Issue for December 23, 2021
THE TOWN LINE OFFICE CLOSED FOR VACATION
The Town Line office will be closed the week of December 27 so the staff can enjoy a deserved vacation. There will be no issue on Dec. 30. The office will re-open on Monday, January 3, 2022, at 9 a.m.
State to initiate an investigation into the presence of PFAS chemicals in China
China Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood has received a letter from Susanne Miller, director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, relative to initiating an investigation into the presence of PFAS chemicals in the town. The letter follows…
Your Local News
Lake association president lays out 10-year plan to select board
CHINA — China Lake Association President Stephen Greene is thinking in millions of dollars these days – but not to be spent immediately. At the Dec. 20 China select board meeting, Greene updated board members on the draft 10-year China Lake Watershed-Based Management Plan…
Transfer station committee agrees to budget $1,500 for travel expenses
CHINA — China Transfer Station Committee members used their Dec. 14 meeting to discuss, and in some cases re-discuss, a variety of waste disposal questions. They made two decisions…
TIF committee receives first 2022-23 application
CHINA — Members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee received their first applications for 2022-23 TIF funds at their Dec. 13 meeting. They postponed action until more applications are in, they hope by the Jan. 3, 2022, deadline…
China planners settle three issues
CHINA — China Planning Board members settled all three issues on their Dec. 14 meeting agenda. They approved a revised subdivision plan for Fire Road 19, updating records to show a relocated road…
Name that film!
Identify the film in which this line originated and qualify to win a FREE pass to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is January 7…
The Remembrance Tree
Click the image to the left to view those we are remembering during this holiday season!
Thank you, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
The Town Line newspaper Staff and Board of Directors thank all our advertisers, supporters, donors, readers & volunteers and wish them a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Wal-mart and Wreaths Across America
by Gary Kennedy — The history of Wal-Mart, which is now a super chain, began in 1950. Sam Walton purchased a small store from Luther E. Harrison, in Bentonville, Arkansas, calling it Walton’s (5&10) five and dime. Some of we oldtimers recall the term five and dime. Later in 1962 the Wal-Mart chain proper was formed. It started with only one store in Bentonville, Arkansas…
MY POINT OF VIEW: Remembering the spirit of Christmas, and its meaning
by Gary Kennedy — This was the time of year most of us looked forward to. School books, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas bonus, gifts and great food with family and friends. Usually our hearts are full of joy and season feelings such as giving. Most of us don’t pass the guy or gal standing on the corner asking for help…
Benjamin Lagasse earns rank of Eagle Scout
CHINA — Recently, Kristie Lagasse, left, pinned the rank of Eagle Scout on her son, Benjamin Lagasse, from Troop #479, China, at his family home in Windsor. Several attempts to have a traditional Eagle Ceremony were canceled for concerns because of Covid-19. Benjamin is the 44th Scout to earn the Eagle Rank in Troop #479, in China…
Samuel Bernier earns Eagle Scout rank
WATERVILLE — Family and friends, along with local officials, gathered at the Waterville Lodge #33, on County Road, for the presentation of Scouting’s highest honor, the Eagle Scout rank, to Samuel K. Bernier during a ceremony held on December 14…
Shakespeare group prepares for tea, Macbeth
AUGUSTA — Recycled Shakespeare Company (RSC) is holding a fundraiser, A Literary Tea, on a Sunday , January 2, 2022, at 2 p.m. Enjoy hot tea and lovely desserts while listening to winter poetry, passages of prose and music performed by Recycled Shakespeare Company and Friends, in the warm and inviting hall of the historic South Parish Congregational Church, 9 Church Street, in Augusta, ME…
NESN regional sports network removed from DISH-TV
CENTRAL ME — New England Sports Network (NESN) was removed from DISH TV tonight, affecting access in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Connecticut. With this removal, DISH TV customers no longer have access to NESN, ME…
Dr. Herland joins Northern Light Inland staff
WATERVILLE — Northern Light Inland Hospital welcomes Jonathan Herland, MD, an interventional pain management specialist. Dr. Herland earned his medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School…
Healthy Living for ME awarded grant to expand programs
CENTRAL ME — A recently awarded grant will allow Healthy Living for ME and its statewide Area Agency on Aging partners to expand the reach of two popular programs, Bingocize and Building Better Caregivers. The grant to fund the program expansion was awarded to Healthy Living for ME by the University of New England’s AgingME: Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program…
Kaitlin Dixon named to D&E President’s list
SOLON — Kaitlin Dixon, of Solon, a student at Davis & Elkins College, in Elkins, West Virginia, has been named to the president’s list for the fall 2021 semester. The president’s list includes all full-time students with a 4.0 GPA for the semester…
Winslow resident earns award from WGU
WINSLOW — Bethanie Farr, of Winslow, has earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University College of Health Professions, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The award is given to students who perform at a superior level in their course work…
Whitney makes dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology
AUGUSTA — Emma Whitney, of Augusta, has made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology, in Boston, Massachusetts, for the Spring 2021 semester…
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Library series conclusion (new)
VASSALBORO/WATERVILLE/WINSLOW HISTORY — There is no evidence that the Town of Vassalboro had a public library before 1909, when the ancestor of the present lively institution was founded. The 1909 association’s bylaws give it two names, the Free Public Library Association of Vassalboro, d/b/a Vassalboro Library Association. The library has always been in East Vassalboro, and the bylaws say it must remain there… by Mary Grow [1975 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo & Little Free Libraries
PALERMO HISTORY — Palermo residents are currently enjoying at least the third library in the town’s history. The earliest, according to Millard Howard’s history of Palermo, was started by Benjamin Marden 2nd, “around mid-century [1850], apparently at his home on Marden Hill,” and was called the Palermo and China Social Library… by Mary Grow [1952 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Albion, South China libraries
CHINA/ALBION HISTORY — The majority of the central Maine towns and cities this series is covering have public libraries. Previous articles have talked about the three whose buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places – Lawrence Library, in Fairfield, Lithgow Library, in Augusta and Brown Memorial Library, in Clinton. This piece will describe other local libraries your writer finds interesting, mostly arranged alphabetically by town… by Mary Grow [1750 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Clinton, China Libraries
CLINTON/CHINA HISTORY — Brown Memorial Library, in Clinton, is the third of the local libraries on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1899-1900, it was added to the Register on April 28, 1975. In their application for the listing, Earle Shettleworth, Jr., and Frank A. Beard, of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, compared the Brown Memorial Library to Fairfield’s Lawrence Library… by Mary Grow [1870 words]
Webber’s Pond
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…
2021-’22 Real Estate Tax Due Dates
2021-2022 Real Estate tax due dates for the following towns: CHINA, FAIRFIELD, PALERMO, SIDNEY, VASSALBORO, WATERVILLE, WINDSOR and WINSLOW…
Obituaries
WINDSOR – Lawrence “Larry” Erving, Sr., 84, passed away on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, following a brief illness. Larry was born in Chelsea, grew up in Gardiner, and raised his family and worked as an electrician at Digital Equipment Corporation, for 20 years, in Ashland, Massachusetts, before returning to Maine with his wife and youngest son in 1993… and remembering 9 others.
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Friday, January 7, 2021
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: Susan Little, Waterville
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | When 10-year-old Gayla Peevey sang her 1953 Christmas song, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, did she really know what she was wishing for? When the song was released nationally, it shot to the top of the charts and the Oklahoma City zoo acquired a baby hippo named Matilda…
CRITTER CHATTER
by Amy Messier | As most of our readers are excitedly anticipating the holidays and time off from work and school, daily chores at Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab continue, no matter the weather, dropping temperatures or reduced daylight. Carleen described preparation for winter in portions of earlier columns…
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
by Dan Beaulieu | We all have competition; we all have people and companies we are competing with vying for the same accounts. The hospitality businesses for example (restaurants, pubs, take-out food places) are all tremendously competitive businesses…
FINANCIAL FOCUS
by Sasha Fitzpatrick | If your parents are getting close to retirement age, or are already retired, it may be time to talk with them about financial and aging issues, some of which may involve difficult conversations. For the sake of everyone in your family, don’t avoid these “taboo” topics…
SOLON & BEYOND
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | Received a most welcome letter this week that pleased me greatly. It was from the National Resources Council of Maine… and it starts with these words: “Thank you for submitting your letter to the editor titled, Thankful for Strong Opposition to CMP Corridor that ran on November 17, in the Kennebec Journal…
I’M JUST CURIOUS
by Debbie Walker | I didn’t plan to do a New Year’s column this week but a conversation with my nephew, Josh, last week I decided I wanted to share with you. I learned that he has an excitement about the family history. He has been doing a great job of pulling it all together. He called me, I’m the oldest, wondering if I could fill in a few holes for him and I did, but he still has more questions…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Truman Capote (1924-1984), when asked in a 1957 interview which can be read in Malcolm Cowley’s fascinating anthology Writers at Work, if he “read a great deal,” replied: “Too much. And anything, including labels and recipes and advertisements…”
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) | Questions and misinformation about the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on fertility and pregnancy have left some people uncertain about getting vaccinated if they are pregnant or hoping to get pregnant, but the facts should be reassuring…