Issue for April 6, 2023
Vassalboro couple connects people to detox
There is a brief window of opportunity during which a person in active addiction reaches out for help to get sober, and Ryan Paige, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of AccessDirect Recovery Network, knows from lived experience how quickly this window closes… by Jeanne Marquis
Town News
Select board gets legal advice on marijuana business ordinance amendments
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members got lots of legal advice at their March 30 meeting from attorney Stephen E. F. Langsdorf, of the Augusta law firm Preti Flaherty…
School officials explain budget proposal to school board
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro school officials – primarily Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer, Principal Ira Michaud, and Special Education Director Tanya Thibeau – led school board members through the proposed 2023-24 budget at a March 29 workshop meeting…
Planners approve one application; postpone all others
CHINA – China Planning Board members approved one application on their March 28 agenda and postponed everything else, instead making their recommendation on the amended Board of Appeals ordinance that will be on the June 13 town business meeting warrant…
Budget committee endorses 2023-24 spending articles
CHINA – At a short April 3 meeting, China Budget Committee members reviewed and endorsed proposed 2023-24 spending articles in the warrant for China’s June 13 town business meeting…
41st Battle of Maine another success
WATERVILLE – The 41st Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships took place on Saturday, March 25 at Champions Fitness Club in Waterville. $1 of each spectator ticket went to help support the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. There were competitions is forms, fighting and weapons throughout the day…
Scouts hold merit badge college
AUGUSTA – Taking place at the Augusta First Church of the Nazarene, a merit badge college for the Boy Scouts was held by volunteer Scouting leaders of the Kennebec Valley District of Scouting. The event was held on two days, spanning across two months…
PHOTO: China Village Volunteer Fire Department
CHINA – On March 21, the China Village Volunteer Fire Department held its annual Appreciation Dinner, honoring the volunteers and their spouses…
Hosts needed for international high school students throughout Maine area
CENTRAL ME – In an age when international relations are often tenuous, AFS-USA, a leader in international high school student exchange for 75 years, is focused on providing opportunities for intercultural exchange that can help lead to a more just and peaceful world…
Legislative Report as of Thursday, March 30, 2023
CENTRAL ME – List of legislative bills sponsored by local senators and representatives…
LETTERS: Stop dark money interference
from Kelly Merrill – Last year, I was part of a team that successfully collected over 80,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot to protect Maine elections from big, dark money interference from corporate and foreign government entities…
Webber’s Pond
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Award winning Maine reporter at Lithgow Public Library
AUGUSTA – Amy Calder, author of Comfort is an Old Barn, will be at Lithgow Library to discuss her book on Saturday, May 6, at 10 a.m. in the Community Meeting Room…
EVENTS: Free public COVID-19 booster clinics at HealthReach locations
CENTRAL ME – HealthReach is pleased to announce free public COVID-19 booster shots available at locations across Central and Western Maine. The Belgrade Regional Health Center clinic will open to everyone – patients and the public – from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 15, April 29, and May 6, 2023. No appointment is necessary during these time periods…
EVENTS: Waterville Creates announces The Great State of Illustration in Maine exhibition
WATERVILLE – As an art form, illustration has an ancestral home in Maine, with a legacy of attracting acclaimed authors and illustrators like E.B. White, Robert McCloskey, Melissa Sweet, and Chris Van Dusen. In recognition of this incredible history, Waterville Creates is excited to announce The Great State of Illustration in Maine exhibition at Ticonic Gallery, on view April 17–July 16…
EVENTS: Sew for a Cause plans Mothers-to-be Tea in Vassalboro
VASSALBORO – A special Mothers-to-be Tea is planned for Saturday, May 6, by the Sew for a Cause ladies, at St. Bridget Center, in Vassalboro. The event is free and open to all new mothers or soon-to-be mothers in central Maine, but because space is limited, attendees are encouraged to register by April 15. Owner of St. Bridget Center, Rachel Kilbride, says they are expecting about 50 new mothers to attend along with a guest…
Listing of local town meetings
CENTRAL ME — Listing of 2023 local town meetings in central Maine. To have your town listed, please email us at townline@townline.org…
2022-’23 Real Estate Tax Due Dates
Real estate tax due dates for the towns of Albion, China, Fairfield, Oakland, Palermo, Sidney, Vassalboro, Waterville, Windsor and Winslow…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Community pancake breakfast at the Vassalboro Grange
VASSALBORO — This weekend, April 8, the Vassalboro Grange will celebrate spring by opening its doors for the season with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast… and many other local events!
Obituaries
SOUTH CHINA – Christa B. Pauley, 87, passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at her home, following a brief illness. She was born in Portland, on April 26, 1935, the daughter of the late Dr. Charles D. and Margret Vesta (Wood) Brown.. and remembering 11 others.
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 13, 2023
Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Hannaford Supermarket! 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: Angel Hall-Stuart
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Groundhog day was a little over two months ago. However, this is the time of year when they usually start to make their appearance, emerging from their dens following a long winter of hibernation…
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
by Melinda Myers | Deer are common visitors to landscapes even in urban and suburban areas. Fencing is the most effective way to protect your plants but is not always practical or desirable. Your community may have restrictions on fencing, your budget may not support this option, or you prefer not to hide your plantings behind a fence…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | The consistently intriguing Maine Speaks anthology contains a short story, Scobie, by Elisabeth Ogilvie (1917-2006), which was first published in the August, 1951, issue of Woman’s Day magazine…
THE BEST VIEW
by Norma Best Boucher | I just spent one of the best mornings I could want. I didn’t set out to do that. I don’t think that life works that way. I do try to start every day with a positive attitude, but this morning God just pointed me in a direction and said, “Enjoy!”…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) — Brushing and flossing are the main tricks of the trade for maintaining a healthy smile, but if you want to expand your dental health from the inside out, you may want to consider nutritional supplements…