Week of June 25, 2020

Celebrating 32 years of local news

Kelly Pillsbury to lead local scouting district

Kelly Pillsbury, of Benton, was elected to serve as the Kennebec Valley District chairman on June 10 during the annual meeting of the Scouting District Committee. The meeting was held virtually and at the Viles Arboretum where social distancing was in effect…

Titus receives Spirit of America award

At the June 22 annual town meeting, Vassalboro Selectmen Rob Browne and John Melrose presented fellow Selectman Lauchlin Titus with the 2020 Spirit of America Award. After 12 years of service to the Town as a Selectman (and also serving many years before that as a school committee member and a budget committee member), Lauchlin chose not to run for re-election this year…

Your Local News

Selectmen focus on revised TIF program

CHINA — A short June 22 China selectmen’s meeting focused on on-going town programs. The item discussed longest was the revised TIF program prepared by the TIF Committee and retiring Town Manager Dennis Heath…

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…

Residents approve all 56 articles at town meeting

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro town officials and voters pulled off their June 22 open town meeting in style, with Covid-19 guidelines observed. The gym at Vassalboro Community School was effectively turned into two rooms…

School officials not sure what fall return will mean

VASSALBORO — Vassalboro school officials have no idea what returning to school in the fall will mean. “We’ve got to be ready for change,” School Board Chairman Kevin Levasseur summarized…

LETTERS: Thanks from historical society

from Pat Clark (Palermo) — On behalf of myself and other members of the Palermo Historical Society I want to express our thanks to Mary Grow for her article on the history of Palermo in the June 18, 2020 issue…

LETTERS: Love and compassion

from Frank Slason (Somerville) — To all the wonderful people who showed up for the parade at Country Manor, in Whitefield. My wife is a patient there so, of course, I agreed to be in it…

LETTERS: It shouldn’t take a pandemic to underscore need for high speed internet

by Pat Pinto, AARP Maine Volunteer State President — It shouldn’t take a pandemic to underscore the importance of high-speed internet in our state. Rural Maine’s struggle with connectivity has been going on for years, but with COVID-19, the true consequences of slow or no internet can no longer be ignored…

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[democracy id=”194″]

Boat inspectors on duty

CHINA — The China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA) announces that its Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) Program is in full swing this summer at the four regional boat launches: two on China Lake, and others at Webber Pond and Three Mile Pond…

Doing whatever it takes 4 Kids’ Sake

CENTRAL ME — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine is reinventing its largest annual fundraising event “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” to do “Whatever It Takes” to support the 435 kids the agency currently serves in eastern, central and midcoast Maine…

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide suspends service through 2020

CENTRAL ME — AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax preparation and assistance service, has announced that State of Maine AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites will not re-open in 2020…

Fish die-off reported on China Lake

CHINA — There has been a fish die-off reported on China Lake. An inquiry at the China Town Office prompted this response from Scott Pierz, president of the China Lake Association….

School News

Erskine Academy holds virtual Renaissance awards

CHINA — On Wednesday, May 13, Erskine Academy, in South China, held a virtual Renaissance assembly to recognize second and third trimester Senior of the Trimester recipients. Four seniors received Senior of the Trimester Awards for second trimester…

Jada Boggs Graduates from Ithaca College

CLINTON — Jada Boggs, of Clinton, graduated from Ithaca College, in Ithaca, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Studies. Founded in 1892, Ithaca College is a residential college dedicated to building knowledge and confidence…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Maine governors (New!)

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

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Albion

ALBION — There is debate over names of the first settlers in what is now Albion, partly because records are incomplete, partly because current Albion once included parts of several other towns. For example, Nathaniel Wiggin’s and several other families’ holdings at the north end of China Lake’s east basin were in Albion before the Albion-China boundary was moved north and their land became part of China…  [1722 words] by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: China Lake

CHINA — China Lake is an important area resource for year-round recreation; drinking water in municipalities served by the Waterville-based Kennebec Water District; and, given the high value of waterfront property, taxes for the Town of China…  [1436 words] by Mary Grow

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: China

CHINA — The Town of China lies north of Windsor and west of Vassalboro. Much of the town is in the watershed of China Lake, a major influence in the town’s history. Two of the town’s four villages, China Village and South China, lie at opposite ends of the lake’s east basin. The other two, Branch Mills and Weeks Mills, are on the West Branch of the Sheepscot River in eastern China, upstream of Windsor…  [1566 words] by Mary Grow

Webber’s Pond

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

Local Town Meetings Schedule 2020

Local town meetings schedule for 2020 for Albion, China, Fairfield, Vassalboro and Solon. To add your town to this list, email us at townline@townline.org

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

SMITHFIELD – Ronald A. Slater, 72, passed away Monday, June 15, 2020, at Glenridge Center, in Augusta. He was born June 2, 1948, in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Herbert R. and Roxie G. (Hartlen) Slater… and remembering 9 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

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Over the last several weeks, I have been approached and told of numerous fox sightings. It seems they are becoming more abundant in our area. I have seen a few, on the roadways, from time to time, as they cross from one side to the other. They have also been spotted at camp, moving about from lot to lot…

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

by Dan Beaulieu | I think that right now all of us are wondering if we will ever feel free to be around other people, to go out to dinner, or grocery shopping. We wonder if our customers will be comfortable having us come into their homes to put in that new kitchen or bathroom?…

INside the OUTside

by Dan Cassidy | It’s that time of year… even though we haven’t had enough poor weather conditions, and for those of you who are outdoor enthusiasts have had to put up with this Coronavirus COVID-19. It’s hard to imagine that the whole world has seemed to be shaking up, destroying lives and creating uprisings…

VETERANS CORNER

by Gary Kennedy | I will share with you what I know and I will try to answer the many questions that you have. The political side of the VA system tries to appease you with an occasional conference call which they pack in as many vets as they can…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | I am going to try something different this week but tie it into earlier reading, listening and viewing experiences, sharing a few memories of my grandmother, Annabelle Ingraham Cates (1888-1974). Grammie Cates was born and brought up in the coastal village of Rockport, Maine…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | As the title says this column is connected to last week’s test, it has the little quiz and the rhyme: St. Ives Travelers. Shortly you will read the answer but first the following was printed in the Weekly Magazine in Sept. 1779…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) — Young men and those who care about them should consider the story of Max Mallory. At 22 he graduated from college and started his dream job in the video game industry. He landed the job before graduation at the company where he had interned for almost a year…