Issue for June 13, 2024
Law enforcement memorial service held in Augusta
Maine’s law enforcement members who lost their lives in the line of duty were honored on Tuesday, May 14. The annual observance at the Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was held in Augusta at the granite memorial near the State Capitol, and dedicated to the fallen officers that were killed in the line of duty… by Mark Huard
Town News
Unofficial results of contested races in China, Vassalboro, Fairfield & Waterville
CENTRAL ME – Preliminary election results for voting in China, Vassalboro, Fairfield & Waterville…
Sidereal Farm approved for expansion with conditions
VASSALBORO – After a long discussion at their June 4 meeting, Vassalboro select board members unanimously approved all but one piece of an expansion plan for Sidereal Farm Brewery, at 772 Cross Hill Road. They added two conditions to the approval, based on neighbors’ concerns…
Town building issues dominate select board agenda
CHINA – The China select board’s June 3 meeting was mostly spent on building-related issues. Board members totally redesigned the plan for their long-discussed storage vault at the town office, and awarded bids for other town projects…
Support The Town Line: An open letter to our readers
For the past 33 years, The Town Line has pledged a mission statement to “create a vibrant rural community connecting our towns, organizations and individuals through communication, education and public dialogue.” It’s all part of The Town Line’s mission to be a positive force in our community and bring together the rural towns of central Maine by promoting better understanding of our surroundings…
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: “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is July 5, 2024.
Albion gold cane presented to Donna Bessey
ALBION – On May 31, 2024, Donna Bessey received the Town of Albion’s Boston Post Cane, recognizing her as its oldest citizen at age 95. Albion Selectman Paul Flynn gave a brief history of the Boston Post Cane before presenting her with the cane and a plaque. Also representing the town were Selectmen Michael Gardner and Jason Dow, as well as State Senator Scott Cyrway and Town Clerk Jeannie Doore. Many friends were also present to celebrate the occasion…
PHOTOS: Oakland American Legion busy with official ceremonies
OAKLAND – Photos and commentary from Oakland’s American Legion Memorial Day ceremonies…
Sheepscot Lake Association newsletter
PALERMO – Happy Summer 2024! Sheepscot Lake is shimmering and calling out for many adventures ahead, and the Lake Association looks forward to enjoying the season to its fullest with you all, with the health of the lake in mind. This newsletter will update you on our programs and events planned for 2024!… by Maria O’Rourke, President
Anna Lakey named to Elmhurst University’s dean’s list
WINSLOW – Anna Lakey, of Winslow, was among more than 975 students named to Elmhurst University’s Spring 2024 dean’s list, in Elmhurst, Illinois.
ShineOnCass Foundation 2024 scholarship recipients
CENTRAL ME – The ShineOnCass Foundation recently presented three scholarships, totaling $6,000, to local seniors who make service and kindness part of their everyday life… by Monica Charette
Local happenings
EVENTS: Select board to hold public hearing
VASSALBORO – The Vassalboro select board will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 13, in the town office meeting room, to discuss allocating Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to the Vassalboro Sanitary District…
EVENTS: Rotary District Conference coming to Waterville June 21–23
WATERVILLE – This year Rotary District #7790 will host the three-day district conference in Waterville. The conference will bring many first-time visitors to the city, all to support District Governor Tina Chapman. Waterville supports two Rotary clubs, the Waterville Sunrise Club and the Waterville Noon Club, which is Tina’s home club…
EVENTS: Upcoming Vassalboro Library play in search of actors
VASSALBORO – The Vassalboro Public Library is planning to present a play as part of a library fundraiser on October 19 and 20. The play, entitled Murder by the Book, is written by Canadian playwright, Laura Teasdale, and it is inspired by the books by Louise Penny…Opportunities to join the cast of the production are open to people of all ages…
EVENTS: Drawing is a skill, not magic! Classes with Connie Bellet
PALERMO – If you can hold a pencil or pen, you can draw. A lot of people say, “I can’t draw a straight line.” Well, that’s what rulers are for. Join Connie Bellet at the Palermo Community Center, on Turner Ridge Road, across from the ball field, on Saturday, June 15, and Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m., for a fun adventure in learning how to draw…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Program on WW&F planned in Windsor
WINDSOR – Robert Wallace and Phil Dow, of the Albion Historical Society, will provide a talk about the original WW&F (Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington) Railroad at the Windsor Historical Society, on Wednesday, June 12, at 6:30 p.m., at the Malta Room, on the Windsor Historical Society Grounds, Route 32, Windsor, Me… and many other local events!
Obituaries
SIDNEY – Joshua Thomas Nelson, “Big Country”, 35, of Sidney, passed away on June 5, 2024, as a result of an automobile accident… and remembering 4 others.
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Benton (new)
BENTON HISTORY — Continuing north on the east side of the Kennebec River, the next town after Winslow is Benton. Next north of Benton is Clinton… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Vassalboro – Winslow
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Going north from Augusta on Route 201 on the east bank of the Kennebec River, one follows the approximate route of Massachusetts Governor William Shirley’s 1754 military road between Fort Western, in present-day Augusta, and Fort Halifax, in present-day Winslow… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: City of Augusta
AUGUSTA HISTORY — The City of Augusta began its legal existence as part of Hallowell, and has been named Augusta since June 9, 1797. It became the state capital in 1827, and transitioned from a town to a city in 1849. It is the only municipality in this part of the Kennebec River Valley that is still on both sides of the river… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Towns and cities’ names – Part 1
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — This series has been geographically grounded, mostly, in specific places: 12 municipalities in the central Kennebec Valley. Your writer’s next topic is how each of these got its name. As usual, there will be preliminaries, the first of which have taken up this entire introductory essay. They are a short detour along the coast and a summary of British settlement… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 13, 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: Brian Plato, China
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Well, it’s the middle of June and I have yet to see a June bug this year. Generally, June bugs, Phyllophaga, make their appearance in mid- to late-May. So why are they called June bugs? It all depends on what you want to call them. They are also known as May beetles and June beetles. But, the name is derived from the fact that adult June bugs emerge from the soil at the end of spring or the beginning of summer…
ERIC’S TECH TALK
by Eric W. Austin | In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the problem of misinformation looms larger than ever before. The information landscape has changed drastically over recent decades, and many of us have not developed the tools to discern good information from bad quickly enough to keep pace with these changes. Let’s explore how things were in the past, how they have evolved, and what we can do to navigate this new terrain…
MY POINT OF VIEW
by Gary Kennedy | In the year 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Presidential Proclamation honoring Fathers Day and designated the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day. The Bible gives us an intimate view of the relationship between Christ, the Son, and God the father. (Yahweh, Jehovah) Jesus, by example, showed the relationship between himself and his father. We all know what that relationship was/is…
PLATTER PERSPECTIVE
by Peter Cates | Bradley Cooper’s Maestro gave a somewhat superficial depiction of the marriage of Leonard and Felicia Bernstein while biographies of David Ewen, John Gruen and Joan Peyser filled in some facts and personal, at times biased observations, Gruen providing fascinating interviews as well…