Issue for January 4, 2024
The Good Trail: Tall Nancy is coming tomorrow
“Tall Nancy is coming tomorrow.” Selwyn gives one of his world weary sighs, signaling resignation, since his default stance towards visitors is generally averse. This gets me going with a quick retort. “You are incredibly lucky that tall Nancy chooses to come here and spend time with you.” Selwyn is equally quick to make eye contact and state “You’re right. Tall Nancy is an angel”… by Lisa Lichterfeld
Town News
Benton native named 2023 Senior Sailor of the Year
BENTON – Petty Officer 1st Class Maegan Findley, a native of Benton, was named 2023 Senior Sailor of the Year for Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Portsmouth, during a ceremony at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, in Virginia, on October 3…
East Vassalboro Water Co., LLC under new management
VASSALBORO – Ownership of the East Vassalboro Water Company (EVWC) will officially transfer on Thursday, December 28, 2023. EVWC was established in 1914 and for 109 years has been owned and operated by four generations of the Masse – Robbins families. EVWC supplies potable water to approximately 200 persons, keeping the ratepayer in mind with each decision…
Devyn Deleonardis earns scouting’s Eagle rank
No.ANSON – The First Congregational Church of North Anson was alive with activity on Saturday, December 16, as family, friends, and fellow Scouts joined to witness the pinning of Scouting’s highest rank on Devyn Deleonardis.
Devyn is the son of Frederick and Amanda Deleonardis and lives in North Anson where he attends Carrabec High School… by Chuck Mahaleris
Scout leader recognized for quick action with choking boy
No.ANSON – Cub Scout Pack #672 and Scout Troop #672 gathered at Spare Time Recreation, in Hallowell, to end the Scouting year with a night of family bowling. However, the biggest part of the evening was not all of the pins that fell but rather the awarding of the Medal of Merit to Troop #672 leader Ryan Avery who saved a boy from choking earlier this year… by Chuck Mahaleris
Honor Maine Teachers – nominations open for Maine Teacher of the Year
CENTRAL ME – The Teacher of the Year journey starts with your nomination. Nominate someone from your town, county, or region today at mainetoy.org/nominate…
Webber’s Pond
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…
PHOTO: Sunset at Monument Park
VASSALBORO – Janice Clowes, president of the Vassalboro Historical Society, captured the silhouette of the monument in the park, next to the historical society building…
A heart warming Christmas story
So.CHINA – Carol Thibodeau related a story to The Town Line that is a great example of how people help people in times of hardship…
A Christmas tradition
CENTRAL ME – As a result of the devastating storm that swept through central Maine on December 18, 2023, which knocked out power and internet service, the following story could not be published at that time. Here is the annual Christmas tradition from an area family…
Name that film!
Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to The Maine Film Center, in Waterville: “It’s not a tumor!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is January 4, 2023…
Local happenings
EVENTS: AARP Tax-Aide program available in central Maine
CENTRAL ME – The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free federal and state income tax preparation and electronic filing to low-and moderate-income individuals. Returns are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers. The program is funded by the AARP Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization, and the IRS…
EVENTS: UMaine Extension offers backyard maple sugaring workshop February 3
AUGUSTA – University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer an in-person maple syrup production workshop for beginners and enthusiasts interested in making it in their own backyard from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Feb. 3…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Soup and Salad luncheon at Vassalboro Church
VASSALBORO – Senior (50+) Soup and Salad luncheon, Wednesday, January 10, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church… and many other local events!
Obituaries
SIDNEY – Jane Stevens, 83, of Sidney, passed away on Monday, December 11, 2023. The daughter of Robert and Kathryn Wentworth she was born February 17, 1940… and remembering 17 others.
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Winslow, Hollingsworth & Whitney (new)
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — In addition to the historic mills on Outlet Stream and smaller flowages in Winslow, Kingsbury mentioned two larger mills on the east bank of the Kennebec in the 1890s. One he described as a new “large steam saw mill…on the historic grounds of Fort Point,” covering most of the “palisade enclosure of old Fort Halifax”… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Sebasticook dams & Josiah Hayden
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — An on-line map of Winslow, Maine (which readers might find helpful), shows the Kennebec River, running roughly north-south, as the town’s western boundary. The Sebasticook River joins the Kennebec from the east about halfway between the town’s north and south lines… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Dams and Mills
VASSALBORO HISTORY — The list of old dams on China Lake’s Outlet Stream started last week with dams in Vassalboro, as far downstream as the North Vassalboro dams described below… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Vassalboro dams
VASSALBORO HISTORY — As last week’s article on the Masse family suggested, from the late 1700s through the 1800s central Kennebec Valley entrepreneurs dammed streams and rivers to provide water power for industry… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 11, 2024
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: Don Eldridge, China
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Christmas is over for another year! But not the 12 Days of Christmas. One of the myriad of Christmas songs we have been hearing on radio is the 12 Days of Christmas. Did you ever wonder about the partridge in a pear tree? What was he doing in a tree in the dead of winter? Well, a closer look also indicates that six of the 12 symbols in the song refer to birds…
ERIC’S TECH TALK
by Eric W. Austin | In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly integrates into our daily lives, from virtual assistants to autonomous vehicles, the question of what constitutes ‘intelligence’ becomes increasingly relevant. Is it the ability to solve complex problems, the capacity for creative thought, or something more elusive?…
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
by Melinda Myers | Don’t drag that Christmas tree to the curb to be hauled away by the trash collectors. Give it a second, even third life, in your landscape. No live Christmas tree? Don’t worry. I’m sure your friends and neighbors will share theirs…
I’M JUST CURIOUS
by Debbie Walker | It is with sadness that The Town Line newspaper announces the passing of a popular columnist, Debbie Walker. According to her daughter, Debbie passed away on Friday, December 22, 2023, in Florida. Debbie has been a contributing columnist for the past 10 years, and her column, I’m Just Curious, was a mainstay of the newspaper, and a very popular read. The Town Line staff, board of directors, and all other contributors send our warmest condolences to the family…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | A 1992 book, What It Takes, by the late Richard Ben Cramer (1950-2013) examined the lives of six candidates in the 1988 race for the White House: Republicans Bob Dole and George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) and Democrats Joe Biden, Michael Dukakis, Dick Gephart and Gary Hart…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) — You may remember the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s never been more true than it is right now about good health and older adults, especially when it comes to protecting yourself during what is commonly known as respiratory disease season (fall through early spring)…