Week of January 23, 2020

Celebrating 31 years of local news

St. John School, in Winslow, to close at end of school year

Upon reviewing the parish’s consultative process which led to the recommendation by the pastoral council, finance council, and school board of Corpus Christi Parish, Bishop Robert P. Deeley has acknowledged their decision to close St. John Regional Catholic School, located on 15 South Garand Street in Winslow, at the end of the 2019-20 school year…

Literacy Volunteers – Waterville Area awarded 6 Who Care Agency of Distinction

News Center Maine has announced that Literacy Volunteers – Waterville Area, has been named this year’s winner of the 6 Who Care Agency of Distinction award. For the past 45 years, Literacy Volunteers – Waterville Area has provided free, confidential, one-on-one literacy instruction to adults…

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 expect long budget meeting on January 27

CHINA — China selectmen will start their Monday, Jan. 27, special meeting at 5 p.m. in the town office meeting room. The purpose of the meeting is to review and make recommendations on the 2020-2021 municipal budget…

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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…

First Sci-Fi and Family Nerd fest planned

FAIRFIELD — The first ever Maine Sci-Fi & Fantasy Nerd Fest will take place Sunday, January 26, at the Fairfield Community Center, in Fairfield. There will be a bevy of fun things going on which include, light saber fighting, a d&d battle royale to win a real fantasy sword…

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…

School News

Erskine holds fundraiser for koalas

So.CHINA — Students and staff at Erskine Academy recently held a dress down day to raise funds for the Koala Hospital, in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia…

Erskine Academy first trimester honor roll

So.CHINA — Here are the students who achieved “High honors” or “Honors” in the recent trimester at Erskine Academy in South China…

Alison Linscott participates in mock business negotiations for 2032 Olympic location

WATERVILLE — Alison Linscott, a management major, from Waterville, was one of 25 students to participate in a mock business negotiation for the 2032 Olympics as part of the Lasell College Fall Connected Learning Symposium on December 4, 2019, in Newton, Massachusetts…

Two area students named to dean’s list at University of New England

So.CHINA — Kayla Goggin and Emma McCormac, both of South China, have been named to the dean’s list for the 2019 fall semester at the University of New England…

LETTERS: Protect previous natural resource

Katy McCormac (So. China) — I would like to add to the comments about run-off at the Town Landing Road and other concerns. As a resident of South China who has cleaned litter along this road for 20 years, I would agree we have a problem with this road as a public access point to the lake…

LETTERS: Times have changed

Russell Vesecky (Waterville) — Former Maine Governor Paul LePage gave a speech at Colby College last month. Their Diamond Auditorium was filled from the entrance to the speakers platform with students lined up holding signs expressing opinions on how to improve human conditions. Perhaps I was the only senior citizen there…

LETTERS: Take control of your future

Pat Pinto (AARP Maine Volunteer State President) — It is a stark reality that on average, working households in Maine have just $2,500 in retirement account savings. As the current AARP Volunteer State President, a Portland Maine resident, and a former small business owner, I am very interested in changing this situation…

Obituaries

CHINA – Todd N. Tolhurst, 60, of South China, passed away Thursday, January 16, 2020, at home, following a brief illness. A celebration of Todd’s life will be planned for mid- to late-February. His family has asked if you have stories and thoughts of Todd to share that you please consider e-mailing them to ttolhurst@gmail.com to be read and shared at his celebration… and remembering 15 others.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

PALERMO ANNUAL FISHING DERBY, Sheepscot Lake Fish and Game Assn., Sat., Feb. 1. The clubhouse will be serving homemade fish chowder along with hot dogs and home made pies and other yummy things. FMI: Rodny Glidden 485-0190… (…and many other local events!)

Webber’s Pond

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

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

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | I received this press release from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently. It has some interesting information that I thought I would share with you: The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received a record number of Lyme disease case reports from health providers in 2019, with 2,079 cases as of January 16…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu | The facts are this. When people receive poor service, they love telling other people about it. Some statistics claim that if a person gets bad service from a business over 250 people will end up hearing about it. Yikes! How scary is that? All you need is one slip up; one bad day and you can destroy all the good will you have worked so hard to build up over the years…

Emily CatesGARDEN WORKS

by Emily Cates | Brrr! I don’t know about you, but the most I’m getting out of my garden right now is icicles. Wouldn’t it be nice to grow something fresh and green? Is it even possible when it’s so cold outside? Enter sprouts, the superheroes of nutrition – here to save the day!…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | This record came into my possession because of its inclusion in boxes of records doomed otherwise to the dumpster…What drew my interest was not so much the listening experience as the name of Shawinigan, which is a city in the Province of Québec, on a set of natural falls along the Ste. Maurice River…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I’ve been told before to “question what you read. Don’t just accept it as fact.” This column today would be one to question. I don’t remember who sent it to me nor do I have any idea where it originated. I got a kick out of it, and I thought maybe you might too…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | Didn’t have room for all the Solon Elementary School news last week, so I’m going to start with that this week. The Solon School had a Thanksgiving Food drive and they wood like to thank families for donating to their Thanksgiving Food Drive during the month of November…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI)—No matter what stage of life you’re in—whether you’re an adult, an older person, a pregnant woman or a parent—consuming healthy foods and beverages, combined with getting regular physical activity, stress relief and adequate sleep, may help you or your children stay healthy for life!…