Week of March 12, 2020

Celebrating 32 years of local news

Although we are keeping regular hours over the next two weeks (March 16 – March 30), we ask that you not stop by the office unless absolutely necessary. Instead, please contact us by email at townline@townline.org or phone at 445-2234. Don’t worry, we will be publishing this week’s issue on Thursday like always!

How, and why, Maine became a state

State celebrates 200th anniversary on March 15

Before Maine became a state in 1820 it was the District of Maine, a territory of Massachusetts. The movement to separate from Massachusetts predates the American Revolution but, during the revolution, separatists put aside their grievances to support the war effort. With independence won, the question of separation reemerged, buoyed by national independence and a growing population and economy in Maine… [871 words] by Tom Waddell

Local Coronavirus Updates

CHINA: Local Actions Update for COVID-19

CHINA — This update provides actions approved for local implementation to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. While not all-inclusive, we are taking specific actions that will help our residents and town employees to be better prepared as the outbreak becomes more present…

COVID-19 Closures & Cancellations

CENTRAL ME — Check here for local cancellations and postponements. This page will be regularly updated. If you have a temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact us at townline@townline.org

New procedures at Vassalboro Food Pantry

VASSALBORO — The Vassalboro Food Pantry will remain open on Thursdays with the following changes to procedures. These procedures will remain in effect until further notice…

China Food Pantry to implement new procedures for safety

CHINA — When you arrive, please form a line on the shoulder of the road starting at the rock wall and extending back toward The Landing. It is important that you stay in your car to avoid contact with others…

Your Local News

State Police to continue reduced rural patrols

VASSALBORO — Before they met with the town budget committee, Vassalboro selectmen discussed other non-monetary and monetary items at their March 5 meeting. Following up on their Feb. 20 meeting with Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason, selectmen talked with Lt. Jason Madore of the State Police about local law enforcement…

China town manager presents plan on coronavirus

CHINA — I am writing today to inform you of steps the Town of China is taking and preparing to take, in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in our community. While the likelihood of such an event is quite low, we have been advised by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to have plans in place and to communicate with the public, staff, students, and parents, steps they may take to prevent the spread of this and other illnesses…

Selectmen present proposal to budget committee

VASSALBORO — At two early-March meetings, Vassalboro School Board members put their 2020-21 budget request into near-final form on March 3, and Vassalboro selectmen presented their proposed municipal budget to the budget committee on March 5…

Embden residents oppose CMP corridor at annual town meeting

EMBDEN — On Saturday, March 7, 2020, Embden residents voted overwhelming, 50-10, to oppose the CMP corridor. The town also passed an Elective Electrical Moratorium Ordinance as a result of residents voting to support the ordinance with the necessary two-thirds majority…

ICE OUT 2020? Take a guess. Win a prize!

CHINA — When will the last of the ice disappear from China Lake? Email us your guess by noon, Friday, April 10 and you could win a prize! To help you out, here are dates for the last 145 years…

Take our weekly survey!

[democracy id=”181″]

Volunteer firefighters: answering the call to help neighbors

by Sandra Isaac — I sped towards the fire and pulled my truck aside for the China Village VFD Engine #34 as it headed down Lakeview Drive for Route 3. My red flashing strobe wasn’t working properly, but there was no time to fix it…

CMS JMG students awarded community grant

CHINA — China Middle School JMG and Bar Harbor Bank and Trust continue to strengthen their partnership. JMG was awarded a $500 Community Grant as seed funding for an empathy project, where students will learn the importance of philanthropy and community service…

American Legion celebrates 101 years

MADISON — March 15 is the American Legion’s 101st birthday, founded in 1919. Members of Tardiff-Belanger Post #39, Madison, celebrated the Legion’s birthday with cake and ice cream prior to their monthly membership meeting on March 2 (photo)…

Central Maine Youth Hockey Association U-14 team

CENTRAL ME — The Central Maine Youth Hockey Association U-14 Bantams hockey team photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography…

Art scholarship available

WATERVILLE — The Waterville Area Art Society (WAAS) is now accepting applications for its annual $500 scholarship award to be given to a graduating high school senior who pursues a degree in visual arts, performing arts or music…

Vietnam vets to be cited at public ceremony

AUGUSTA — On Friday, March 27, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS), in collaboration with the VA Maine Healthcare System, will host a recognition ceremony for Vietnam Veterans. The ceremony will take place at the Augusta Armory from 1 to 4 p.m…

KHS presents the Spool Mills of Western Maine

MANCHESTER — In the late 18th century, patrons of James Clark’s cotton thread shop in Paisley, Scotland, first found that they could buy thread wound on wooden spools made by a local wood turner. Join Peter Stowell on March 18… (Editor: This event has been cancelled!)

Thunder Chicken drums slated in Palermo

PALERMO — March is indeed a time of transition, with lots of bumps in the road. Come and smooth it out with the Great ThunderChicken Drum on Sunday, March 22, at 11 a.m., at the Palermo Community Center, on Turner Ridge Rd., at Veterans Way. There will be a potluck feast to follow!…

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

School News

Erskine’s Sarah Jarosz receives MPA principals award

CHINA — Sarah Jarosz, of Waterville, a senior at Erskine Academy, in South China, has been selected to receive the 2020 Principal’s Award…

Local student named semifinalist in National Geographic’s GeoBee

FAIRFIELD — The results are in! The National Geographic Society named Anderson Buck, an eighth grade student at Lawrence Junior High School, in Fairfield, as one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2020 National Geographic GeoBee State Competition…

Michael Oliveira earns fall 2019 dean’s list honors at Roger Williams University

WATERVILLE — Michael Oliveira, of Waterville, has been named to the Fall 2019 dean’s list at Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island…

2019-’20 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

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

Webber’s Pond

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

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MONMOUTH: SMASH presents a full production of Shakespeare’s King Lear, at Cumston Hall, in Monmouth, Thurs., March 12, 6 p.m.; Fri., March 13, 6 p.m., Sat., March 14, 2 p.m. Tickets available at the door, or online at smashmaine.jimdo.com. Among this year’s cast are six members of the Maxwell family of South China… (…and many other local events!)

Obituaries

PALERMO – George Andrew McKenney Jr, 89, passed peacefully on Friday, March 6, 2020, following a brief admittance to Togus Springs, in Augusta. He was husband to Beverly (Wellman), father of five children, brother, grandfather, great grandfather and loyal friend to many. His steady, cheerful presence at family and community events will be sorely missed… and remembering 8 others.

Common Ground – Round 15: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Friday, April 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: Paige Richardson, of So. China.

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | What a beautiful sight! On my way to work last week I spotted a small flock of red-winged blackbirds. A sure sign of spring. They are probably the first migrating birds to arrive back from their southern winter homes. The red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, is found in most of North America and much of Central America…

Emily CatesGARDEN WORKS

by Emily Cates | With a few trusty seed catalogs as my guide, these dreams and ideas are ever closer to being fulfilled. In this series of articles, I have shared with you a bunch of my favorite finds from seed catalogs. Let’s continue on and look at a few more alphabetically, this time picking up at the letter ‘P’ and going on through ‘R’…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856) composed masterworks of symphonies, concertos, solo keyboard, chamber music, choir and lieder. Pieces to introduce anyone new to his music would include the Rhenish Symphony with its evocation of the Rhine River, in Germany, the Spring Symphony in its opening brass fanfare…

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | My grandkids had a period of time when they learned the word “bored.” The funny thing is I got the opportunity to teach them another new word, WORK. The first time the two of them came to me and said “we’re bored,” I told them I could fix that. I believe they were somewhat excited, thinking I was going to take them somewhere or entertain them somehow…

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull | Town meeting in Solon has come and gone and I must apologize that I didn’t attend it this year. But thanks to Elaine Aloes and Sherry Rogers for helping me get some of the main facts that took place at the meeting. Over 75 people attended the meeting and Peter Mills, from Cornville, was the moderator…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) — Did you know if you have high blood pressure you are at increased risk for chronic kidney disease? Getting your blood pressure checked regularly can go a long way toward
protecting you from kidney disease…