Issue for September 1, 2022

Enjoy a safe & happy Labor Day holiday weekend!

OFFICE CLOSED: The Town Line office will be closed on Monday, September 5, in observance of Labor Day.

Celebrating 34 years of local news

Eagle Scout Ryan Martin receives much praise

Leaders of government and civic organizations heaped praise on teenager Ryan Steven Martin during his Eagle Scout ceremony held on August 25, at the Winslow Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8835. “I am so grateful and honored to have been invited to this event tonight to honor Ryan Martin,” Winslow Town Manager Erica LaCroix said… Submitted by Chuck Mahaleris

Greater Neck Road Neighborhood Association annual yard sale slated

The Greater Neck Road Neighborhood Association will host their annual yard sale on Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Baptist Church parking lot. The association voted again this year to donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the Town of China’s fuel assistance fund… by Jeanne Marquis

Your Local News

TIF committee hears reports from fund recipients

CHINA – At their Aug. 24 meeting, China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members heard reports from representatives of programs that have received TIF funds. The China Broadband Committee’s project has a 10-year, $30,000 a year allocation, approved by voters. The Thurston Park Committee, the China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA) (and the China Lake Association [CLA], not represented Aug. 24) and the China Four Seasons Club apply annually…

Computer problems stall setting tax rate

CHINA – China select board members were again lacking the information they need to set the 2022-23 tax rate at their Aug. 29 meeting; the town’s assessment process has been plagued by computer problems. They will schedule a special meeting as soon as possible, they hope on or before Tuesday, Sept. 6…

An open letter to our readers

BECOME A MEMBER: With the advent of the internet in the 1990s, advertising is no longer controlled by publications, but by social networking websites and search engines. As the internet has grown and gained more influence in our daily lives, the advertising power of the internet has grown as well. Over the years, the revenue from advertising that used to support local newspapers has shifted to global search engines and huge social networking websites instead. This change in who benefits from advertising has been a death blow to many local papers…

EVENTS: 2022 Vassalboro Days schedule of events – Friday, September 9 & Saturday, September 10

VASSALBORO – A full schedule events for the Vassalboro Days festivities…

EVENTS: Share the Road with Carol

WINDSOR – The sixth annual Share the Road with Carol memorial bike ride will take place on Sunday, September 18. Share the Road with Carol is an all ages commemorative bike ride in Windsor and Whitefield. The ride, which has 12-mile and 27-mile options, starts and ends at the Windsor Town Office…

Vassalboro Public Library summer reading program a huge success

VASSALBORO – Throughout the summer, 67 students, all members of the Vassalboro library, participated in the Summer Reading Program “Bikes for Books,” sponsored by Vassalboro Masonic Lodge #54…

China schools benefit from local boy scouts

CHINA – Bryson Pettengill’s Eagle Project was to create Zen Spaces at both the China’s Primary and Middle schools. He wanted to give back to the school and after discussions with his parents it was clear that children with special needs or social anxiety needed a safe environment…

PHOTO: Fort Halifax DAR winners

WINSLOW – Elizabeth Longfellow, fifth grade American History winner, Carrina Chen, Jennie Paine Howard winner, Megan Heusers, Good Citizen winner, and Dominique Giroux-Pare’ eighth grade American History winner…

PHOTOS: School supplies drive successful

VASSALBORO – The 4th annual Vassalboro Community School supplies drive, held on August 27, at the North Vassalboro Fire Station, was another success this year…

State title winners

WINSLOW – Winslow 9-10 year-old boys captured the state championship in the 4×100 relay, and Winslow 11-12 Boys won the state championship in the 4×100 relay at the USATF State Track Meet at the USATF State Track Meet, held on Saturday, August 13…

Volunteers needed for Window Dressers workshop

CHINA – There is a great need for local community volunteers to make this a successful Window Dressers workshop. It is requested (but not required) that anyone ordering frames also commit to a four-hour shift on one of the workshop days. The committee is also looking for anyone who can supply food to the teams participating in the workshop…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agricultural Fairs (new)

CENTRAL ME HISTORY — Your writer is pleased that she didn’t promise a story about Hathaway shirts this week, because, considering the season, she decided to detour to write about the country fairs our ancestors enjoyed. Some of the historians cited previously in this series mentioned them; your writer will share bits of their information… by Mary Grow [1865 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 2

WATERVILLE HISTORY — This week’s description of Waterville’s Main Street Historic District begins where last week’s left off, with the Common Street buildings on the south side of Castonguay Square, and continues down the east side of Main Street. It adds a summary of the separate Lockwood Mill Historic District, across the intersection of Spring and Bridge streets at the north end of Water Street… by Mary Grow [1780 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville historic district – Part 1

WATERVILLE HISTORY — As sources cited in this and the following articles say, Waterville’s downtown business district was in the 19th and 20th centuries (and still is in the 21st century) an important regional commercial center. Buildings from the 1830s still stand; the majority of the commercial buildings lining Main Street date from the last quarter of the 19th century. Hence the interest in recognizing and protecting the area’s historic value by listing it on the National Register of Historic Places… by Mary Grow [1581 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Kingsbury’s people

CENTRAL ME HISTORY — This article is for people who enjoy an occasional glimpse into someone else’s life – nothing scandalous or earth-shaking, just odds and ends about the ordinary lives of people in another time. The main source is Henry D. Kingsbury’s Kennebec County history… by Mary Grow [2006 words]

Webber’s Pond

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Windsor Time Capsule ceremony

WINDSOR — The town of Windsor Bicentennial Time Capsule ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2022, at 2 p.m., at the Windsor Historical Society, located at the Windsor Fairgrounds… and many other local events!

Name that film!

Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: “Medulla oblongata.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is September 8, 2022…

Obituaries

WINSLOW – Robert F. Fortin, 91, passed away on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at home, in Winslow. Robert was born in Winslow, November 20, 1930, where he lived his entire life. His parents were Alphonse (Peter) and Julia Fortin… and remembering 2 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 14, 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: John Stevens, Whitefield

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | A friend of mine, who lives in Sidney, sent a text message with the photo of a snake he found under his wood pile. He said he had never seen one before. Neither have I. The snake was black with a bright yellow ring around its neck. What he found is fairly common…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | The 10th former President John Tyler (1790-1862) did forge important treaties with Great Britain and China and brought about the admission of Texas as a state. But he had a stubborn streak in his independence and refusal to compromise on his own principles, which quickly led to the resignations of every member of his cabinet, except for Secretary of State Daniel Webster…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I have a question for you today and I hope you will give it some thought over the coming days. My question is: Do you know what a blessing you are? It’s a pretty big question and a little uncomfortable and embarrassing for most people. I don’t think it is something we spend much time considering, but I am asking you to today…

MY POINT OF VIEW

by Gary Kennedy | Well, we have one of those long weekends arriving soon. It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by so rapidly. Covid coupled with stress and turmoil seems to have played a role in the rapidity in which time has flown…

LIFE ON THE PLAINS

by Roland D. Hallee | Like any other phase of life, growing up on The Plains also meant school days. Although the first five years of my school days were spent at St. Francis de Sales Parochial School, there came a time when I had to go to a different school…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | Every step of the way, women, especially mothers, have a lot to juggle. While trying to conceive, being pregnant, raising children and going through menopause, their to-do lists are long. One important task which may not be the first to come to mind is maintaining good oral health…