Issue for June 5, 2025
Memorial Day: A remembrance of why freedom is not free
Scouting America teaches young boys and girls many great values. One of the more important lessons in Scouting is Duty to God and country. The youth of Troop #433 and Cub Scout Pack #445- both from Winslow- certainly fulfilled that lesson on Friday May 23rd as they helped American Legion Post 5 in Waterville place just under 1000 US Flags at St. Francis and Oak Grove Cemetery in Waterville Maine upon the graves of veterans…
PHOTOS: Memorial Day in Palermo
Malcolm Glidden Post #163, in Palermo, visited four local cemeteries on Memorial Day to honor fallen comrades. A prayer and poem, “Decoration Day,” was read by Commander Paul Hunter, volleys were fired by the rifle squad, and taps was played by Erskine student Sabrina Studholme, A brunch at the Palermo Historical Society wrapped up the day’s events….
Town News
Vassalboro town meeting: Voters make no drastic changes to recommendations
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro’s annual town meeting, held Monday evening, June 2, in the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium, had many familiar elements…
Angry budget committee members confront select board
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members were confronted by three angry budget committee members at their May 29 meeting…
Town meeting to be held via written ballot June 10
CHINA – China’s annual town business meeting will be held by written ballot on Tuesday, June 10. Polls in the portable building in the town office complex will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots are available at the town office until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5, for voters unable to come to the polls…
Planners approve only application before the board
CHINA – China Planning Board members approved the only application on their May 27 agenda and postponed everything else…
ShineOnCass Foundation 2025 scholarship recipients
CENTRAL ME — On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Northern Light Inland Hospital and clinical services ended. The facility, associated services, and most practices have been winding down services and working to transition patients to new care locations since announcing the closure earlier this year…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Vassalboro Methodist Church to hold yard and plant sale
VASSALBORO — The Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) is holding a “Yard and Plants Sale” on Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., on the same day as the Vassalboro town-wide yard sales. Good quality items of all kinds will be available, including two church pews removed from the sanctuary earlier this year…
EVENTS: 2025 Vassalboro Yard Sale listings (June 6-8, 2025)
VASSALBORO — List of participants for the Spring yard sale in Vassalboro…
EVENTS: Maine residents invited to free Alzheimer’s conference
PORTLAND — The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host a free Alzheimer’s & Caregiving Educational Conference, in Portland, on Wednesday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa (20 Milk Street)…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Food bank fundraiser in China & Vassalboro
CHINA & VASSALBORO – Our area food banks need our help more than ever! Recent USDA cuts have made it harder to help folks who depend on the food banks to feed their families. In light of this, a group of friends is planning a fundraiser for the China and Vassalboro food pantries… and many other local events!
EVENTS: Local central Maine Town Meetings schedule for 2025
CENTRAL ME – List of area town meetings. To be included in this list, visit our Contact Us page or send an email to The Town Line at townline@townline.org…
Obituaries
OAKLAND – Marline P. Gurney, 87, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. She was born on September 14, 1937, in Lewiston, the daughter of Lemuel T. Parker and Violet P. Parker, of Livermore Falls…
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: “A former greenskeeper, now about to become the Master’s champion.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is June 5, 2025.
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta jail (new)
AUGUSTA HISTORY — Before proceeding to the history of the Augusta jail, your writer wants to clarify a sentence from last week’s article. It referenced Wikipedia’s statement that after Augusta became a city (instead of a town) in 1849, “Its early city offices were in the Opera House, and meetings took place in Winthrop Hall”… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta’s civic meeting houses
CHINA HISTORY — Enough, for now, of genealogies (although two boxes about people accompany this article). This week, your writer provides summary histories of more of Augusta’s 18th and 19th century public buildings… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Fletcher family
CHINA HISTORY — A summary check on Abisha Fletcher’s parents, Colonel Robert and Nancy (Sprague) Fletcher, identified Robert as a prominent China citizen, who might well have been friends with, and perhaps wished to show respect for, a local lawyer… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: 19th century lawyers
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Winslow wasn’t the only small town in this section of the Kennebec River valley with its own 19th-century lawyer(s), though no other seems to have been as conspicuous as Eleazer Ripley… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
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: NO WINNER!
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Where are the June bugs? Although they are called that, they usually make their first appearances in May. Generally, June bugs, Phyllophaga, do make their appearance in mid- to late-May…
MAINE-LY GARDENING
by Jude Hsiang | Are you thinking about starting a garden? Here are a few things to think about before planting. Start small. Maybe a few pots of favorite flowers, herbs, or one cherry tomato. You can start with a few little plants at a garden center, get a few free seeds at a seed library, or extras from a friend…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Aaron Copland (1900-1990) completed his Music for the Theatre in 1925 during the summer months at New Hampshire’s MacDowell Colony for the Arts. It is a beautifully introspective work with lovely passages for each section of the orchestra…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | The old guy in the grocery line looked about two coughing spells away from the Promised Land. Gnarled and unshaven, he mumbled to himself while the clerk totaled his bill…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | When it comes to weight loss, many people track their macros — i.e., their proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. However, as a humble nutrient, fiber is often overlooked. But what if this is the missing ingredient to weight loss success?…