Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Caldwell Auto Parts and Towing of Limestone recently donated a 2006 Ford Explorer to the Limestone Police Department. The vehicle, which includes a full police package, replaces a previous cruiser that had sustained significant damage last winter in an accident resultant of whiteout conditions.
Aroostook Republican Photo/Natalie Bazinet
Scott Caldwell of Caldwell Auto Parts and Towing hands the keys of the newly donated cruiser to Limestone Chief of Police Stacey Mahan.
“Caldwell’s has obviously made a very nice donation to the town,” said Limestone Town Manager Donna Bernier, “It’s a great vehicle for this part of the county for winter driving.”
“The Caldwell’s have made significant impacts on the community and they continue to do so,” Bernier added, “we’re very grateful to have them and we hope that they’ll continue to have a business in Limestone for a long time.”
The donation of the SUV to the Limestone Police Department has been a process that has been months in the making.
“In February or March of 2008 I was approached by the town manager regarding conversations she’d had with Scott and Robbie Caldwell about the possibility of a donated cruiser,” said Limestone Police Chief Stacey Mahan. “I had to speak with the Attorney General’s office because any donations coming to law enforcement can’t be solicited, so we had to assure that everything was properly done,” he added.
“I think the biggest benefit of this new SUV is the donation factor,” added Mahan, “a neighboring department purchased a similar 2008 vehicle without a police package for $24,000, so certainly $24,000 worth of savings to the town of Limestone is a great deal.”
“The new vehicle is worth about $15,000,” said Scott Caldwell, owner of Caldwell Auto Parts and Towing, “They had an older 2003 Chevy Blazer, which had gotten totaled in a snowstorm last year, but it had about 150,000 on it and was starting to have a lot of major mechanical problems, so they would have needed to purchase a new vehicle soon anyway.”
Though the donation of a police cruiser is extremely generous, this isn’t the first time Caldwell’s had supported their town.
“Caldwell’s has done a lot for the community,” Bernier said, “they’ve been very active in our Chamber of Commerce, they’ve made significant donations to our Recreation Department, such as their recent sponsorship of T-shirts for the basketball teams through the Recreation League, they’ve made extraordinary donations to Project Graduation and even donated one of their vehicles for the use of Project Grad during the Fourth of July Parade.”
For a local business with humble roots that consistently gives back to the community to additionally donate a vehicle of such substantial worth during a time of economic recession poises makes one wonder ‘why?’
“We’ve been here 10 years, my brother Robbie and I, since we moved from our location in Caswell that my father owned, so we wanted to do something significant for that anniversary,” said Scott Caldwell. “The community’s been good to us and donating a police cruiser was a way to give back to the town; the donation is something that everyone can get a break from because now that the town doesn’t have to buy a new vehicle, it will save Limestone residents the burden of coming up with funds to replace the old vehicle, so everyone can save on taxes and such,” he added.
Though the financial brunt of the donation has come from Caldwell’s Auto Parts and Towing, Scott Caldwell was the first to emphasize that Caldwell’s was not alone in making this significant donation.
“Quirk Auto Parts of Bangor donated us the parts we needed to make this all happen,” he said.
While the Limestone Police Department has had Crown Victorias to meet their basic transportation needs, certain features of the new cruiser are a welcome addition to the department.
“One of the officers had mentioned that they started their shift off with a Crown Victoria but had to come back because the roads were too slick,” said Chief Mahan. “Certainly four wheel drive with four studded tires, it’s much better on the road; The capability and the capacity of the vehicle are a major benefit,” he added.
“The four wheel drive is a welcome feature, especially during this time of year; in Aroostook County I think we have more of winter than any thing else,” joked Mahan. “We also patrol Loring and the roads over there can get a little treacherous sometimes depending on the weather, so it adds versatility for us to have something with four wheel drive.”
“I really want to thank everyone that was involved with this donation,” said Chief Mahan, “ Caldwell’s Auto Parts and Towing, Quirk Auto Parts, and Joe Lapierre for putting the stripes on the cruiser.”
