Week of July 9, 2020

Celebrating 32 years of local news

Literacy Volunteers announces winners of scholarship contest

Literacy Volunteers announces winners of scholarship contest Literacy Volunteers Waterville Area has announced the two winners of their Literacy Volunteers Waterville Area Essay Scholarship Awards. Issac Violette, a resident of Oakland, and a 2020 graduate from Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, won the $500 scholarship award and plans to attend classes at the Orono campus of the University of Maine. Adam Bonenfant, a resident of Vassalboro, and a 2020 graduate from Erskine Academy, in South China, won the $150 award…

Your Local News

Selectmen close out fiscal year, make appointments

CHINA — China selectmen held a special meeting June 30, the last day of the 2019-2020 fiscal year, to pay year-end bills and make appointments for the new year beginning July 1. The main change was that Angela Nelson becomes town clerk as of July 19, when current town clerk Rebecca Hapgood takes over as the new town manager…

Board approves amendment to interlocal agreement

VASSALBORO — At a very brief – less than five minutes – virtual special meeting, Vassalboro School Board members approved an amendment to the interlocal agreement among the former members of Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) #92…

Albion residents approve $1.99 M budget at town meeting

ALBION — The Albion town meeting was held on Saturday, June 27, 2020. This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting was held at the Albion Fire Station, where social distancing was more easily attainable, as opposed to the normal location at the Besse Building…

What to expect at the polls in China on July 14

by Becky Hapgood — Welcome to 2020! The year of everything being different than what we are accustomed. On July 14, the town of China has a major election not because of the size but because of what you will be voting on and how things surrounding the election have changed…

Presby on dean’s list at Lasell University

So. CHINA — Lasell University, in Newton, Massachusetts, has recognized Dylan Presby, of South China, for earning a spot on the dean’s list during Spring 2020. Dylan is the son of David and Michelle Presby, of South China….

Carrabec High School third quarter honor roll

ANSON — List of students who achieved honor roll status at Carrabec High School in North Anson….

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Dreaming of a Christmas of good health and world peace

WATERVILLE — Camp Tracy Alumni are ready to help you afford camp this summer! Apply for a partial or full scholarship for weeks 6-10 of Camp Tracy by the deadline of June 30, 2020… by Mark Huard

Mid-Maine Chamber presents perfect attendance awards at Albert S. Hall school

CENTRAL ME — Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce presented 14 fourth and fifth-grade students with awards for achieving perfect attendance at Albert S. Hall School for the 2019-2020 school year…

New Dimensions FCU moves into new space

WATERVILLE — Ryan Poulin, CEO of New Dimensions FCU, prepares to cut the ribbon at a special ceremony commemorating the opening of the credit union’s new Waterville location…

St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen re-opens

SKOWHEGAN — “The soup kitchen is resuming because there is a need in the community, and most of the crew are more than ready to see our guests and meet the need,” said Nora Natale, office manager at Christ the King Parish…

Maine Catholic schools to re-open for in-school learning

CENTRAL ME — The Office of Maine Catholic Schools is pleased to announce that schools will be open for in-school learning for the 2020-21 school year. Barring unforeseen developments, classes will be held five days a week with a full day schedule. Both before and after care at the schools will also reopen…

Local libraries begin to re-open with limitations

CENTRAL ME — Local plans for library re-openings in Palermo, Vassalboro, Albion and Oakland…

An open letter to Sheepscot Lake Association members and potential new members

PALERMO — In lieu of our normal annual meeting and get together we will be updating you all via this letter.  Hopefully next year we’ll all be together again and enjoy another great potluck dinner!  There are several items we’re focusing on this year… from Slater Claudel, President, Sheepscot Lake Association

Winslow Community Cupboard Food Bank seeks donations for much-needed cooler

WINSLOW — To be able to store enough quality food to assist food-insecure children, seniors, and other adults, the food bank is in serious need of a walk-in cooler. The all-volunteer staff is hoping to raise $4,000 to pay for the cooler and installation… Submitted by Dave Carew

Palermo Community Library annual meeting going virtual

PALERMO — The Palermo Community Library will broadcast its 18th annual meeting on Facebook Live Sunday, July 12, at 2 p.m. Trustee Andy Pottle will be filming/producing the online event…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Governors with Kennebec ties (New!)

MAINE HISTORY — Since 1820, 71 people have held the office of Governor of Maine. Four of them served non-consecutive terms and get counted twice, so Janet Mills is the 75th governor. The next two articles in this historical series will provide information on governors who were born in or near, or made their careers in or near, one of the central Kennebec Valley towns with which the series began…  [1804 words] by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Kennebec Proprietors

MAINE HISTORY — This series has repeatedly mentioned the Kennebec Proprietors. It is now time to backtrack to the 18th century, to find out who they were and why they are mentioned in almost every history of the State of Maine and in most local histories of Kennebec Valley towns and cities…  [1845 words] by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Maine governors

MAINE HISTORY — During discussion of the history of Albion for the June 11 issue of The Town Line, a friend mentioned “Albion” as a first name – unusual, she thought. The conversation reminded your writer that Maine had a governor whose first name was Albion: Albion K. Parris was sworn in Jan. 5, 1822, and left office Jan. 3, 1827, after serving five consecutive one-year terms…  [1649 words] by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo

PALERMO — Palermo is the only town in this series that is not in Kennebec County. The boundary line between China on the west and Palermo on the east is also the line between Kennebec and Waldo counties. It runs through Branch Mills, formerly Palermo’s main commercial center…  [1538 words] by Mary Grow

Give the loons their space

CENTRAL ME — Remember, loon nests are built near the water line because loons are poor walkers and exit and enter the nests from water level. Any substantial wake from a passing boat will swamp the nest and could possibly wash away eggs or drown chicks. Maine law requires “headway speed” within 200 feet of shore…

Obituaries

CHINA – Horace Francis Stevens, 91, died peacefully at home Sunday, June 28, 2020. Horace was born on March 8, 1929 in Augusta to Herbert Francis Jr. and Flora Morang Stevens. He graduated from Cony High School, in Augusta, and Tuft’s University, Medford, Massachusetts, with a degree in Mortuary Science… and remembering 5 others.

Common Ground – Round 18: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, July 10, 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: Michael Bilinsky, China Village

Town Line Original Columnists

CRITTER CHATTER

by Jayne Winters | All wild animals are hosts to parasites: internal, such as tape, hook, pin or round worms, or external, such as mites, ticks and fleas. Some of these little buggers (literally!) are also zoonotic (as noted in May’s article about rabies) and can infect animals as well as people…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu | What do Hewlett Packard, Disney, Hyatt, MTV, CNN, Microsoft, Burger King and GE all have in common? They all started in periods of economic recessions. The ideas for these companies came from periods of great uncertainty, times when the world, especially the economic world seemed unsafe…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | The inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison (1847-1931), was often accused of either being tone deaf or having no taste for music, two beliefs I consider to be mainly rubbish. He personally spearheaded a wide range of music on his cy­linder and flat disc record catalogs, that included popular singers, dance orchestras, country fiddlers, hymns, and operatic selections…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | I have really enjoyed living in the south. Granted it is a bit too warm right now with our days topping off at about 97 degrees with the “feels like” 108 degrees. I don’t understand those figures. If it feels like 108, why isn’t it just 108?…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) — There is a public health threat looming across the United States that’s not visible to most but affects nearly half of all Americans daily: loneliness. Social isolation is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is twice as harmful as obesity…