FAYETTE — The Board of Selectmen will hold a special meeting 7 p.m. Thursday at Fayette Central School to award a contract for building an addition to the school that will house a new wood boiler.

Bids for the construction are due Thursday morning.

Fayette Town Manager Mark Robinson said $225,000 has been committed to the project, with the boiler installation estimated at $102,000, and the remainder for the building containing the boiler.

Access to the boiler room will be through the gymnasium.

“The hope is the majority of the exterior work will be completed before school begins,” Robinson said on Monday.

The project completion date for the exterior work is Sept. 30.

Maine Academy of Natural Science signs 5-year contract with charter school commission

HINCKLEY — The Maine Academy of Natural Science in Hinckley has signed a five-year contract with the state’s charter school commission.

Tuesday’s signing created Maine’s first charter school. The signing came weeks after the charter school commission approved the Hinckley academy’s application.

The school’s doors will open to about 40 students this fall. The school will operate nearly year-round.

The school’s president and executive director, Glenn Cummings, said the final contract includes “high but reasonable standards.”

RSU 18 withdrawal topic of China meeting

A fact-finding information meeting, open to the public, will be held to discuss withdrawing from Regional School Unit 18 at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 in the Town Office meeting room. A petition to withdraw from RSU 18 will be available for signing at the meeting.

RSU 18 includes China, Sidney, Oakland, Belgrade and Rome.

For more information, contact Judy Hotham at 968-2122 or 649-7030

LePage signs proclamation

AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Monday signed a proclamation declaring today “Lung Cancer Survivors Day in Maine,” according to a news release.

Deb Violette, a 14-year stage III lung cancer survivor, who is also founder and president of the Lung Cancer Free Alliance in Maine, said in the release that state Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, also helped make the proclamation happen.

“This is a major step in recognizing those who are living with lung cancer and their families,” Violette said in the release.

Compiled from staff and wire reports