entire lives.

Americans are also getting married later in life. The median age for first marriages reached a record high in 2018 with most men getting married at age 30 and women, 28. However, many people don’t want to get married at all. The Pew Research Center found that 14 percent of never-married adults say they don’t plan to marry at all, and another 27 percent aren’t sure whether they want to get married. There are many things that could have caused these trends, such as the change in gender roles and more gender equality, increasing financial instability, and the increasing benefits of staying single.

One explanation for why fewer people are getting married is the changing gender roles and more gender equality in today’s society. In the past, men were expected to be the ones to work and earn money to support their families. Women were not expected to work and instead take care of the home and children. This is not the case anymore. Having to take care of the home and raising children while still working full time is too much for some women, and most women are not willing to give up their career to become full time housewives. Also, women today are more educated than men and earn close to the same income. Women no longer have an incentive to marry for financial security because most women can financially support themselves. This change in gender roles and more gender equality in today’s society makes marriage seem like something of the past, which could explain the drop in marriage rates.

Another explanation could be the increasing financial instability among young adults. In 2017 the Pew Research Center found that 41 percent of single adults who wanted to get married in the future said that financial stability was a major reason why they had not married yet. Getting married and starting a family is a huge financial decision and many young people feel like they are not financially stable enough to make a life long commitment such as getting married. One reason for this financial instability is the record high amount of student loan debt in the U.S.. Americans collectively owe $1.7 trillion in student loans and the average college senior graduates with $37,691 in debt. Having this much debt at the beginning of adulthood has kept a lot of young people from getting married. Also, a study done by Cornell University found that most American women want to get married but many are unable to find “marriageable” men, which can be considered men with stable jobs and a good income. This increasing financial instability has made marriage less attractive or just out of reach for many young people, causing fewer people to get married.

Lastly, fewer people are getting married because of the increasing benefits of staying single. The Pew Research Center found that half of American adults believe society is just as well off if people have priorities other than marriage and children. Fewer and fewer people want to get married in order to pursue their own personal goals, whether it be in their career or hobbies. Also single people are actually more social. Sociologists, Natalia Sarkisian, of Boston College, and Naomi Gerstel, of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, found that marriage actually weakens other social ties. On average, single people provide more care for their siblings and aging parents, have more friends, and are more likely to offer help to neighbors and ask for it in return.

This huge drop in marriage rates has many causes, some of which are a change in gender roles and more gender equality, increasing financial instability, and the increasing benefits of staying single. Is this something we, as a society, should be worried about? Marriage has a lot of benefits, including better outcomes for children, less crime, an increase in longevity and generally happier lives. However, the way marriage is today is also very challenging and does not work for everyone. Perhaps in the future there will be other forms of partnerships that better fit the needs of our society without the negative side effects of marriage. There have already been suggestions of alternative forms of marriage such as “beta-marriages” where a couple is married only for a short period of time before making a commitment, almost like a “test run”. Our society is changing fast, so it only makes sense that the relationships we form with other people change as well.

Student Writer’s Program: What Is It?

The Town Line has many articles from local students under the heading of the “Student Writer’s Program.” While it may seem plainly evident why The Town Line would pursue this program with local schools and students, we think it’s worth the time to highlight the reasons why we enthusiastically support this endeavor.

Up front, the program is meant to offer students who have a love of writing a venue where they can be published and read in their community. We have specifically not provided topics for the students to write on or about, and we have left the editing largely up to their teachers. From our perspective this is a free form space provided to students.

From the perspective of the community, what is the benefit? When considering any piece that should or could be published, this is a question we often ask ourselves at The Town Line. The benefit is that we as community are given a glimpse into how our students see the world, what concerns them, and, maybe even possible solutions to our pressing problems. Our fundamental mission at the paper is to help us all better understand and appreciate our community, our state, and our nation through journalism and print.

We hope you will read these articles with as much interest and enjoyment as we do. The students are giving us a rare opportunity to hear them out, to peer into their world, and see how they are processing this world we, as adults, are giving them.

To include your high school, contact The Town Line, townline@townline.org.

ICE OUT 2021? Take a guess. Win a prize!

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SEND US YOUR BEST ICE OUT GUESS FOR 2021

Write down your best guess (one per person) and send it to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358, or email us at townline@townline.org with the subject “ICE OUT 2021“. If more than one person guesses the correct date, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. Get your guess to The Town Line office by noon, Friday, March 19, 2021.

Email: townline@townline.org. Or use our Contact Us page!

PRIZE: To be determined

The records below, of ice out dates on China Lake, were provided by China residents Bill Foster, Captain James Allen and Theresa Plaisted.

Bill Foster brought in the ice out dates from 1874 to 1883. They came from a 215-page log/diary. In the log/diary are recorded the comings and goings from 1870 to 1883 of the F. O. Brainard Store, as well as personal notations of special and everyday events.

Captain James Allen brought in the ice out dates from 1901 to 1948. They had been recorded on the outhouse wall of the old Farnsworth house, also located in China Village.

Theresa Plaisted brought in the ice out dates from 1949 to 1991. She explained to us that a friend and neighbor, Ben Dillenbeck, had kept the record on his cellarway wall until his death on December 12, 1987.

Theresa transcribed Mr. Dillenbeck’s record and has kept the record up to date ever since.

This year, we will be checking China Lake to determine the official date for “Ice Out” in 2020. We will not be looking in hard-to-access areas for that very last crystal to melt, so the definition of “Ice Out,” for the purpose of this contest, is: “When, to the best judgment of the assigned viewer, the surface of the lake appears to be free of ice.” The judge’s decision is final.

Can you guess the day The Town Line declares China Lake free of ice?

Ice Out dates for the last 147 years!

1874 – April 22
1875 – May 6
1876 – April 30
1877 – April 16
1878 – April 12
1879 – May 3
1880 – April 21
1881 – April 19
1883 – April 29
1901 – March 27
1921 – March 28
1932 – April 27
1933 – April 20
1934 – April 19
1935 – April 25
1936 – April 4
1937 – April 20
1938 – April 20
1939 – May 4
1941 – April 16
1945 – April 2
1947 – April 12
1948 – April 8
1949 – April 6
1950 – April 14
1951 – April 9
1952 – April 19
1953 – March 19
1954 – April 19
1955 – April 13
1956 – April 27
1957 – April 10
1958 – April 16
1959 – April 22
1960 – April 21
1961 – April 30
1962 – April 20
1963 – April 22
1964 – April 21
1965 – April 18
1966 – April 18
1967 – April 29
1968 – April 13
1969 – April 23
1970 – April 23
1971 – April 30
1972 – May 1
1973 – April 8
1974 – April 2
1975 – April 23
1976 – April 11
1977 – April 18
1978 – April 21
1979 – April 12
1980 – April 10
1981 – March 18
1982 – April 22
1983 – April 1
1984 – April 17
1985 – April 6
1986 – April 8
1987 – April 6
1988 – April 6
1989 – April 22
1990 – April 11
1991 – April 8
1992 – April 15
1993 – April 21
1994 – April 20
1995 – April 9
1996 – April 5
1997 – April 23
1998 – April 9
1999 – April 2
2000 – April 4
2001 – April 27
2002 – April 6
2003 – April 21
2004 – April 14
2005 – April 16
2006 – March 26
2007 – April 23
2008 – April 17
2009 – April 11
2010 – March 19
2011 – April 17
2012 – March 21
2013 – April 6
2014 – April 19
2015 – April 22
2016 – March 15
2017 – April 17
2018 – April 23
2019 – April 12
2020 – March 27
2021 – ??????

China selectmen unanimously approve warrant

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by Mary Grow

China selectmen held a brief special meeting Monday afternoon, March 8, at which they unanimously approved the warrant for the June 8 annual town business meeting.

Another unanimous vote authorized Town Manager Becky Hapgood to create and mail to all residents an explanation of the questions to be voted on. The mailing will be in addition to the twice-a-month mailings from the town office; the cost is estimated at between $500 and $600.

Hapgood plans to send out the special mailing the first or second week in April, so residents can read it before the April 26 public hearing on the June 8 ballot questions. The mailing will include instructions for participating remotely in the public hearing.

Hapgood plans also to put information on the town website, china.gov.office.com.

The June 8 vote will be by written ballot. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the former portable classroom behind the town office. Instructions for voting by absentee ballot will be available well in advance of the meeting.

The next two regular China selectmen’s meeting are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Mon

China budget committee approves selectmen spending recommendations

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by Mary Grow

China Budget Committee members approved selectmen’s spending recommendations for the 2021-22 fiscal year at an hour-long meeting March 2.

Most votes were unanimous; two appropriations were recommended by votes of 5 to 1.

Tom Rumpf dissented on the vote to appropriate $26,471 to support FirstPark, the Oakland-based business park to which China and 23 other area municipalities contribute. The FirstPark question is Article 15 in the 26-article warrant.

Elizabeth Curtis dissented on Art. 26, the request to authorize spending for each category to continue at the current year’s level if town meeting voters reject the proposed 2021-22 amount. She asked if the article meant that voters would have no chance to have the question explained, objections answered and a revote held.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood replied that depending on the question, a revote could be scheduled. Because of requirements for written-ballot voting, it would take a couple months to organize a second vote.

Some committee members abstained on votes to avoid possible conflicts of interest. For example, three fire department members abstained on the vote to recommend $107,500 for community support organizations, because the total includes what used to be called firefighters’ stipends and are now considered gifts in appreciation of service.

Rumpf, president of the China Four Seasons Club, abstained on two votes related to snowmobiling, and Tim Basham abstained on the vote to fund cemetery maintenance and improvements, because Basham’s Tree Service often gets contracts to take down dangerous trees in cemeteries.

Having completed their review of the warrant, the budget committee adjourned without setting another meeting date.

Voters will act on the proposed expenditures, policy issues and other items by written ballot on Tuesday, June 8. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the former portable classroom behind the town office.

A public hearing on the town meeting warrant is tentatively scheduled for Monday evening, April 26. Hapgood plans to put as much information as possible on the town website and Facebook page and in the twice-a-month mailings from the town office.

China broadband committee: after two hours, they conclude more information needed

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee members spent almost two hours March 4 trying to get their chickens and eggs in the right order – as they repeatedly expressed their dilemma – and came to what has become their usual conclusion: they need more information and another meeting.

Their next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11.

The committee’s assignment is to expand and improve broadband service in China. Consultant John Dougherty, of Mission Broadband, reminded them why the task is important, especially with more people working from home: neither new residents nor new businesses will be attracted to a town that provides inferior broadband connectivity.

Committee member Tod Detre shared Dougherty’s view. Before earlier localized improvements increased internet access at his house on China Lake, he and his wife had seriously discussed whether they would have to move out of town to continue working, he said.

Committee members agreed on two important factors: the service they recommend must cover all households in town, and it must be able to adapt to technological changes.

The committee has responses from three companies – Axiom Technologies, Sertex Broadband Solutions and Spectrum Community Solutions – to the request for proposals they issued in late December 2020. Committee members discussed the possibility of getting in touch with other companies.

They see three main issues on which they need more information to come up with a recommended plan that will meet town needs at a reasonable price.

  • They need to compare the three vendors more adequately. So far they have discussed Spectrum’s offer at most length, and have found a major obstacle.
  • They need to get more information on costs and returns and consider how to cover costs.
  • And they need to find out with reasonable accuracy how many China residents would sign up for and pay for better service.

They see the three as so interdependent that they could not decide which to attack first. The quality of service will help determine the number of users; the number of users will be a major determinant of income; income will affect costs and how they are paid; costs will affect the number of users; and so the circle goes.

Another point of agreement was that at future meetings, committee members should focus on a single topic. Committee members Detre and Neil Farrington suggested, in no particular order, discussion with Axiom representatives; discussion with Sertex representatives; plans for a community education program; and funding.

Committee member Jamie Pitney, a lawyer, pointed out the problem with Spectrum’s proposal: the town would be expected to fund it through a bond issue, but Spectrum would continue to own the lines, and in Pitney’s opinion state law does not allow a town to bond something it would not own.

The expected revised proposal from Spectrum had been received, but it offered no solution to the legal issue.

Several committee members, without doubting Pitney’s expertise, proposed getting an opinion from Town Attorney Amanda Meader as a more official statement. Janet Preston, the committee’s ex officio member representing the selectboard, volunteered to ask Town Manager Becky Hapgood if there is money left in the current year’s legal account to reimburse Meader.

China assessors decline property assessment appeal

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by Mary Grow

The three members of China’s Board of Assessment Review, meeting Feb. 24, unanimously denied William and Susan Flanders’ appeal of their property valuation, with alternate member Dwaine Drummond (who votes only if a regular member is absent) indicating that he agreed.

The Flanders own a seasonal dwelling (in assessor William Van Tuinen’s words) or a camp (in the Flanders’ description) at 313 61st Fire Road, on the southwest side of China Lake. Van Tuinen valued it at $188,400. The Flanders asked for an assessment of $170,000, a difference of $18, 400, or 9.77 percent by Van Tuinen’s calculation.

Van Tuinen explained at the meeting and in documents sent to board members in advance that there are two requirements to get a valuation lowered, according to state law and court rulings.

1) The burden of proof is on the taxpayer, who must demonstrate that the assessor was “manifestly wrong” in setting the valuation and must provide proof of a “just” valuation. “Manifestly wrong” means unreasonable or irrational; discriminatory; or fraudulent, dishonest or illegal.

2) Because assessors are fallible human beings, the law provides that an assessment must be “accurate within reasonable limits of practicality.” Specifically, the law allows 10 percent leeway.

The Flanders initially asked selectmen, in their capacity as assessors, to reduce the assessment. After selectmen denied the request on Dec. 7, 2020, they filed an appeal to the Board of Assessment Review on Jan. 12, 2021.

Their appeal included comparisons with other China Lake properties. Van Tuinen explained how an assessor makes comparisons, a more thorough analysis than the Flanders made, in his view.

The property owners also disagreed with Van Tuinen’s finding that the building is in satisfactory condition; on a rating scale from A to D, he gave it a C. Van Tuinen said he had not been inside.

The assessed value is supposed to correlate with the sales price. Van Tuinen said by 2019 figures, China’s average was 92 percent, well above Maine’s acceptable minimum of 80 percent.

Board member Harold Charles, a retired realtor, pointed out that since 2019, prices of Maine real estate have risen. Kelly Grotton, China’s assistant to the assessor, agreed, and after the meeting gave examples of China properties that were recently sold for well over their assessed values.

Discussion ended with board members agreeing unanimously that the assessment was not too low and that even if it were, the requested change was within the 10 percent limit.

Van Tuinen reminded board members they needed to inform the Flanders of the decision and of their right to appeal to Superior Court within 30 days.