Maine News Updates

MERCER — Residents at Saturday’s town meeting voted overwhelmingly to keep the former Mercer  Elementary School building and move the town office and library operations there.
The 84-20 vote also stipulated that part of the school building, which has been re-named Mercer Community Center, will continued to be rented out for events such as weddings, receptions, parties, dinners and meetings.
“That’s what our goal is — to put it to use and rent it,” Town Clerk Yolanda Violette said Sunday. “We have a lot of things planned for it. We’d like to get the word out that it’s available for any type of event. The gymnasium is open.”
The elementary school, located off U.S.  Route 2 and the Beech Hill Road, was built in 1958 and renovated in 1991. School Administrative District 54 deeded the building to the town in September; Mercer students now go to school in Norridgewock.
The school/center has been used for events since then. Voters Saturday were asked whether the town should continue to own the building and move the town office and Shaw Library operations there from their current locations on Main Street and continue to rent the center’s gymnasium for events;  keep the building and use it for community events and rental space; or sell it.
Residents decided as part of the vote to raise and appropriate $17,805 from taxes to support the school/center building, according to Violette. An additional $7,000 received in donations also would be used to support it, she said.
Members of a special committee formed last year to explore future use of the building spoke Saturday and described many events held at the building since September, including a hunters’ breakfast and Veterans Day social, craft fair, concert and dinner, Violette, a committee member, said.
“Several people spoke about keeping community together and using the playground and having a place for children to play,” she said. “Even for the older generation as well, it’s a good opportunity to get together for socials and walking and monthly dinners. Everyone had opinions.”
Some people, she said, thought the money should be used for the town’s basic needs, such as fixing of roads, she said.
Officials plan to investigate the potential sale or rental of the current town office, and re-use of the library by town civic organizations, she said.
More than 130 people attended the town meeting at the former school building, located less than a half-mile from the current town office and library, according to Violette.
Elections were held on Friday, with 210 people voting, she said.
Violette was re-elected town clerk and tax collector, with 176 and 177 votes, respectively for those positions. She defeated  Debbie Crandall for the treasurer’s position, 122-83.
Vernon Worthen was elected first selectman with 95 votes, defeating Frederick LaPlante and Michael Gilmore, who got 71 and 31 votes, respectively.
Christopher Tibbetts was elected second selectman, with 154 votes. He defeated incumbent Derek Tracy, who got 47 votes.
Robert Gardner was elected third selectman, with 160 votes to opponent Jason Juskewitch’s 40 votes.
Norman Redlevske was elected SAD 54 director. He ran unopposed.
Write-in candidates William Toth and Lenore Morey were elected to the Planning Board with 27 and 22 votes, respectively, for 3-year terms. Write-in John Beeuwkes was elected to the Shaw Library Board of Trustees, with 24 votes, for a 5-year term.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com