Lottery winner to reveal herself by Tuesday

PITTSFIELD – The winner of last weekend’s $5 million top lottery prize has been to the Maine Lottery Commission in Augusta but has still not publicly revealed her identity.

Rich Sperlazzi of the commission said, “The ticket has been filed in the system,” but added that the winner has five days to determine under what name the winnings should be released. “It could be the winner’s name or a trust, for example.”

Sperlazzi said the deadline is next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, speculation and vicarious spending are rampant in Pittsfield as residents guess what the winner might do with the money or what they themselves would have done, if they had won.

“I would buy a recreational vehicle, only give my family members my cell phone number and I’d hit the road, traveling all over the country,” said Eileen Wright, a town office employee.

“I’d still work,” said Town Manager Kathryn Ruth, “but I’d buy my mother a house.”

“That’s a whole lot of money,” sighed Town Clerk Yvonne Mailman.

Actually, said Sperlazzi, if the winner takes the lump sum cash payment, she would get $2,907,754 before taxes are taken out. The federal government steps up and takes an immediate 27 percent, he said.

If the 25-year payout option were taken, the winner would get $193,000 a year, before taxes.

David Welch, owner of the Corner Cupboard convenience store in Pittsfield where the winning ticket was sold, said this weekend that the winner swore him to secrecy. But he said she works and lives in Pittsfield and “she deserves it.” He said the woman wanted some time to make financial decisions about the windfall before identifying herself.

Welch’s bonus for selling the ticket is 1 percent of the pot, or up to $30,000, before taxes.