MAPLETON, Maine — Thanks to the generosity of a Maine man, the tri-community of Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill will soon receive financial assistance to improve their outdoor recreation facility.
According to Town Manager Martin Puckett, he received a call from M.L. “Jack” Gibson of South Portland “out of the blue.” Puckett stated that Gibson is “fond of The County” and has a good relationship with small county towns, including Washburn and its highway department. In July, Gibson sent Puckett a letter outlining the details of his offer.
Gibson stated he “recently developed a charitable program specifically designed to benefit municipalities.” The letter went on to say that after Gibson’s 59 years in the road construction and paving industry, he recently sold his business. “I have not forgotten the loyalty and trust afforded me by the municipal officials and taxpayers of your community. Due to the present economic conditions, I feel it might be an appropriate time to institute this program.”
The program has been set up to award one $10,000 grant per month for an entire year, and based on the application submitted by Puckett, the three towns of Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill were one of the first to be chosen to receive a grant. Puckett said that the grant will be used to replace the deck around the outdoor pool and any remaining funds will be spent on updating the playground equipment.
“We hope to use the funds to leverage additional funds from surrounding businesses to stretch the grant as far as possible,” Puckett said. “It’s pretty amazing that he (Gibson) is giving back to the communities that he has paved for after all these years.”
The Mapleton Community Pool and its staff of six lifeguards this year taught 40 children swimming lessons, a figure that almost doubled from last year. The pool has been in need of repair and Puckett said that for the past two years, his office has been looking for areas to cut back in order to save enough funds to repair and replace where needed.
On the application Puckett submitted, he specified the needs of the pool and its playground area, which services local children, one of the top priorities of Gibson. Once the funds have been received, Puckett’s goal is to begin work in the pool area next month. The project will be labor intensive and should be completed by next spring before the start of the new summer season.
Funds that are left over once the pool area’s repairs are completed, if any, Puckett plans to use to update the playground equipment. Unsure of how much the pool repairs will cost, Puckett is hoping to have enough money remaining to purchase some age friendly equipment for the play area. As a father of a young daughter, he has some ideas of his own, but welcomes other suggestions from parents, grandparents, and residents of the community.
Puckett says Gibson is trying to “pay it forward” with his attempt to assist the communities that contributed to the success of his business. If there are other businesses or individuals that would like to make a donation to this project, please contact Puckett at the Town Office at 764-3754.
