Issue for October 27, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

China workshop aims to bring area towns together

Planned for the second week in November starting just after Election Day, the China Window Dressers workshop is moving full steam ahead. The intent of the workshop is to build low-cost window inserts to reduce heating expenses for homeowners in central Maine. The organizers have spent the past year taking orders and visiting local homeowners to measure the windows requiring inserts, and now they are looking for volunteers to help at the upcoming workshop…

Your Local News

Talks continue on VCS-located daycare

VASSALBORO – Jennifer Lizotte attended the Oct. 18 Vassalboro School Board meeting to continue discussion of the daycare program she heads at Vassalboro Community School (VCS). Board members had compiled a page-and-a-half list of questions and comments about the program…

 New fee on brush at transfer station

CHINA – Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15, people disposing of brush at the China transfer station will be charged a fee of two cents a pound. Vehicles carrying brush will enter and leave over the scale so the weight can be measured…

Delta official explains proposed fee increases

CHINA – At their Oct. 24 meeting, China select board members heard a presentation from Delta Ambulance executive director Timothy Beals about proposed fees to be charged municipalities the organization serves…

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…

Elections

Local candidates present their respective position on issues

CENTRAL ME – The Town Line asked local candidates how they would confront the biggest challenges facing Maine. Here is their responses, in their own words…

Six referendum questions on ballot deal with ARPA funds

CHINA – At the polls on Nov. 8, China voters will express their opinions on state elections, including choice of town representatives to the state legislature; local elections for select board, planning board, budget committee and Regional School Unit #18 director; and eight local referendum questions…

Voters to decide local and state elections

CHINA – China voters have local elections on Nov. 8, as well as the state elections. There are several contests for state offices; on the local ballot, there are more vacancies (which can be filled by writing in a name) than contests…

Letters & Opinions

OPINIONS: A “yes” vote urged on broadband ARPA warrant article

CHINA – The China Broadband Committee was formed in 2017 to find a way to bring the best Broadband internet solution to China. Last year we chose Axiom Fiber to build that system. The selectboard and townspeople voted down our proposal last November because of the risk that it could potentially adversely affect property taxes due to repayment of the $6 million bond if not enough townspeople signed up for this service… by Bob O’Connor

LETTERS: Harwath defender of the underdog

from Janet Preston (China) I have known Lindsey Harwath for more than 10 years, and I would characterize her as hard working, deeply principled, and a vehement defender of the underdog…

LETTERS: Civility needed before, during, and after election day

from Johnathan Hladik (Center for Rural Affairs) Discussion and debate has always been a part of rural America. From coffee shops to the local co-op, rural residents aren’t afraid to show their loyalty for one candidate or another, share their thoughts on the issues of the day, and voice their distrust of the government…

LETTERS: Zeigler deeply invested in community

from Sarah Crosby (Searsmont) Stanley Paige Zeigler is running for a third term to represent us in the seven towns in of District #40. He has been an active leader in the Maine House, sponsoring many bills which directly benefit residents, and which have helped to create a bipartisan vision for Maine’s future…

LETTERS: Sam Hunkler the best choice for governor

from Leland Hanchett (Falmouth) This fall, we have a rare opportunity to choose a candidate for governor who has spent his life helping people as a medical doctor instead of playing politician. Sam has no political party behind him, and no wealthy donors own him…

LETTERS: MaryAnne Kinney has her priorities

from JoAn Petersen (Swanville) Our government requires moral, upright, knowledgeable people who will make sound decisions for the common good of our people and our society…

LETTERS: MaryAnne Kinney a hard worker

from Philip G. Carthage (Belfast) We have two individuals running for the Maine State Senate in District #11 who offer very different views of how we, the voters, should be represented. Both have established a record for themselves that should be a deciding factor when we vote in November…

LETTERS: A vote for any other party is a vote for facism

from Megan Marquis (China) Fascisim didn’t die in the 1940s. There are candidates on our ballots who brag that they will be voting against human rights on their campaign platforms. To avoid abuses of power in the future, we need to vote for candidates who value democracy, human rights and know the difference between fact and fiction…

LETTERS: St. Valle understands rural Maine

from Jeanne Marquis (China) Important issues are at stake in this election that will affect our access to healthcare, housing and equal justice. Storme St. Valle is the candidate for Senate District #15 who is best suited to guide us through the 131st session. As a local nurse, mental health advocate and parent, he knows of the human struggles and the systemic obstacles we face…

LETTERS: Swift will defend my families reproductive freedoms

from Robert Morrison (Palermo) Please join me in voting for Pam Swift for Maine House District #62. As a multi-term, elected member of the Palermo Select Board, Pam has a public record of working cooperatively with others…

LETTERS: Confident in Pam Swift’s abilities

from Bob Bennett (South China) I am writing to express my support for Pam Swift as the candidate for Maine House of Representatives District #62. Although I did not know Pam prior to the last few months, I have been extremely impressed with her credentials, demeanor and commitment to the citizens of this district…

EVENTS: China Historical Society to meet

CHINA – The China Historical Society will be meeting on Saturday, October 29, at 10 a.m., in the portable building at the China Town Office. At their September get-together, it was decided that they definitely need to continue and move forward while attempting to recruit new members and build greater interest in China’s unique and valuable history among residents and visitors of all ages…

EVENTS: Upcoming Red Cross blood drives in Kennebec County

CENTRAL ME – The American Red Cross urges blood donors of all types and those who have never given before to book a time to give blood or platelets now and help keep the blood supply from dropping ahead of the holidays…

A view from above

CHINA – From her camp, from her boat, and as she walked around China Village, Barbara Frost saw the China Baptist Church and the steeple. Barbara got acquainted with some of the church members and volunteered to do some work around the church (she called it ‘puttering’ around)…

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “There’s no crying in baseball.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is November 3, 2022…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Augusta fires & fire departments – Part 1 (new)

AUGUSTA HISTORY – James North’s year by year history of Augusta, published in 1870, records several fires before the 1865 disaster. The first he knew of was in 1785 (when Augusta was still the northern part of Hallowell): “Elias Craig’s Hatter’s shop” burned on Dec. 1… by Mary Grow [1736 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 8

WATERVILLE HISTORY – This concluding article on prominent Waterville residents features William Thomas Haines, mentioned briefly in several August and September articles and last week; Frank Redington, mentioned almost weekly; and a minister, none other than Rev. Edwin Carey Whittemore, chief editor of the 1902 Waterville centennial history. All were born in the 1850s and lived into the 20th century… by Mary Grow [1564 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 7

WATERVILLE HISTORY – The subseries on 19th-century Waterville businessmen continues in this article, beginning with Aaron Plaisted, born in 1831, and his family, and ending with Luther Soper, born in 1852. For variety, your writer added a medical professional (who was also a businessman)… by Mary Grow [1609 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 6

WATERVILLE HISTORY – This article is planned as the first of a three-part subseries in which your writer introduces readers to some of the businessmen (and other people) mentioned in the previous weeks’ descriptions of Waterville’s Main Street Historic District, and sometimes to members of their families… by Mary Grow [1464 words]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Craft fair at So. China church

SOUTH CHINA — The South China Community Church is having a craft fair on, Saturday October 29, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. To rent a table call Diane at 207-399-6359. Table rent is $20 and the proceeds are yours to keep… and many other local events!

Obituaries

SOUTH CHINA – Gary Steven French, 71, of South China, passed peacefully on Fri­day, Octo­ber 14, 2022, at Maine VA Medical Center Togus. Gary was born in Morrisville, Vermont, February 3, 1951… and remembering 10 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 9, 2022

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: Donald Eldridge, China

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | They are slimy, and most people don’t want to be bothered with them. Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from two inches to 13 feet. I remember one time when my wife caught one that measured about 22 inches…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Al Martino (1927-2009) became Capitol records answer to Columbia’s Jerry Vale and RCA’s Sergio Franchi, not to mention the ascendancy during the early ‘30s of Russ Columbo and the ‘40s with Frank Sinatra and Perry Como…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I don’t know how many columns I have written, and I just recently realized I have never written anything about our pets. So… here goes…

ROTARY CLUB NEWS

by Gary Kennedy | Halloween is rooted in a Celtic pagan festival called Samhain (SAH-WANE). This was earlier appropriated by the early Catholic Church approximately 1,500 years ago…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | As the leaves change to their seasonal shades and jack-o’-lanterns appear on doorsteps, Halloween candy begins to hit supermarket shelves. Fun and festive in color and shape, who can resist? To help when you make your sweets selection, dentists weigh in on healthier options that young teeth will thank you for grabbing…