Issue for November 20, 2025
Local youth groups participate in Veterans Day parade
“It is so important for the community to honor, pay respect, and show gratitude to all veterans but especially for those in our community and in some cases our own family who have shown the courage to serve our country with the ultimate belief that service above all else is what they are committed to,” said Christopher Santiago, Kennebec Valley District Commissioner of Pine Tree Council, Scouting America…
Town News
Cannabis license denied for Sherwood Lane facility
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro select board members began their Nov. 13 meeting with an executive session discussion with town attorney Patrick Lyons, of Veridian Law, in Bangor. They, Lyons and attorney Seth Russell, from Zerillo Law Firm, in Portland, then renewed the Oct. 16 public hearing on Leo Barnett’s appeal from a decision by Codes Officer Eric Currie…
Conservation commission discusses two parks
VASSALBORO – At their Nov. 12 meeting, Vassalboro Conservation Commission members again discussed the two parks for which they are responsible, Monument Park, in East Vassalboro, and Eagle Park, a short distance north on Main Street and Outlet Stream…
School board to explore policy on students’ cell phones
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro school board members’ discussion was mostly routine at the Nov. 12 meeting, with a couple important topics to be explored in more depth at future meetings…
Lack of quorum adjourns meeting; some questions still answered
VASSALBORO – More than a dozen people came to the Nov. 17 meeting of the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) board of trustees…
Select board gives preview of December meetings
CHINA – China select board members offered the unusually large audience at their Nov. 17 meeting a preview of their Dec. 1 agenda…
LETTERS: Recognizing Maine Family Caregivers
from Star Pelsue (AARP Maine) – November is Maine Family Caregivers Month – a time to recognize the thousands of Mainers who provide unpaid care to loved ones. Family caregivers are the backbone of our health care system, offering support that ranges from managing medications and transportation to providing emotional comfort. Their dedication allows older adults and people with disabilities to remain in their homes and communities, where they want to be…
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.
Community turns out to support China Community Food Pantry
CHINA – A big thank you from the China Community Food Pantry to all the people who have donated food or money in the past weeks. Even the young are learning the importance of sharing with others. The Pantry still needs turkeys and the fixings…
SPORTS PHOTO: Intercepted!
CAMDEN – A member of the Camden Hills football team leaps to intercept a pass that was intended for Waterville’s Sean Walsh, left, during an eight-man league playoff game. Camden Hills won the game, 47-0, in Camden. (Photo by Corianna Doucette of Double Exposure Photography)…
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry launches new statewide food access map
CENTRAL ME – The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) today announced the launch of the Maine Food Access Map, a statewide interactive resource that helps individuals and families locate nearby food pantries, meal sites, school-based programs, WIC clinics, and other free or donation-based food assistance services…
Public advocate applauds PUC decision to dismiss CMP’s five-year rate proposal
CENTRAL ME – Maine Public Advocate Heather Sanborn has released the following statement commending the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for dismissing Central Maine Power’s (CMP) proposed five-year rate plan, a filing that would have significantly increased electric distribution costs for Maine households beginning in 2026…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Free SeaStrings Concert: An afternoon of enchanting string music celebrating community and volunteerism
VASSALBORO — An afternoon of live music with the SeaStrings, a local group of friends and neighbors from mid-coast Maine, will be performed on Sunday, December 14, at 2 p.m., at the St. Bridget Center in Vassalboro…
EVENTS: Family Festival of Trees coming soon; Santa will be in the house
WATERVILLE — Alfond Youth & Community Center and Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, through the Central Maine Community Betterment Collaborative are bringing Festival of Trees this holiday season, continuing a proud tradition…
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: 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: Toy drive in Madison
MADISON – American Legion Tardiff-Belanger Post #39 is hosting a toy drive for the Children’s Christmas Party. Drop off locations are… and many other local events!
Obituaries
CHINA – Todd Harley Pooler, 62, of China, Maine, passed away on Friday, November 7, 2025. Todd was born in Winslow, to Larry and Doreen Pooler, and had three siblings. During Todd’s youth, his father remarried to Dorothy Pooler, at which time he gained a sister, Ronda and brother-in-law Larry Finley…
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 – Part 3 (new)
CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s A Midwife’s Tale focused on women’s lives in the Kennebec Valley around 1800, using midwife Martha Ballard’s diary (from 1785 to 1812) as a main source of information. A consistent emphasis was women banding together to help each other, within families and within the community… by Mary Grow
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Women: Ballard – Part 2
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
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, December 10, 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: Diana Gardner, Windsor
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | When I was having my usual morning coffee and Danish last week following Sunday church, at a local eatery, I happened to look up at a wide-screen television mounted on the wall to notice an outdoor show. It was your typical show, sponsored by outfitters, outdoor equipment companies and the opinions of various “expert” hunters…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Sandy Posey (1944-2024) did a lot of studio work in Nashville as part of the backup chorus for such singers as Tommy Roe and Bobby Goldsboro…
MAINE-LY GARDENING
by Jude Hsiang | When the family gathers for the holidays, we often look through the photo albums and reminisce. Look at pictures of your Christmas trees over the years. Decorated with ornaments, lights, and garlands, and surrounded by gifts, children and pets, the tree itself is hardly visible, but we remember its fragrance, as well as the happy faces around it…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | The first romantic interest in my life was a new girl in my first-grade class. She had the best-looking tennis shoes on the planet…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEALTH | Diabetes affects millions of Americans and is a leading cause of serious complications, including kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, adult blindness, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Yet many people remain unaware they’re at risk…