Issue for May 5, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

New Dimensions FCU awards two area high school students with scholarships

New Dimensions FCU has announced that Sage Clukey, from Winslow High School, and Thomas Dean, from Skowhegan Area High School, have been selected as New Dimensions FCU’s 2022 Scholarship Program winners who have earned $2,500 each for their first year in college…

Madison American Legion Post & Auxiliary holds Military Child’s Table Setting ceremony

Tardiff-Belanger American Legion Post #39 and Auxiliary Unit #39, in Madison, held a Military Child’s Table Setting Ceremony following the Installation of Officers. The ceremony was performed jointly by Post #39 Chaplin, Rich Robinson, and Unit #39 Chaplin, Amy Washburn…

Your Local News

Select board talks about upcoming town meeting

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro select board members had a varied agenda at their April 28 meeting, discussing topics that included the upcoming June 6 and June 14 annual town meeting; town committees; PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that might have been in sludge that might have been spread in the 1990s; and upcoming celebrations…

Planners discuss revised ordinances they hope to ask voters to approve

CHINA — China Planning Board members spent a second meeting the evening of April 26 mostly discussing new and revised ordinances they hope to ask voters to approve in November…

Select board approves article to purchase firetruck

WINDSOR — By a vote of 3-1, with Ray Bates opposing (select board member Richard Gray Jr., was absent), the Windsor Select Board approved the purchase of a new E-One/Freightliner Tanker Truck including transaction costs and other expenses reasonably related for the sum of $354,000…

EVENTS: Virtual auction to benefit residents of Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood

CENTRAL ME Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood’s beloved May Day Auction is back in virtual form for 2022. It’s easy to participate—bidders can check out auction items and place bids from any internet connected device between May 9 and 13…

EVENTS: Open house to be held at Nathaniel Hawthorne home

RAYMOND The free open house on May 7 will feature refreshments, hors d’oeuvres , and live music from popular singer-guitarist Gary Wittner from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The occasion will mark the successful completion of Phase 1 of The Hawthorne Community Association’s three-year-long effort to raise $75,000 to make urgent structural repairs to the building affectionately referred to as “the Hawthorne House”…

Maine State Credit Union expands senior leadership

CENTRAL ME Maine State Credit Union has announced the promotions of Brie-Anne Mellor and Shane Abbott. Ms. Mellor is now the Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer, and Mr. Abbott is the Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer…

Over 3,000 Easter eggs found in Vassalboro

VASSALBORO On Saturday, April 16, over 150 children attended and participated in Easter crafts, egg hunt and photos with the Easter Bunny. Children enjoyed finding Golden Eggs and exchanging for a toy…

Rep. Bradstreet announces local DOT projects

VASSALBORO/AUGUSTA State Representative Dick Bradstreet (R-Vassalboro) has announced that the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) Work Plan for calendar years 2022, 2023 and 2024 is available…

Erskine Academy second trimester honors

CHINA List of honor roll students from Erskine Academy, in China, for the second trimester…

Vassalboro Community School third quarter honors

VASSALBORO List of honor roll students from Vassalboro Community School for the third quarter…

Carrabec High School third quarter honors

NORTH ANSON List of honor roll students from Carrabec High School for the third quarter…

Carrabec Valedictorian and Salutatorian

NORTH ANSON Timothy Richards, Principal, has announced honor parts for the Class of 2022 at Carrabec High School…

Roger Files graduates from academy

PALERMO Roger Files, of Palermo, the son of Rachel Files, of Palermo, and Michael Simmons, of Belgrade, has graduated from the Maine Connections Academy, of Scarborough, on June 3, 2022…

LETTERS: Fooled by Alpawich

from Marilyn Reed (South China) – The article written by our faithful reporter Mary Grow, was certainly well written! I think that was the best April Fool that I have ever been fooled by. I hate to admit I was completely fooled, then I noticed the continued on page 15. I had to laugh at myself when I read, “If you believed this, you are an April Fool”…

LETTERS: Mills, legislature need to read Chief Red Jacket’s speech to Congress

from Frank Slason (Somerville) – An open letter to Governor [Janet] Mills and the Maine legislators. Governor Mills threatened to veto and the legislature’s failure to act to restore sovereignty to the Maine Natives prompts this reply…

LETTERS: Smith resilient, compassionate

from Paul Hunter (Palermo) – Resilient, sincere, compassionate, and bold. These are the words that came to mind the first time I met Katrina Smith and listened to her speak. If you have not already done so, please take an opportunity to see and listen for yourself especially on her website and Facebook page…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is May 13, 2022…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Blacks in Maine – Part 4 (new)

MAINE HISTORY — The Samuel Osbornes discussed in last week’s article were not the only Black family in 19th-century Waterville. Various sources mention several others, though details are often scanty and/or confusing. Local historians did not consistently state the race or nationality of people they wrote about… by Mary Grow [1754 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Blacks in Maine – Part 3

MAINE HISTORY — Records tell of a Kennebec Valley slave-owner, Captain Abiel or Abial Lovejoy (Dec. 15, 1731 – July 4, 1811), who lived in Vassalboro from 1776 and in Sidney after the west side of the Kennebec River became a separate town in 1792. He was a native of Andover, Massachusetts, who came to the lower Kennebec Valley as a Massachusetts soldier (rising to the rank of captain) in the 1750s… by Mary Grow [2050 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Blacks in Maine – Part 2

MAINE HISTORY — The first two Black men recorded in Augusta, according to Anthony Douin, one of the contributors to H. H. Price and Gerald Talbot’s Maine’s Visible Black History, were “York Bunker and Cuff.” They were in the garrison at Fort Western, built in 1754, “listed as servants and paid as privates”… by Mary Grow [2021 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Blacks in Maine – Part 1

MAINE HISTORY — So far, people in this history series have been almost entirely the group that is still Maine’s majority population: white people descended mostly from inhabitants of the British Isles, plus representatives of other northern and western European countries. For example, Millard Howard wrote in his Palermo history that early settlers in that town came mostly from Massachusetts or New Hampshire, sometimes via coastal Maine… by Mary Grow [1944 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: Local Farms Day at ACB

CHINA — Come one and all to the first Local Farm Days at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, at 37 Main St., in China Village. Attendees will view displays of goods of area farmers and producers with items also for sale. This family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m…. and many other local events!

Obituaries

PALERMO – Ellen Louise Stevens — more recently Ellie Budzko, 77, passed away very peacefully on Monday, April 25, 2022, following a series of hemorrhagic strokes. Ellie was born September 4, 1944, the daughter of Stanley Stevens and Doris Bagley, while her parents were on one of their trips to sunny, movie-star-cowboy-filled California from their home base in Scarborough… and remembering 13 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, May 10, 2022

Identify 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 | A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Joro spider that is working its way up the east coast of the U.S., and could arrive in Maine within the next 10 years. Well, hang on to your hats, because here we go again with a native Asian invader to the state of Maine. The hammerhead worm — a toxic, predatory invasive worm capable of unlimited self-cloning — has arrived in Maine…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | Put away the harsh chemicals and work in concert with nature to manage pests in the garden. Create an inviting habitat for nature’s pest controllers to enlist their help with your gardening efforts. Lady beetles, praying mantis and other beneficial insects feed on damaging pests like aphids…

MY POINT OF VIEW

by Gary Kennedy | Do I need to ask what does Mother’s Day mean? It manifests itself in different ways to different people. For some of us every day is Mother’s Day as we love her so very much. However, others need to be reminded that one’s mother is a very special person…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu | You don’t have to spend a lot of money to deliver great customer service. Imagine a barber shop on Main street in your town. This shop is in fact the most popular in town. The barber, Fred, seems to know everyone’s name. He knows all about their family, what they do for a living and most importantly, how they like their hair cut, how often they come in and all kinds of other little things about…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Christine Sadler’s delightfully gossipy, but well-researched 1963 book America’s First Ladies tells us the following about the years of Thomas Jefferson’s occupation of the White House…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I believe I found this material on Facebook, a social website, and I really wanted to share it. I don’t know who the original author is but I liked the thought behind this. And, of course, I had to add a few of my own thoughts. Any thoughts or comments you have I would be glad to hear from you…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | Spring is here, and with it comes warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and for many, a desire to spring into new activities, including exercise. If you’re ready to kickstart a new fitness routine, here are three tips to help you get started…