FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — A day care center that closed in July could reopen soon after Fort Fairfield councilors approved a new lease for the facility.
The town council ratified a lease agreement for the Little Sunshine Learning Center under the ownership of a former staff member during their meeting on Aug. 21.
The center closed in mid-July, affecting around 20 children and their families. Parents around The County struggle to find child care, and though Fort Fairfield has a few home day cares, available slots are limited, Town Manager Tim Goff said. Having the center reopen will be a relief to the community.
“Seeing as that would be the best, fastest opportunity for us to reopen a much-needed day care facility in town, I agreed to enter into a lease agreement with April Stickney,” Goff said. “It’s an opportunity for us to hopefully get that day care reopened because we need day care badly in this town.”
Owners Jacqueline and Tim Shaw opened the Little Sunshine Learning Center in January, leasing a town-owned building near Puddledock Pond. On July 12, Jacqueline Shaw announced the closure on the center’s social media page.
Attempts to reach Shaw were not successful.
The closure wasn’t really about the facility, but involved some state regulations, reimbursement and other challenges the operators faced, Goff said. He commended the Shaws for their work to rehabilitate the building for day care use.
Because Stickney worked at the center and knows the children and parents, she will likely stand a better chance of success than someone new to the child care industry, he said.
In other business, town officials are working to address 59 property violations found during a May tour by Goff, Public Works Director Darren Hanson and Code Enforcement Officer Tony Levesque. They include illegal junkyards, unsafe buildings and unsanitary conditions, Goff said.
Letters went out to each property owner, and about 40 have responded. About a third of the issues have been fixed, Goff said.
A second round of letters will be sent out via certified mail to the property owners with the most egregious violations.
The town has about $8,000 in commercial demolition debris funding, which will be lost if it isn’t used, Goff said. He suggested using the funds to cover part of the cleanup costs for the affected residents.
The council voted to approve the plan.
Librarian Barbara Alexander of the Fort Fairfield Public Library updated the council on ongoing projects.
Thanks to grants and donations, the memorial garden to honor the late Rose Elmer is nearly complete, Alexander said.
The center started with $3,200, left over from the Mraz Family grant that paid for Elmer’s employment. Community fundraising netted $4,980, and an AARP grant contributed $10,650.
Volunteers turned out to help build a gazebo, plant more than 30 trees and install benches, lighting and fountains, she said.
A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24, to officially open the garden.
Work is also ongoing on a children’s garden project.
The library will also become one of the Aroostook Agency on Aging’s County-wide Access Points for Aging and has received $30,000 in technology equipment to enable seniors to access the internet, participate in virtual meetings, connect with resources and more, Alexander said.
The community is invited to an Access Points open house at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, Goff said.
The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19.
