Bar Harbor Bank accepting applications from seniors for 2025 career & technical education scholarship

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Bar Harbor Bank & Trust

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is currently accepting applications for the Bank’s 2025 Career & Technical Education Scholar­ship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to income-eligible high school seniors who attend a technical career program as part of their high school curriculum and are planning to attend a college or technical school in the academic year immediately following graduation.

Students must reside in counties in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont where the Bank has a branch location. Applicants selected to receive a 2025 scholarship will be eligible to apply for an additional $1,000 scholarship in 2026 to be used for their second year of college or technical school.

The deadline to apply for the 2025 Career & Technical Education Scholarship is May 1, 2025. Interested students can visit www.barharbor.bank/scholarships for more information about eligibility and to download the application.

EVENTS: 16 Counties for Courage: Neighbors for Common Ground

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People in Maine’s 16 counties are rallying to find common ground and push back on the actions of the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE, Saturday, March 1, 2:30 – 4 p.m., starting with a march from the Margaret Chase Smith Memorial Bridge, in Skowhegan, and ending at the Miller’s table parking lot.

Come march and gather to hear unifying speakers talk about how proposed laws, like the Save Act, might impact you and your neighbors. They welcome Mainers of all political persuasions to demand that our representatives and government officials restore, checks and balances, the established rule of law, equity for all under the law, and privacy and security of our information.

LETTERS: Sadly, estranged from my daughter

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To the editor:

Regarding my daughter’s rebuttal letter to The Town Line, it should be noted that the only references to dollars was what I paid a man to share my driving back to Maine. I would remind her I allowed her to write her own checks from our joint account, in her own words, “I do really appreciate your helping me out!”

I saw a lawyer who said I did nothing wrong: 1) Telling senior citizens not to make the mistake I did. 2) no malice, I wrote the truth. 3) it was not meant for her eyes to see and why I wrote to The Town Line, 2,000 miles away from Florida. My lawyer asked me and I ask you editor, et al, how the heck did she get to even know about The Town Line, or access it? Oh well, I am now estranged from my daughter. Sad as it has to be.

Frank Slason
Augusta

LETTERS: Ending EV mandate shortsighted

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To the editor:

In response to President Trump’s inauguration speech on January 20, 2025, I found it profoundly concerning that the new president seems intent on reversing our country’s progress toward lasting energy solutions amid an energy crisis.

In his speech, President Trump pledged to end the electric vehicle mandate and increase crude oil drilling in the United States. This approach is extremely shortsighted. The more dependent we become on non-renewable energy sources, such as oil, the more at risk we are of quickening their depletion, leaving us vulnerable when we need energy the most.

Without the electric vehicle mandate, we’ll need oil to power cars, heat homes, generate electricity, and fuel planes. What happens when we run out? What do we do without gas-powered vehicles and generators and heating systems and electric systems when there’s no more oil left? This issue is vital in Maine, which is heavily reliant on heating oil in the winter.

Therefore, I urge members of Congress to incentivize energy efficiency and promote transitions to renewable energy options. I insist readers contact their local Senator or Representative and advocate for better incentives for energy transitions. I suggest readers research ways to make their homes more energy efficient, thereby reducing their individual reliance on heating oil.

Rashmi Mohan
Bar Harbor

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: Open meeting vs. secret ballot

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by Sheldon Goodine
China resident

There’s a lot of talk around town about having a traditional town meeting with a moderator, with a required quorum in attendance to conduct business, or a day-long secret ballot meeting. Each has its pros and cons. Since I have been a resident of China for more than 60 years, during which the town has grown from less than 2,000 residents to more than 4,000, my perspective may or may not muddy the waters.

In those early years, town meetings were important social events where community business was conducted. Folks looked forward to getting together each spring at the end of a long winter. They could “catch up” with old friends as well as greet new neighbors. They discussed and decided warrant articles until lunch time, then recessed and enjoyed sharing a great lunch prepared by the ladies. After the meal, they completed the warrant articles to end the day. The meeting closed in peace and harmony, and everyone left happy.

At this time, town business was managed by a select board, which met at the home of town clerk Mary Washburn. As the town grew, the brick portion of the town office was built and the select board increased from three to five members. Soon thereafter, a town manager was hired, and the annual town meeting gradually became less important. Fewer voters turned out to conduct the community’s business, and many became upset that only a few people were making the decisions. even though these same people didn’t take the time to participate.

Although I was not in agreement to legislating participation, an article was approved that required 10 percent of town voters (quorum) to be in attendance to both open and conduct the annual meeting. For many years the town met in the multi-purpose room at the China Middle School. When the current RSU (Regional School Union) was created this venue was no longer used since many felt that it was too much of a disruption for the children.

As a result the current secret ballot form of conducting town business was instituted, resulting in many more residents voting on both the warrant articles and the election of town officers. I have been a regular annual participant in each of these legislative methods. During much of this time, it was difficult to stay informed of the ever increasing number of expense of managing town affairs. Fortunately, with new technology this information is now available to all in a variety of ways. Select board meetings are televised, with an opportunity for the public to participate. These are also recorded for anyone to access after the fact. The Town Line newspaper is printed and distributed weekly with excellent articles of each business meeting, prepared by Mary Grow, which are both accurate and comprehensive. The town manager has created a monthly newsletter with other details of town activities.

My question is how many voters are in favor of each of these most recent forms of conducting town business:

a) Return to the in-person annual town meeting, requiring a minimum number of voters in attendance and, possibly, the construction of a building large enough to accommodate the growing number of participants; or
b) Continue with the current system of voting by secret ballot during the day at the town office.

I hope this is useful and, at the very least, encourage more discussion on this topic and a form of government that will best meet the needs of our ever growing and changing community.

With my thanks to all.

No child should be priced out of playing sports

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by Hanna Skandera

Participating in youth sports has long been a cornerstone of the American experience — or at least it used to be. Fewer American kids are playing sports, and shifting trends are leaving countless kids on the sidelines.

The importance of reversing this trend cannot be overstated. Youth sports are not just games; they are a critical component of childhood development. Simply put, the well-being of our nation hinges, in part, on our investments in youth sports today.

The cost of participating in sports has become increasingly prohibitive. The rise of digital entertainment has captivated kids’ attention, drawing them away from physical activities. These declining participation rates threaten young Americans’ mental and physical health. Anxiety and depression in kids, which can be alleviated by exercise, are on the rise.

Youth sports are becoming steadily more privatized: Today, “pay-to-play” youth sports is a $30-to $40 billion dollar industry. American families spend an average of almost $900 annually per child to participate in organized sports.

The growing socio-economic gap in sports participation is glaring. Today, while more than two in three kids from wealthier families are playing sports, only about one in three from the poorest families get the same opportunity.

Sports teach teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and resilience – traits that are essential both on and off the field. For many kids from challenging family situations, sports offer a sense of belonging and purpose and put them on the path to a more stable future.

Participation in sports has been linked to better academic performance, higher self-esteem, and a greater likelihood of college attendance. In fact, studies show that 66% of students who earn all A’s play organized sports compared to just 24% of students with mostly D’s and F’s.

Kids who play sports have higher lifetime earnings. They have vastly lower rates of depression, obesity, and other serious health conditions. The benefits are so stark that Americans would be a collective $57 billion richer each year, thanks to reduced healthcare spending and increased productivity, if the youth sports participation rate increased by just about ten percentage points, according to one recent study.

Investing in youth sports is a matter of public health — and national pride. The athletes who will represent us in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics are today’s young hopefuls in recreational leagues and school teams.

Without a robust pipeline of young talent, not only will our health suffer – but our ability to compete at the highest levels will be compromised.

Nonprofit organizations have a unique opportunity to cultivate that pipeline. My organization, the Daniels Fund, recently teamed up with the Aspen Institute to launch the first-ever Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day. With over $3.7 million raised through overwhelming support from philanthropists and community members, this campaign demonstrates the deep belief in the importance of making sports accessible to all children.

As a society, we’ll need to make big investments to ensure that every child has a chance to experience the benefits of sports. By doing so, we will build a healthier, more resilient generation of Americans.

Hanna Skandera is president and CEO of the Daniels Fund (danielsfund.org) and is a former track and field athlete and coach. This piece originally ran in Salon.

China select board, budget committee, town employees hold long meeting

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by Mary Grow

China select board members, joined by some budget committee members and several town employees, held a long four-part meeting Monday evening, Feb. 24.

They started at the public works garage on Alder Park Road, where Director of Public Works Shawn Reed introduced them to the large trucks, all wearing their plow gear this time of year, that live there.

Reed explained each vehicle’s advantages and disadvantages as he requested a replacement truck in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The group then viewed a smaller truck in the old town garage in the town office complex before adjourning to the town office meeting room for the bulk of the select board meeting.

Reversing a split decision Feb. 10 (see the Feb. 13 issue of The Town Line, p. 3), select board members voted 4-1, with Blane Casey still opposed, to recommend buying a new plow truck next year, at a cost expected to be slightly under $300,000. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said about that amount is now in the truck reserve fund.

Reed recommends selling one of the old trucks after the new one arrives.

Select board members’ longest discussion was with Robert O’Connor and Jamie Pitney, of the China Broadband Committee, over the proposed agreement with Unitel for expanded broadband service in China (another topic discussed at the Feb. 10 meeting).

Unitel proposes a new main line running from its Albion office through China to Palermo, to connect with the five-town Waldo Broadband Corporation. A second phase of the project would expand service to parts of China currently underserved or unserved.
Board Chairman Wayne Chadwick repeated his refusal to approve a project that involves China investing money — $370,000 in TIF (Tax Increment Financing) funds – without a firm guarantee that un- and underserved China residents will be served within a reasonable time.

Pitney and O’Connor provided as much information as they could. Because some of the project funding depends on a federal grant, they, too, expressed uncertainty, about whether the grant program would exist and whether Unitel would be awarded one.

The grant is called BEAD, which stands for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. Select board members voted unanimously to sign a letter supporting Unitel’s grant application. They took no action on the draft agreement with Unitel.

In a series of unanimous votes, select board members:

— Approved rules, procedures and membership fees for the planned community garden on the Lakeview Drive lot south of the town office. The document is on the town website, chinamaine.org, under two headings: Officials, Boards, & Committees, subheading China for a Lifetime Committee; and Community, at the bottom of the list.
— Authorized the Community Forest Committee to apply for a grant from the Portland-based Libra Foundation, for $4,093, for locally made trail signs for the forest behind the China schools.
— Revised the town’s building permit fee schedule, reducing one fee and increasing two others to better reflect the codes officer’s time.
— Appointed Jane Robertson budget committee secretary.

The third part of the select board meeting was a preliminary review of part of Hapgood’s draft 2025-26 municipal budget. The manager briefly summarized proposed changes in the first five (of 12) accounts.

Highlights:

— Board members agreed unanimously the administration account will not include a suggested $11,000 to create the position of part-time recreation director. Hapgood said $10,500 was approved in the 2023-24 budget, but the town was unable to hire anyone for the position.
— By another unanimous vote, board members agreed the boards and committee budget will not include stipends for themselves.
— They deleted from the public safety account a proposed increase in the hours Kennebec County sheriff’s deputies serve the town, from eight to 10 a week. Chadwick commended the officers for their work, but considered coverage adequate.
— In the proposed solid waste budget, Hapgood said hauling costs have been reduced, because “The fabulous transfer station people make sure the loads going out are full” and therefore less numerous.
Board members favor starting a reserve fund to replace the transfer station scales, though they did not decide on an initial amount.

Preliminary consideration of the rest of the budget was postponed at 8:10 p.m., 10 minutes past Chadwick’s unofficial deadline. Board members considered holding a budget workshop later in the week, but were unable to find an evening everyone would be available. Extra budget meetings in March are likely.

The evening’s fourth and final meeting was a separate one, as select board members reconvened as the board of assessors. They unanimously accepted two recommendations from the town assessor on abatement requests, denying one and approving the other.

The next regular China select board meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, March 10.

Webber Pond dam main topic at select board meeting

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by Mary Grow

A main business item on the Feb. 20 Vassalboro select board agenda, a discussion of planned enlargement of the fishway at the Webber Pond dam, turned into a discussion of movement for people, not fish.

The 2009 fishway “has been so successful that it’s now undersized,” Maine Rivers Executive Director Landis Hudson summarized. Project Manager Matt Streeter explained a detailed plan to rebuild the fishway in the same place, but wider, deeper and longer.

(Hudson and Streeter are familiar with Vassalboro: Maine Rivers headed the 2017-2022 China Lake Alewife Restoration Initiative [ARI] that opened Vassalboro’s Outlet Stream to alewife migration from the Kennebec River to China Lake.)

The work needs to be done between July 15 and Sept. 30, by federal regulation of work done in the water, Streeter said. It will require big machinery, which will be left on site overnights and weekends.

To make room for parked machinery, the plan includes closing the entrance to Dam Road from Webber Pond Road. Streeter described the planned 3.5-mile detour for residents on the southwest side of Webber Pond via Hannaford Hill and McQuarrie roads.

Three audience members objected strongly. Not to the bigger fishway; they said that’s a good idea.

But more traffic on McQuarrie Road is a bad and dangerous idea, they said. The road is narrow; they were especially concerned about a steep pitch where it’s impossible to see oncoming traffic.

They asked Streeter about alternatives, like moving the machinery nights and weekends or installing a temporary bridge to provide a new entrance to Dam Road.

Fire Chief Walker Thompson said he checked McQuarrie Road recently and thought emergency access would not be a problem.

Area resident and former select board member Barbara Redmond and present board member Chris French wondered about the town’s right to close private roads without residents’ permission. Board Chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., asked if Maine Rivers could prepare a supplemental plan showing roads and elevations.

Streeter and Thompson offered to meet with affected residents. Redmond said if a meeting is scheduled, she will help publicize it.

In addition to the fishway, Streeter said discussions with the Webber Pond Association led to planned new dam gates, electrically operated, that will be easier to manage and will allow greater control of the pond’s outflow.

In other business Feb. 20, select board members settled one issue and decided another is not urgent.

— After another brief discussion, they voted unanimously to accept transfer station fee increases that Manager Adam Daoust proposed in December 2024, to take effect July 1, 2025.
— Town Manager Aaron Miller said the Secretary of State’s office will not be able to evaluate the suitability of the town office for state voting until fall. The issue is whether the space can be arranged to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Board members decided they can hold the June town meeting at Vassalboro Community School and June elections – which are local only ­– in the town office, as in past years, and worry about November’s voting place later.

The Feb. 20 select board agenda included the proposal to amend Vassalboro’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) document to allow TIF money to help pay for replacing Dunlap bridge on Mill Hill Road.

Voters rejected a Nov. 5, 2024, referendum question asking them to add environmental improvement projects to authorized uses of TIF money, by a vote of 1,200 in favor to 1,338 opposed.

Select board members have been considering a revised question for this spring’s open town meeting. French proposed submitting the November 2024 question again, believing when board members have an opportunity to explain it, voters will approve it.

Miller said he would consult with the town’s attorney.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 6.

Vassalboro select board, department heads hash over budget

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members and leaders of town departments and groups discussed the proposed 2025-26 budget for more than 90 minutes Feb. 20 before moving on to the rest of the select board agenda.

Town Manager Aaron Miller presented the third draft budget he prepared after a Feb. 12 workshop (see the Feb. 20 issue of The Town Line, p. 2). Some minor changes were in response to earlier discussions; some reflected updated information.

Public Works Director Brian Lajoie and board members talked about costs and timing for replacing town trucks. Lajoie described remaining work on the new storage building on the public works lot and plans to pave more of the lot.

Lajoie had included two dirt roads, Town Farm Road and Dow Road, in his proposed 2025-26 paving budget. Dirt roads need extra winter and spring maintenance, he explained.

Select board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., and member Chris French were not persuaded paving would save enough money to be worth doing.

Fire Chief Walker Thompson argued strongly for a $5,000 item in the $112,622 budget request, a stipend for assistant chief Bob Williams. Thompson listed the time Williams spends on administrative work, in addition to fire calls, and the miles he puts on his personal vehicle as reasons taxpayers should be asked to cover part of his expenses.

Michael Vashon added that Williams’ reviews of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant applications had helped the department win a half-million dollars in grant funding.

When the state Department of Labor did a recent surprise inspection, the Vassalboro fire department got no demerits, Thompson said, partly because of Williams’ work. A continued good record could lead to future savings on insurance.

Recreation Director Karen Stankis asked select board members to clarify her job description. She shared information on the programs, not limited to sports, that she runs or oversees for residents of all ages, and suggested additional programs and facilities, like an ice rink and a playground for younger children.

Librarian Brian Stanley provided information on library costs and services to support a requested budget increase, from $71,000 this year to $74,000 next year. Town funding has never covered expenses, he pointed out; trustees fund-raise aggressively and seek grants.

Meanwhile, unavoidable costs like salaries and insurance rise annually. Stanley would like to be able to offer increased staff benefits, and to expand weekly library hours from 38 to 44.

Library services go well beyond lending books. Stanley’s lengthy list included providing free Wi-Fi access from the parking lot; connecting residents with help with state and federal paperwork; presenting community programs; and providing meeting space for local organizations, private groups and sometimes town boards and committees.

John Melrose, for the Vassalboro Historical Society, expanded on the request for town funding for a part-time curator. Select board member Michael Poulin was doubtful about it at the Feb. 12 workshop, pointing out that the town is responsible for maintaining the VHS headquarters building, but not for operations.

Melrose said if residents are to take advantage of the society’s offerings, they need to have resources digitized and to have more opportunities to visit and programs to attend, matters a curator would promote.

“You just can’t do ’em all with volunteers,” Melrose said.

Select board member Chris French recommended leaving the $10,000 increase (to $15,000) in the draft Historical Society budget line for discussion with the budget committee.

Including the estimated Kennebec County tax, the draft 2025-26 municipal budget now stands at a little under $4.05 million, an increase of almost $300,000 from the current year.

The annual school budget is separate from and larger than the municipal budget. The Vassalboro School Board has scheduled a budget workshop for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the school.

Community Volunteers build raised beds for China Community Garden

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Jeff Wood, Nate Dudley, Bill Powell, and Jim Hsiang assemble raised garden beds.

On Saturday, February 8, a group of dedicated volunteers came together to build 36 raised garden beds for the China Community Garden. Hosted at the home of Marie and Tom Michaud, the workday was filled with teamwork and camaraderie as Emme Brown, Nate Dudley, Bill Powell, and Jeff Wood joined James and Jude Hsiang to construct the beds – under the watchful eye of one-year-old Edie Dudley, who provided moral support.

Bill Powell next to a row of completed beds.

By noon, the group had completed the project and celebrated with a well-earned meal, featuring James’ homemade chili, pizzas generously donated by China Lake Provisions, and Marie’s famous brownies.

With the garden beds now ready, reservations for the 2025 growing season are open. Residents can secure a bed at the China Town Office through April 15, 2025. The cost is $25 per bed or $15 for seniors over 60, and custom beds for those with mobility challenges will be built upon request.

The project still welcomes donations of money, materials, and volunteer labor. Those interested in supporting the garden can contact chinaforalifetime@gmail.com. All contributions will be gratefully and publicly acknowledged.

With strong community support, the China Community Garden is growing into a space for connection, sustainability, and fresh local produce.