Letters to the Editor, Week of August 4, 2016

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Ben Twitchell for State Representative

To the editor:

Ben Twitchell has my vote to represent Winslow and Benton in the House of Representatives. Choosing a candidate to represent me in Augusta is never a decision I take lightly. Ben Twitchell is a candidate I know and who I can trust to do what’s best for Winslow, Benton and the State of Maine.

Ben is a proven leader who has served our community for years as a member of the Town Council. He’s been a mentor for our local kids as a Scout leader for many years. Ben will work hard to lower the tax burden on our working families and small businesses. He’ll work to enact real Welfare Reform, to clean up Fraud and Abuse and to make sure our State’s scarce resources go to those who are truly in need.

We need to send a Representative to Augusta who will not do the bidding of special interest groups and their lobbyists who line the halls of the State House.

It’s time we send someone to Augusta in November who’ll work for the people of Winslow and Benton. This is why I’m voting Ben Twichelll for House of Representatives, District #78.

Ray Lemieux
Winslow

Samantha Munro named to Becker College dean’s list

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Samantha Munro, of Waterville, earned dean’s list honors at Becker College, in Worcester, Massachusetts, for Spring 2016.

Rensselaer students named to dean’s honor list

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The following local students were named to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s dean’s honor list for the Spring 2016 semester, in Troy, New York.

Victoria Butler, of Jefferson, studies applied physics.

Jena Nawfel, of Waterville, studies biomedical engineering.

Albion Neighborhood News, Week of August 4, 2016

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by Mary Lee Rounds

Busy weekend in Albion. All of the pageantry leading up  to field day with the selection of the queen/princess of field day, the parade,  auction, chicken barbeque, other food sales, lawn sale items and games for kids filled much of the week.

It is my understanding there will be more available about the winners, etc., next week so I will hold off on it and give you all more then with  pictures hopefully.

It has been a hot sultry summer, wells are drying, gardens are dying and I have never seen such lawns as brown as this. Even those nice lawns in the past are brown.  I think we need to pray for rain or get a rainmaker to come to town.  I have watched storms go both sides of the ridge and never deliver us a drop.  That also happened when we first moved here around 30 years ago.  Let’s hope for a long slow ground soaking rain.

Have a great week, stay cool and hydrated.

The Town Line launches new website

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Following months of development, The Town Line is ready to unveil its new web portal, www.townline.org.

Though The Town Line has offered .pdf downloads of the print edition at its website for several years, it has long been a goal of the board of directors to offer a true online version of the popular local newspaper in addition to the print edition.

The initiative was made possible by the generous support of local residents Doug and Rita Sukeforth, which also allowed The Town Line to upgrade a severely outdated computer system and the software suite it uses to produce the weekly paper.

Experienced technical consultant, Eric Austin, eldest son of longtime China residents Ann and Lee Austin, has led the development of The Town Line’s new web portal.

Eric Austin and Roland D. Hallee

Technical consultant Eric Austin, left, and The Town Line’s managing editor Roland D. Hallee, put the finishing touches on the newspaper’s new website which was launched on August 4.

“The goal was always to leverage the awesome content that The Town Line already generates on a weekly basis, while also taking advantage of the unique flexibility and power of the web,” Austin explained. “Readers who wanted to read The Town Line on their phones or tablets or PCs, didn’t have that option. Now they do.”

The new site has been developed using the popular web platform, WordPress, used by many news sites on the web, including the Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal website, www.centralmaine.com.  This technology offers a responsive web design that adjusts automatically to provide a comfortable reading experience on a variety of devices and screens.

“The website is something we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” says Roland Hallee, managing editor of The Town Line. “Thanks to the Sukeforth’s generous grant, we’ve been able to modernize The Town Line by upgrading equipment and expanding into the web space. We’re positioning The Town Line to continue meeting the needs of our communities in the 21st century.”

Eric Austin will continue to support the web site going forward. “We’re just getting started,” says  Austin. “The web offers us so much potential, and so many opportunities for The Town Line to grow in new directions. We want to add a discussion board to the site, and bring classified advertising online as well.”

Banner advertising is already available on the new website, and those interested are encouraged to call Kathy Duhnoski at 691-2332 to discuss pricing.

Web content will be updated on the site by end of the day on the Friday following the release of the print edition of The Town Line.  Please come visit us at townline.org, the new web portal for Central Maine communities!

Boston has Duck Boats; China has a Duct Tape Boat

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by Andrew Eppig

Although I am a Baltimore native, Maine’s mosquitos have dined on my blood since I was born, and the cove of Fire Road 51 has always been my donation center. Those pesky insects have infected me with the “itch” for doing things out-of-the-ordinary, usually with others doubting my success, and thus was the theme while building this boat.

Andrew Eppig

Andrew Eppig gives the thumbs up as his duct tape boat floats in China Lake. Photo courtesy of Andrew Eppig.

While Maine is home to concrete canoe and cardboard boat building competitions, and many have seen Mythbusters use truck loads of duct tape to create many things including a two-passenger boat, it seems my scaled down, one-person creation brought much skepticism from everyone around me. To my surprise, I received the likes of “you won’t last 20 seconds,” and “it will sink as soon as you get in,” as if I was building a five-foot long lead weight. This made my “itch” flare to a rash, and I began my build.

I started by laying out two aluminum tubes from an adult-sized crutch, with a few other shorter tubes to create a frame. A thick aluminum strip from the button panel of a flat screen TV, combined with a piece of steel all-thread became the keel. I then added various sized plastic panels to create the basic hull shape, and attached two Macintosh G5 desktop computer side panels for floor boards.

It took the next three days to get it all taped together with multiple layers for rigidity and a good water-tight seal.

I then turned to mounting the “FisherPrice” style kids boat motor to it. I taped a small two-prong coat hook to the shaft of the motor, allowing it to hang from the boat, while still being able to steer.

Andrew Eppig

Andrew Eppig during the construction phase of the duct tape boat. Photo courtesy of Andrew Eppig.

After six days and multiple trips to the Rte.3 Family Dollar Store, Hussey’s General Store, and the Augusta Walmart, for the 17 rolls of duct tape, a coat hook, and a small wood paddle, I was ready and eager to finally scratch my “itch,” and put the boat into the water.

The next morning I slowly lowered my creation into a calm clear China Lake, as the rash of criticisms and doubts echoed in my head, almost making me believe that it would indeed just sink to the bottom. However, as I released my grasp, it floated. I put the motor on, it floated. Then, slowly and carefully, I stepped off the dock, gradually allowing the boat to take my weight. It floated!

My success was then truly measured as I was off to the China town office, where, after some explaining, a very nice lady was eager to help me get it legally registered, and even came out to the parking lot to take pictures with me holding the boat!

Although it will certainly never make it to the Head of the Lake for ice cream, if you happen to be on the lake near the narrows, you may just see my “Lucky Duct” floating by!  Andrew is the grandson of Irma W. Simon, of China.

Fishy Photo

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Joan Hallee

Worth the wait! Joan Hallee, of Waterville, landed this bass on July 15, while fishing on Webber Pond, near her camp. It was the first fishing outing of the summer for Joan and her husband, but was worth the wait. The bass measured 21 inches and weighed 5 pounds. She caught it on a 7-inch plastic red shad lure.

Send us your Fishy Photo at townline@fairpoint.net

Dream becomes reality

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Isaiah Vear

Isaiah Vear, 10, of Waterville, is pictured with WWE superstar Gold Dust at the WWE show recently held in Augusta. At the age of 10, he has met 24 present and past stars of the WWE, including Bushwhacker Luke, Kevin Nash, Enzo Amoré and Kane.
Photo by Central Maine Photography

Jefferson Historical open house

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Jefferson 4-H girls

Contributed photo

This photo of Jefferson 4-H girls with their leaders in the 1950s will be a feature of the Jefferson Historical Society’s annual open house and exhibit day on Saturday, August 6, between 10 a,m, and 2 p,m, at the Old Jefferson Town House. Many of these girls are the mothers and grandmothers of today. The photo will be a part of an exhibit on the 1950s in Jefferson as well as Jefferson celebrations through the years. Front row, from left to right, Dottie Packard, Veneta Peaslee, Trudi Hodgkins, Elwilda Bryant, Faith MacDonald, __?__, Charlotte Lermond and leader Ada Packard. Back, Jean Ogilvie, Nancy Hixon, Shirley Hallowell, Patty Jones, Connie Wilson, Gertrude Pierpont, Jean Tilton, Sheila Jackson and leaders, Nat Chamblee and Doris Tilton.   The JHS’s annual Choose-Your-Own Cookies Sale that day will feature a variety of home-made cookies for customers to choose from and fill  their quart bags to take home. Lunch will be available from Sully’s Extraordinary Dogs and Brats, weather permitting. FMI: 549-5258.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of July 28, 2016

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

The Solon High School Alumni Association held its annual meeting on July 16 with 65 alumni and guests present. The class of 1966 celebrated its 50th anniversary with two members; Mark Rogers and Richard Poulin. Emma Pluntke  received a scholarship of $ 1,000. Others celebrating were Alice Heald, 76th anniversary; Arlene Meader and Albert Starbird, 75th; Mary Heald Bishop, 73rd; Marie Poulin, 67th; Jack McCarty, 65th; Pat McCarty Coro, 62nd; Betty Tolman Smith, 60th; Doug Hayden, Chloe Hayden Collins, Ann Rogers Edwards, 58th; and James Tolman, 57th.

Jay S. Hoar, a former teacher of Solon attended.

The last class to graduate from Solon High School was the class of 1969. This class always shows up in large numbers to celebrate. This year they had seven members show up to celebrate 47 years. They were Reggie Padham, Arthur Myers, Penny Rogers McQuilkin, Linda Stickney Steward, Dana Parsons, Bobbie Tewkbury Proctor and Jo Rancourt Holden.

Officers are Ann Jackson, president, Reggie Padham, vice president, Linda French, secretary, and Brenda Whitney Padham, treasurer. Alice Heald is news committee, Judy Bishop, lunch committee, and Kathy Swett, awards.

Class members traveled from California, Betty Smith; Arizonia, James Tolman; Oklahoma, Richard Poulin; Florida, Mark Rogers and Bobbi Proctor.

An auction was held and $415 was raised for the scholarship fund. This money was matched by Reggie and Brenda Padham. They wanted to insure people that their money would be safe and used for what it was intended for. Betty Heald was the auctioneer.

A luncheon was held and catered by the Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club under the direction of Eleanor Pooler.

Sorry, but this is all I could gather up for news this week, with people not wanting any of their personal news printed anymore, it makes it tough. But…Percy is still able to help out with some pleasing memoirs…May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet. Enough trials to keep you strong, Enough sorrow to keep you human; Enough hope to keep you happy; Enough failure to keep you humble; Enough success to keep you eager; Enough friends to give you comfort; Enough wealth to meet your ne3eds; Enough enthusiasm to look forward; Enough faith to banish depression; Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

Mark Rogers and Richard Poulin

Mark Rogers, left, of Florida, and Richard Poulin, of Oklahoma, were the only two members of the Solon’s class of 1966 to attend their 50th reunion, on July 23. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Rogers-Bull