Issue for March 11, 2021

Celebrating 33 years of local news

Mia Dawbin Pine Tree Council’s first female Eagle Scout

Member of Sidney’s Boy Scout Troop #1776

Mia Dawbin, of Troop #1776, in Sidney, is the first female Eagle Scout from the Pine Tree Council which covers half of the state of Maine. Dawbin, daughter of Karinna and George “Butch” Dawbin, of West Gardiner, had her Eagle Scout Board of Review on February 8 where she met with Scouting volunteers who reviewed her Scouting career including her leadership positions within the troop, merit badges earned, challenges along the way and her Eagle Scout Service Project during which she found a need, led a team of volunteers and performed 265 hours while putting together care packages for those staying in local shelters… by Chuck Mahaleris

Your Local News

Selectmen unanimously approve warrant

CHINA — China selectmen held a brief special meeting Monday afternoon, March 8, at which they unanimously approved the warrant for the June 8 annual town business meeting…

Budget committee approves selectmen spending recommendations

CHINA — China Budget Committee members approved selectmen’s spending recommendations for the 2021-22 fiscal year at an hour-long meeting March 2…

Broadband committee: after two hours, they conclude more information needed

CHINA — China Broadband Committee members spent almost two hours March 4 trying to get their chickens and eggs in the right order – as they repeatedly expressed their dilemma – and came to what has become their usual conclusion: they need more information and another meeting…

Selectmen deny request for community food sovereignty ordinance

CHINA — At the February 16 Windsor selectmen’s meeting, Windsor resident Sherri Talbot sent an inquiry about the possibility of having a food sovereignty ordinance drafted for the town. She provided information for the board to review. Town manager Theresa Haskell read the proposal and stated that if the board had any question, they could call Talbot during the meeting…

Town begins receiving solar power from ReVision Energy

VASSALBORO — At an in-person March 4 meeting, Vassalboro selectmen made minor decisions before turning the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium over to the budget committee and introducing the draft 2021-22 budget…

Selectmen schedule special meeting

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro selectmen have scheduled a special in-person meeting at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, in the town office conference room. Because the only agenda item is the annual evaluation of the town manager’s job performance, the meeting will be in executive session…

Planners approve fishway construction

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Planning Board members have unanimously approved construction of a fishway at the China Lake Outlet Dam in East Vassalboro. At the March 2 planning board meeting, Matt Streeter, Alewife Restoration Initiative (ARI) Project Manager for Maine Rivers…

Public hearing scheduled for March 15th in Palermo

PALERMO — The Planning Board will be holding a Public Hearing on March 15th at 6:30 p.m. The Public hearing is for the Murphy Subdivision Revision of Nelson Lane/Marden Hill Road. Due to COVID restrictions we are limited to how many people can be in the office. ZOOM meeting info will be posted on the town’s website…

ICE OUT 2021? Take a guess. Win a prize!

CHINA — Write down your best guess (one per person) and send it to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358, or email us at townline@townline.org with the subject “ICE OUT 2021“. If more than one person guesses the correct date, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. Get your guess to The Town Line office by noon, Friday, March 19, 2021…

Become a member: An open letter to our readers

Dear Reader: 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…

St. Patrick was quite colorful and full of drama

by Gary Kennedy — The humble beginnings of Saint Patrick were actually not as humble as some would have us believe, and was actually quite colorful and full of drama. While I was researching the person, I couldn’t help but imagine that what we do and do not know for sure is stuff from which movies are made. St. Patrick’s family was considered wealthy…

Waterville Creates to receive 2021 Excellence in Arts Advocacy award

WATERVILLE — Waterville Creates (WC) will receive the 2021 Excellence in Arts Advocacy Award from the Maine Art Education Association. A formal, state-wide recognition ceremony will take place virtually on Saturday, March 13, 2021, and will be hosted by the Portland Museum of Art…

Specialty crop grants now available

CENTRAL ME — The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s (DACF) Bureau of Agriculture seeks Specialty Crop Block Grants (SCBG) program applications from Maine’s specialty crop industry to present for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). DACF anticipates awarding at least $500,000 in 2021…

STUDENT WRITERS: Why fewer people Are Getting Married

ERSKINE ACADEMY — Growing up, many Americans believed they would get a job, buy a house, get married and start a family. However, it seems that for many Americans, life did not turn out that way. The amount of marriages that happen every year in the US is at an all time low at two million a year… by Grace Kelso (China)

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agriculture history – Part 1 (New)

ALBION/BENTON HISTORY — Your writer hopes readers are ready for a change from Romanesque Revival and Hallowell granite, because the coming weeks of Kennebec Valley history will not focus on buildings, though they will continue to appear. The Register of Historic Places for the central Kennebec Valley includes a farm and two farmsteads… by Mary Grow [1810 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 9

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The Augusta historic district not yet discussed is the Capitol Complex Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This district includes several individually listed buildings: the State House, the Blaine House (official residence of Maine’s governors) and the Gannett House, home of the First Amendment Museum… by Mary Grow [2002 words]

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

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]

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

ALBION – Freeman Arthur Higgins, 72, passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at his home. in Albion. He was born September 11, 1947, in Waterville, the son of Clarence G. and Laura (Rowe) Higgins… 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, April 9, 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: Thomas Doherty, South China.

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | I think I have some good news. It all started last Saturday about the time I was ready for my second cup of coffee of the morning. The Keurig is located at the end of the kitchen counter near the window to the side porch. My wife has a couple of bird feeders hanging from the porch, and many species are seen coming in and out on a regular basis – chickadees, nuthatches, house finch, gold finch – you know the usual suspects…

AARP OUTREACH

by Pam Partridge | Every Tuesday when the Maine legislature is in session, a throng of older Mainers wearing red, gather at the State House in Augusta. They are members of AARP Maine’s “Tuesdays at the State House” (TASH) volunteer lobby corps. Their mission? To meet with legislators, attend committee meetings, testify at public hearings and encourage the adoption of laws to benefit Mainers 50+ and their families…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Perry Mason ran for nine seasons on CBS from 1957 to 1966 and has rarely been out of syndication or inaccessible. I have been watching one or two episodes daily via Amazon prime and am now into the second season…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | This is a casual evening for me. It’s been raining all day so I am quite mellow at this point. I figured tonight would be casual and hit several subjects. I’m starting with: 40 Days – 40 Nights Items Challenge…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | About 40.7 million Americans have some kind of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you or someone you care about has a disability, you may wonder what it means for employment…