The Mapleton Lions Club thanks all who came out to its New Year’s Eve dance to support club charities. Well over a hundred dancers enjoyed the music of Wally and the Virginian.
Funds raised will be used to purchase eyeglasses, fund college scholarships, and support an adolescent diabetes camp, along with Homeless Services of Aroostook, Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp, the Mapleton Summer Recreation Program and more.
Senior luncheon
The Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill Seniors had an enjoyable meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, at Bonanza in Presque Isle. Because the last meeting was snowed out the group held their delayed Christmas party. A Yankee swap was led by member Terry Sandusky.
The seniors will return to the Mapleton Methodist Church for their twice-monthly potluck on Monday, Jan. 14, at 11:30 a.m. Everyone over 55 is invited to attend and join the group. Bring something and enjoy the lunch prepared by experienced cooks.
Snowmobile club events
The Chapman Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club will have its monthly directors’ meeting tonight, Jan. 9, at the clubhouse at 6:30 p.m.
On Jan. 12, the annual January potluck supper and auction will start at 6 p.m. at the clubhouse in Chapman. This is a fundraising auction, so please bring in item(s). For information, contact Sue at 764-1236.
Sanitation changes
Jan. 1 brought garbage and recycling changes. Presque Isle has merged with the current communities that own and operate the Tri-Community Landfill (Caribou, Fort Fairfield, and Limestone). The new entity is Aroostook Waste Solutions (AWS).
This change will affect Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill, especially residents who wish to continue to recycle. Collection of blue recycling bags ended Dec. 31; any blue bags set out now will be considered trash.
Cardboard recycling — dark brown material with a corrugated, wavy middle — will continue at the curbside with your chosen waste hauler. Paperboard or boxboard, such as cereal boxes, will not be recycled and cannot be mixed with corrugated cardboard.
Recycling Igloos will be placed at the town office in Mapleton, with different colors for different recyclables. Red is for milk jugs. Blue is for colored plastics with the number 2 code on the bottom of the container. Yellow is for newspaper and telephone books. Green will take magazines and catalogs, and grey igloos will handle metal cans.
Residents should ensure that containers are rinsed, cleaned and flattened to save space.
Glass is not recycled and is treated as trash.
Residents and businesses must purchase a decal from the Town Office in Mapleton for $225 and $20 for each additional vehicle in the household that requires a permit. Residents cannot go directly to the landfill without a decal.
Town Manager David Dionne explained some reasons for not joining the new Aroostook Waste Management Services.
First, there will be no more debt. With the successful completion of this merger, the Towns of Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman have reduced their debt loads by $495,000 combined. The City of Presque Isle will forgive any remaining debt the towns agreed to when signing the interlocal agreement. This means the taxpayers will no longer pay debt on an asset they did not own.
Second, there is no long-term commitment or contract. The initial contract offered by Aroostook Waste Solutions required the Towns to increase property taxes based upon estimated yearly tonnage. Estimated tonnage would have cost the towns approximately $70,000 (Mapleton), $11,000 (Castle Hill), and $14,000 (Chapman) per year.
Thirdly, since the towns are not landfill owners, there is no liability for closure care and therefore no future debt to the towns.
“We did look at hauling trash to different landfills,” Dionne said, “and just the tonnage costs alone would be more expensive than the rates Presque Isle or Aroostook Waste Solutions currently offer to our residents. Then, add on the increased trash and hauling fees which would amount to tens of thousands of dollars for our communities.”
For more information, visit the town office or this website
Dog Registration
The Town Office is now registering dogs for 2019. Come in and register before Jan. 31 and beat the $25 late fee.
Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.
