Piscataquis Area Community Center seeking funding for 3 full-time positions

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Dover-Foxcroft Select Board formally approved a letter of intent for the Piscataquis Area Community Center to help the organization seek a Community Business Development Grant with the state’s Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program, with the motion made during Monday night’s meeting.

In the letter to the CDBG grant committee, Town Manager Alsina Breenstuhl explained the nonprofit PACC provides essential health, wellness, youth and family services to the region. 

“The proposed project will utilize CDBG EDP funding to support the creation of three permanent full-time positions at the PACC: an aquatics director, a custodian and a marketing & community outreach coordinator,” she wrote. “These positions are not only critical to the organization’s operations but also serve as direct economic drivers in Piscataquis County.”

The aquatics director will enable the PACC to expand swimming lessons, safety training and aquatic fitness programs and will generate increased revenue, reduce local barriers to aquatics access and help position the PACC as a regional hub for recreation, the letter explains.

The custodian will ensure the Park Street facility remains clean, safe and fully operational, creating a welcoming environment that supports member satisfaction and program growth. By maintaining the pool, fitness areas, locker rooms and community spaces, this position directly supports the ability to expand hours of operation, retain members and increase revenue-generating activities. 

The marketing & community outreach coordinator will strengthen membership recruitment, donor development and program visibility, create long-term sustainability while ensuring that low- and moderate-income households are actively engaged and served. 

“Together, these roles will grow the PACC’s capacity, create stable jobs, and expand economic impact through program fees, events and regional visitation,” Brenenstuhl wrote.

At least 51 percent of the jobs will be made available to low- and moderate-income individuals, in alignment with program requirements.

The PACC discovered the grant and approached the town about applying on its behalf, board member Kevin Sargent said in the promotion and development committee report. The hope is to have increased awareness of grant opportunities for town businesses and organizations.

In other business, the select board approved the appointment of Ryan Buttice to the RSU 68 Board of Directors, starting in November after current board member Brandon Hall steps down. Buttice will serve for the remainder of the 2025-26 academic year when the seat is set to be filled at June’s election.

The town charter is a bit vague on appointments for elected officials, Select Chair Steve Grammont said but the board is appointing Buttice so the 9-member school board will be full (five of the nine seats are for Dover-Foxcroft) instead of waiting until the June election.

Buttice and his wife Ashley moved to town in 2018 after living in southern Maine, and he told the board he is actively involved in coaching youth sports. 

“I’m happy to be a part and serve where I can to help move us along,” Buttice said.

Nearly a month since classes began at Foxcroft Academy and the SeDoMoCha School, the select board heard from the respective head of school and superintendent.

“We just completed Homecoming and the town was a big part in making it happen,” Head of School Arnold Shorey said. The fire department enabled the annual bonfire to be held safely during the current drought and the police department’s assistance enabled for the annual parade to proceed up West Main Street.

Foxcroft Academy has a current enrollment of 410 with 65 boarding students. The boarding number is down from last year’s 80, a June visa pause led to the drop, but there is interest among potential new students for the second semester.

Since the last time he spoke with the select board, $1.5 million in federal funding was withdrawn that would have helped develop the Penquis Higher Education Center at 50 Mayo St. into a home for career and technical education programs for both high school and post-secondary students.

Funding disappeared when Congress approved a bill that averted a government shutdown but cut out earmarks for states, including hundreds of millions of dollars for Maine.

Foxcroft Academy has reached out to the Guilford-based SAD 4 about continuing with a similar program. “The door’s still open for possibilities in the future,” Shorey said.

The Foxcroft Youth Sports program currently has nearly 125 participants with 30-plus in football, almost 50 in soccer and more than 40 in field hockey.

The pre-K to grade 8 SeDoMoCha School has an enrollment of 637 pupils, RSU 68 Superintendent Stacey Shorey said. This number is down by 20 from 2024-25 and is due to having a large eighth-grade class a year ago and a small kindergarten presently.

Just over 420 of the SeDoMoCha students are from Dover-Foxcroft, two thirds of the total. RSU 68, which includes the towns of Charleston, Monson and Sebec, has about 120 homeschool students which is similar to recent years, Shorey said.

“572 continues to be a real happening place,” she said about the central office at 572 Bangor Road that has been part of the district for four years.

The building now also houses 17 pre-K students between two classes and a Tri-County early education program. Another part of the building is the home of Hayes Law Office.

A new town logo is being considered by the promotion and development committee, Sargent said. 

Giving the public works committee report he said paving of the Landfill Road is still on schedule for next month. The plan is for just a single lane of the Summer Street side of the road to be closed at a time.

The project will involve excavating 16 inches down and putting in an aggregate before the asphalt is applied, Brenenstuhl said.