China town meeting, ATV trail discussed by select board

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by Mary Grow

The first of the China select board’s May 22 public hearings, a repeat hearing on the June 13 town business meeting ballot (see the May 11 issue of The Town Line, p. 2) drew no interest at all.

The second hearing, on allowing about two miles of Pleasant View Ridge and Bog Brook roads to be used as an ATV trail, elicited half an hour’s discussion among a dozen residents, Four Seasons Club officers and board members.

Club President Thomas Rumpf asked China select board members to approve ATVers’ use of the road sections to create a loop trail between southeastern and northeastern China while the Beaver Trail is being repaired. Currently, only a single trail is open; two-way traffic is less interesting to riders and harder on the trail, Rumpf said.

Residents’ comments were almost evenly divided between supporters and opponents. The main objections were based on safety. The two roads have many hidden driveways, curves and blind spots, and car and truck traffic is heavy and fast, residents said.

They were also concerned about increased noise, and about potential liability if there were an accident. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said under Maine law, the town would have no liability.

Supporters cited the value of ATVers to the local economy. Several said some ride the roads anyway, illegally.

Rumpf said if the proposal were approved, the roads would be heavily signed to warn motorists to watch out for ATVs. The ATVs would use the same travel lanes and obey the same speed limits as cars and trucks.

In response to questions, he and Darrell Wentworth, a Four Seasons Club officer and a Maine ATV instructor, said ATV drivers must be at least 16 years old; they are taught to use hand signals to indicate turns; their machines must have headlights and taillights and cannot – legally – have modified extra-noisy exhaust systems.

Rumpf had checked with other towns where ATVs share roads; the main problem they reported he summarized as “rowdies.” There was general agreement that a minority of ATV riders – and of car and truck drivers – will violate laws.

Rumpf intends to do his best to ensure the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office and local game wardens patrol the area more frequently than usual.

During the select board meeting that followed the public hearing, board members discussed what they had heard and agreed unanimously to allow ATVs on the road sections for the 2023 season on a trial basis, subject to cancellation if there are problems.

Rumpf said the season begins June 1; road use will not be allowed until after club members obtain and post signs, later in June. The season ends Columbus Day weekend. Hours during which road use is allowed will be 8 a.m. to sunset, to avoid running in darkness.

Problems that might cause select board members to rescind the approval before the season ends include multiple complaints from residents or law enforcement or both, or an accident.

VASSALBORO: Only two select board members at meeting; make minor comments on warrant draft

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by Mary Grow

The two Vassalboro select board members present at the May 11 board meeting offered a few minor comments on Town Manager Aaron Miller’s draft town meeting warrant. The manager planned to have a final copy ready for their signatures after the meeting.

The first part of the town meeting is an open meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 5, at Vassalboro Community School. Voters present will elect a moderator; elect five budget committee members; act on municipal and school expenditure requests for the 2023-24 fiscal year that begins July 1; and act on policy and procedural questions.

There are a total of 38 articles to be decided June 5. On Tuesday, June 13, Articles 39 through 41 will be on a written ballot. They ask voters to approve or reject the school budget adopted June 5; approve or reject amendments to the Site Review Ordinance (in the form of a new section governing commercial solar energy systems); and elect town officials (see box with this story).

The other document that select board members reviewed May 11 was titled “Vassalboro Recreation Committee Bylaws.” Recreation Director Karen Hatch explained that because the board and voters have created her position, the committee’s role has changed.

After half an hour’s discussion, select board chairman Barbara Redmond proposed committee members be invited to a workshop session with the select board. Miller said he would schedule the workshop.

In other business, Vassalboro Historical Society spokesman John Melrose said the heat pumps to be installed at the former East Vassalboro schoolhouse (now the society’s headquarters and museum) will cost $32,019.06, because the plan has been amended to make the boiler that presently heats the building unnecessary.

The Efficiency Maine program will provide $14,000, Melrose said, leaving $18,019.06 as the town’s share. Select board members had approved using $15,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for the project. They increased the appropriation to $18,019.06 and authorized Miller to sign the Efficiency Maine contract.

Miller asked for permission to look into seeking bids for legal work for the town. Vassalboro has had the same attorney since 2018, he said. Select board members approved.

The manager said the tax-acquired property at 83 South Stanley Hill Road has been advertised for sale; there is considerable interest. The town website, www.Vassalboro.net, has instructions for submitting bids; they are due at the town office by 4 p.m., Wednesday, June 7, and the minimum bid is $10,000.

Board members briefly discussed application and other fees the town charges for permits and licenses. They adopted the planning board’s recommendation that site review application fees for commercial projects be increased to $100 for a minor project and $400 for a major; they might consider other fees at future meetings.

No candidates on June 13 ballot

Vassalboro voters have no candidate on the June 13 ballot to fill the select board seat being vacated by Barbara Redmond.

Town Manager Aaron Miller said May 11 that David McCarthy, Jr., the only nominee, has withdrawn his candidacy.

Voters will see a blank line on which to write in the candidate of their choice. Write-in rules will be publicized on the town website, Facebook and elsewhere.

The person with the most correct written-in votes will become a select board member for a three-year term, assuming he or she accepts the position.

Vassalboro’s other June 13 elections are for two seats on the school board. Incumbents Erin “Libby” Loiko and Zachary Smith are unopposed for re-election.

Polls will be open at the town office from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Tuesday, June 13. Absentee ballots were scheduled to be available at the town office Monday, May 15.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting will be Thursday evening, May 25.

VASSALBORO: Teachers ask for more professional development time

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro School Board members spent most of their May 16 meeting discussing the 2023-24 school calendar, and scheduled a special zoom meeting for May 22 to approve a final version, after Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer wrote up their revisions and ran them by staff members.

The main issue was professional development time, scheduled hours for staff to do workshops and training and work together on educational issues.

This past year has seen two early release days most months, days when students go home at midday so staff can meet in the afternoon. Principal Ira Michaud reported the most recent day had been used for a zoom workshop with an outside expert.

Alternatives to early release days include late start days (used in some other Maine school organizations, people said) or full days without students. Discussion tried to balance two objectives: maximizing staff time for cooperative work while minimizing inconvenience to parents.

Michaud emphasized that students benefit from the staff development time. The purpose is to share current information and ideas that make classroom teaching more effective.

Pfeiffer reported after the May 22 meeting that school board members unanimously approved the 2023-24 calendar. It will be shared with parents in mailings and posted on the school website, vcsvikings.com.

In other business May 16:

  • Michaud reported after screening for next year’s prekindergarten and kindergarten classes, preliminary figures are 29 prekindergarten students and 39 kindergarten students.
  • Pfeiffer said plans for summer work include repointing and sealing the school building’s brick exterior, more security upgrades and adding acoustic tiles to reduce noise in the cafeteria.
  • Michaud said third-graders won this spring’s penny-collecting contest. The Student Council voted to use the about $400 collected to buy larger national and state flags for the flagpole in front of the school.

Another thought students had was to replace the worn-out slide on the playground, but Michaud said a new slide would cost between $6,000 and $10,000. He’ll keep the need in mind and hope to find money.

  • Board members approved Mia Sargent as the new art teacher and Joel Estes, who has been a substitute teacher, as an Educational Technician III.

Michaud said Sargent spent a year becoming a credentialed art teacher, after eight years’ experience as an elementary-school classroom teacher. She succeeds Sue Briggs, one of the two Vassalboro Community School long-timers retiring next month; kitchen manager Mary Dumont is the other.

Pfeiffer and Michaud praised VCS staff for their hard work as school enters “the new normal” after the disruptive covid years.

This year’s eight-grade promotion is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, June 12, at the China Lake Conference Center, on Neck Road, in China.

After the special May 22 meeting, the next regular Vassalboro School Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 20.

Board members set their annual summer workshop for 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, to be followed by the summer school board meeting at 6:45 p.m.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Holidays: Memorial Day

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by Mary Grow

GAR posts Augusta, North Vassalboro and Clinton

Waterville’s W. S Heath GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Post #14, described last week, was the second founded of the eight in the part of Kennebec County covered in this series, according to Henry Kingsbury’s county history. It was the third of 19 in the whole county, Kingsbury wrote.

Kingsbury’s list begins with a post in Gardiner, followed by Augusta’s Seth Williams Post #13, organized July 25, 1872. Then came Waterville’s, organized Dec. 29, 1874.

Kingsbury then listed:

  • Richard W. Mullen Post #33, North Vassalboro, no date given;
  • Billings Post #88, Clinton, organized Oct. 9, 1883;
  • James P. Jones Post #106, South China, organized April 23, 1884;
  • Vining Post #107, Windsor, organized June 2, 1884;
  • Amos J. Billings Post #112, China Village, chartered June 17, 1884;
  • Joseph W. Lincoln Post #113, Sidney, mustered May 24, 1884.

* * * * * *

Brevet Major General
Seth Williams

Brevet Major General Seth Williams (March 22, 1822 – March 23, 1866), for whom the Augusta GAR Post was named, was an Augusta native, Kingsbury wrote. James North, in his Augusta history, said his parents were Daniel and Mary (Sawtelle) Williams; Mary was from Norridgewock. Daniel and his brother Reuel were prominent in Augusta business and politics.

Seth Williams graduated from West Point July 1, 1842, and served in the United States First Artillery (Kingsbury; North says it was the Second Artillery), either entering as a brevet second lieutenant (North) or attaining the rank in 1844 (Kingsbury).

(The word “brevet” means someone promoted to a higher rank, especially as a reward for outstanding service, without the higher pay that normally accompanied the new rank.)

An on-line article by Charles Francis added that among Williams’ “minor” posts in his first three years in the military was Hancock Barracks, in Houlton, Maine.

Williams was promoted to first lieutenant in 1847, during the Mexican War (April 25, 1846 – Feb. 2, 1848). North wrote that he was in battle at Palo Alto (May 8, 1846) and Resaca de la Palma (May 9, 1846), and during the latter “his gallant bearing attracted the notice of a distinguished general officer, who invited him to become a member of his military family.”

(The officer was General Robert Patterson [Jan. 12, 1792 – Aug. 7, 1881], an Irish-born Pennsylvanian, veteran of the War of 1812. He was wounded at the April 18, 1847, Battle of Sierra Gordo, not seriously enough to keep him from becoming a successful businessman and serving in the Civil War.)

When Williams visited Augusta in July 1847, North said, Colonel James L. Child hosted a party at the Arsenal and townspeople gave Williams an inscribed sword.

Kingsbury wrote that Williams was brevetted captain the day of the Battle of Sierra Gordo in recognition of his “gallant and meritorious conduct.”

After the Mexican War ended, Williams served in other minor posts until he became adjutant at West Point from September 1850 to August 1853. Francis wrote that he “was held in the highest esteem, and was remembered with affection” by the cadets he supervised.

Next he became a captain and assistant adjutant general in Washington, where he remained until the Civil War began in April 1861.

Williams served in both staff and battlefield positions. Kingsbury’s account of his service includes membership on General George McLellan’s staff in the early days; becoming a major in August 1861; and later that year becoming “adjutant general of the Army of the Potomac” and “brigadier general of volunteers.”

Although these were challenging jobs, North and Kingsbury wrote that Williams’ performance was approved by the various commanders he supervised. Francis wrote that Williams was made a brevet colonel for his gallantry in the July 1, 1863, Battle of Gettysburg.

In November 1864 (North) or on Jan. 12, 1865 (Kingsbury), failing health led to his reassignment as Inspector General on General Ulysses Grant’s staff. In this position he inspected parts of the army in Virginia before taking part in the final Civil War campaign and the negotiations for General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, in April 1865.

Williams remained in the army after the war ended, serving on General George Meade’s staff. Kingsbury said his final “special service” was as a member of a January 1866 commission that investigated charges brought by the government of Prussia about “the enlistment of some of its subjects into our army.”

Sources differ on how Williams became a brevet general. Kingsbury and North imply he was promoted before his death in March 1866; they wrote he became a major general as of August 1864 (North) or effective March 13, 1865 (Kingsbury). Wikipedia says President Andrew Johnson nominated him to the two ranks on April 10 and July 17, 1866, with both appointments retroactive to March 13, 1865.

Kingsbury praised Williams as a man who did his duty even if he thereby hurt others, but was in private “one of the most lovable of men.” Kingsbury’s adjectives for him included courteous, tactful, beloved, admired and respected. North concurred. He called Williams “modest” and “unassuming,” with “sterling qualities of mind and heart that won the respect and confidence of acquaintances and associates.”

When General Grant heard that Williams had died in Boston, Massachusetts, he telegraphed sympathy to Williams’ father and asked that the body be buried at West Point. The family chose Forest Grove Cemetery, in Augusta.

Williams’ body came to Augusta “by special train,” North wrote. There was a service at St. Mark’s Church and another at the graveside, but at the family’s request, the only military ceremony was a 15-gun salute at the Arsenal.

Afterwards, North wrote, Williams’ father commissioned a memorial stained-glass window in St. Mark’s Church.

Francis mentioned one more memorial to Seth Williams: Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, named on April 13, 1899, honored the Augusta soldier. The fort was active through the two world wars and beyond; it was closed on June 30, 1962, Wikipedia says, and since July 1979 has been Fort Williams Park.

* * * * * *

Richard W. Mullen Post #33, in Vassalboro, honors the man identified in Alma Pierce Robbins’ Vassalboro bicentennial history as one of the first officers in the 14th Maine regiment when it assembled in Augusta in 1861.

From its position on Kingsbury’s list, the Post must date from mid-January, 1881. Kingsbury said it had 18 charter members and by 1892, 42 members.

Kingsbury located Post #33 in North Vassalboro, but he was probably in error. The Vassalboro Historical Society owns a black and silver DAR ribbon with the Post’s name and number that plainly says “East Vassalboro, ME.”

Writing in 1971, Robbins said, “All older citizens will recall that the Richard W. Mullen Chapter, G.A.R., was active in Vassalboro for many years until they turned their records over to the American Legion Post #126 (1942).”

Over those years, she reported, the town donated to the Women’s (or Woman’s) Relief Corps (the GAR’s ladies’ auxiliary) to decorate veterans’ graves and hold Memorial Day services. The Legion and Auxiliary took over those responsibilities.

Capt. Richard Wright Mullen, son of Richard Mullen, was born April 19, 1831, in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and died May 14, 1875, in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to the Find a Grave website.

The Maine Adjutant General’s Report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1861, lists Richard W. Mullen, of Vassalboro, as the captain of company B, 14th regiment. When the report was compiled, the 14th was in camp at Augusta.

(The regimental commander was Colonel Frank S. Nickerson. Col. Nickerson, born in Swanville, Maine, became a brigadier general and survived the war, dying in Boston in 1917.)

Wikipedia says the 14th Maine was mustered into active service Dec. 31, 1861, and mustered out Jan. 3, 1865. Attached to General Benjamin Butler’s New Orleans expedition, the men took ship from Boston Feb. 6, 1862; they were in Mississippi from early March to mid-May, got to Louisiana early in July and fought in the Aug. 5, 1862, Battle of Baton Rouge.

Mullen is buried in the North Vassalboro cemetery. On his gravestone above his name is the Latin phrase “In hoc signo vinces,” commonly translated as “In this sign, thou shalt conquer” and a cross.

A long inscription says he was “severely wounded” at the Battle of Baton Rouge. Despite only partially recovering, he was “called into public service” and when he died was collector of customs in Franklin, Louisiana, a town west of New Orleans.

(State records say 86 members of the 14th Maine were killed or died from their wounds, and 332 died of disease.)

* * * * * *

Billings Post #88, organized in Clinton on Oct. 9, 1883, had 19 charter members and 23 members in 1892, Kingsbury wrote. Meetings were held in Centennial Hall.

Capt. Charles W. Billings

The Post honors Clinton native Captain Charles Wheeler Billings (Dec. 13, 1824 – July 15, 1863), son of Abijah (or Abaijah) Munroe Billings (1797-September 1881) and Rhonda (or Rhoda) (Warner) Billings (1798-1836).

An on-line article by Paul Russinoff, a Marylander who collects Civil War photographs, says that Abijah Billings ran a wool carding mill and was postmaster in Clinton. He sent his son to a private school; when Charles was 22, he bought a half-interest in his father’s mill.

In 1849, Charles Billings married Ellen Libby Hunter (July 1, 1833 – 1924), daughter of a prominent local family whose patriarch was in the lumber business. They had three daughters, Isadore Margaret (Billings) Timberlake (1850 – 1897), Alice Warner Billings (1856-1860) and Elizabeth W. “Lizzie” Billings (1860 – Dec. 7, 1863).

By the outbreak of the Civil War, Billings was an established businessman and active in town affairs, holding office as a selectman and as town clerk. He did not volunteer for military service in the excitement of 1861, but did on Aug. 9, 1862.

Russinoff quotes from a letter to his father suggesting his motivation: he saw the war as a choice between protecting liberty and “let[ting] the sword of despotism and ignorance sweep over our fair country.”

In the fall of 1862, as a second lieutenant in Company A of the 20th Maine, Billings started keeping a diary, which Russinoff said ended in April 1863. Also that month, he returned to Clinton for the last time on a 15-day-furlough.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 7, 1863, Russinoff wrote, he had been transferred to Company C and promoted to captain.

Billings was wounded in the left knee at the Battle of Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. His wife got word, and with his younger brother, John Patten Billings, came to Gettysburg; they arrived on July 15, a few hours after Billings died in the Fifth Corps field hospital at Gettysburg.

The 20th Maine monument at Gettysburg lists him as the highest-ranking officer in the regiment to die as a result of the battle.

Ellen had his body brought back to Clinton. She did not remarry; Russinoff found that she later lived with daughter Isadore, in Lancaster, New Hampshire.

Where she was between Isadore’s death and her own, Russinoff did not say. Ellen is buried with Charles, their daughters and his parents in Clinton’s Riverview Cemetery.

On the Men of Maine Killed in the Victory of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

(A poem by Herman Melville, 1866)

Afar they fell. It was the zone
Of fig and orange, cane and lime
(A land how all unlike their own,
With the cold pine-grove overgrown),
But still their Country’s clime.
And there in youth they died for her –
The Volunteers,
For her went up their dying prayers:
So vast the Nation, yet so strong the tie.
What doubt shall come, then, to deter
The Republic’s earnest faith and courage high.

Main sources

Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
North, James W., The History of Augusta (1870).
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971)

Websites, miscellaneous

China transfer station committee members struggle with unauthorized users

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by Mary Grow

China transfer station committee members pondered two questions at their May 9 meeting: how to make a second regional household hazardous waste day as successful as the one April 22 (if China hosts one again); and how to continue to reduce the number of unauthorized transfer station users.

A regional household hazardous waste day lets residents of participating towns (on April 22, China, Albion, Palermo, Windsor and Winslow) dispose for free of types of waste that do not go into the mixed waste stream, like paint, old gasoline, household chemicals and electronics (television sets, stereos, VCRs, for example).

The day was a huge success, with an estimated 400 people (twice the number who signed up in advance) coming to the public works building west of the transfer station and long lines of vehicles waiting to get in, committee members said.

Some people obviously brought things they’d stored for years. The China transfer station accepts most types of what is considered household hazardous waste, but charges a fee for some.

“We did a lot of good for the communities,” committee member Robert Kurek, from Palermo commented.

China Director of Public Services Shawn Reed had three suggestions for continuing the collection days.

First, he recommended enforcing the pre-registration requirement.

Second, he suggested town officials consider budgeting for annual collection days, because the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) grant that funded most of the April 22 event might not be available in future years.

And third, he recommended trying to hold future collections at one of the China schools, instead of the public works garage, for more space and better traffic circulation.

According to statistics distributed at the May 9 committee meeting, getting rid of the collected materials cost more than $20,000. Each participating town contributed $500; the grant covered the rest.

Olivia Kunesh, of KVCOG, said in an email that a company called EPI – found on the web as Environmental Projects, Inc., of Auburn – took away the collected waste and recycled the old paint. Removal of electronic waste (e-waste) was delayed more than a week, committee members said, and Kunesh wrote that a means of dealing with e-waste needs to be found.

Other towns host such events at their schools, Reed said. Having seen the care taken to avoid spills or otherwise damage the public works area at the April 22 event, he does not think there would be any risk.

The day’s traffic spilled over to the nearby transfer station, which was the site of the annual drug takeback day. Manager Thomas Maraggio said 996 people came in, close to double the usual Saturday traffic.

The Transfer Station Committee’s second issue, discussed at several previous meetings, was how to make sure only China and Palermo residents use the transfer station that their taxes help support. The present RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) program, started in 2019 with a state grant, provides tags that an electronic sensor recognizes; driving in without a tag alerts attendants.

The main problem with the RFID tags is that people can keep them after they move out of town, and can lend them to out-of-town relatives and friends whose transfer stations might be more expensive or less convenient. Maraggio said staffer Cheyenne Houle had tried unsuccessfully to find a way to link the RFID system with town office records that might show someone had moved away.

Before RFID, transfer station users had a vehicle window sticker with the license plate number. Committee members said stickers, or lack thereof, send no message to transfer station staff; and some people don’t want a sticker on their car.

Another method discussed previously and mentioned May 9 would be to add a guard shack where a staffer would check each vehicle coming in.

Reed and Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood commended Maraggio and his staff for their efforts to minimize unauthorized transfer station use.

In other business, Maraggio distributed copies of a Dec. 6, 2022, marketing report from the Maine Resource Recovery Association summarizing the lower market for recyclable materials. Recycling income has declined substantially, he said; but generally, recycling is still less costly than having materials transported and disposed of as waste.

Because the committee’s usual second Tuesday meeting falls on election day in June, the next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 6.

Ladies group celebrates young families

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Group that participated in the Moms to Be tea, in North Vassalboro. (contributed photo)

by Roberta Barnes

When you hear tea party you might imagine a tea pot with tea cozy surrounded by teacups on saucers. The Moms to be Tea Party hosted by the ladies of Sew for a Cause was quite different.

May 6, 2023, was a time to celebrate the joy of new life at the St. Bridget Center, in Vassalboro. The kindness and all the work that went into that day grew from a discussion in January 2023 on how these ladies could celebrate young families. Aside from all the donated and handmade gifts that filled the center, were the warm smiles that began in the parking lot with the men from the American Legion directing vehicles. Rachel Kilbride, the organizer, was visibly present to greet attendees and move things along throughout the event.

When Moms to Be Tea was announced, people were asked to register by April 15, 2023, as the number of attendees was limited. Everyone checked in and received a name tag from the ladies who sat at a table just inside the front door.

Opposite the front door was a table on which sat three jars filled with pieces of candy, with a way to guess how many were inside each. Behind the jars was a board showing the planned times for different activities.

While babies are bundles of joy, they are not born with instruction manuals. Unless relatives or friends are close by to give support, a new Mom can feel alone. I heard one mom to be say, “I felt so alone.” This tea party not only helped new moms interact with each other, but to receive things to help with some of the basic baby needs. As I talked with various moms and moms to be, I also spoke with one of the three dads to be that I saw at the event.

Even though each baby is unique, there are some needs they all share. On one table close to the entrance were tote bags donated by one of the sponsors. Inside the bags were basic baby needs and a brochure showing ways that have kept other babies healthy and happy. A bundle of diapers could go along with the tote bag, and on a table close by were maternity pants.

Another table close by was filled with handmade baby hats and caps. The sparkle in the woman’s eyes as she watched attendees deciding which of her hats to take, I saw reflected in many eyes that day.

The huge open room in the center was filled with tables. Those in the middle held donated baby items and things to help the moms. Those on which handmade tote bags rested were kept covered until after lunch.

The tables at the back contained healthy foods and yummy home baked treats. One table to the right of the food tables offered handmade cloth frames for baby pictures. The larger donated baby items that were raffled off at the end of the event were behind the food tables.

Along the sides were tables with chairs for the attendees. From a seating plan, each of these had a number that was later used to keep the afternoon activities flowing smoothly.

Kindness and gratitude filled the center’s room with a joyful harmony that could be felt the moment you walked into the building. An infant sleeping peacefully in his mom’s arms was an example of that harmony. As I talked with different people about the event, I also heard such things as cool and fantastic.

Once the attendees were seated at their designated tables, sandwiches were brought in for lunch. As the number of a table was drawn, the people from that table would have their plate filled with the foods they wanted by the ladies behind the tables.

After lunch, attendees were challenged with sit down games such as the Baby Shower Word search and matching a wildlife mother with her baby. A bear and her cub was easy, but what is an Alpaca, a platypus, or a dove?

Once the games were finished, the handmade tote bags were revealed. Because all the materials were donated, each tote bag was different. As the number of a table was drawn, those sitting at that table could select the tote bag that went best with their baby.

Each tote bag was filled with handmade baby quilts, blankets, changing pads, bibs, and a stuffed toy. One of the ladies confirmed that each of the handmade items for each bag was carefully selected to go with the theme of the material used to create that tote bag. Other items such as wipes and a brochure of tips to keep a baby happy and healthy were also included in these tote bags.

The smiles that happened as items were removed from the bags added to the feelings in the center. Each adorable toy gave off an extra glow because of the joy woven in by the lady creating it and the sponsor donating the materials. That was the same with all the handmade things inside the tote bag, as well as the handmade tote bag.

(contributed photo)

This quilt showing “Dream Big Little One” is an example of hopes that went along with the sewing of each quilt and blanket.

None of this could have happened without the 50-plus ladies of Sew for a Cause donating their time and sewing skills. Besides these ladies there were over 29 sponsors ranging from businesses, organizations, and churches to individuals who also helped make this tea party a reality.

Vassalboro planners, town manager work on questionnaire to be mailed to town residents

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by Mary Grow

When Vassalboro select board members and Town Manager Aaron Miller work on the questionnaire they intend to mail with the 2023-24 tax bills, planning board members would like to have three questions from them included.

At their May 2 meeting, board members spent almost an hour winnowing member Douglas Phillips’ list of suggestions to three and refining the wording. They agreed they would like voters’ opinions on:

  • Whether Vassalboro needs a phosphorus control ordinance, perhaps similar to China’s, that would limit phosphorus-laden run-off from new or substantially revised development;
  • Whether the town should have an ordinance that limits at least some types of commercial development to certain areas; and
  • Whether the town should make greater efforts to preserve open space for conservation and/or recreation.

Board members deliberately did not go into detail at this stage; for example, they did not talk about what type(s) of commercial development could be affected. They did not want to stir up debate over “the z-word” – zoning – that Vassalboro voters have rejected in the past.

Board member John Phillips wondered if suggestions for more town ordinances might also generate negative responses.

Board chairman Virginia Brackett summarized the anti-regulation versus regulation dilemma when she said, “You can’t do anything you want with your own property and then complain when your neighbor does the same.”

Another issue before planning board members on May 2 was a request from select board members for recommended site review application fees for commercial projects. John Phillips read from a town ordinance that says the planning board makes recommendations, the select board sets the fees and both boards review them annually.

Discussion included whether applications for all types of commercial projects should be charged alike or whether some – medical marijuana growing businesses and solar farms, specifically – should have separate fee schedules. Board members made no recommendation.

There was consensus that the current $50 fee is too low to cover the codes officer’s work on commercial projects. Board members recommended application fees of $100 for a minor site review and $400 for a major site review.

The third issue was a discussion with Webber Pond Association President John Reuthe about water quality in the lake. Last summer, Webber Pond turned green with an obnoxious and unhealthful algae bloom (see the Sept. 15, 2022, issue of The Town Line, p. 1).

Reuthe and board members discussed many factors complicating work to improve water quality.

One is the condition of the outlet dam, owned by the Webber Pond Association. Reuther said the fishway at the dam admits migrating alewives, who carry away algae they’ve eaten when they leave in the fall; and association members open the gates to increase fall outflow of algae-laden water. He said the dam gates need easier-to-manage controls and the fishway should be rebuilt.

Another issue is identifying and correcting sources of phosphorus entering the lake. Reuthe considers camp roads a major contributor, but not necessarily the only one.

A third complication is that Three Mile Pond affects Webber Pond, and Three Mile Pond has shoreline in China, Vassalboro and Windsor. Improvements will require cooperation from all three towns, for example in enforcing shoreland regulations.

Reuthe said he and Three Mile Pond Association president Tom Whittaker have discussed water quality.

There are a number of other interested parties, including Maine Rivers (the organization instrumental in opening Outlet Stream to alewives), China Region Lakes Alliance, the state Department of Marine Resources (which owns the fishway) and the Maine Department of Transportation, whose planned replacement of a 1930s culvert on Whitehouse Road is expected to increase alewife migration.

Reuthe said the 2023 Webber Pond Association annual meeting is scheduled for the beginning of summer, instead of the end as in past years, to remind landowners of their responsibility to protect water quality.

Reuthe did not ask for planning board action, and none was proposed. He thinks a Vassalboro phosphorus control ordinance might be helpful; board member Paul Mitnik, who administered China’s while he was that town’s codes officer, called it “valuable.”

The next regular Vassalboro planning board meeting will be Tuesday evening, June 6 (the evening after the open town meeting). Codes officer Robert Geaghan, Jr., expects at least two permit applications, for a new business in an existing building, on Main Street, in North Vassalboro, and for a new building adjoining the Oak Grove chapel, on Oak Grove Road, just off Route 201 (Riverside Drive).

Webber and Threemile ponds restoration work update

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Nate Gray, left, from Maine Department of Marine Resources and Bill Bennett, USFWS, prepare to collect flow data from Webber Pond.
(contributed photo)

by Landis Hudson, Maine Rivers

Project partners who worked on and completed the China Lake Alewife Restoration Initiative are turning their attention to Webber Pond, Threemile Pond and Seaward Mills Stream. The seven-year China Lake project involved fully removing three dams and installing fishways at three other dams. In 2022 more than 800,000 adult alewives were counted moving into the lake, producing vast numbers of juveniles that were able to safely migrate out of the lake.

The earlier success of alewife restoration work at Webber Pond helped lay the groundwork for the China Lake effort. In 2009, after years of effort and planning by Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Webber Pond Association, a technical Alaskan steep-pass fishway was installed to allow fish into Webber Pond. The restoration effort has been so successful that the Webber Pond fishway is now undersized for the number of returning fish, and some fish are delayed below the dam. Many of the fish entering Webber Pond then must pass through to Threemile Pond via Seaward Mills Stream, but often have trouble along the way.

Webber Pond alewife harvest will be expanded by the restoration work underway. (contributed photo)

The new work will involve tackling the fish passage barrier on Seaward Mills Stream created by the Whitehouse Road culvert, to allow fish to spawn in Threemile Pond. Improperly sized or placed culverts often act as dams and limit the movement of aquatic creatures, as is the case with the old Whitehouse Road culvert. Successful completion should allow the combined Webber Pond/Threemile Pond alewife run to nearly double in size from 400,000 to 750,000 annually. White sucker and brook trout populations will benefit greatly from improved passage conditions as well. Part­ners are working to replace the badly deteriorated culvert at little or no cost to the town.

This new phase of work brings together Maine Depart­ment of Marine Resources, Maine Rivers, USFWS, the Webber Pond Association and the Three­mile Pond Asso­­ciation. Maine Depart­ment of Trans­portation also supports the effort, and in­cluded up­grades to the Whitehouse Road culvert in a request for federal funding this winter. A decision on that funding is pending.

Threemile Pond Asso­ciation supports the work and with hopes that it will improve the health of the pond. Tom Whittaker has been president of the Threemile Pond Association for the past five years but has been doing alewife counts along Seaward Mills Stream for the past decade, witnessing the low numbers of alewives able to make their way into Threemile Pond because of stream flows impacted by the Whitehouse Road culvert. John Reuthe, president of the Webber Pond Association, has had a long interest in alewife restoration and is pleased the project will improve the gates of the Webber Pond dam to improve the ease and safety of management.

A native keystone species, alewife are known to strengthen the food webs of the freshwater and marine ecosystems where they are found. As migratory species, alewife and their close cousins Blueback herring, move from the ocean to lakes and ponds to reproduce before migrating back to the ocean. Along the way they are eaten by a great number of creatures, including eagles, osprey, turtles, bear, foxes, mink, brook trout and bass. They also provide a source of revenue to the town, in the form of an annual commercial alewife harvest. For more information, email or call Matt Streeter, mstreeter212@gmail.com or 207-337-2611.

Joyce Benner celebrates 100th birthday with Young at Heart seniors

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Group photo with Joyce Benner

On April 19, 2023, there was a celebrity in the house at The Young at Heart monthly meeting. One of the members, Joyce (Creamer) Benner turned 100 years old. She was born on March 4, 1923, and grew up in Waldoboro.

When asked what she could say about her life, Joyce answered and said that her childhood was good. I had a good mother and father and they were always there for me whenever I needed them. I have always loved my six children and I have had a good life. She also has too many grand, great- and great-great-grandchildren to count.

Joyce and her husband, Alfred, lived on the Greely Road, in Windsor, where they raised hereford cattle and sheep and at one time they even had a pet monkey. She worked in nursing homes and she was also very well known for picking crab meat. When asked if she had any hobbies, she said with a chuckle, “picking crab meat.” She also enjoyed hunting and playing Beano.

Joyce had this advice for young people today. Very seriously she said, “Mind your own business.”

God Bless this lovely Lady!

Young at Heart Senior Citizens meet once a month, usually the third Wed­nesday at the Coopers Mills Lions Club, at noon. The next meeting will be May 17 and after the fellowship lunch, they will be playing Beano. FMI call 445-4930.

Joyce Benner on the occasion of her 100th birthday on March 4, 1923, with the Young at Heart Seniors Citizens group. (contributed photo)

China planners approve adding storage vault to town office

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by Mary Grow

The three China Planning Board members at the April 25 meeting quickly, unanimously and with almost no discussion approved the Town of China’s application to add a storage vault to the town office building.

The application for a conditional use permit was prepared by Keith Whitaker of B. R. Smith Associates (BRSA), of Presque Isle. The addition will house a concrete vault for safe records storage, as required by state law. A 10-foot-long corridor will connect the addition to the south side of the existing building.

Whitaker said the addition will cause no significant changes. There will be no additional people; no new driveways or parking; no added exterior lights (one over the back door will come on only during power outages); no increased water or septic system usage; no additional run-off or other environmental impacts.

Board co-chairman James Wilkens commended the completeness and clarity of the application. The only condition attached to the approval is that a permit be obtained from the state fire marshal’s office; Whittaker said discussions have started.

In other business April 25, codes officer Nicholas French said he met with state Department of Transportation (MDOT) personnel to discuss two 15-year-old culverts under Lakeview Drive, near Fire Road 27, that are undersized and too smooth to stop silt draining into China Lake.

DOT intends to replace the culverts, French said. He does not know when.

With two board members absent, Wilkens postponed discussion of revisions to the Planning Board Ordinance and action under the town’s comprehensive plan to the May 9 meeting. He asked French to add the previously-discussed solar ordinance – a proposed new chapter in China’s Land Use Ordinance to regulate commercial solar development – to the agenda.

Also tentatively scheduled for the May 9 meeting is continued review of the proposed four-lot Killdeer Heights subdivision on Lakeview Drive and Mountain View Drive, if surveyor Adam Ellis has needed information in time (see the April 27 issue of The Town Line, pp. 2 and 3).

Wilkens invited residents to volunteer for China’s Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee. Current members, according to the town website, are Barbara Crosier, Randall Downer and Amber French. Others interested should contact the town office.

The May 9 planning board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., in the town office meeting room, according to the calendar on the town website.