Week of February 6, 2020
Karen Hatch: Queen of the Swap Shop
Walking into the Swap Shop at the China Transfer Station, you may find that you don’t recognize the place anymore. Gone are the disorganized piles of clothes, toys, tools and odds and ends with no apparent plan or place to stand. Instead, the small space has been arranged with a finesse fine enough to make Macy’s blush… [1038 words] by Eric W. Austin
Your Local News
Board members get first look at proposed 2020-21 budget
VASSALBORO — Vassalboro School Board members got a first look at parts of the proposed 2020-2021 budget at their Jan. 14 meeting…
Selectmen approve metal can purchase for transfer station
CHINA — The major decision at an unusually short Feb. 3 China selectmen’s meeting was to buy a new large metal can for waste from the new pre-crusher at the transfer station…
China planning board discusses three projects on Rte. 3
CHINA — China Planning Board members continued discussion of three pending projects near Route 3 at their Jan. 28 meeting. All were discussed at the board’s Dec. 10, 2019, meeting. None was ready for final action at the January meeting…
Committee reviews budget recommendations
CHINA — China Budget Committee members reviewed the town manager’s and selectmen’s recommendations for 2020-21 municipal expenditures at their Jan. 30 meeting. Their discussion again touched on the controversial stipends for volunteer firefighters, and in other areas suggested potential disagreement with the selectmen…
Meet the candidates session before special election for vacant selectmen’s seat
CHINA — A meet the candidates session is scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, in advance of China’s March 3 special election to fill a vacancy on the Selectboard. Candidates are Christopher Hahn, Janet Preston and Kevin Rhoades…
First Presidential Primary in Maine in two decades to be held March 3: Explained
CENTRAL ME — The Maine Legislature enacted a Presidential Primary law in 2019, changing the way Maine voters select party candidates for the presidential election from a caucus to a primary…Question 1: People’s Veto…What does this People’s Veto mean?…
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Vassalboro Historical Society seeks donations for storage building
VASSALBORO — We have grown since the inception, both in membership and in acquisitions. We are now at a crossroads financially. Due to the number of large items we currently have, including wagons, farm equipment, boating equipment, etc., we need a large space…
New Dimension FCU welcomes new vice president of lending
WATERVILLE — New Dimensions Federal Credit Union announces its new Vice President of Lending, Darla Frost, who comes to them with over 20 years of mortgage lending experience. Frost is also an active charter member and treasurer of the Waterville Lion Club…
Kennebec Historical Society to present “Lost Indian Tribes of Western Maine”
MANCHESTER — Hopelessly caught between the colonial aims of several European nations, Maine’s native population never stood a chance. The presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 19, at Hope Baptist Church in Manchester…
Local teen wins preliminary round of “Lights, Camera, Save”
FAIRFIELD — Keisha Small, an 18-year-old senior at Lawrence High School has been selected by Kennebec Federal Savings as the winner of the local round of the “Lights, Camera, Save!” video competition…
Singing Valentines
WATERVILLE — The Kennebec Valley Chordsmen will be offering Singing Valentines on Friday, February 14, 2020. For $35, a quartet will sing two love songs, present a card and a rose. Contact Galen Larrabee at 465-6579 (C) or Juan Lavalle-Rivera at 437-9274 or by email to 19rambler60@gmail.com…
Send your sweetheart a special Valentine — for FREE
Leave your special someone a message in the paper — for FREE! Send us your greeting of 25 words or less to townline@fairpoint.net by February 7 to have it included in the February 13th edition of The Town Line. Use the subject “VALENTINE’S GREETING”.
Senior College offers three special one-day courses
BELFAST — Be a Witness to your OWN enlightened experience, growth and enjoyment! The Belfast Senior College is now offering three special one-day courses in February…
Tickets available for fishing derby
VASSALBORO — Vassalboro Fishing Derby will take place on Sunday, February 9, from 1-5 p.m., at the Olde Mill. The prizes! You don’t have to fish to win. There are over $600 in cash prizes from $50 to $300, plus a $256 Natanis Golf package…Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 and available from…
Grand Prix races slated for grades 2-5
WATERVILLE — A free racecar event will be held at Kennebec Valley Baptist Church, 91 Marston Road, Waterville, on March 14, beginning at 2 p.m. Small wooden car creations built by youngsters age two through grade five with the help of a parent or other adult are raced…
AARP Tax-Aide program offered
CENTRAL ME — The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free federal and state income tax preparation and electronic filing to low- and moderate-income individuals. Returns are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers. The program is funded by the AARP Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization, and the IRS…
LETTERS: Humidity linked to spreading of flu
from Michelle Thompson — teachers. Did you know that if a room is at the right humidity, which is 30 to 60 percent, that respiratory viruses and others aren’t easily spread? It’s true. However, if the humidity level of the school is too low, then the virus can run rampant…
LETTERS: LD594 easy pathway for retirement savings
from Russell Vesecky — Saving for retirement is one of the most important things you can do for your future. As a college student about to enter the workforce, it is hard for me to even think of what all retirement involves. There is one thing I know for certain, retirement is expensive…
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
WRITERS GROUP: Join The Town Line’s writers, second Sunday of the month, 6:30 p.m. at The Town Line office, 575 Lakeview Dr. Ever wondered what it takes to write for The Town Line? Next meeting is Feb. 9. FMI: ericwaustin@gmail.com or 445-2234… (…and many other local events!)
Obituaries
VASSALBORO – Ethel Mae Heckman, 76, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 26, 2020, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, following a brief illness. She was born in Orono in July 1943, the daughter of Raymond and Ethel (Lyons) Ramsay… and remembering 11 others…
2019-’20 Real Estate Tax Due Dates
Real Estate tax due dates for the following towns: CHELSEA, CHINA, VASSALBORO, WATERVILLE and WINDSOR…
Common Ground – Round 13: Win a $10 gift certificate!
DEADLINE: Friday, February 7, 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@fairpoint.net or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!
Previous winner: Ardra Poulin, of Winslow.
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | It was rescued during a snowstorm on January 20, 2019, and transported to the Avian Haven bird rehabilitation facility, in Freedom, in an attempt to rehab the raptor. The bird was euthanized on January 31, 2019, because of extensive frostbite…
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
by Dan Beaulieu | Amazon, with its enormous warehouses all over the country can provide just about anything, at anytime, and send it overnight anywhere! How can you beat that? How can a small business even try to compete against that kind of availability and capability? Why don’t we just all give up and go home, some people think…
THE MONEY MINUTE
by Jac M. Arbour | Do you own an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457, Thrift Savings Plan, or some other qualified or pre-tax retirement account? If so, read on…On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the SECURE Act into law. This stands for Setting Every Community up for Retirement Enhancement Act…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich based his 13th Symphony on the poem, ‘Babi Yar,’ by Yevgeni Yevtushenko. Babi Yar is the ravine near Kiev, Ukraine, where over 34,000 Jewish men, women and children were murdered by Nazi Einsatzgruppen death squads during late September 1941…
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: I came across the most recent Reader’s Digest and it has a great article about dogs and cats titled What Pets Want You to Know…
SOLON & BEYOND
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | This is one of those mornings when I sit down at this computer with only one item that has to do with Solon. I received the following by e-mail: The Solon Congregational Church will be having a supper on February 15 from 5 – 6 p.m., at the Masonic Hall, in Solon…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI)—Even more than cancer, there’s one disease most people fear. The thought of falling prey to Alzheimer’s disease and to the inevitable desecration of the mind is something that can make even the bravest shudder…