Issue for January 5, 2023
SKILLS, INC employee honored as Direct Support Professional of the Year at MACSP annual meeting
On December 9, 2022, Kerryn Morin, of Clinton, was honored by the Maine Association of Community Service Providers (MACSP) as a Direct Support Professional of the Year. Morin works for SKILLS, a St. Albans-based organization with programs and support services for intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals in several communities across central Maine. Morin has worked at SKILLS for 18 years…
Town News
Transfer station committee reviews five-year plan
CHINA – China Transfer Station Committee members went over the five-year plan for the facility at their Dec. 20 meeting, planning to collect price estimates and present the select board with a prioritized list during 2023-24 budget discussions in January and February…
Report shows 37% of Maine homes with high Radon levels
CENTRAL ME – During Radon Action Month in January, the American Lung Association urges everyone to test their home for radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the “State of Lung Cancer” report reveals that it is detected at high levels in about 37% of homes in Maine…
Local happenings
Free federal and state income tax preparation offered to qualifying individuals
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…
HealthReach celebrates 2022 as a Year of Excellence
CENTRAL ME – As we look forward to the New Year, it is always good to reflect on the past – to learn what lessons we can, and to recognize success so it can be expanded upon. The staff of HealthReach Community Health Centers are pleased to celebrate many successes from 2022. Here are a few recognitions we are proud to share with our communities…
Annual Spring plant sale Fundraiser for Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District has launched
ROCKPORT – Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District’s 2023 Spring Plant Sale Catalog is now available in print and online! Plants are available for pre-order, either online or by mail through Tuesday, April 18, 2023. This year we are offering curbside pick-up of plant orders on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13 and “Cash and Carry” on Saturday, May 13. Quantities are limited so order early – and often – for the best selection!…
St. Cecilia Chamber Choir begins auditions
NEWCASTLE – St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is holding auditions for all voice parts as they begin preparing for their May and June concerts. On May 6 and 7, St. Cecilia will present Bach to the Future. The featured work on the program will be the Bach motet Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden. Selections from Fauré’s Messe basse for three-part women’s chorus will also be performed…
LETTERS: A lesson in good will
from Your mystery Hannaford lady (China) – On Friday, December 9, I stopped at the Hannaford grocery store, in South China, at about 12:30 p.m. to pick up a few groceries. When I came out of the store, to put my groceries in my car, I was met by a gentleman and his son. The son came up to me and gave me what I naturally thought was a Christmas card…
FISHY PHOTO: Netting a good one
PALERMO – Leighann Mazoki took this photo of her dad, Gary Mazoki, netting a bass on Sheepscot Lake, in Palermo. Leighann’s son, Manny, stayed with his grandparents for two weeks last summer…
PHOTO: Strange encounter
PALERMO – Charlie Ferris, 12, of Waterville, left, poses with New England Patriots team member Cole Strange on the field, at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on New Year’s Day, after the New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins, 23-21…
PHOTO: Sign of early spring
UNITY – Because of the warm weather, Corinne Dubois, of Unity, decided to go check on her bulbs in the flower gardens – they tend to sprout very early at times in February. However, not on January 1…
The Town Line to benefit from bag sales
CHINA – The Town Line, Inc., a weekly, reader-supported, nonprofit newspaper, has been selected again to receive $1 from every $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold during the month of January 2023 at Hannaford, 33 Hannaford Drive, in South China…
EVENTS: 6-week Grief Support Group to start January 30
WATERVILLE – On Friday, December 9, I stopped at the Hannaford grocery store, in South China, at about 12:30 p.m. to pick up a few groceries. When I came out of the store, to put my groceries in my car, I was met by a gentleman and his son. The son came up to me and gave me what I naturally thought was a Christmas card…
EVENTS: Gibbs Library to host “Legends and Legacies”
WASHINGTON – Local artist Connie Bellet will display her paintings, drawings, and scrimshaw at the Gibbs Library, in Washington, during January and February. The show opens on Sunday, January 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., and refreshments will be available. The library is just east of Rte. 220 at 40 Old Union Rd. The public is invited to attend, and all pieces will be for sale…
Local residents earn award from WGU
AUGUSTA/FAIRFIELD/CHINA – The following local residents have earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award is given to students who perform at a superior level in their coursework…
Local residents named to Simmons Univ. dean’s list
VASSALBORO/WATERVILLE – The following local students were named to the 2022 spring semester dean’s list at Simmons University, in Boston, Massachusetts…
SNHU announces summer 2022 dean’s list
AUGUSTA/WINSLOW/WATERVILLE – Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), in Manchester, New Hampshire, congratulates the following students on being named to the summer 2022 dean’s list. The summer terms run from May to August…
Colby Carrier named to honor roll at Bethel University
SKOWHEGAN – Bethel University, in McKenzie, Tennessee, recognizes undergraduates for their outstanding academic work. Dr. Walter Butler, president of Bethel University, announced that Colby Carrier, of Skowhegan, was named to the College of Arts and Sciences fall semester 2022 Honor Roll…
Stories from Fort Hill Cemetery: Joseph Eaton (1800 – 1860)
WINSLOW HISTORY — As you walk through the entrance of Fort Hill Cemetery and look left, you will see a tall, granite obelisk dated 1886 with the name Eaton inscribed on it. The monument looks a little out of place in this humble, Winslow cemetery, but then, Joseph Eaton died a wealthy man. The simple but dignified memorial sits on the largest lot in Fort Hill, the resting place of Joseph and 15 of his direct and extended family members… by Kit Alexander
FICTION: The House, part 1
I would like to tell you about a house in Midia, Pennsylvania, very close to the Poconos where you can go hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, camping, swimming and picnicking; even swim or canoe along the shores of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. It’s not just any house, but one beyond your imagination. It was built in the early 1800s by a wealthy family by the name of Hodges… by Peg Pellerin
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: The Burleigh family (new)
PALERMO HISTORY – The Burleigh (sometimes spelled Burley) families were among the earliest to settle in the Kennebec Valley. One of Palermo’s early settlers was Moses Burleigh, and there were 19th-century Burleighs in other area towns. Millard Howard, in his Palermo history, said the Palermo family had been in America since 1648, when a Burley ancestor lived in Ipswich, Massachusetts… by Mary Grow [1782 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Christmas pre-20th century
CENTRAL ME HISTORY – This article is intended to complete the survey of pre-20th-century social activities in the central Kennebec Valley and, given the current date, to report on Christmas observances. An organization omitted last week, but covered earlier in this series, was the Patrons of Husbandry, the farmers’ organization commonly called the Grange… by Mary Grow [1646 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Social clubs in Kennebec Valley
CENTRAL ME HISTORY – Last week’s article talked mostly about ways early settlers interacted socially as individuals and families. This week’s piece will describe some of the 19th-century organizations that united residents and kept them busy, and related topics… by Mary Grow [1837 words]
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Social activities
CENTRAL ME HISTORY – This year’s Nov. 6 time change, with darkness falling an hour earlier, led your writer to think about how central Kennebec Valley families passed long winter evenings 200 or 250 years ago – a research challenge, as few historians devoted pen and ink to such mundane events… by Mary Grow [1749 words]
Webber’s Pond
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Albion Public Library will host a Book Talk: Broadcast Hysteria!
ALBION — Matters of reliability, deception and journalism’s place in a democracy, will be discussed. The first discussion will be Wednesday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the library. Drop in and register. Library hours: Monday and Thursday 2 – 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday, 9 – 11 a.m…. and many other local events!
Obituaries
WINSLOW – A. Robert “Bob” Castonguay, 97, formerly of 5 Lee Street, Winslow, died Thursday, December 8, 2022. in Richmond, Virginia. Bob was born April 18, 1925, in Waterville, son of the late Alfred and Bernice (Poulin) Castonguay… and remembering 8 others.
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | My wife and I had a good friend visit with us last week, and following many different conversations, she asked the question, “Why are Canada geese flying north in December?” Interesting question…
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
by Melinda Myers | Fight the post-holiday blues with a bit of indoor gardening. Keeping your houseplants healthy and looking their best with a bit of grooming this winter is sure to lift your spirits. Clip off any dead leaves as they appear. Use a sharp snips or bypass pruner to make a clean cut that looks tidy and closes up quickly…
FINANCIAL FOCUS
by Sasha Fitzpatrick | You may have heard about “sustainable investing.” But if you’re not familiar with it, you may have some questions: What does it involve? Is it right for me? Can I follow a sustainable investing strategy and still get the portfolio performance I need to reach my goals?…
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
by Dan Beaulieu | There is no better time to start a service business. Yes you read that right, this is a great time to start a small service business. I’ll add to that, if you are a skilled craftsperson there has never been a better time to go into business for yourself. Let me explain…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Former First Lady #18, Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902) hated to leave Washington when her husband Ulysses (1822-1885) decided enough was enough after his two terms in the White House. She wrote, “Dear Washington, how I love you, with your beautiful, broad, generous streets and blue skies! The sun shines always there for me”…
LIFE ON THE PLAINS
by Roland D. Hallee | Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, New Year’s Day and following, didn’t really mean much to us kids. We would still be on Christmas vacation, although it was about to end abruptly on January 2…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) | While the holiday season is generally a time of joy and celebration, military families can often experience a very different range of emotions. Active service members and veterans returning home for the holidays might struggle to participate in family gatherings or even find the season particularly distressing. And, for the families of those service members who do not return, the holidays can be an agonizing reminder of a loved one’s absence…