Issue for April 14, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

China Primary School’s faculty lounge gets a nice face lift

As most people are already aware, teaching young children is already an exhausting profession – but with quarantines, masking, and social distancing, the last couple of “Covid” years have brought teachers to a new level of exhaustion! Our China Schools Parent Teacher Organi­zation (PTO) noticed this and wanted to show their love and support in a way that would be useful to our staff every day… Submitted by Melissa Robie Calouro, Pre-K teacher at CPS

Your Local News

China select board unanimously approves 38-article warrant

CHINA — China select board members have unanimously approved the 38-article warrant for the June 14 annual town business meeting. The April 11 select board meeting was preceded by a very short budget committee meeting, at which that board endorsed revised wording of two articles…

CBC members enthused about new expansion possibility

CHINA — China Broadband Committee (CBC) members are enthusiastic about a new possibility for expanding internet service in China, and so are officials at the possible providers, the Unity-based telephone and communications company Unitel…

Planners approve minor exterior changes at Kennebec Water District

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Planning Board members quickly and without dissent approved a minor exterior change at the Kennebec Water District (KWD) treatment plant at 462 Main Street (Route 32), between East and North Vassalboro…

Three candidates on June 14 ballot

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro residents will have three candidates for three open local positions on their June 14 election ballot…

Select board awards roadside mowing contract

WINDSOR — At their March 15 meeting, the Windsor Select Board awarded the 2022 roadside mowing contract to Pierce Works, LLC, of South China, among the three select board members in attendance, Ray Bates, Ronald Brann and William Appel Jr. Absent were Richaed Gray Jr. and Andrew Ballantyne…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is May 13, 2022…

LETTERS: Swift will work to benefit all

from Bob Bennett (South China) – This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Pam Swift who is running as a Democrat for Maine’s District #62 House of Representative seat in this fall’s election. I was very impressed by her experience in and interest and commitment to areas such as health care, the environment and the welfare of her potential constituents…

Erskine Academy Renaissance awards

CHINA On Friday, April 8, Erskine Academy held a Renaissance assembly to recognize second trimester award recipients. Recognition Awards were presented to the following students: Parker Studholme, Andrew Shaw, David McCaig, Lauren Tyler, Balquis Hutami, and Damon Wilson…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Blacks in Maine – Part 1 (new)

MAINE HISTORY — So far, people in this history series have been almost entirely the group that is still Maine’s majority population: white people descended mostly from inhabitants of the British Isles, plus representatives of other northern and western European countries. For example, Millard Howard wrote in his Palermo history that early settlers in that town came mostly from Massachusetts or New Hampshire, sometimes via coastal Maine… by Mary Grow [1944 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 14

MAINE HISTORY — The wars on which this series has provided information so far began with fighting against the European power that once claimed the United States and continued with the 1861-1865 war between two parts of the United States… by Mary Grow [1747 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 12

MAINE HISTORY — The United States Civil War, which began when the Confederates shelled Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, and ended with General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, had the most impact on Maine, including the central Kennebec Valley, of any 17th or 18th century war… by Mary Grow [2191 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 11

MAINE HISTORY — Many historians don’t take the Aroostook War seriously. Several sources call it the Pork and Beans War; Wikipedia says the nickname is based on either the local lumbermen’s or the British soldiers’ staple food. Some of the local histories cited earlier in this series don’t even mention the war… by Mary Grow [1958 words]

Town Meetings Schedule for 2022

A list of local town meetings for Albion, China, Fairfield, Palermo, Sidney, Solon, Vassalboro and Windsor…

Webber’s Pond

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Hyssongs to offer free concert

SKOWHEGAN — Free concert, The Hyssongs, Sunday, April 17, at New Horizons Community Church, 31 East Madison Rd., Skowhegan, at 10 a.m…. and many other local events!

Obituaries

BENTON – Roland “Rollie” Arthur Woodworth, 67, died Friday, April 1, 2022, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, following a two-year battle with cancer. Roland was born on November 18, 1954, in Waterville, to Harry (Skip) and June Barker Woodworth… and remembering 9 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, April 12, 2022

Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Retail Therapy Boutique in Waterville! Email your answer to townline@townline.org or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!

Previous winner: Diane Gardner, Windsor

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Recently, I received information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Labora­tories confirming the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in samples taken from small flocks of non-commercial backyard birds (non-poultry); Lincoln County (March 17); Knox and York counties (March 19); Cumberland County (March 22); and Washington County (March 26)…

MY POINT OF VIEW

by Gary Kennedy | Here comes Peter Cotton Tail hopping down the bunny trail once again. It seems he is very punctual as he seems to appear to the children first with copious amounts of colored candy. My favorite was always the yellow coconut covered marshmallow rabbits closely followed up by the chocolate bunnies of the same configuration…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Peter Falk will always be best-remembered as the cigar burning homicide detective Lt. Columbo and rightfully so. His characterization of a man whose persona was that of a socially awkward bungler who was so easily distracted by the most insipidly trivial, useless pieces of information and yet would fool murderers time and again into thinking they would never get caught with his standard “Oh, I apologize for bothering you but just one more question!”…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Being from Maine we are accustomed to some hard to pronounce names of towns, rivers, etc., due to the Native American historical names as are many other states residents. Yesterday we came across some other ‘uncommon’ names. What follows are ones I found last night on the internet…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | Being from Maine we are accustomed to some hard to pronounce names of towns, rivers, etc., due to the Native American historical names as are many other states residents. Yesterday we came across some other ‘uncommon’ names. What follows are ones I found last night on the internet…