Issue for February 25, 2021

Celebrating 32 years of local news

Temple Academy Outreach Team doing great things within our community

The Temple Academy Outreach Team is a community serviced-oriented group of 7th through 12th grade students led by junior high and high school science teacher Rachel Baker. Kevin Wood, Superintendent of the pre-K-12, non-denominational Christian school shared his vision with Ms. Baker for a service-based team at the start of the 2020/2021 school year. Within a short period of time the team was formed, organized, and committed. They enthusiastically hit the ground running throughout the community… by Mark Huard

Your Local News

Committee discusses competing broadband proposals

CHINA — China Broadband Committee (CBC) members discussed competing proposals to improve China’s broadband service for more than two hours Feb. 18, in preparation for virtual interviews with vendors…

Selectmen work on warrant; move town meeting date

CHINA — China selectmen continued work on 2021-22 finances and the warrant for the 2021 town business meeting at their Feb. 16 meeting, including moving the town meeting date…

Committee takes first look at 2021-22 budget

CHINA — China Budget Committee members held their first meeting on the proposed 2021-22 town budget Wednesday evening, Feb. 10. Town Manager Becky Hapgood presented the selectmen’s recommendations, expecting no immediate decisions…

TIF members endorse $3,000 more to continue China Days, fishing derby

CHINA — In their informal discussion Feb. 17 as they waited for a quorum to assemble, members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee agreed the Sunday, Feb. 14, fishing derby and the fireworks that followed were well attended and well received…

Proposed marijuana ordinance presented in final form

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro selectmen, assisted by Town Attorney Kristin Collins, of Augusta-based Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, put the proposed new marijuana ordinance in final form at their Feb. 18 meeting…

Emergency committee meets to continue update

CHINA — China’s Emergency Preparedness Committee met virtually the afternoon of Feb. 18 to continue updating China’s Emergency Action Plan, a project started earlier in the month…

PHOTO: Four event winner

WINSLOW — Abigail Dudley, 14, of Winslow participated in the “Krane Virtual Valentine’s Day Tournament virtually on Valentine’s weekend. She is a student at Huard’s Martial Arts, in Winslow. She is also a valued member of Team IPPONE and Huard’s Sport Karate Team…

PHOTO: Didn’t get the memo

CHINA — While not likely an Erskine Academy student, this guy(?) showed up on the school’s front lawn last week. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo that the snow sculpture contest at Winter Carnival was canceled this year… (photo by Bob Bennett)

FISHY PHOTO: First fish through the ice

CHINA — Tyler White, son of Nathan and Alison, caught his first fish through the ice on February 14, during the China Four Seasons Club fishing derby. He was hoping to get a big one to enter but, hey, a little one (a pickerel) is just as good…

Support Keep ME Warm fundraiser

CENTRAL ME — Each year, thousands of Mainers are faced with choosing between heating their homes and purchasing basic needs like food and medicine. As a result, the Keep ME Warm fund was established in 2005 and is a statewide partnership of Maine’s United Ways and Community Action Agencies…

VA to contact vets for vaccine shots

CENTRAL ME — The VA Maine care teams will begin to schedule Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible veterans. Through VEText, text messages will inform eligible veterans their facility is offering the vaccine and will come from the short number, 53079…

Rep. Bradstreet announces local projects in Maine DOT work plan

VASSALBORO — State Representative Bradstreet (R-Vassalboro) has announced that the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) Work Plan for Calendar Years 2021, 2022 and 2023 is available. The estimated value of work in the plan totals more than 2,180 individual work items with a total value of $2.71 billion…

New signs at China School’s Forest

CHINA — Susan Cottle, Maine Master Naturalist graduate 2020, recently installed interpretive signs at the China School’s Forest. The Tree Trail ID signs were created as her capstone project for the year-long course that began in Waterville and moved on-line during the COVID-19 pandemic…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 8 (New)

AUGUSTA HISTORY — Just south of the historic buildings at the north end of the west side of Augusta’s Water Street (described in last week’s article) is a much newer building that gained a place on the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1986. The D.V. Adams Co .- Bussell and Weston Building, at 190 Water Street, was built in 1909… by Mary Grow [1752 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 7

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The east (river) side of Augusta’s Water Street has another individually-listed 19th-century historic building besides those described in The Town Line articles published Feb. 4 and Feb. 11. The 1899 five-story brick building at 325-331 Water Street was first known as the Gannett Building, later as the “Journal” Building and now as the University of Maine at Augusta’s (UMA’s) Handley Hall… by Mary Grow [1848 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 6

AUGUSTA HISTORY — Last week’s exploration of Augusta’s Water Street Historic District talked about the designated historic buildings on the northern half of the east (river) side of the street. This article will continue south along the river… by Mary Grow [1635 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 5

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The City of Augusta’s list of designated historic places includes four districts. The Water Street district, supplemented by recognition of individual buildings, covers a good part of the main business street that parallels the Kennebec River on the west bank… by Mary Grow [1580 words]

OPINION: Will Palermo choose the path of sustainability?

Palermo town residents will have an opportunity to join others on the path of sustainability and carbon reduction in March at town meeting. An article has been introduced by Maine citizens at dozens of Maine municipalities intending to show support for federal legislation that will reduce carbon pollution – a major cause of climate change… by Pamela McKenney (Palermo)

Listing of local town meetings

CENTRAL ME — Listing of local town meetings in central Maine. To have your town listed, please email us at townline@townline.org…

Webber’s Pond

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident…

Obituaries

VASSALBORO – Cathryn “Katie” Hughes, 57, passed away on Thursday, February 4, 2021. She was born on July 2, 1963, the daughter of the late Myron and Carol (Csengery) Hughes… and remembering 9 others.

2020-’21 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Real Estate tax due dates for the following towns: CHINA, VASSALBORO, WATERVILLE and WINDSOR…

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, March 5, 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: Donald Eldridge, South China.

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | More commonly known as pigeons, rock doves vie with the domestic chicken for status as the world’s most familiar birds. They are not indigenous to the western hemisphere. They were introduced in North America from Europe long ago and are conspicuous in cities and villages throughout much of the world…

Emily CatesGARDEN WORKS

by Emily Cates | Anyone can do this! Really? Now? YES! I’ll admit it’s hard to imagine a lush, productive garden when we’re up to our eyeballs in snow. But if we put our green thumbs to work, it just might be what we need to get us through…

NEWS FROM THE VA

by Gary Kennedy | Greetings my fellow veterans and friends. After many years of service, on the positive side, I find myself smitten by the need to allow some of the negatives I have been made aware of by phone, text and face to face conversations…

POETRY CORNER

by Gary L. Haskell | I am a veteran,
let me tell you what that means to me.
It means I made sacrifices,
to keep my country free…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu | “Corporate purpose is at the confluence of strategy and values. It expresses the company’s fundamental – the raison d’etre or overriding reason for existing. It is the end to which strategy is directed.” – Richard Ellsworth, from the new book, Red Goldfish, by Stan Phelps. Here is what Mr. Phelps says about Purpose…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | The English poet/novelist George Meredith (1828-1909) composed the following tribute to Queen Victoria (1819-1901), At the Funeral; February 2, 1901…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Yes, it’s another book I read this week! The title is Humor for a Woman’s Heart, and has 6-plus authors. When I read this one section, titled Fun Questions for Married Couples, I hoped you would enjoy it. This one section is authored by Bill and Pam Farrel. Enjoy the little quiz…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | Have been looking through my old scrapbook about living in Flagstaff in the time before having to move because of the dam that was being built and reading about all the fires that threatened us. Some were worse than others: One of the old papers that I have reads…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | Heart disease is a leading cause of death for all Americans, but the death rate is higher for African American men and African American women of all ages than for whites…