Annual maple breakfast this Sunday at the fire station

Proceeds to benefit ‘Northwoods Heritage’ Shiretown Homecoming
in August

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — A late March tradition continues in 2014 as the annual maple breakfast will be served on Maine Maple Sunday, March 23 at the Dover-Foxcroft fire station from 7-10 a.m. The meal is the single biggest fundraiser for the annual Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming celebration, which will take place this year Aug. 1-2 with a theme of “Northwoods Heritage.”

Observer file photo

    CROWD AROUND THE TABLES — Hundreds of patrons attend the annual maple breakfast at the fire station in Dover-Foxcroft. This year’s meal will be served on Sunday, March 23 (Maine Maple Sunday) from 7-10 a.m., with proceeds going toward the annual Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming Aug. 1-2.

    The menu will be the same as in years past as patrons can enjoy pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, homemade home fries and beverages such as coffee, tea, juice and milk. The meal will also include Pure Maine Maple Syrup from Bob’s Sugarhouse in Dover-Foxcroft, which owner Bob Moore donates annually to the breakfast.
    Doors open at 7 a.m. on March 23 at the fire station downtown, and may be kept open later if need be. Diners from near and far come to enjoy the meal, as organizers try to keep prices down to attract a crowd.   

Observer file photo

    GOURMET CHEFS — Dover-Foxcroft Police Chief Dennis Dyer, left, and former Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Iverson cook up the homemade home fries during a past breakfast.

    The breakfast began a number of years ago when Moore spoke with then-Town Manager Owen Pratt about the idea of having a breakfast in Dover-Foxcroft similar to meals taking place elsewhere across the state to celebrate Maine Maple Sunday (which takes place the fourth Sunday in March) with Moore offering to donate all of the maple syrup. Moore has said the late Howard Kesseli was also instrumental in getting the breakfast up and running into what it is today.
    Around 300 people attended the inaugural maple breakfast and the record-high is nearly 1,000, with recent attendance figures being in the range of 850-950 people coming through the fire station doors in just a few hours.   
    The Tuesday before the breakfast crews clean the fire station and Wednesday they will bring in the grills, as the meal is carried out through the efforts of dozens of volunteers. Saturday those involved start preparing the potatoes, and members of the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department start to pre-cook the bacon on Saturday evening.

Observer file photos

    VOLUNTEER EFFORT — The efforts of volunteers, such as cooking and serving, help make the maple breakfast a success each and every year. All of the hard work for this year’s meal will come to fruition on the morning of Sunday, March 23 at the fire station in Dover-Foxcroft.

    On Sunday morning volunteers are at work before the sun rises to get the fire station ready for the hundreds of breakfast-goers. They cook, serve, assist the patrons coming in and more to help make the experience enjoyable for all. Police Chief and “renowned chef” Dennis Dyer will once again by cooking and serving up the homemade home fries.
    Potatoes are donated by Cleaves Farm, as the Sangerville farm has been donating hundreds of pounds of the vegetable annually for a number of years.
    Other food items have been donated in part by different vendors and a variety of stores in the area. Organizers try to keep the meal as local as possible, spreading purchases around to support those who have supported the breakfast and other Homecoming activities.
    The breakfast also has a number of corporate sponsors contributing to the event.
    Both on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 Bob’s Sugarhouse will celebrate the Maine Maple Weekend with an open house at the 252 East Main Street (Route 15) location in Dover-Foxcroft. For more information, please go to www.mainemaplesyrup.com.

Observer file photo/Chad Raymond

    STANDING-ROOM ONLY — The line for food snakes around inside the Dover-Foxcroft fire station for a past year’s maple breakfast.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    HOMECOMING BENEFIT — The annual maple breakfast is the single largest fundraiser for the annual Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming celebration the first weekend in August. This year’s Northwoods Heritage-themed Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming is scheduled for Aug. 1-2. For more information on Homecoming and the various event fundrasiers, please go to the Dover-Foxcroft town website at www. dover-foxcroft.org.