Issue for May 1, 2025
Walking toward the world we want to inhabit
A Journey of Peace and Friendship connects communities across Maine
It was a gray, drizzly afternoon at Friends Camp, in China, but the warmth inside the gathering hall pushed back the gloom. A fire crackled in the hearth as benches were pulled into a loose semicircle around it, and a table in the back with potluck dishes filled the room with the pungent aroma of home-cooked food. About 40 people gathered – some had walked miles that day, others had come simply to welcome them, to share a meal, and to stand together for something bigger than themselves… by Eric W. Austin
Town News
Select board talks about updating town office heating system
CHINA – China select board members spent more than half an hour of their two-hour April 22 meeting discussing alternatives for updating the town office heating (and cooling) system…
Select board reviews draft warrant at special meeting
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members held an hour-long special meeting April 24 to review the draft warrant for the June 2 and 10 annual town meeting…
VCS counselors have more than enough work, Part 1
VASSALBORO – Why, several people have asked recently, does Vassalboro Community School (VCS) have not one, but two, school counselors? The answer offered by counselors Jamie Routhier and Gina Davis is that there is more than enough work for both of them….
Vassalboro Cemetery Committee: Who’s in charge of trees?
VASSALBORO – Four members of the Vassalboro Cemetery Committee met April 28, mostly to continue discussion of who’s in charge of tree removal in cemeteries. In the audience were Holly Weidner, chairman of the conservation commission; Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., chairman of the select board; and, until he had to leave for another engagement, Town Manager Aaron Miller….
Open letter to our readers
At The Town Line, we aren’t just reporting news—we’re telling the stories that shape our community. Written by locals, for locals, our paper reflects the heart and soul of central Maine. We exist because of you, our readers and local businesses, and we believe that when our community thrives, so does The Town Line…
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: “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is May 8, 2025.
PHOTO: China team participates in the Feed Me 5K Walk
CHINA — Braving the rain and wind, a team from the China Community Food Pantry joined participants from across central Maine on Saturday, April 26, for the Feed Me 5K Walk – an annual event aimed at raising awareness and support for local hunger relief efforts. The event, held in Augusta, brought together community members to walk in solidarity with those facing food insecurity…
PHOTO: South End Clean-up
WATERVILLE — On Saturday, April 19, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Waterville helped the South End Neighborhood Association with their Annual Spring Clean Up. Rotarians collected trash along the roadside of the Donald Carter Memorial Drive from the bridge to the intersection at Silver St. Eighteen contractor trash bags were collected along with scrap metal, tires and a shopping cart…
PHOTO: Grand Marshal for parade
OAKLAND — Dana Wrigley has been named Grand Marshal of the Memorial Day Parade, on Monday May 26, 2025. On behalf of Decker-Simmons American Legion Post #51, Oakland…
CM Growth Council welcomes Kaitlyn Philbrick
CENTRAL ME — The Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kaitlyn Philbrick as its new Innovation & Development Coordinator. In this role, Philbrick will support CMGC’s mission to drive economic growth, foster innovation, and strengthen workforce development across the mid-Maine region…
Carrabec High School 3rd quarter honor roll
No.ANSON — List of 3rd quarter honor roll students at Carrabec High School…
Sidney student on dean’ s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology
SIDNEY — Adam Chi, of Sidney, has made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology, in Boston, Massachusetts, for the Fall 2024 semester.
Charles Haberstock elected to Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society at Hamilton College
WATERVILLE — Charles Haberstock, of Waterville, was recently elected to the Epsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York.
Local happenings
EVENTS: Spring in full bloom
VASSALBORO – Spring is in full bloom at the Grand Central Cafe, at 11 Railroad Square, in Waterville! An all flower art show featuring the art work of award-winning photographer Jen Hickey fills the cafe with vibrant colors and natural beauty. Over 30 pieces of art highlighting the grace and allurement of flowers, many native to Maine, adorn the walls…
EVENTS: ShineOnCass animal baby shower & PJ party
ALBION – Children dressed in their pajamas will welcome baby lambs, goats, calves and other newborn animals also wearing pajamas, on Sunday, May 4, at the ShineOnCass Animal Baby Shower & PJ Party at Hart-to-Hart Farm & Education Center, in Albion…
Obituaries
CHINA – Nancy Jean Johnson, 88, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at Glenridge Long Term Care facility, in Augusta. She was born on August 12, 1936, to Frances and Donn Johnson…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Matilda the Musical at WOH
WATERVILLE – The children are revolting; they can smell rebellion; they’re counting on a miracle; they’re ready to get naughty: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical opens at the Waterville Opera House on Friday, April 25!… 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…
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville F.D. history (new)
WATERVILLE HISTORY — As the Village of Waterville grew into a dense town where a single fire could threaten the lives of thousands, the village lacked the types of institutions that would fight these fires. In other parts of the country, firefighters were organized as volunteers or were paid for by insurance companies to combat the threat of fire… by Scott Holst
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Small town lawyers
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — While looking for information for the previous articles on Maine’s legal and court systems and people who made them work, your writer came across related information that falls under two headings, people and buildings… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Courts – Part 4
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — William Penn Whitehouse has been mentioned in each of the three articles about Maine courts so far in this subseries; it’s time he got a page of his own (after a digression). The first mention, March 27, identified Whitehouse as the author of the chapter on the history of Maine courts in Henry Kingsbury’s 1892 Kennebec County history… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Courts – Part 3
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Remembering that Maine’s early population centers were along the coast, and mostly from Portland south, it is not surprising that three of Maine’s first four state Supreme Court chief justices came from that area… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, May 14, 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: James Vigue, Winslow
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Over the last several months I have been receiving emails, doing research and gathering information on the possibility of mountain lions in Maine. Of course, the first question is “are there mountain lions in Maine?”…
THE BEST VIEW
by Norma Best Boucher | “I’d say you have another 10 years,” the doctor said casually. He stared at his computer. I stared at him. His facial expression never changed, but my mouth opened into a big O-shape, and my eyes opened extra wide…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | The phone rings several times a day at my “office,” a place under the stairs where we used to store cleaning supplies. I equipped it with a TV tray to hold my computer, and a carboard box to house my “research materials”…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | A paragraph from chapter one of the 1920 classic novel The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton (1862-1937), depicts the late arrival at the opera of a rich, spoiled central character, Newland Archer…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | As a woman, you may have many responsibilities on your plate, but your health should be a top priority. Women are often the first line of defense when protecting their family’s health, but in doing so tend to put their concerns on the back burner. These quick tips can help keep you happy and healthy as you juggle your everyday responsibilities…