Issue for March 17, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

Hedrich inducted into National Association of Conservation District’s Hall of Distinction

Both the Knox-Lincoln SWCD Board of Supervisors and staff, and the Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) Executive Committee have announced that Mark Hedrich, of Agricola Farms, in Union, has been accepted by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) for entry to their Hall of Distinction in 2022…

Dirigo Labs announces selection as AWS activate provider

Dirigo Labs, Maine’s newest accelerator program, has been designated as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Activate Provider, allowing Dirigo Labs-based startups and entrepreneurs to access exclusive benefits to help accelerate growth as they build their respective businesses. The accelerator, launching its first cohort in March, will host appro­ximately 10 Maine-based startups representing a range of industries including biotechnology and information technology…

Your Local News

Town to hold public hearing to review PFAS report on drinking water expansion

FAIRFIELD — The Town of Fairfield will be holding a public hearing at the Fairfield Community Center, located at 61 Water Street, on Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m., to discuss the recently completed report by Dirigo Engineering and associated options for extending public drinking water…

Fuel costs to affect several budget areas

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Budget Committee members started their second meeting on March 10 with a wrap-up of the previously discussed 2022-23 public works budget proposal. They moved on to solid waste, and then stopped until they have updated estimated fuel costs, which will affect several budget areas…

China select board reconsiders wage increase vote from six weeks ago

CHINA — Six weeks ago, at the Jan. 31 China Select Board meeting, board Chairman Ronald Breton and members Blane Casey and Wayne Chadwick outvoted Jeanne Marquis and Janet Preston to include a 3 percent wage increase for town employees in their proposed 2022-23 municipal budget…

China Broadband Committee (CBC) reaches no conclusion on expanded services

CHINA — China Broadband Committee (CBC) members continued consideration of possibilities for offering residents expanded and improved internet broadband service at a March 9 meeting. They came to no conclusions…

Transfer station committee agrees on formula for rate hike

CHINA — China Transfer Station Committee members agreed unanimously on two recommendations at their March 8 meeting. They will ask select board members to provide help – perhaps an intern – to analyze data from the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that keeps track of vehicles entering the transfer station…

Planners unanimously approve application for solar expansion

CHINA — China Planning Board members have unanimously approved an application for an expansion of Sunraise Investments’ planned solar farm on the south side of Route 3, between South China Village and Dirigo Corner…

China planning board schedules hearing on Land Use amendments

CHINA — The China Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, in the town office meeting room, on three proposed ordinance changes. The amendments to Chapter 2 and Chapter 11 of the Land Use Ordinance and the new Chapter 8 titled “Solar Energy Systems Ordinance” are to be on the town website, china.govoffice.com, before the hearing…

EVENTS: Gibbs Library presents students art exhibit from Prescott Memorial Elementary School

WASHINGTON – The Gibbs Library presents the 17th Annual Student Art Exhibit featuring the wonderful work of the student artists from Prescott Memorial Elementary School. Art Teacher Anthony Lufkin has guided the students, using a wide range of materials and cultural art forms, to express their creativity in these remarkable works…

EVENTS: Battle of Maine set for March 26

WATERVILLE The 40th anniversary of the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships will be taking place on Saturday March 26, 2022, at Champions Fitness Club, in Waterville. Spectator Tickets are $10. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and will feature forms, fighting and weapons competitions throughout the day…

Endicott College announces local dean’s list students

PALERMO/SIDNEY The following students have met these requirements: Alana York, of Palermo, majoring in business management, is the daughter of Cheryl York and Andrew York. Kristen Dube, of Sidney, majoring in nursing, is the daughter of Sarah Dube and Robert Dube….

State Rep. Bruce White announces re-election campaign

CENTRAL ME — Bruce White, Waterville-native and two-term incumbent State Representative, has announced his re-election campaign for the new House District 65, formally District 109, in Waterville…

ICE OUT 2022? Take a guess. Win a prize!

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 2022“. 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, 2022…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is April 8, 2022…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 11 (new)

MAINE HISTORY — Many historians don’t take the Aroostook War seriously. Several sources call it the Pork and Beans War; Wikipedia says the nickname is based on either the local lumbermen’s or the British soldiers’ staple food. Some of the local histories cited earlier in this series don’t even mention the war… by Mary Grow [1958 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 10

MAINE HISTORY — According to an on-line genealogy, Thaddeus Bailey (Nov. 28, 1759 – March 4, 1849) was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, served in the Revolutionary War from Lincoln County, lived in Palermo for some years and served in the War of 1812 while living in Albion… by Mary Grow [1819 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 9

MAINE HISTORY — In the course of reading about the War of 1812, your writer found information on Maine soldiers of less exalted rank than brigadier general, which she hopes readers, too, will find interesting. Colonel Elnathan Sherwin (born in 1759 from his cemetery record, or 1762 or 1763, from on-line genealogies; died Sept. 10, 1822), from Waterville, has been mentioned more than once… by Mary Grow [1865 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Wars – Part 8

MAINE HISTORY — Two national military leaders in the War of 1812, Brigadier General John Chandler and Brigadier General Eleazer (or Eleazar – sources differ) Wheelock Ripley, were from Maine, according to Louis Hatch’s state history. Both had connections with the central Kennebec Valley: Chandler lived most of his life in Monmouth, and Ripley practiced law in Waterville for a short time… by Mary Grow [1532 words]

Town Meetings Schedule for 2022

A list of local town meetings for Albion, China, Fairfield, Palermo, Sidney, Solon, Vassalboro and Windsor…

Webber’s Pond

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Free showings of The Tragedy of Macbeth

AUGUSTA — Thursday, March 24, 11 a.m., on stage at South Parish Congregational Church Hall, in Augusta. This special time is designed for school groups and homeschoolers. General public is also welcome to attend… and many other local events!

Obituaries

WHITEFIELD – Marlene Violette Wincapaw (Carpenter), 80, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. She was born on April 8, 1941, in Waterville, the daughter of Arthur and Violette Carpenter… and remembering 10 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, April 12, 2022

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: Diane Gardner, Windsor

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | I saw an article recently in one of the local newspaper that fossils of an octopus were found in Montana, probably dated back before dinosaurs, some 330 million years. Let’s take a look at these denizens of the deep, at a creature we really don’t know that much about. We know what they look like, and some of what they do, but for what else would they be useful…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | You don’t need a lot of space or a big budget to grow and enjoy garden-fresh bouquets. Just fill a few vacant spaces, add an extra row in garden beds or fill a container with easy care flowers started from seeds…

MY POINT OF VIEW

by Gary Kennedy | The patron saint of my ancestors is St. Patrick. This, of course, is the Emerald Isle, Ireland. This is a magnificently beautiful island. St. Patrick was born in present day Great Britain in the year 385 and died in present day Gaelic Ireland, Northern Island. He was venerated a saint by the Catholic Church…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Something’s Gotta Give was a mildly pleasant 2003 comedy via which Diane Keaton, Frances McDormand, and Amanda Peet stole the show from the obnoxiously overrated Jack Nicholson and the pallid Keanu Reeves…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | My newsletter from Farmer’s Almanac dated 2/22/22 is titled , 20 Strange Remedies That Work looked like something to share and maybe a few extra comments. As with any other column dealing with health issues, please don’t take my word for it. Questions? Discuss with your doctor or nurse…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI)—For the 37 million adults in the United States living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), research offers promising insights into ways to improve and prolong kidney health. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is using innovative research to change the way we understand, treat and prevent kidney disease…