Issue for April 16, 2026
Vintage stained glass windows restoration in Vassalboro
The repair and restoration of seven circa 1906 stained glass windows at Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) has begun. The windows came from the old North Vassalboro Methodist Church on Priest Hill Road when it closed in the 1980s. At the same time the Methodist Church on Pope Ave., in East Vassalboro, closed and the two congregations combined in 1988 at the newly built Vassalboro United Methodist Church at 614 Main Street… by Dale Potter-Clark
Town News
School board, budget committee meet jointly
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro School Board members met in a special meeting for three-quarters of an hour April 7 before budget committee members joined them for a preliminary discussion of the 2026-27 school budget…
Planners approve two applications
VASSALBORO – Vassalboro Planning Board members approved two of the four applications on their April 7 agenda. They granted permits to Timothy Dutton to reopen the former Renarda’s Restaurant at 729 Main Street as a two-part eatery; and to Chad Martin, at 209 Mudget Hill Road, to open a dog kennel on his property…
Budget committee meeting focuses on major costs
VASSALBORO – The March 24 and March 31 Vassalboro Budget Committee meetings each ran more than two hours and focused on some of the town’s major costs, like public works equipment. One issue debated at both meetings was how the town pays for major items, like a new truck…
Funding requests, borrowing debate shape March 31 budget meeting
VASSALBORO – The Vassalboro Budget Committee reviewed a range of financial issues during its March 31, 2026 meeting, including funding requests from the Vassalboro Sanitary District and the library. The committee also examined municipal borrowing practices, along with other budget considerations… by William Paquet
Selectmen discuss Mill Hill bridge
VASSALBORO – Two Vassalboro select board members spent the first hour of their April 9 meeting discussing the Mill Hill bridge project with Calderwood Engineering structural engineer Mohamed Mohamud, who attended the meeting virtually…
Conservation committee unanimously votes to replace trees at cemetery
VASSALBORO – At their April 8 meeting, Vassalboro Conservation Commission members unanimously voted to have three trees planted on Bog Road in front of the Methodist cemetery, replacing trees removed, to some residents’ dismay, several years ago…
Council reviews reduced school budget
WINSLOW – The Winslow Town Council reviewed a revised school budget proposal Thursday, April 9, that now reflects a net reduction to the local tax request after district officials made more than $460,000 in cuts in response to council concerns over rising costs… by William Paquet
Ice Out winner for 2026
The winner of the ice out contest for 2026 is Brenda Wilson, of South China. According to our judge, the ice went out on China Lake on Friday, April 3, 2026. Her guess of April 2, 2026, was the closest to the actual date.
Name that film!
Identify the film in which this famous line originated and qualify to win FREE passes to The Maine Film Center, in Waterville: “Do you feel lucky? Well, do you punk.” Email us at townline@townline.org with subject “Name that film!” Deadline for submission is May 6, 2026.
LETTERS: Who knew taking out the trash could be so pleasant?
from Susan Cottle (So.CHINA) – Those of us who get to go to the China Transfer Station –for sure! I’ve recently had the pleasure to make several trips to the China Transfer Station. I had several loads of recyclable paper and cardboard to unload. Not going there often, I wasn’t 100 percent sure what to do…
HealthReach welcomes new Director of Clinical Quality Improvement
CENTRAL ME — This April, HealthReach Community Health Centers President & CEO, Connie Coggins, is pleased to announce that Tarsha Rodrigue will be joining the organization as the new Director of Clinical Quality Improvement…
Waterville Author Jeanine Deas Helps Children Learn Their ABCs . . . One Duck at a Time!
WATERVILLE — In her new children’s book, ABC Ducks of Deering Oaks Park ($12.95, softcover; $2.95, ebook; 12 Willows Press), Waterville-based children’s book author Jeanine Deas splashes down into one of her favorite Maine parks to help young readers learn their ABCs … one delightful duck at a time!
Carrabec High School 3rd quarter honor roll
No.ANSON — List of honor roll students at Carrabec High School…
Local happenings
EVENTS: L.C. Bates Museum summer exhibition to open May 9
HINCKLEY —The L.C. Bates Museum’s summer 2026 exhibition, Light, will open on May 9, 2026…A public reception will be held on Saturday, May 9 from 4 – 6 p.m., at the museum, to celebrate the exhibition. Refreshments will be served, and the curators will introduce the exhibition, followed by short remarks from select participating artists…
EVENTS: Mothers to be tea
VASSALBORO — The Mothers-to-be-Tea will be May 2, 2026, from 1 – 3 p.m., at St Bridget Center, 864 Main Street, Vassalboro. Join them for a light lunch, and a chance to meet others on the same journey. It is said that “it takes a village to raise a child.” This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about community resources and to make connections with other new mothers and mothers to be….
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Benton Alewife Festival slated
BENTON – The Benton Alewife Festival will be held on Saturday, May 16, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., rain or shine, at the Benton Town Office, at 1279 Clinton Ave., in Benton. Free Admission… and many other local events!
Obituaries
SKOWHEGAN – Mary Glennon Domareki, 84, passed away peacefully on Easter night, April 5, 2026. Mary was born Mary Kielty Glennon, in Manhattan, New York, on October 2, 1941, the eldest of six children of Mary Kielty Glennon and Matthew Joseph Glennon…
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Waterville-Winslow, the separation (new)
WATERVILLE-WINSLOW HISTORY — In 1786 on petition to the governor, the plantations of Hancock (Clinton) and Canaan were relieved of their taxes assessed upon them by Winslow on account of their “greate povertie and inabilities.” Winslow was slowly becoming prosperous. The farms were productive, several grist and saw mills were in operation… by Roland D. Hallee
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Indians on the Kennebec – Conclusion (part 4)
WINSLOW HISTORY — May 18, 1757 saw the last skirmish with the Indians. Col. Lithgow noticed rafts drifting by the fort a few days earlier. Concluding the Indians had used them to cross the river and were intending to attack the settlement, he sent a boat containing an ensign and nine men down the river to give warning. Upon their return, about 10 miles below the fort, they were fired upon by 17 Indians… by Roland D. Hallee
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Indians on the Kennebec – Continued (part 3)
WINSLOW HISTORY — September 1, 1749, nine of the heirs of the men who had bought the rights of the Colony of New Plymouth to Kennebec territory in 1661, met in Boston and became incorporated for the purpose of defending their rights and opening their lands to settlement. The great obstacle was the constant danger from the French and Indians… by Roland D. Hallee
Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Indians on the Kennebec – Continued (part 2)
MAINE HISTORY — Those were anxious days at Teconnet. The Indians carefully abstained from acts of violence but the situation grew worse and worse. At last they sent a swift runner through the woods to Pemaquid to invite Magistrate Shurte to a council at Teconnet. Immediately, he set out in his small boat, was joined at Arrowsic by Capt. Davis and arrived safely at Teconnet. The council was held in a great wigwam where five chiefs sat in state while a throng of warriors stood by the door… by Roland D. Hallee
Town Line Original Columnists
SCORES & OUTDOORS
by Roland D. Hallee | On my way into work one day last week, I approached a sheriff’s cruiser on the side of the road, with three cars in front of him. The lead car had sustained damaged to the under cowling, and a man was attempting to either put it back in place or remove it. Behind those three cars, and around the sheriff’s cruiser, I saw a dead animal in the road. It was too small to be a deer yet larger than a dog. A quick look as I passed made me think it might be a bobcat…
MAINE-LY GARDENING
by Jude Hsiang | It’s a jungle down there! The top two or three inches the soil are full of creatures living complex lives. Compared to what’s going on below our feet, films of the Africa’s Serengeti seem lonely and quiet. There are herds of plant eaters and voracious predators…
REVIEW POTPOURRI
by Peter Cates | The Violin Concerto of Ludwig van Beethoven has a sweet serenity that belies his living in Vienna the turbulent weeks of Napoleon’s occupation . The performance is a beauty in its poetry which at times overrides its captivating rhythms but not to the detriment of its otherwise exceptional quality. It was one of the first American releases on 78s of a complete Violin Concerto by anyone and sold many copies…
QUINN MINUTE
by Rix Quinn | My friend Mel just got back from an aunt’s funeral, where he met family members he did not know he had. Personally, I’ve met more relatives at funerals than I have at weddings…but maybe it’s because weddings require an invitation…
FOR YOUR HEALTH
(NAPSI) | Here’s what Americans need to know. For the better part of half a century, health officials treated protein as secondary to carbohydrate intake. The updated guidelines flip that hierarchy. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and full-fat dairy – alongside vegetables and fruits – now form the foundation of a healthy diet…