Week of December 19, 2019

HOLIDAY NOTIFICATION: THE TOWN LINE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED the week of December 23 – 27 while our staff and contributors take a well-deserved winter vacation.
The office will reopen on Monday, December 30, 2019 at 9 a.m.
THERE WILL BE NO ISSUE ON DECEMBER 26, 2019
THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE JAN. 2, 2020

Celebrating 31 years of local news

Sidney sisters build shelters for Benton dogs

As the Christmas season approaches, two local teenage sisters from Sidney are giving back to the community in a big way. Sierra Gagnon, 17, and her sister, Macie, 15, have grown up in a family that stresses giving and putting others first. This is evidenced by what they did recently for some dogs at a local shelter…  by Eric Westbye

Scouts’ Camp Bomazeen celebrates 75 years

In 2020, Camp Bomazeen, the Scout camp on Great Pond, in Belgrade, will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary. In 1945, Camp Bomazeen opened to provide an adventure for Maine Scouts in an idyllic setting. Over the course of the past 75 years, thousands of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorers and Venturers have camped amongst the pines, learned new skills, made lifelong friendships, and challenged themselves…

Your Local News

Vassalboro selectmen OK request to allow fishway construction

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro selectmen had a variety of ideas on their Dec. 12 agenda, and their reactions were similarly varied. They unanimously approved a request from Maine Rivers…

China planners review two commercial plans

CHINA — With two newcomers, Randy Downer and Natale Tripoli, joining Tom Miragliuolo and Jim Wilkens (and continuing member Toni Wall absent), China Planning Board members began their Dec. 10 meeting by electing Miragliuolo and Wall co-chairmen…

China TIF members recommend two expenditures

CHINA — After the Dec. 9 TIF Committee meeting, Chairman Frank Soares reported committee members recommended two expenditures of TIF money in 2020, in addition to those approved at previous meetings…

China unveils new emergency notification system

CHINA — China’s town manager, Dennis Heath, is excited about a new emergency contact system the town is rolling out next year. The application is an opt-in emergency broadcast system that can notify residents of important announcements, weather advisories and emergency alerts…

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ME POLITICS: A conversation with five local legislators

CENTRAL ME — Sometimes the noise from Washington is so loud, it drowns out what’s going on right here in Maine. A few months ago, the Maine Legislature wrapped up their first regular session with a final vote on a two-year state budget. So, with legislators on recess until January, I thought it would be a good time to catch up with them to discuss their thoughts on the recent legislative session…

2019 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Due dates for 2019 Real Estate taxes for Albion, China, Palermo, Vassalboro, Waterville and Windsor…

Webber’s Pond local comic

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

RABIES CLINIC, sponsored by China Four Seasons Club, noon – 1 p.m., Saturday, January 4, 2020, at Four Seasons Clubhouse, 570 LakeviewDr. (Rte. 202 & 9). There will be a charge of $15 per animal. Dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers. FMI, Dolly Batteese 968-2151… (…and many other local events!)

Obituaries

BENTON – Michael A. Pirruccello, 66, passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2019. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 10, 1953, the son of Salvatore “Sam” Pirruccello and Robin (Brydone-Jack) Pirruccello… and remembering 6 others.

Common Ground – Round 12: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, January 10, 2019

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@fairpoint.net or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!

Previous winner: B.J. Bradstreet, of Palermo

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | When 10-year-old Gayla Peevey sang her 1953 Christmas song, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, did she really know what she was wishing for? When the song was released nationally, it shot to the top of the charts and the Oklahoma City zoo acquired a baby hippo named Matilda…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Handel’s Messiah has been recorded numerous times with choirs and orchestras ranging from huge to very small. I have a number of these sets and found at least something good in each of them, because, like so many other masterpieces, it is infinitely and inexhaustibly rich in its musical and spiritual content…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Yes, I found another book and read some things I wanted to share. The name of the book is The Book of Answers by Barbara Berliner and another. I got a kick out of the title so of course I had to have it…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | Received a most welcome letter this week that pleased me greatly. It was from the Natural Resources Council of Maine…and it starts with these words: “Thank you for submitting your letter to the editor titled Thankful for Strong Opposition to CMP Corridor that ran on November 17, in the Kennebec Journal…”

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI)—“The Tutor” by Marilee Albert: Alice wants to be close to her boyfriend in Paris, so off she goes—to Rome. Her other goals? To make art and find a muse. Instead, she finds herself a muse to various men: a TV-host dwarf, lonely banker, alcoholic playboy, aging prince, and the disillusioned Oscar-winning film director, Frank Colucci…