Situated at the corner of Military and Pennington streets in Paddy Holler, as the Houlton community refers to the area, is Weston’s Garage.
Danny and Linda Weston have owned the garage for 25 years and this family-owned business continues to offer its customers the same old-fashioned service that it has had since the day it opened under Ike Adler and later his son, Jake Adler.
On a brisk, but sunny day, Linda was pumping gas for customers and running the cash register, while Danny was back in the garage busily working on getting a customer’s car from the lift to the roadway again.
Inside the station, regulars gather to talk about the weather, have a coffee and enjoy visiting with one another. The business is a typical convenience store/garage. Weston’s even stock a few automotive parts.
The garage is still reminiscent of a time when mechanics were the backbone of a community. When anyone could drive to a garage and ask to have an oil change or whatever without an appointment — even if you had to wait —when you drove over a black hose that compressed air and you heard the ding, ding, and an attendant would come running out to pump your gas; garage doors were wide open and many a mechanic with their hat tipped sideways, greasy hands and a hanky hanging out of their pocket would stop to take a look at what needed fixing for you. They would work late into the evenings if need be or early in the morning to get a car up and going.
Weston’s is very much like that today. Someone can stop in and Danny will take a moment to address the problem, give the person a timeframe to come back or to leave their vehicle, and he will promptly get to work on getting it back to working condition.
Weston’s Garage is not a certified inspecting station nor does Danny work on tearing down motors or transmissions. His forte is in the everyday maintenance such as fixing tires, changing fuses, replacing lights, oil changes, lube jobs, changing shocks, brakes and exhaust systems.
Though not formally trained, Danny, who drove tanker truck for the former McGillicuddy Oil, is a naturally adept mechanic and his wife said he was too modest to say that “those who have gone to school ask him questions on how to fix a vehicle.”
Once Jake Adler put the gas station on the market, Howard Satterly, who owned the former McGillicuddy Oil, purchased the business and ran it for a couple of years, and Linda worked for Satterly at the former I-95 Mobil. The Westons bought the station from him in April of 1990.
“It was an opportunity for us and we took it,” said Linda. “We have regular customers and, of course, a few Canadians as well. We really appreciate our customers, many who have been with us since we took over.”
When the station was run by the Adlers, they had a pumping island in front of the building because their home was right beside the business, and Ike even had a junk yard out back, which now is the parking lot. Today, the pumps are on the side of the building and the Westons have added onto the garage.
“In 1997, we retanked,” said Linda, meaning the gas tanks underground were relocated. “We added a lift in the garage and we had Mobil gas, but for the last few years, we have sold Apex, which is a brand of R.H. Foster.”
Weston’s Garage is open six days a week from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We used to be open seven days a week, but in 2000, we decided to close on Sunday,” said Linda. “That gives us one day off.”
Danny, Linda and their older son Carl are the only ones running the garage.
The Westons have also noticed a change within the economy.
“In the ‘90s, business was booming more,” Linda said. “It has been more challenging the last few years.”
In the next few years, the Westons would like to sell the garage and retire.
“Until we do, we will be here,” smiled Linda.