Photo credit: University of New England Facebook page
The University of New England, in Biddeford, and Tangier, Morocco, have announced that Kayla Goggin and Emma McCormac, both of South China, have been named to the dean’s list for the 2019 fall semester at the University of New England. Dean’s list students have attained a grade point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester.
(photo credit: Erskine Academy)
High Honors: Lucy Allen, Jay Austin, Julia Basham, Derek Beaulieu, Haley Breton, Bridget Connolly, Summer Curran, Colby Cyr, Lily DeRaps, Vincent Emery, Nathan Evans, Alyssha Gil, Annika Gil, Boe Glidden, Bryce Goff, Joshua Gower, Tori Grasse, Alyssa Hale, Summer Hotham, Nicholas Howard, Julianna Hubbard, Sarah Jarosz, Cameron Johnson, Benjamin Lagasse, Benjamin Lavoie, Eleena Lee, Madison Leonard, Gabriel Lewis, Stephanie Libby, Jordan Linscott, Jakob Mills, Krysta Morris, Nathaniel Mosher, Lyndsie Pelotte, Matthew Picher, Hunter Praul, Miina Raag-Schmidt, Benjamin Reed, Mitchel Reynolds, Andrew Robinson, Alyssa Savage, Santasia Sevigny, Taylor Shute, Brandon Tibbs, Katelyn Tibbs, Hailee Turner, Cameron Tyler and Richard Winn.
Honors: Pedro Albarracin, Lucas Anderson, Alec Baker, Adam Bonenfant, Ashlee Bossie, Alexander Buzzell, Kole-Tai Carlezon, David Chubbuck Jr, Dominic Denico, Michael Dusoe Jr, Dominick Dyer, Cheyann Field, Jada Fredette, Mitchell Gamage, Lydia Gilman, Ella Giroux, Emma Harvey, Gage Henderson, Ashley Huntley, Emily Jacques, Ricker Jean, Colby Johnson, Kyle Jones, Luke Jordan, Tristan Klemanski, Brandon LaChance, Cole Leclerc, William Leeman, Desiree Leighton, Sydney Lord, Brandon Loveland, Shawn Manning, Reece McGlew, Lexigrace Melanson, Kaytie Millay, Jamara Moore, Adalaide Morris, Isaak Peavey, Chandler Peele, Jasmine Plugge, Hailei-Ann Reny, Dominic Rodrigue, Katelyn Rollins, Shawn Seigars, Serena Sepulvado, Nicholas Shelton, Danielle Shorey, Ryan Sidelinger, Kayla Sleeper, Dominic Smith, Lily Solorzano, Makenzi Strout, Matthew Stultz, Jacob Sutter, Nicole Taylor, Courtney Tibbetts, Kaitlyn Tims, Ashleigh Treannie and Andrew Weymouth.
High Honors: Philip Allen, Nicholas Barber, Abbygail Blair, Jane Blanchard, Samantha Box, Trevor Brockway, Hailey Brooks, Zoe Butler, Cody Devaney, Jacob Devaney, Brandon Devine, Amelia Evans, Addison Gamage, Margaret Gamage, Hailey Haskell, Avery Henningsen, Braydon Hinds, Paeshance-Rae Horan, Emma Hutchinson, Delaney Ireland, Bryan Joslyn Jr, Madyx Kennedy, Sierra LaCroix, Isabela Libby, Emily Lowther, Chiara Mahoney, Michael Nicholas III, Ian Oliphant, Olive Padgett, Courtney Paine, Isabella Parlin, Annaliese Patterson, Elek Pelletier, Aiden Pettengill, Sydni Plummer, Harry Rabideau, Kristin Ray, Allison Roddy, Acadia Senkbeil, Hanna Spitzer and Kelby Young.
Honors: Mara Adams, Brooke Allen, Paris Bedsaul, Rylee Bellemare, Isabella Bishop, Everett Blair, Christopher Bourdon, Eleanor Brown, Ethan Cates, Anthony Chessa, Ashley Clavette, Adrianna Cook, Saydi Cote, Joshua Cowing, Nolan Cowing, McKayla Doyon, Katelynn Dubriel, Cameron Gifford, Avril Goodman, Patrick Hanley, Nathan Howell, Haley Laird, Logan Lee, Graydon Leeman, Joanna Linscott, Colby Lloyd, Eva Malcolm, Xavian Marable, Jonathan Martinez, Hailey Mayo, Riley Mayo, Mikala McIntyre, Isaiah Michaud, Nathan Million, Alicia Nelson, Tyler Ormonde, Brian Ouellette, Daniel Page, Anna Pfleging, Colby Rumpf, Hailey Sanborn, Alessandro Smith, Carly Spencer, Jarre St., Aarick Staples, Ariel Stillman, Riley Sullivan, Chloe Taylor, Joshua Tobey, Mollie Wilson, Dylan Wing and Samuel York.
High Honors: Griffin Anderson, Isaac Baker, Julia Barber, Autumn Boody, Lilian Bray, Emily Clark, Tabitha Craig, Isabella DeRose, Emma Fortin, Wyatt French, Samantha Golden, Hayden Hoague, Grace Hodgkin, Rachel Huntoon, Emma Jefferson, Grace Kelso, Taidhgin Kimball, Aidan Larrabee, Robert McCafferty, Adam Ochs, Devon Polley, Sarah Praul, Riley Reitchel, Mackenzie Roderick, Abbey Searles, Shawn Searles, Andrew Shaw, Hannah Soule, Hannah Strout-Gordon, Lily Thompson and Lily Vinci.
Honors: Elliott Atwood, Alana Beggs, Jacob Bentley, Gabriella Berto-Blagdon, Jack Blais, Evan Butler, Abrial Chamberlain, Nathaniel Collins, Hunter Colson, Jesse Cowing, Liberty Crockett, Colby Cunningham, Luke Desmond, Madison Devine, Kaden Doughty, Alexander Drolet, Abigail Dutton, Kelsie Fielder, Jacob Fisher, Chase Folsom, Jenna Gallant, Josette Gilman, Ciera Hamar, Thomas Hanley, Trace Harris, Skye Havey, Isaac Hayden, Hannah Huff, Tanner Klasson, Madelyne Koehling, Mallory Landry, Garrison Leeman, Lili Lefebvre, Shawn Libby, Madison Lully, Isavel Lux Soc, David Martinez-Gosselin, Calvin Mason, Wes McGlew, Kaden McIntyre, Christian Moon, Rebecca Morton, Brady O’Connor, Connor Owens, Abigail Peaslee, Kaden Plourde, Lilly Potter, Paige Reed, Parker Reynolds, Kadince Rideout, Annalee Rogers, Natalie Spearin, Brennen Wade, Samuel Worthley, Emily York, Hannah York and Hayden Young.
High Honors: Carson Appel, Andrew Bentley, McKenzie Berry, Abigail Beyor, Eve Boatright, Alexis Buotte, Nicholas Choate, Nickolas Christiansen, Breckon Davidson, Nicole DeMerchant, Lillian Dorval, Grace Ellis, Lilly Fredette, Alyssa Gagne, Loralei Gilley, Reiana Gonzalez, Cooper Grondin, Mallary Hanke, Elizabeth Hardy, Alexzander Hoffman, Kassidy Hopper, Grady Hotham, Grace Hutchins, Olivia Hutchinson, Hallie Jackson, Hannah Jackson, Beck Jorgensen, Kaiden Kelley, Meadow Laflamme, Zephyr Lani-Caputo, Dale Lapointe, Dinah Lemelin, Gwen Lockhart, Malachi Lowery, Emily Majewski, Lily Matthews, Brooklyn McCue, River Meader, Nabila Meity, Galen Neal III, Maddison Paquet, Timber Parlin, Kayla Peaslee, Gabriel Pelletier, Sophia Pilotte, Alexis Rancourt, Cadence Rau, Samantha Reynolds, Sarah Robinson, Ally Rodrigue, Noah Rushing, Emmalee Sanborn, Jacob Seigars, Sophie Steeves, Jacob Sullivan, Paige Sutter, Aidan Tirrell, Mackenzie Toner, Emma Tyler, Julia Wade, Damon Wilson and Aidan Witham.
Honors: Molly Anderson, Kassidy Barrett, Katherine Bourdon, Emma Charest, Courtney Cowing, Kayleen Crandall, Myra Evans, Isaac Farrar, Alivia Gower, Carson Grass, Ronald Haskell Jr, Tyreke Hitchener, Acadia Kelley, Brady Kirkpatrick, Casey Kirkpatrick, Matthew Knowles, Emmet Lani-Caputo, Emily Laweryson, Joseph Lemelin, Brenden Levesque, Bryce Lincoln, Aimee Lizotte, Cooper Loiko, Gage Moody, Ethan Ouellette, Hannah Patterson, Jenna Perkins, Casey Petty, Kathleen Pfleging, Kaden Porter, Karen Potter, Parker Potter, Conner Rowe, Jarell Sandoval, Isabella Smith, Kiley Stevens, Emma Stred, Camyrin Thompson, Hannah Toner, Lauren Tyler and Joseph Wing.
Contributed photo
Students and staff at Erskine Academy recently held a dress down day to raise funds for the Koala Hospital, in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia.
The Koala Hospital’s efforts include the rescue and treatment of sick and injured koalas, conservation and expansion of koala habitats, research relating to habitat, disease, nutrition and habits of wild koalas, and provides educational materials to increase public awareness of all aspects of the koala. Pictured are members of the student council who helped organize the dress down day effort.
To the editor:
In light of a Letter to the Editor dated October 31, 2019, I would like to add to the comments about run-off at the Town Landing Road and other concerns.
As a resident of South China who has cleaned litter along this road for 20 years, I would agree we have a problem with this road as a public access point to the lake. During the season, large boats and vehicles can be seen trying to manage entry from this road. The only way to turn around is on someone’s private property, and the only place to park is along the buffer on the side of the road. The regular wear and tear to the road is evident, and because of the isolated aspect of this entry point, there is no surveilling boats for milfoil or other invasive species. The shallow waters also make large boat access problematic and create disturbance to the bottom of the lake.
It is certainly worth further discussion in order to protect this precious natural resource, China Lake.
Katy McCormac
South China
by Mary GrowChina selectmen will start their Monday, Jan. 27, special meeting at 5 p.m. in the town office meeting room. The purpose of the meeting is to review and make recommendations on the 2020-2021 municipal budget; members chose the early starting time because they expect a long meeting.
The budget committee is scheduled to review the selectmen’s recommendations on Thursday, Jan. 30, beginning at 7 p.m., in the town office meeting room.
by Mary GrowThe special China selectmen’s meeting Jan. 7, called to discuss the town conflict of interest policy and to give board members their copies of Town Manager Dennis Heath’s draft 2020-21 budget, turned out to be yet another round in the months-long argument between town officials and the volunteer fire departments.
Heath, recovering from surgery for a broken ankle, was absent, leaving board Chairman Ronald Breton the spokesman for the town side. Town Attorney Amanda Meader and Budget Committee Chairman Robert Batteese were major participants in the discussion.
At issue, still, was payment of stipends to volunteer firefighters as a contribution toward their expenses.
At issue, still, was payment of stipends to volunteer firefighters as a contribution toward their expenses. In the current year’s budget, stipends were included in the fire department and China Rescue account. Town meeting voters approved a total fire and rescue budget larger than either the selectmen or the budget committee requested, specifically to cover the amount the departments sought for stipends.
Heath questions the legality of using tax money for stipends for volunteers. Over the last year and a half, he has sought opinions from the state and federal labor departments. State officials approved a plan presented by the firefighters, Heath said in a post-meeting email; federal labor officials have not replied.
The main argument Jan. 7 was over whether members of the budget committee who are firefighters, or whose family members are firefighters, will be in conflict of interest if they vote on whether to recommend voters approve stipends.
China’s Administrative Code of Ethics bars any appointed or elected official from participating in any way in deciding on an item “in which he or she or a member of his or her immediate family has a financial or special interest, other than an interest shared by the public generally.”
Attorney Meader said the wording clearly bars a budget committee member from voting on a recommendation to fund stipends if he (or she) or an immediate family member might get one, even though the amounts involved are small and even though town meeting voters approve. The point, she said, is “to maintain public trust and public confidence.”
Breton defines the situation as volunteers in a nonprofit organization getting public money, disbursed through the fire chiefs without voters knowing who gets how much.
“Benefiting the general public,” Batteese interjected.
Breton said he believes in the proposed 2020-2021 budget firefighters’ stipends are not in the fire and rescue account, but under the community support organizations account, which in the current year includes libraries, historical buildings, some lake protection work and The Town Line newspaper. However, since the budget was not handed out until the end of the meeting, his opinion was not confirmed.
Batteese said he joined the volunteer fire department soon after moving to China in 1984. He was elected to the budget committee in 1987 and has been its chairman since 1995. The committee has made annual recommendations on the town budget, including fire department funding, and he thinks there has never been a conflict.
Breton said if Batteese disagreed with Meader and found no conflict, Breton had the power to overrule Batteese. Batteese disagreed.
Budget committee member Tom Rumpf said most committee members are also fire department members or have relatives who are.
The Jan. 7 conclusions were that there should be some way to help firefighters without using the word “stipends,” even though, Breton said, everyone would know what the money was intended for; and, at Meader’s suggestion, that discussion should be suspended until the budget accounts were available. Breton promised another meeting if needed once selectmen start budget consideration.
A related, shorter argument was over whether a member of the Four Seasons Club – Rumpf is its president – could vote on a town grant to the club. He has applied for funding from China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund for trail work and an equipment storage building.
Meader said conflict of interest applies to individuals, not to organizations. Asked if Four Seasons Club members are paid, Rumpf laughed. But, he asked, would a landowner whose land value was increased by Four Seasons Club trail improvements be considered as benefiting?
On yet another related topic, Batteese objected to Heath’s proposed budget review schedule, which called for the budget committee to make recommendations on Jan. 23 and the selectmen on Jan. 30. The budget committee, Batteese said, is supposed to review and endorse or change the selectmen’s recommended budget.
In past years, selectmen have held one or more meetings to make their recommendations, often including at least one joint meeting with the budget committee; the budget committee has made it recommendations; and selectmen have had a final meeting to approve the town business meeting warrant. If the two boards disagree, selectmen either accept the budget committee figure or put both recommendations in the warrant for voters to consider.
After an exchange of emails, on Jan. 13 Hapgood announced the following schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 21, regular selectmen’s meeting (moved from the usual Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday); Monday, Jan. 27, special selectmen’s meeting to discuss the 2020-2021 budget; Thursday, Jan. 30, budget committee meeting; and Monday, Feb. 3, regular selectmen’s meeting. The budget committee meets at 7 p.m., the selectmen at 6:30 p.m.
Students at Lasell University, in Newton, Massachusetts, were named to the dean’s list for their strong academic performance in fall 2019, including Grace Redwine, of Freedom, and Mya Maxim, of South China.
(photo credit: Erskine Academy)
Erskine Academy has scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, January 15, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. (snow date will be Thursday, January 16). No appointments are necessary as teachers will be available to speak with parents in their respective classrooms.
In addition, the Guidance Office will offer a brief presentation for parents of underclassmen about the post-secondary planning process and the basics of financial aid as well as a review of the course registration process for the 2020-21 school year. This presentation will begin at 6 p.m., in the library.
Please feel free to contact the Guidance Office at 445-2964 with any questions or concerns regarding this information.
by Mary GrowChina selectmen adopted two new policies at their Jan. 6 meeting.
The one-page RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) policy for the transfer station, recommended by the Transfer Station Committee with input from town office staff, deals with the new transfer station entrance requirement that will be effective Feb. 1.
The five-page Select Board Policy, prepared by board Chairman Ronald Breton and, he said, edited by Town Manager Dennis Heath, governs conduct of selectmen’s meetings, including how members of the public are to address the board.
RFID tags are available at the town office; as of Jan. 6, Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood said 318 had been issued. The three-inch-square tags are carried in a transfer station user’s vehicle (hanging from the rearview mirror is recommended). They trigger a scanner when the vehicle comes into the facility; if the scanner is not triggered, transfer station staff can check to make sure the driver is a China or Palermo resident (Palermo shares China’s transfer station by contract) or otherwise entitled to use the facility.
The policy allocates one free tag to each China and Palermo residence or business. Unlike stickers that had to be renewed annually, tags do not expire. Additional tags are available for $10 if needed, with the $10 refunded when the tag is returned. Selectmen suggested families with several vehicles could buy extra tags; or, Hapgood said, a tenant could get a $10 tag to use while living in either town and get the $10 refunded when he or she moved away.
In response to concerns about privacy raised during earlier discussions of the RFID system, the policy says the only information collected at the transfer station will be the tag number, town, date and time. According to the earlier discussion, information linking a tag to a person will be kept in a separate file that is not a public record.
Three candidates vie for selectmen’s seat
China Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood said three candidates submitted nomination papers for the vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen: Christopher Hahn, Janet Preston and Kevin Rhoades. A special election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, in conjunction with the new state presidential primary.
The Select Board Policy specifies meeting dates and times; describes public notice and record-keeping procedures; describes the agenda and by whom and how items are put on it; and sets a maximum 9:30 p.m. adjournment unless the board changes it.
A person wishing to address the board during the public comment section of the meeting must have signed in and must be recognized by the chair at the appropriate time in deliberations. Speakers are limited to three minutes and may speak only once on a topic; topics are limited to agenda items; no other audience member may join the conversation unless the board chairman approves.
The policy adds that, “After a meeting is adjourned, no member of the public shall be permitted to address the select board or staff.”
People with issues they would like to have an opportunity to discuss more fully may request to be on an agenda. Oral or written requests must be submitted at least 10 days before the meeting, to allow time for research if needed. The board chairman determines which requests to grant.
Both policies were approved unanimously. During discussion of the meeting policy, the other three board members – Irene Belanger, Wayne Chadwick and Donna Mills-Stevens – expressed concern that residents might be discouraged from addressing the board by the limits on time and topics. All four selectmen agreed that they can amend the policy if it does not work as intended.
Hapgood said the policies will be added to the Town of China website.
In other business Jan. 6, Selectman Irene Belanger announced that the Thurston Park Committee welcomes volunteers to help with spring work in the park. Later, she and Four Seasons Club President Tom Rumpf discussed access to the park by club-maintained trails, with Mills-Stevens, who owns land nearby, joining the conversation. Rumpf said so far, abutters have refused permission to connect park trails to existing outside trails.
The Thurston Park Committee is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the former portable classroom behind the town office. Interested residents are welcome at all committee meetings.
Rumpf was at the selectmen’s meeting to report on the club’s request for TIF (Tax Increment Financing) funds for the next fiscal year. Proposed TIF expenditures will be part of the 2020-2021 budget discussions that begin this month.
Selectmen were scheduled to get the town manager’s draft of the budget at a special meeting Jan. 7. Their next regular meeting will be Tuesday evening, Jan. 21, since Jan. 20 is the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
Dakota Hoffman, left, and Kevin Pelletier with all gifts. (contributed photo)
JMG’s annual Giving Tree at China Schools received a generous gift from the Dunkin’ on Western Ave in Augusta. Kelsey Morin, a China Middle School parent and manager at Dunkin organized the efforts. Kelsey added, “Each year my team and I give up all our tips for a week and ask customers to donate change to help us get Christmas presents for people in need. We set a goal of $600 and came out at $606. All of the money was spent on gifts for China Schools Giving Tree.”
Giving Tree gifts with Kelsey Morin, manager at Dunkin’