Airport Mall 20th Anniversary Tab

Among the more familiar faces at the Airport Mall are those belonging to Duane Stevenson and George Burr, the maintenance men who sweep and scrub and wash six days a week to keep the mall looking spotless.

Both men are retired from the Bangor Fire Department. After his retirement, Stevenson moved from Bangor to Amherst, while Burr still lives in Bangor.

They joined the Airport Mall community two years ago and quickly developed a reputation for letting little dust hit the floors before it was swept up. Stevenson and Burr perform general cleaning within the mall’s common areas and outside along the sidewalks and the parking lot. They work different shifts Monday through Saturday: 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for Stevenson, and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. for Burr.

“Picking up trash in the parking lot keeps us busy in the summer, and so does shoveling snow in the winter,” Stevenson said.

“We keep at it steady,” Burr said. “There’s always something to do, a window to wash or a floor to sweep.”

Mall employees often stop to talk with Stevenson and Burr as they make their rounds. “I think we know everyone in here,” Stevenson said, “and it doesn’t take long to get to know a new face.