Savings Bank of Maine opens new Mars Hill branch

    MARS HILL – Arthur C. Markos, president of Savings Bank of Maine, has announced that the bank opened a new branch office at 8 Lincoln St. in Mars Hill Jan. 2. Connie Drake will manage the Mars Hill office.     “This is a natural extension for us,” Markos said. “This addition complements our existing Aroostook County branches while providing a convenient location for customers in the Mars Hill area.
    “While our asset size has increased,” he said, “we work hard to maintain the ‘small bank’ qualities that have been successful for us over the years while keeping up with the latest technological advances.”
    As with previous openings of new offices, Savings Bank of Maine will provide an opportunity for people who reside and work in the local area to tell the bank how to give away $25,000 to local non-profit organizations during the grand opening. Eligible voters, over 18 years of age, will be able to stop by the new office, ask for a ballot, make their selection and deposit the ballot. The amount of each donation to be given to non-profit groups will be determined by the number of votes cast for each organization when the balloting ends.
    The names of four non-profit organizations – Big Rock Ski Area, Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School, Fort Street Elementary School and the Walter T. A. Hansen Memorial Library – will appear on the printed ballots. There will be a provision for write-ins, as well.
    Ryan Guerrette, operations manager at Big Rock, said his organization’s mission is to re-establish skiing as a way of life in Aroostook County.
    “We are seeking funding for the Big Rock Youth Ski League, open to young people aged 4 to 17, and a ‘Need to Ski’ essay program that rewards winning entrants with season ski passes and equipment rentals,” Guerrette said.
    Principal Kevin Grass said the high school needs to update and replace equipment and would like to provide shirts for the Central Aroostook Pep Band. Additional funds will go toward character education costs for featured speakers “… to ensure that all of our students at Central Aroostook have the opportunity to meet our social and civic expectations.”
    Frederick Boyd, principal and special education director at Fort Street School, said the school’s playground, rebuilt 20 years ago, “… serves the needs of the school and local communities. We have encountered problems recently trying to replace worn out parts. We have created a committee to see the project through to fruition. The estimated cost is $100,000, with $15,000 raised so far.”
    The secretary of the library’s board of trustees, Ruth Smith, said the library, built in 1951, is badly in need of an efficiency evaluation to determine what is needed in the way of electrical updates. Additional funds are needed to bring the library’s book collection up to date.
    Markos said the grand opening promotion is designed to make a significant contribution to the community.
    “This will provide an opportunity for people in the Mars Hill area to stop in and see our newest office and then help us decide which organizations should benefit from the promotion,” he said. “Our experience with this program in other communities leads us to conclude that this is an excellent way to introduce Savings Bank of Maine to a new area.
    “Visitors have been impressed with the fact that we are encouraging people to stop by and say ‘hello’ with no obligation to use our services or make a deposit in order to receive some small reward,” said Markos. “We really want to show our appreciation for being allowed to become a member of the community.”
    Established in Gardiner in 1834, Savings Bank of Maine experienced a rapid period of growth beginning in the 1990s. Branches are now located throughout mid coast, central, northern and downeast Maine with assets approaching $1 billion.