Week of August 20, 2020
A quiet summer afternoon at an outdoor concert
Over two dozen area residents listened appreciatively to folksinger Bill Berlinghoff as the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, held its first public event since March… by Mary Grow
Your Local News
Town business meeting to be conducted by written ballot in 2021
CHINA — China selectmen have decided the 2021 annual town business meeting at which the budget is approved will be conducted by written ballot, not at an open meeting. They have not set a date; March and June 2021 were suggested at their Aug. 17 meeting…
Local legislator participates in virtual ecological conference
CENTRAL ME — District #96 state Representative S. Paige Zeigler recently spent two days in a Zoom conference with other ecologically-concerned state legislators from throughout the nation. The meeting was convened by the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators…
Construction updates for downtown Waterville
WATERVILLE — The North Street Bridge over Maine Central Railroad will be closed from Monday, August 17th through August 31, 2020…
Become a member: An open letter to our readers!
Dear Reader: Unfortunately, the last two decades have not been good for the nation’s newspapers. Nearly 1,800 local newspapers have closed their doors since 2004, according to a study by the University of North Carolina. The hardest hit are community papers like The Town Line that concentrate exclusively on local issues…
LETTERS: Column not clear
from Deborah Marlett (South China) — I read Gary Kennedy’s Veterans Corner in the August 13, 2020, issue of The Town Line, and I am still not clear on veterans’ disillusionment and confusion with a VA shutdown. Rather, I now have a good idea of Mr. Kennedy’s political and social views…
LETTERS: Politics before science?
from Frank Slason (Somerville) — As a former certified teacher, I never thought I would live to see the day that politics could be allowed to overrule science as it is being done with such abandonment now…
Waterville Rocks! returns for fifth year with the Rustic Overtones
WATERVILLE — Waterville Creates!, one of Maine’s leading arts and cultural organizations with a mission to promote Waterville as a vibrant destination in central Maine, has announced the fifth consecutive year of Waterville Rocks! will happen thanks to a virtual Livestream Facebook concert with Rustic Overtones on Friday, August 28, at 7 p.m. This free concert…
Taste of Waterville canceled due to large gathering restrictions
WATERVILLE — Restrictions on sizes for large gatherings into the fall have resulted in the cancellation of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s 28th Annual Taste of Waterville scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 11, at the Head of Falls, downtown Waterville…
Blueberry cobbler fundraiser in Branch Mills
PALERMO — The Branch Mills Grange, in Palermo, will hold a Drive-up Blueberry Cobbler Fundraiser on Sunday, August 23, between 1and 3 p.m. Each serving of cobbler is $5, and comes with tickets for three separate raffles: 1) a $25 gift certificate for Pagett Farm Store, 2) a Blueberry Basket, and, 3) a mystery prize…
Share the Road ride slated
WINDSOR — The fourth annual Share the Road with Carol memorial bike ride will take place on Sunday, September 13. Share the Road with Carol is an all ages commemorative bike ride planned for Sunday, September 13, 2020, in Windsor and Whitefield. The ride, which has 12-mile and 27-mile options, starts and ends at the Windsor Town Office…
Maple sap producers qualify for federal assistance
CENTRAL ME — Following a push by Maine’s Congressional delegation and Governor Janet Mills, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that producers of maple sap used to make maple syrup are now eligible for direct financial relief to help offset the financial harm they have experienced due to COVID-19…
American Legion collecting school supplies
MADISON — American Legion Auxiliary Unit #39, Madison is once again collecting school supplies for children in our local schools (Madison MSAD #59 and Carrabec RSU #74). With all the uncertainties ahead this year, the need is even greater…
Vassalboro Public Library announces upcoming programs
VASSALBORO — The Vassalboro Public Library, with support from the Maine Humanities Council, is sponsoring a Chalk Fest. Registration is now open at the library, 930 Bog Road, East Vassalboro, to receive a free pack of chalk…
Parochial vicar named to Corpus Christi Parish
WATERVILLE/WINSLOW — Bishop Robert Deeley has announced a new priest assignment for Corpus Christi Parish, in Waterville and Winslow. Effective September 1, 2020, Fr. André-Joseph LaCasse, O.P., has been appointed a parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish…
Hundreds of new pieces of original artwork by the late Father Paul Plante now available
CENTRAL ME — Last week, hundreds of never before available pieces of artwork by the late Fr. Paul Plante have been posted for sale on a tribute website that serves as both a canvas of his immense talent and a tribute to his indelible legacy…
UMF announces dean’s list for fall 2019 semester
FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington announced its dean’s list for the fall 2019 semester…
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Notable citizens – James G. Blaine (New)
MAINE HISTORY — James Gillespie Blaine was born Jan. 31, 1830, in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The town is on the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh; Interstate 40 now runs through it. The current google map shows an area called Blainsburg between the river and the interstate, a major road called Blaine Hill Road and a Blainesburg Bible Church. The 2010 census reported a population of 992; by 2018, it had decreased to 965… [1305 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Notable citizens – Conclusion
ALBION HISTORY — Elijah Parish Lovejoy was born Nov. 9, 1802, in Albion. His grandfather, Francis Lovejoy, was one of the town’s first settlers. His father, Daniel, was a Congregational preacher who, according to extracts from the sermon preached at his funeral, was a good man and a good minister, but was sometimes too carried away by enthusiasm to be tactful and was subject to periods of depression… [1641 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Notable citizens – Part 2B of 3
CHINA HISTORY — After the early life summarized in the July 30 issue of The Town Line, prominent South China Quaker Rufus Jones entered Haverford College, in Pennsylvania, in 1882 as a sophomore, receiving a full scholarship (which he later repaid). His 20th birthday would be Jan. 25, 1883… [1402 words] by Mary Grow
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Notable citizens – Part 2A of 3
CHINA HISTORY — Rufus Matthew Jones was born Jan. 25, 1863, in South China, into a Quaker family. The Encyclopedia Britannica’s online version calls him “one of the most respected U.S. Quakers of his time.” Wikipedia more comprehensively lists him as an “American religious leader, writer, magazine editor, philosopher, and college professor”… [1313 words] by Mary Grow
Obituaries
PALERMO – Jacob Thomas Seigars, 16, died peacefully at his home on Saturday, August 8, 2020, following a long, grueling battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Jacob was born May 25, 2004, in Augusta, the son of Joseph Seigars Sr. and Heather Seigars (Buotte)… and remembering 9 others.
Common Ground – Round 20: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Friday, September 4, 2020
Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Retail Therapy Boutique in Waterville! 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: No winner.
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | A reader wrote last week how she had been trying for a couple of years to identify a tall yellow-flowered roadside weed until someone told her it was wild parsnip. Unable to find much information about it, she turned to this column…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | The very brilliant arranger, bandleader and trombonist Tommy Dorsey (1905-1956) led one of the most successful orchestras during the Big Band Era from the early ‘30s to circa 1946, when he had to let his players go because of dwindling engagements…
I’M JUST CURIOUS
by Debbie Walker | I read an amazing theory on Facebook: a computer social program. I have no idea who is the author, but I am impressed with the words of wisdom. If you already saw this, I hope you will enjoy the premise of the theory again…
SOLON & BEYOND
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | This week’s column will be taken in part, from an article I wrote when my cat Percy and I started a paper of our own dated March 25, 2005. It starts with these words: Good Morning My Friends, Don’t Worry be Happy!…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) — The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, including dental appointments and other important medical care. With dental clinics now open once again for non-emergency procedures—with enhanced screening and safety measures in place based upon expert guidance and research—many dentists are reporting that their patients have been slow to return, and it has them sounding a warning about the importance of preventive care…