State Rep. LaRochelle withdraws recount request for Senate District 15

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Raegan LaRochelle

by Lauren McCauley
Maine Morning Star

Richard Bradstreet

On Saturday, the Office of the Maine Secretary of State confirmed that the recount for Senate District #15, initially scheduled for Monday, had been officially withdrawn.

Election night tallies had Demo­cratic outgoing state Rep. Raegan LaRochelle trailing Republican Richard Bradstreet 10,621 to 10,820 votes. The seat, previously held by Repub­lican state Sen. Matt Pouliot, who announced in January that he wouldn’t seek reelection, was among those that Democrats had tried aggressively to flip.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the national party’s arm that focuses on winning state legislatures across the country, contributed roughly $95,000 to Maine’s Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and spotlighted LaRochelle’s bid. Senate District #15 covers Augusta, Belgrade and China, in Kennebec County.

 

 

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Vassalboro planning board approves site review application by public works dept.

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members held a special meeting on Nov. 19 at which they unanimously approved a site review application from the town’s public works department.

The action will let groundwork begin for the proposed 50-by-100-foot pole barn on the public works lot on Bog Road.

Planners rejected the proposal at their Nov. 12 meeting, because they had only a building application, not a site review application (see the Nov. 14 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

The next regular Vassalboro Planning board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Dec. 3.

EVENTS: Benefit holiday online auction open to all

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Eileen Ronco, left, and Cindy Shorey holding two of the 14 Boyd’s Bears available during a 10-day online auction to benefit Vassalboro United Methodist Church. (contributed photo)

A 10-day holiday season online auction starts on Black Friday to benefit the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) beginning Friday, November 29, at 8 a.m. through Monday, December 9, at 8 a.m. Browse more than 130 items and place bids from the warmth and comfort of your home at ANY time of the day or night during those ten days. The option to “buy now” is included with each item or place bids instead.

A wide variety of entries are being donated and added daily. Some include an overnight at the Iron Fence Inn; a queen size homemade quilt; a microwave, a linkable two-piece slow cooker and a food dehydrator all like new; designer purses by Chanel, Louise Vuitton and Vera Bradley; an Ashton-Drake baby doll and six outfits; a Derby silver tea set; several pieces from a Lang & Wise Colonial Williamsburg Christmas village; Boyd’s bears; books, games and toys; a realistic children’s kitchen set with accessories; medical equipment; books, puzzles and games; new infant sweaters and a fleece coat and pants set; glass paperweights; corning ware and Pfaltzgraff dishes; an eight place setting of stoneware; a Stansport backpack; a Knight golf bag; gift certificates to several local businesses including restaurants, a golf course, car service centers and so much more!

Proceeds from this auction will benefit the VUMC building fund. FMI about the auction visit Vassalboro United Methodist Church on Facebook; call or text (207) 441-9184 or email crossings4u@gmail.com. To browse and bid visit https://new.biddingowl.com/VassalboroUMC.

Vassalboro transfer station committee reviews changes manager claims are overkill

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by Mary Grow

At a Nov. 13 meeting, Vassalboro transfer station task force members reviewed plans for changes at the transfer station that new station manager Adam Daoust thinks may be overkill.

Presently, users disposing of municipal solid waste (MSW) at the Lombard Dam Road facility have to back up to the waste hopper. Occasional accidents led to a select board decision last fall to work toward a new plan that would eliminate the need to drive backwards.

The proposed alternative is drive-through area. It would have a roof, to keep water out of the waste, and open ends, to prevent build-up of gases.

In January, Vassalboro select board members contracted with Senders science, engineering & construction, of Camden, to design the new building, after company head Jeff Senders visited the facility and met with task force members.

Senders presented three slightly different plans. In addition to the new building, part of the plan is having separate entrance and exit driveways instead of the present single driveway.

Task force members reviewed the plans and talked about costs, needed permits and approvals, accommodating commercial haulers as well as individual residents, traffic issues on Lombard Dam Road and disruptions of service during construction, among other issues.

Select board and task force member Chris French pointed out that voters have supported putting away money for the project for two years. Perhaps, he said, Vassalboro could contract to use China’s disposal facility during the change-over.

Daoust suggested taking down the tower that now rises above the facility; putting a cover over the MSW hopper and another over the separate bulky waste hopper; and leaving the traffic pattern as it is. He thinks the proposed changes would do little to improve traffic flow and might increase waiting time.

Town Manager Aaron Miller asked task force members to send their suggestions to Daoust, and Daoust to write up a response and his ideas.

Task force members tentatively scheduled their next meeting for 5:15 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12, before that evening’s select board meeting.

CRLA inspectors find no invasive plants in China Lake, Three-mile & Webber ponds

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China Lake, in fall 2024. (photo by Roland D. Hallee)

by Gerry Boyle

The boat inspection period at China area lakes was extended by a month, an additional day was added to the weekly schedule, inspections were extended to cover anchors and other gear, and the weather cooperated.

All of that added up to 20 percent more boat inspections, and more plant fragments found, but the same result as in past years – not a single invasive discovered.

That was the very good news in the 2024 Courtesy Boat Inspection report from the China Region Lakes Alliance. The water bodies covered by the CRLA inspections – China Lake, Three-mile Pond, and Webber Pond – showed no evidence of invasive plants, at a time when other lakes and ponds in the region and state are grappling with Eurasian milfoil, hydrilla, and other environmentally damaging species.

“We didn’t have any confirmed invasive on any of the lakes or any of the launches,” said then-CRLA Director Jessie Mae MacDougall.

A total of 1,327 boat inspections were conducted at the three water bodies this year, up from 1,138 in 2023. While 111 plant fragments were found, none were determined to be invasive plants, after examination by the state Department of Environmental Protection or Lake Stewards of Maine. There were a couple of occasions where analysts asked for additional photographs of plant fragments, MacDougall said. “We keep them in a refrigerator until it’s deemed not a problem,” she said.

That was the outcome for the China-area samples, but other vegetation collected in Maine this summer were deemed a problem. Inspectors discovered more than 100 invasive plants, mostly from boats inspected as they were leaving affected water bodies. As most boaters who trailer their boats hop from one Maine lake to another, preventing the spread of invasives is crucial.

Lake associations in the Belgrade and Winthrop areas, just 20 miles from China Lake, for example, have been grappling with invasives for years. In other New England states, the problem is serious – and expensive. A study cited by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, shows that invasive plants can cost $12,000 in lost property value for each shoreline owners. Controlling the problem mechanically or chemically can cost $200 to $2,000 per lake-acre every year, the study says.

In the China area, inspectors did come up with more plant fragments than in past years, which may be the result of the inspections being extended until the third week in September, a full month later than had been customary. MacDougall said September is a high-growth season for aquatic plants in Maine lakes, and more vegetation closer to the surface results in more plants being caught on propellers and hulls.

In addition, inspectors were dispatched singly, rather than in teams of two – which had been past practice – which expanded coverage without increasing costs. The inspectors, many of whom are high-school students, were provided with safety training and emergency numbers. “We knew everybody was comfortable being there by themselves,” MacDougall said. “And things were great. Generally, people are willing to assist.”

The China-area boat inspections are relatively convenient compared to invasive protection in place in other parts of the country, and in New England, she said. In some parts of the western U.S., boats and trailers are put in a decontamination station that kills all organisms. In some states, inspections are mandatory, and administered, not by volunteers, but by state inspectors. Only a boat with an inspection tag is allowed to be launched.

It’s a serious effort, for good reason.

In addition to having to contend with invasive plants, communities are seeing threatening invasive organisms like the spiny water flea and the zebra mussel. The spiny water flea, which is native to Eurasia, was brought to this country in the ballast of freighters. The organisms, which outcompete native fish and plankton for food, were recently found in Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire. Zebra mussels, which can foul water pipes, are established in lakes in New Brunswick, Canada, just over the Maine border.

“It’s especially important to keep vigilant about those organisms as well,” MacDougall said. “That’s why we’re trying to encourage the inspectors to use language that includes the animals, the insects – everything – so that people understand that it’s not just plants that they’re concerned about.”

“These inspections are absolutely crucial to keeping our area lakes and ponds free from invasives that could have devastating effects,” said Stephen Greene, president of China Lake Association, which helps fund and manage CRLA, with grants from the town of China. “We can’t afford to let our guard down.”

Vassalboro school board listens to plans for school building upgrades

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 12 meeting, Vassalboro School Board members heard and watched on screen a presentation from three representatives of their consultant on building upgrades, Energy Management Consultants (EMC), of Portland.

President Thomas Seekins and engineers Adam Hodgkins and Erik Rodstrom had created an on-line program that describes work they recommend be done at Vassalboro Community School. Projects include everything from complex technical rearrangements to replacing current incandescent lights with LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and fixing a small hole in the basement wall (after finding out what caused it).

The EMC representatives had three main reasons for their suggestions.

First, they pointed out that although VCS has been well maintained, much of it is now 32 years old, and the life-time of many components is 25 years or less.

Second, some of the original equipment is so out of date that replacement parts are hard to obtain and technicians are no longer trained to work with it.

And third, many of the suggested changes will save enough energy to reduce costs.

The EMC presentation included suggested priorities, based partly on need, like replacing things most likely to fail due to old age, and partly on advantages, including easier use, increased comfort and convenience and energy savings. School board members plan to propose their own priority list after they have had time to review the EMC report.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said 2025-26 budget deliberations will begin early in 2025, so decisions on projects for next year (if any) should be made promptly. Until the board approves a plan, no cost or savings estimates can be made.

In other business Nov. 12, board members discussed traffic problems as parents drop off and pick up students before and after classes. Consensus was that given the number of cars and the procedures needed to ensure student safety, school staff are doing a good job of managing the twice-daily congestion.

Board members approved several appointments, including Cheryl Coffin as half-time fifth-grade science and social studies teacher.

They accepted the resignation of school nurse Molly Carter. Pfeiffer said Carter has accepted another position that offers more hours. She plans to stay at VCS until the Christmas vacation; applicants for the position will be interviewed starting soon.

The superintendent reminded board members that VCS is a designated Red Cross emergency shelter. A dozen people have signed up to volunteer if the shelter has to be opened; more are welcome, and can sign up by contacting Town Manager Aaron Miller or Town Clerk Cathy Coyne at the Vassalboro town office.

The next Vassalboro school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the school.

Vassalboro select board ponders changing bank, town attorney

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by Mary Grow

The Nov. 13 Vassalboro select board meeting included two phone-ins, as board members debated whether to change the town’s bank and the town attorney.

After the discussion of switching banks, with Jennifer Seekins, of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, they postponed a decision. Board member Chris French said he wanted more options to consider.

When board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico asked why switch, the principal reason was that the town’s bank accounts are currently not fully insured. Bar Harbor offers complete FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) coverage.

The second telephone conversation was with Patrick Lyons, of the law firm Eaton Peabody. Board members voted unanimously to hire him as Vassalboro’s town attorney, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Lyons is based in Eaton Peabody’s Ellsworth office; he serves as an Ellsworth city councilor. His family camp is in Vassalboro, off Seven Mile Stream, so he is familiar with the town. He specializes in municipal law, which he likes for the variety of issues it offers, and he enjoys meeting municipal office staff around the state.

Lyons said he would come to Vassalboro when necessary, including for an introductory in-person meeting. He is comfortable with zoom meetings and telephone calls.

Other decisions the select board made in a lengthy Nov. 13 meeting included:

— Adding to the fee schedule for marijuana growing operations in Vassalboro, $250 annually for medical marijuana operations (which the state allows municipalities to regulate, but not to prohibit). Denico said other Maine municipalities charge from $250 to $1,000 a year; depending on how much of the codes officer’s time these operations require, the board might change Vassalboro’s fee.
— Approving a contract with Calderwood Engineering for design work on the Dunlap Bridge replacement on Mill Hill Road, now that voters have approved funding for the project. The first question on the Nov. 5 local ballot asked permission to spend up to $360,000 in existing funds for the project; 1,383 voters said yes, 1,169 were opposed.

Board members spoke favorably of continuing to hold town voting at Vassalboro Community School instead of at the town office. Town Clerk Cathy Coyne said the town office meeting room makes an awkward voting area, and after the Nov. 5 experiment at VCS, she “heard nothing but good things” about using the school gymnasium.

Denico said VCS has a form that groups can fill out asking to use a school space. He recommended the town start using it.

Three decisions were postponed.

— Board members opened two bids from people asking to be Vassalboro’s new alewife harvester. They intend to review references and make a decision at their Dec. 12 meeting.
— They need more information on acquiring a larger propane tank for the Riverside fire station, after a discussion of sizes, leasing versus buying and costs.
— Town Manager Aaron Miller wants time to make sure of the proper procedure to create a handicapped parking space at Hair Builders, at 653 Oak Grove Road, in North Vassalboro. He said the business requested one; state transportation officials said it was a town decision; he is in favor, but wants to do it right.

The next Vassalboro select board meeting is currently scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12.

Vassalboro planners approve two applications, postpone another

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro planning board members had three projects on their Nov. 12 agenda. They spent as much time discussing how each fitted into town ordinances as on the merits.

They ended up disappointing one applicant, Vassalboro’s Public Works Department, represented by Brian Lajoie. Revision Energy did not expect a decision, so representative Annalise Kukor was satisfied. Sidereal Farm Brewery’s application for extended Sunday hours was approved.

“Look at that, we got one thing done tonight,” board chairman Virginia Brackett said.

The public works plan, discussed at select board meetings, is to add a pole barn for equipment storage on the Bog Road lot with the town garage and salt shed. Lajoie said it will be 50-by-100-feet, on sonotubes sunk into gravel. He hoped to have the groundwork done in the next couple weeks, with construction to start in March 2025.

An early question was whether the new building would be too close to a wetland. Lajoie said a state Department of Environmental Protection staffer had inspected and approved.

At the Nov. 12 meeting, planning board member Paul Mitnik questioned the need for board review. After a quarter-hour’s discussion of what types of buildings the ordinance covers, whether the term “expansion” is applicable and other ordinance issues, a consensus was reached: planning board review is required.

The review would be of a site review application. Public works had filed only a building permit application. Since planning board members had no application on which to act, the next question was whether any work could start immediately.

After more discussion board members decided until they acted, new codes officer Eric Currie could not issue a building permit, and without a building permit, work could not start.

Brackett postponed a decision to the Dec. 6 board meeting. Lajoie said unless the weather cooperated, groundwork will be put off until spring and the building contractor rescheduled.

Kukor was confirming information in a preliminary application for a 530-kilowatt solar installation on Kennebec Water District’s land on Route 32, just north of East Vassalboro village. The project is not commercial, she said; KWD will use all the power produced.

Board members had questions, but no objections. Kukor intends to submit a full application at the board’s January 2025 meeting.

At their June 4 meeting, planning board members approved an expansion plan for Sidereal Farm Brewery, at 37 Sidereal Way, off Cross Hill Road. At the Nov. 12 meeting, owner James D’Angelo and staff members asked to open the dining room at 9 a.m., instead of noon, on Sundays. The 8 p.m. Sunday closing time, and all other hours approved June 4, would remain the same.

After again consulting ordinance provisions, board members decided the request was for a minor change. The procedure was for the codes officer to write an approval and send it to the applicant and the planning board for board approval.

Rather than postponing the request, board members urged Currie, “Write it!” While D’Angelo summarized progress on other aspects of the expansion, Currie wrote a brief note authorizing the new hours. Board members approved it.

Sidereal staff said the 9 a.m. Sunday breakfasts will probably start Nov. 24, not Nov. 17.

In the only other business, board member Douglas Phillips asked Currie about activity at Ron’s Auto Parts, on Route 32. Currie had been to the business, preparing for reissuance of the annual junkyard permit, and been told the derelict-vehicle stockpile was being reduced. He said he would follow up.

The next regular Vassalboro planning board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Dec. 3.

Vassalboro voters approve two of three local referendum questions

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro voters approved two of three local referendum questions at the polls on Nov. 5, according to Town Clerk Cathy Coyne. All three decisions were by narrow margins.

Question 1 asked voters’ approval to spend up to $360,000 from existing funds as matching money for a grant to cover the cost of replacing the Dunlap Bridge on Mill Hill Road. The vote was 1,383 yes to 1,169 no.

Question 2 asked voters to amend Vassalboro’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) document to add environmental improvement projects to authorized uses of TIF money. Voters said no, by a vote to 1,200 in favor to 1,338 opposed.

Question 3 asked approval of amendments to the Vassalboro Sanitary District’s charter. Voters accepted the amendments by a vote to 1,283 yes to 1,092 no.

For president of the United States, Vassalboro voters gave Donald Trump 1,496 votes and Kamala Harris 1,110 votes.

For United States Senator, incumbent Independent Angus King got 1,294 votes, Republican Demi Kouzounas 1,109, David Allen Costello 185 and Jason Cherry 69.

For United States Representative from District One, Republican Ronald Russell outpolled incumbent Democrat Chellie Pingree, 1,387 to 1,133.

In the only contested Kennebec County race on the ballot, for register of probate, Democrat Abigail Elizabeth St. Valle, of Augusta, got 1,075 Vassalboro votes to 1,437 for Republican Ronda C. Snyder, of Sidney. Results in uncontested races were as follows: for judge of probate, Elizabeth Mitchell, 2,042; for sheriff, L. Kenneth Mason, III, 2,217; and for county commissioner, Patsy Crockett, 1,958.

In elections for state legislators, Vassalboro votes were as follows:

— For state Senate District #15, Republican Richard Bradstreet, of Vassalboro, 1,575; Democrat Raegan LaRochelle, of Augusta, 1,026.
— For state House District #61, Republican Alicia Collins, of Sidney, 1,339; Democrat Laura Jones, of Vassalboro, 1,230.

Vassalboro voters approved two of five state-wide questions – a citizen initiative, three bond issues and a referendum. Vote totals were as follows:

— #1 (citizen initiative to limit political contributions) yes, 1,840; no, 770.
— #2 (bond issue for technology), yes, 1,218; no, 1,388.
— #3 (bond issue for historic preservation), yes, 1,199; no, 1,428.
— #4 (bond issue for trails), yes, 1,371; no, 1,243.
— #5 (changing the state flag), yes, 817; no, 1,819.

Vassalboro select board brings back workshops, hoping to revive tradition

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members held a workshop meeting on Oct. 30, hoping to revive the annual tradition after several years’ break. The purpose is to begin prioritizing issues they plan to address in the next few years.

The Oct. 30 meeting (changed from the usual Thursday evening to avoid Halloween) lasted about an hour and a quarter and covered a long list of topics. Some have been discussed at past meetings, some were new proposals.

Board member Chris French’s suggestions included two that would require voters’ approval:

— Consider either a town charter, or a comprehensive plan that would update Vassalboro’s 20-year-old strategic plan; and
— Consider expanding the select board from three to five members.

He also offered a suggestion that the other two board members and Town Manager Aaron Miller adopted on the spot: better publicize the process of nominating candidates for the annual Spirit of America awards for volunteerism.

Board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., had a list that included a suggestion from earlier meetings to amend Vassalboro’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program to make an affordable housing development in town eligible for TIF funds.

Affordable housing needs two circumstances for success, Miller said: a suitable location and a willing developer.

The discussion started as a possible way to add more Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) customers to share costs. The high cost of VSD’s service to about 200 East and North Vassalboro households has been an issue for more than a year.

To achieve that goal, board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico pointed out, the new housing would have to be adjacent to the presently-served areas, on what are now back lots.

Board members and Miller will consider appointing a committee to explore this idea, maybe in the first quarter of calendar year 2025. Since an amended TIF plan would require voter approval preceded by a public hearing, they considered scheduling a TIF discussion in January 2025, although by then they will be busy with the 2025-26 budget.

The town personnel policy, and related standards for volunteers on town boards and committees, were a major topic. Board members began discussing revisions to the personnel policy months ago, and have previously mentioned guidance for volunteers.

They decided to devote half an hour of each of their Dec. 12 and Dec. 26, 2024, and Jan. 9, 2025, meetings to those subjects.

License fees for marijuana growers in Vassalboro need quicker action; they are scheduled for review at the Nov. 14 board meeting. Miller has been gathering information on other Maine towns’ fees.

The transfer station was discussed in terms of French’s work with a local committee and an engineer. One possibility is using part of the foreclosed property adjoining the Lombard Dam Road facility for an expansion; the process of surveying and appraising the property is under way.

French recommended new cement pads for items like white goods that currently sit in mud and snow. He asked whether it is time to replace the transfer station’s backhoe, leading to a brief discussion of reviving the town’s capital improvement plan.

Denico said the plan was developed in 2013 and looked ahead 20 years. There have been many changes since, he said, agreeing that it was time for an update.

An even more ancient issue that French raised is the former quarry on the east side of Riverside Drive where Statler Tissue dumped contaminated sludge in, Denico said, the 1960s. Denico said the site originally provided rock used to rebuild Route 201; later the quarry filled with water and became a local swimming hole.

Taxes have not been paid for years, but the town has not taken over the site because of the waste. Now, French said, state funding for clean-up costs is a possibility; perhaps the town should review the situation.

Miller would like board members to consider more town employees. He reminded them they discussed hiring a fifth public works employee last year and did not include the position in the current budget. Since Vassalboro is accepting applications for a new public works director, he suggested waiting for that person’s input.

Another town office employee able to do multiple tasks would be useful when one of the regulars is out, or merely to fill in at the counter during lunch breaks, Miller said.

The transfer station is well staffed, Miller thinks. Select board member Michael Poulin concurred: “The two of them [manager Adam Daoust and assistant Nicholas Curtis] are doing a wonderful job.”

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Nov. 14. Board members plan only one November meeting, because their second one would fall on Thanksgiving Day.