Issue for May 25, 2023

Celebrating 35 years of local news

Dan Bernier receives scouting highest award

Waterville attorney Dan Bernier wears a suit when providing expert advice to clients on matters such as estate planning, probate law, litigation and government relations. But he was wearing his Scout uniform when he received the District Award of Merit on Wednesday, May 10, at the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church, in Waterville… by Chuck Mahaleris

Town News

Teachers ask for more professional development time

VASSALBORO – Vassalboro School Board members spent most of their May 16 meeting discussing the 2023-24 school calendar, and scheduled a special zoom meeting for May 22 to approve a final version, after Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer wrote up their revisions and ran them by staff members…

Only two select board members at meeting; make minor comments on warrant draft

VASSALBORO – The two Vassalboro select board members present at the May 11 board meeting offered a few minor comments on Town Manager Aaron Miller’s draft town meeting warrant. The manager planned to have a final copy ready for their signatures after the meeting…

China Lake main theme at select board meeting

CHINA – For the May 22 China Select Board meeting, China Lake was a major theme, in three different ways. Select board members unanimously and appreciatively accepted a proposal from the China Lake Association, represented virtually by board member Bruce Fitzgerald, to have a Colby professor and class do an economic impact study of China Lake…

Town meeting, ATV trail discussed by select board

CHINA – The first of the China select board’s May 22 public hearings, a repeat hearing on the June 13 town business meeting ballot drew no interest at all. The second hearing, on allowing about two miles of Pleasant View Ridge and Bog Brook roads to be used as an ATV trail, elicited half an hour’s discussion among a dozen residents, Four Seasons Club officers and board members…

PHOTO: Winslow scouts prepare for Memorial Day

WINSLOW – Alex Parsons, of Benton, Simon Giroux, Freddie Pullen, Lorelei Pullen, and Elliot Giroux, all of Winslow. The Cubs of Pack #445 joined scouts from Troop #433 in advance of Memorial Day to remember those veterans who had served and have since passed on… by Chuck Mahaleris

Annual law enforcement service honored 88 fallen Maine officers

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, May 16, 2023 the Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service took place on State Street, in Augusta, just outside of the states capitol building. The street in front of the memorial was shut down for the ceremony as columns of officers from various agencies around the state marched from Capitol Park, then stood in formation facing the memorial… by Mark Huard

School News

New Dimensions FCU awards two scholarships to local high school students

WATERVILLE/CHINA — New Dimensions FCU has announced that Shivon Larsen, from Temple Academy, in Waterville, and Kaiden Kelley, from Erskine Academy, in South China, have been selected as New Dimensions FCU’s 2023 Scholarship Program winners who have earned $2,500 each for their first year in college…

Local student named to fall 2022 UAF chancellor’s list

WHITEFIELD — Jeff Beyea, of Whitefield, has been named to the fall 2022 chancellor’s list at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, in Fairbanks, Alaska…

Local students named to dean’s list at Cedarville University

CENTRAL ME — Catherine Estes, of Sidney, and Josette Gilman, of China, were named to the spring 2023 dean’s list at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, Ohio…

Lydia Gilman achieves Spring 2023 dean’s list at Belmont University

CHINA — Lydia Gilman, of China, qualified for Belmont University’s spring 2023 dean’s list, in Nashville, Tennessee…

SNHU announces winter 2023 president’s list

CENTRAL ME — The following central Maine students have achieved president’s list status at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), in Manchester, New Hampshire. Kristina Canedo, of Skowhegan, Heather Hall, of Canaan, Ashley Parks, of Anson, Jessica Keay, of Albion, Philip Densmore, Carrielee Harvey, and Alyson Cass, all of Waterville, and Matthew Bandyk, of Jefferson…

Local happenings

EVENTS: No parade in China; One in Albion

CHINA/ALBION – On Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, there will be a parade in Albion, beginning at 9 a.m., from the Besse Building. There will be no parade in China, however, there will be a moment of prayer, at 10 a.m., at the China Baptist Church, on Causeway St…

EVENTS: Spectrum Generations invites public to participate in 21st annual Golf Fore a Cause Tournament

CENTRAL ME – Spectrum Generations, Central Maine’s Area Agency on Aging, invites the public to participate in the 21st Annual Golf Fore a Cause tournament at The Meadows Golf Club, in Litchfield, on Friday, June 9, 2023. This fun event will take place at 495 Huntington Hill Rd., where check-in starts at 8 a.m. and tee off is at 9 a.m…

Webber’s Pond

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

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “I feel the need — the need for speed!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is June 7, 2023…

Listing of local town meetings

CENTRAL ME — Listing of 2023 local town meetings in central Maine. To have your town listed, please email us at townline@townline.org…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Ancient Egyptian Christianity

FAIRFIELD — The public is invited to discover Ancient Egyptian Christianity in an interesting presentation on the history and present-day application of Egyptian Coptic spirituality at a free community lunch. The Maluk family, owners of the Fairfield House of Pizza, welcome all to attend this special event at 1 p.m., on Monday, May 29, at Fairfield House of Pizza… and many other local events!

2022-’23 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Real estate tax due dates for the towns of Albion, China, Fairfield, Oakland, Palermo, Sidney, Vassalboro, Waterville, Windsor and Winslow…

Obituaries

VASSALBORO – Stanley David Campbell, 64, passed away suddenly and peacefully on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from a very rare Primary CNS large B-Cell brain lymphoma. Stan was born in Bangor, on August 20, 1958, the son of David S. and Jean M. (Conrad) Campbell… and remembering 11 others.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Memorial Day – Part 3 (new)

MAINE HISTORY — Continuing with central Kennebec Valley GAR Posts in the order of their formation, the next after Billings Post #88, in Clinton, was Fairfield’s E. P. Pratt Post #90 (in Somerset County, therefore not on the Kennebec County list in Henry Kingsbury’s history). According to Barbara Gunvaldsen, of the Fairfield Historical Society, this Post was organized Oct. 18, 1883… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Holidays: Memorial Day

MAINE HISTORY — Waterville’s W. S Heath GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Post #14, described last week, was the second founded of the eight in the part of Kennebec County covered in this series, according to Henry Kingsbury’s county history. It was the third of 19 in the whole county, Kingsbury wrote… by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: May holidays

MAINE HISTORY — The month of May hosts two well-observed national holidays in the 21st-century United States: the second Sunday is Mother’s Day, and the last Monday is Memorial Day. There will be no story about Mother’s Day; it’s too new. Nor will your writer trouble you with details about the many other May holidays listed on line… by Mary Grow

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 15, 2023

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: Sarah Cunningham, Waterville

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | “What’s for suppah, Granny,” is the question that comes from members of the Clampett family on the 1960s TV series, The Beverly Hillbillies. “‘possum stew and crawdad pie,” replies Granny. Not exactly appetizing if you ask me. So, let’s get this question out of the way, right now…

LAKE LIFE TODAY

by Elaine Philbrick | Lake Life Today is a series of articles that we hope will inspire you to see how, by taking just a few steps, you can make a difference and help preserve the quality of water in our lakes for future generations…

CRITTER CHATTER

by Jayne Winters | In mid-April, I got a call from Don at the Duckpond Wildlife Rehab Center, asking if I still wanted to take pictures of a “little red.” I’m always up for a photo opportunity, especially of young critters, so I headed over expecting to see a baby red squirrel in one of the incubators. When I arrived, however, the incubators were empty and Don pointed to a plastic pet carrier in the living room. I peeked inside and looked into the sweetest face of a tiny fox kit!…

MY POINT OF VIEW

by Gary Kennedy | For those who aren’t aware Memorial Day originally was known as Decoration Day. Unlike Veterans Day it is to pay our respects to those who have given their lives so the rest of us may be free. It is a federal holiday in the USA for honoring/mourning those soldiers, sailors and fly boys/girls (men & women), for their sacrifice…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Two women, Mary and Sue met on the sidewalk and started chatting. Mary is pretty well settled in her life; Sue is in the middle of a lot of life changes and is in fact, troubled. She decided to share some of her confusion with Mary. After talking for a while Mary told Sue, “I know just what you need to do, it’s helped me in the past”…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | The 29th former President Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) was born November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio, the son and oldest of 8 children of George Tryon Harding (1843-1928) and his wife, the former Phoebe Dickerson (1843-1910). The father was basically a jack of all trades, including farmer, teacher, businessman, veterinarian and doctor who did receive a medical degree…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

Maine, known for its iconic lighthouses, stunning coastlines, and rich history, is now becoming recognized for another reason: its aging population. As the oldest state by median age in the U.S., Maine faces unique challenges in supporting its senior residents. However, the state is also pioneering innovative strategies for healthy aging and improving senior care…