Issue for October 19, 2023
An afternoon of viewing a slice of the ‘Roaring ‘20s’
Sunday October 15, 2023, the Vassalboro Historical Society opened a window into the past by showing silent films written and produced by Holman F. Day, a native of Vassalboro… by Roberta Barnes
Town News
Residents unhappy with rescue response time
WINDSOR – At their September 12, 2023, meeting, the Windsor Select Board heard from Douglas Hamm and Karalyne Rideout to speak of an incident that occurred on Saturday afternoon, September 9. Douglas was very upset that it took rescue units upwards of 45 minutes to arrive at his residence, responding to his wife having a serious medical event. He called 911, then called his mother-in-law, Karalyne…
Chadwick proposes solar panels at closed landfill; PFAS detected in area water supply
CHINA – China select board chairman Wayne Chadwick suggested to his fellow board members at their Oct. 10 meeting the possibility of installing solar panels on the closed landfill at the Alder Park Road transfer station…
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: “One word: Plastics.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is November 9, 2023…
Webber’s Pond
Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…
OPINIONS: It’s time to change Somerset’s register of deeds to an appointed position
by The Somerset County Commissioners – On Tuesday November 7, voters in Somerset County will be asked to consider changing the position of Register of Deeds from elected to appointed. One quarter of Maine’s counties have already established the Register of Deeds as an appointed position. In Somerset, this position is currently unfilled…
Sheepscot Lake Association fall newsletter
PALERMO – The saying, “time flies when you’re having fun” certainly holds true when it comes to summer on Sheepscot Lake! The 2023 season is now in the books and the Sheepscot Lake Association is reflecting on our activities and projects, as well as looking ahead to 2024… submitted by Maria O’Rourke, SLA President
HealthReach welcomes new Mental Health Clinician
WHITEFIELD – This October, Sheepscot Valley Health Center staff is happy to welcome Kristina Mont, LCPC, to their professional healthcare team…
AARP Maine seeks applicants for new volunteer state president
CENTRAL ME – AARP Maine seeks applications for a new Volunteer State President, a lead volunteer position that reports directly to the AARP Maine State Director and works closely with AARP staff and volunteers on a range of key issues that impact Mainers 50-plus. Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2023…
Mid-Maine Chamber names new community engagement specialist
CENTRAL ME – Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce welcomes Michael Guarino as its new Community Engagement Specialist…
PHOTO: Waterville homecoming
WATERVILLE – The Waterville Homecoming Parade took place on Friday, September 29, and was a great time for all ages. It started at Mount Merici Academy and ended at Colby College. Photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography…
PHOTOS: Lawrence H.S. homecoming
FAIRFIELD – Photos of Lawrence homecoming weekend, by Ramey Stevens of Central Maine Photography…
TEAM PHOTO: PAL senior champions
ALBION – Albion Central Maine Pharmacy defeated Fairfield KSW, 21-13, to capture the Senior League championship. Team photo by Ramey Stevens, Central Maine Photography…
TEAM PHOTO: PAL junior champions
CLINTON – Clinton Variety defeated Albion KTF, 19-0, to win the PAL football junior league championship on October 10. Team photo by Ramey Stevens, Central Maine Photography…
Samantha Bonneau named to Elms College’s spring 2023 dean’s list
SKOWHEGAN – Samantha Bonneau, of Skowhegan, was named to the College of Our Lady of the Elms spring 2023 dean’s list, in Chicopee, Massachusetts…
Bard achieves Saint Anselm’s dean’s list
SIDNEY – Saint Anselm College has released the dean’s list of high academic achievers for the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year. Julia Bard, an English (BA) major in the class of 2025, from Sidney, was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2023 semester at Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, New Hampshire…
Amaris Charland Graduates from Blackburn College
FAIRFIELD – Amaris Charland, of Fairfield, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from Blackburn College, in Carlinville, Illinois, during the institution’s 154th Commencement ceremony in May 2023…
Local happenings
EVENTS: Lincoln County Dems to discuss positive aging
NEWCASTLE – The Lincoln County Democratic Committee (LCDC) will hold its next hybrid meeting on Thursday, October 26, at 7 p.m., at the Newcastle Fire Station, 86 River Rd., in Newcastle, and online via Zoom…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Crafters wanted in So. China
So. CHINA — The South China Community Church is having a craft fair and bake sale Saturday, October 28, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Crafters are needed. Call Diane at 207-390-6359 to rent a table for $20 and all proceeds are yours to keep… and many other local events!
Obituaries
CLINTON – Tammy Lee Theriault, 51, passed away on Monday, October 2, 2023, following a very long battle with cancer. Tammy was born on September 18, 1972, in Waterville, to Carolyn and Roland Theriault… and remembering 6 others.
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agriculture – Part 7 (new)
VASSALBORO HISTORY — Recent articles have mentioned two Vassalboro men, Thomas Stackpole Lang and Hall Chase Burleigh, who each deserve more attention for their agricultural contributions, along with Lang’s father, John Damon Lang… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agriculture – Part 6
WATERVILLE HISTORY — Another locally-bred trotting horse, even more famous than General Knox (described last week), was Nelson. Nelson was a bay horse. The color is described on line as “a reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration on the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs.” Several on-line pictures dramatically contrast his dark mane with his lighter body. He stood a little over 15 hands (readers will remember a hand equals four inches)… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agriculture – Part 5
KV HISTORY — Some of the central Kennebec Valley agricultural pioneers chose to breed racehorses, specifically trotters, instead of, or in addition to, the cattle discussed last week. For example, Kingsbury mentioned in the chapter on Waterville in his Kennebec County history that George Eaton Shores, of Waterville, who bred Hereford cattle, “also handled some horses, selling in 1879 the race horse Somerset Knox for $2,700″… by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agriculture – Part 4
KV HISTORY — Continuing with the agricultural theme, this article will move readers north on the west bank of the Kennebec River from Sidney to Waterville and will focus on 19th-century cattle breeders… by Mary Grow
Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 16, 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: Maylou Ripley, Oakland
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | A couple of weeks ago I noticed a lot of different birds coming to our feeders, and I compared the situation with the Alfred Hitchcock thriller film, The Birds. Well, I have another chapter in that episode. I have noticed recently the high number of crows, or ravens, that have been hanging around my house. Just the other day, I saw seven of them sitting in my pine trees in the backyard. They are huge birds…
THE BEST VIEW
by Norma Best Boucher | “Hello. My name is Norma. I am an English major and a literary snob.” If there were such groups as Literary Snobs Anonymous, I would stand before their podium addressing my captured audience saying those exact words to my fellow literary snobs…
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
by Melinda Myers | Fall is a great time to add trees to your landscape. Not only do they provide shade, remove pollutants from the air, and help manage stormwater; but many also provide food for bees. Keep this in mind when selecting and planting new trees in your yard now and in the future…
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
by Dan Beaulieu | A good customer is your most important asset! One of the biggest complaints that people I know have about local contractors is that some of them, when they get busy, won’t give them the time of day. Not all of them mind you, but more than a few seem to act with a certain…dare we say smugness when their schedule gets filled up…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | The seven seasons of Mad Men, which ran on AMC from 2007 to 2015,was an interesting viewing experience throughout the last three to four months via Amazon Prime but, now that all 97 episodes have been watched, I feel tremendous relief that it’s over…
I’M JUST CURIOUS
by Debbie Walker | You know I like comical things and I love words. When I came across this material in a Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac from 2018, I saved this page for future reference. I think this is ‘future enough’. I hope it brings you a chuckle or two…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) — When it comes to combating polio, there’s good news, bad news and better news. The good news is that efforts to eradicate the dreaded disease have been going on for decades. Back in the disease’s peak years in the 1940s and 50s, it affected between 13,000 and 20,000 people in the United States each year, many of them children…