Issue for November 13, 2025
Local track athlete invited to Australia
Sovie Rau, a track and field athlete from Vassalboro, has been invited to compete in the Coast 2 Coast International Track and Field Championships, taking place from July 4 to 6, 2026, at The Gold Coast Performance Center, in Runaway Bay, Australia…. by Mark Huard
Max Kenney named Central Maine’s 2025 Young Professional of the Year
Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC) and KV Connect, the region’s vibrant network for rising professionals, proudly announce Max Kenney as the recipient of the 2025 Young Professional of the Year Award. The honor was presented at CMGC’s annual meeting on October 20, 2025, supported by Kennebec Savings Bank, Valley Beverage, and Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space…
Town News
Planners approve only application on agenda
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro Planning Board members approved the only application on their Nov. 4 agenda, with conditions; and they again discussed the unpermitted Rage Room Monica Stanton is running in North Vassalboro…
Work under way at South China boat ramp
CHINA – The good news from the Nov. 3 China select board meeting is that the planks needed to extend the South China boat ramp arrived, and the job of installing them is under way…
LETTERS: Thank you note to the community
CHINA – The China Community Food Pantry says thank you so much to all the community members that have donated individually. Thank you, as well, to the groups who have donated, including the Greater Neck Road Neighborhood Association and many churches, businesses, schools, and banks. This community is surely a great one. So many people care and want to help…
The Remembrance Tree
CENTRAL ME – Help us decorate the tree and at the same time remember loved ones. For only $10 a ball, you can commemorate loved ones who have passed. Mail your donation and the names of your remembered loved ones to: The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358, to place an ornament on the tree. Deadline is Friday, December 12. The completed tree will be published in the December 18 issue. All donations to The Town Line are tax deductible.
TEAM PHOTO: Augusta Jr. Rams, grades 3-4
AUGUSTA – Team photo of the 2025 Augusta Rams, grades 3-4. (Photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography)…
TEAM PHOTO: Augusta Jr. Rams, grades 5-6
AUGUSTA – Team photo for the 2025 Augusta Rams, grades 5-6, finished the season unbeaten with a 6-0-1 record. (Photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography)…
Dunkin’ celebrates grand re-opening
NORRIDGEWOCK – The Bailey Family of Dunkin’ celebrated the grand reopening of their newly-remodeled Norridgewock restaurant with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early November…
Many thanks to all who participated in keyboard dedication at SCCC
So.CHINA – Many thanks to everyone who helped make the Keyboard Dedication Service at South China Community Church (SCCC) on Friday, October 3 such a success – from those who provided the beautiful music to Pastor Paul to Susie Harwath (owner of “Susie’s Bakery”) and all who attended…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Festival of Wreaths to benefit Winslow Community Cupboard Food Pantry
WINSLOW — The Festival of Wreaths – a raffle-benefit for Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry – will be held on Saturday, November 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Centerpoint Church, 155 West River Road, in Waterville. Admission to the event is a donation of any amount; raffle tickets will be 50 cents each. Food and beverages will be available for sale, and there will be a very special appearance by Santa Claus!…
EVENTS: Without family to share Thanksgiving? Join friends and neighbors at Palermo Community Center
PALERMO — If you have no family nearby to share the Thanksgiving Holiday, you are welcome to join friends and neighbors at the Palermo Community Center for a potluck dinner, on Thursday, November 27, at 2 p.m. There will be a roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fresh cranberry sauce. To prevent duplications, there is a sign-up list so we can share all our favorite dishes and make sure we have enough pies…
EVENTS: All aboard the Polar Express
WHITEFIELD — Tickets are FREE but must be obtained in advance due to space limitations. Grab yours at the library. Arrive at the Whitefield Library train depot, 1 Arlington Lane, Sat., December 6, at 3:45 p.m. Wear your PJs and bring your favorite stuffy or blanket. There will be hot cocoa with marshmallows, cookies and every child will get a special gift to take home…
EVENTS: Annual cookie walk, craft sale and food drive in Vassalboro
VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Methodist Church (VUMC), at 614 Main Street, is holding its annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, November 15, 0 a.m.-2 p.m. This is an exciting time for all ages when for $5 folks can take home as many cookies as can be fit inside the container provided. There will be more than two dozen varieties of homemade cookies to choose from…
EVENTS: Making music during the month of December
So.CHINA — Do you like to sing? Especially the memorable and special songs of the holidays? South China Community Church invites you to join them during the month of December! They’re providing several opportunities for singing and enjoying carols and music selections of the upcoming holiday season. You don’t have to be a church member or attendee – we just want to share the special music of Christmas with the community…
EVENTS: Kennebec Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra concert is November 23
AUGUSTA — The Kennebec Valley Youth Symphony Orchestras (KVYSO) Fall 2025 concert will take place at the South Parish Congregational Church, 9 Church St., in Augusta on Sunday, November 23, at 4 p.m. Admission by good-will donation at the door…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Thanksgiving potluck at Vassalboro Grange
VASSALBORO – Saturday, November 15: 3 – 6 p.m., Vassalboro Grange : 353 Main St. Vassalboro. Community Friendsgiving Potluck & Fundraiser: A potluck Thanksgiving without politics or family drama! Asking $1 – $5 donation per person towards the Vassalboro Food Pantry… and many other local events!
Obituaries
SIDNEY – Sterling Thomas Davenport, 83, passed away on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, following a long battle with diabetic kidney disease. He was born July 20, 1942, to Loomis and Alice (Moran) Davenport in Fort Fairfield…
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: “Here’s looking at you, kid!” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is November 6, 2025.
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Women: Ballard – Part 2 (new)
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Martha (Moore) Ballard (1735 – 1812), to whom readers were introduced last week, cannot be considered a “typical” housewife, because she was a practicing midwife, out of the house on business much of the time… by Mary Grow
A history of Palermo’s Smith Cemetery 1825-2025
PALERMO HISTORY — 2025 marks the bicentennial anniversary of Smith Cemetery on Level Hill Road in North Palermo. Among the last of the major cemeteries in the area still operated by a cemetery association rather than the town itself, it has had an interesting history over its 200 years… by Andrew Pottle
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Women’s role – Part 1
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — After weeks of articles about men, your writer is ready to start trying to answer a reader’s occasional question: how did women in the Kennebec Valley in the 1700s and 1800s manage, with the large families many had and without modern conveniences and social services? Answers are not easy (except in fiction), because, as professional historians realize, information comes from written records, and written records are mostly by and about men… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Revolutionary War Veterans Windsor, Palermo, China
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — This article is the last – for now – about the Revolutionary War’s effects on central Kennebec Valley towns. It again covers towns not on the river. As previously mentioned, one effect was a post-war population increase throughout the valley, including veterans, most with families. Some of these men and their descendants became prominent in their new towns, shaping growth and development… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 12, 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: Dave Carew, Waterville
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | Recently, a neighbor came over and warned me that he had just seen a raccoon enter my garage. It turned out to be another neighbor’s rather plump and large Maine coon cat. But it got me thinking…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | A 1941 film, You Belong to Me, is thematically a romantic comedy in the old-fashioned, very marketable Hollywood tradition and stars two of its even then very marketable cinematic presences, Henry Fonda (1905-1982) and Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990)…
MAINE-LY GARDENING
by Jude Hsiang | What’s in the House? Paper White Narcissus, from the family that gives us daffodils and jonquils, add a sparkle as the days grow shorter. Most are white, some with orange center ups, some are yellow. All are fragrant…
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
by Melinda Myers | Add a bit of seasonal beauty to your front steps, window boxes, and other outdoor spaces with winter containers. Fill them with greenery, berries, cones, baubles and more. You’ll find many of these items in your own backyard and more at your favorite garden retailer…
AARP NEWS YOU CAN USE
by Joyce Bucciantini | The winter holidays will soon be upon us, filled with Thanksgiving turkey, December parties, and holiday gift-giving. And yet, as we savor our pumpkin pie and plan our Black Friday shopping lists, scammers are also looking forward to increased opportunities to cheat us out of our hard-earned money and spoil our holiday cheer…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | At lunch, several of us guys got to talking about who is the best athlete, human or animal. Surprisingly, the world’s greatest may be the spittle bug, who’s jumpier than a pickpocket at a police station…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | Flu symptoms are often coupled with uncertainty. What steps can you take if you start feeling sick? Is it really the flu, or something else? And what products are available to help support symptom relief? Having clear answers and knowing where to get help can make the process easier to manage. With more than 9,000 locations nationwide, CVS Pharmacy® can help by providing convenient options for prevention and care all in one place…