Week of February 4, 2021

Celebrating 32 years of local news

Northern Light begins Covid-19 community vaccinations

Northern Light Inland Hospital kicked off its first community vaccination clinic on January 26 for community healthcare workers and people age 70 and older in collaboration with Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield. 92 doses were administered on the first day at the KVCC vaccination site. Ongoing clinics will be added as the hospital learns of its vaccine allotment from the state each week…

Your Local News

Selectmen set budget meeting for February 8; Make several committee appointments

CHINA — China selectmen continued budget deliberations at their Feb. 1 meeting and scheduled a budget workshop for 5 p.m. (note earlier meeting time) Monday, Feb. 8, for more discussion…

TIF committee has more financial recommendations to complete

CHINA — As their Jan. 27 meeting ended, China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members scheduled another one for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, because they still have financial recommendations to complete…

Solar panel talks continue

CHINA — China Planning Board members spent the first hour of their Jan. 26 meeting continuing discussion of a proposed solar ordinance, leaving little time for two other agenda items…

Town of Fairfield launches a community and waterfront planning survey for residents and businesses

FAIRFIELD — The Town of Fairfield, in conjunction with the Fairfield Economic and Community Development Committee (FECDC), has launched a survey to determine current and prospective economic development opportunities regarding Fairfield’s community assets and riverfront amenities…

Four Seasons Club and TIF funds

CHINA — At the Jan. 27 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee meeting, committee members debated recommending 2021-22 funding for the China Four Seasons Club, which maintains year-round trails throughout the town…

North loop closed at China School Forest

CHINA — The North Loop at the China School Forest is closed until fallen trees can be cleared, but all other trails are open, according to the China Connected newsletter…

VBA ice fishing derby set for Feb. 7

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Business Association’s annual ice fishing derby and raffle will be held at the Olde Mill, at 934 Main St., on Sunday, February 7, 2021, in all Maine legal waters…

Disc golf fundraising tourney set for Feb. 27

SIDNEY — Get your family and friends involved in some winter fun, that will help raise money for an important cause. A disc golf fundraising tournament will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2021, to benefit Chiari Malformation…

PHOTO: It’s his favorite team

WINSLOW — Carson Foster, 7, of Winslow, recently built a snowman donned in Boston Celtics apparel, since it is his favorite NBA team. (photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography)…

PHOTOS: Central Maine Youth Hockey in action

CENTRAL ME — Central Maine Youth Hockey Hornets Tier 3 Squirts, Zaiden Thoopsamoot, Jace Poulin and Chase Lawler, saw action recently against the Tier 3 Maine Moose, in Rockport. The Hornets fell, 5-0…

Carrabec High School 2nd quarter honors

ANSON — Listing of students who made the honor roll at Carrabec High School…

Mid-Maine Chamber to offer Takeout Challenge again

CENTRAL ME — The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce will once again be holding their Takeout Challenge Contest to help out restaurants, cafés and eateries at a time when they need us the most…

Winslow Food Pantry to benefit from Hannaford promotion

WINSLOW — Looking for an easy, effective way to support a local food pantry during these difficult economic times? For the month of February, Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag at the Hannaford supermarket located in Waterville…

Erskine Academy classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012

CHINA — Erskine Academy has announced that the cumulative academic and health records for the classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 will be destroyed beginning Monday, April 5, 2021…

LETTERS: Community refrigerator: what a fantastic idea

from Danielle Foster I have just read an article on CentralMaine about the book club ladies in Skowhegan. They are modeling an idea of having a Community Refrigerator, that started in New York. It seemed to come to fruition pretty easily. What a great resource for that town…

LETTERS: What a treat!

from Kit Alexander (Winslow) I just finished reading the Maine Memories story, “The Amazing Story of Mr. Perkins,” by Evangeline T. What a treat! A wonderful way to start the day … something interesting, fun and uplifting…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta Part 5 (New)

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The City of Augusta’s list of designated historic places includes four districts. The Water Street district, supplemented by recognition of individual buildings, covers a good part of the main business street that parallels the Kennebec River on the west bank… by Mary Grow [1580 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings – Winslow

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The final place along the central Kennebec River that is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark is Fort Halifax, in Winslow. It was built in 1754, the same year as Fort Western, in Augusta, and for the same purpose, to protect British interests against Natives and against the French in Canada… by Mary Grow [1811 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings – Part 3

AUGUSTA HISTORY — The previous articles in this series on historic places talked about some early Augusta sites and buildings. Two more…are on both the National Register of Historic Places and the list of National Historic Landmarks. They are the Kennebec Arsenal on the east bank of the Kennebec and the Blaine House on the west bank, beside the state capitol building… by Mary Grow [1600 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings – Part 2

AUGUSTA HISTORY — As mentioned in the first article on historic places in Augusta, four are on the National Park Service’s Register of National Historic Landmarks (as is Fort Halifax, in Winslow). The Augusta sites, listed in historical order, are the Cushnoc Archaeological Site, Fort Western, the Kennebec Arsenal and the Blaine House… by Mary Grow [1811 words]

Webber’s Pond

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

Obituaries

WINDSOR – Mary Follett, 83, passed away Friday, January 22, 2021, at the Alzheimer’s Care Unit, in Gardiner, where she has resided for the last two years. She had lived in Windsor for the past 55 years. Mary was born July 30, 1937, in Portland, the daughter of James and Margaret Goodall Sr…. and remembering 10 others.

2020-’21 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Real Estate tax due dates for the following towns: CHINA, VASSALBORO, WATERVILLE and WINDSOR…

Listing of local town meetings

CENTRAL ME — Listing of local town meetings in central Maine. To have your town listed, please email us at townline@townline.org…

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, February 5, 2021

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: Ardra Poulin, Winslow.

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Last week I observed that many different kinds of birds have been coming to our feeders this winter, and I compared the situation with the Alfred Hitchcock thriller film, The Birds – actually, crows, ravens, seagulls, and sparrows were used in the film…

PAGES IN TIME

by Jim Metcalf | A Maine ice shanty is a temple reserved for those who consider ice fishing a religion. Being invited to enter a shanty is a privilege reserved for those few who can respect the language and rules of the house…

MAINE MEMORIES

by Evangeline T. | This week, I have a story about pets and how they affect our lives, young and old. People love having pets. Dogs and cats are the most popular, but you’d be surprised at how diversified some people are, especially when it comes to pets. Here’s my example…

POETRY CORNER

by Marilu Suchar | Time just seems to slip away from us./The day of our birth and every year thereafter/Just marks a measure of time…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu| I have heard you loud and clear. The hardest thing about owning a small business is finding, hiring, and keeping good people. It has always been a problem, no matter the condition of our economy. The problem with so many small business owners is they don’t take the time to do it right…

INside the OUTside

by Dan Cassidy | It’s been five years since ski enthusiasts were able to ski one of Maine’s top ski resorts, Saddleback and the lifts were turned on Tuesday, December 15, 2020…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | For me, Lee Marvin (1924-1987) was one of the most consistently fascinating actors to grace the movies and television. He was considered a director’s dream because he instinctively knew how to move for the camera. And his ability to convey character was formidable…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Hi! I want to share some things I came across today. Pour a cup of tea or coffee and find a comfortable seat. Relax. Some of these things you may already know so I apologize, but just maybe you needed a reminder, as I did with some of these items…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | In my continuing effort to write a column without any recent news, I’m going to put in old news again! This one goes way back to February 11, 2005! Percy was still alive back then and we had started a paper of our own!…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | There’s a new book that can help heal the hearts and minds of people who have lost jobs, opportunities, homes, even loved ones. Called “Words for the Unbearable: A Journey Through Loss” (IngramSpark), it was written by psychologist Enid Sanders, who has had her own losses to deal with…