‘We’re just going to fight this to the end’

Walking with Robert and Jennifer Dudley and their children around the 21/2 west Old Town acres that Robert Dudley cleared himself, it’s obvious the couple would like to build a house there. But if the West Old Town Landfill proceeds as planned, the Dudleys said, they won’t be building the two-story colonial home they said they’ve always dreamed of for the site.

“We don’t want to wake up and say, ‘How’s the water today?’ and ‘Can we smell it today?'” Robert Dudley said. He already has begun to research parcels of land for sale in Glenburn.

The Dudleys now live on College Avenue in Old Town, but after buying 13 acres on the East Coiley Road, near the landfill, in 1995, they had intended to build their dream home and move their family to the outskirts of town.

Robert’s income comes from several rental properties he owns in the area, and Jennifer does not want to leave her lifelong home in Old Town.

“The bottom of our world fell out when the word came, albeit late, about the expansion of the dump,” Jennifer Dudley said.

Robert cited Orono and Brewer councils as supporting the wishes of their residents.

“You don’t hear anything from the councilors in Old Town because they want the money,” he said.

The Dudleys understand the importance of local jobs but are asking at what cost to safety and the health of residents.

Jennifer’s uncle used to work for Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Old Town, but after losing his job during cutbacks he was forced to relocate to Las Vegas.

“We don’t want anybody to lose their jobs,” Jennifer said.

The couple also is concerned about the danger of heavy truck traffic on the roads. Although the town has plans to widen the narrow bridge on Route 16, the Dudleys are worried about what will happen when their two sons reach driving age.

“We feel that our council is virtually betraying us,” Robert said. “They’re not hearing anything but the dollar signs.”

The couple said the mill is on its way out with or without the landfill deal, and that town officials need to consider the long-term consequences.

“You can’t pay for things like dreams, hopes and plans,” Jennifer said.

With or without the landfill, the future of what will be done with the site still is a concern.

“Even if this blows over, there’s going to be a constant threat,” Jennifer said. The Dudleys have vowed that whether they stay in Old Town or buy property elsewhere for their dream home, they will become more involved and aware of what’s going on around them to prevent something like this from happening again.

“We want to live here. This is our home as far as we’re concerned,” Robert said. Their house plans were a “labor of love” that had taken seven years to create.

“I don’t care what [the property] appraises at,” Robert said of his property. “Once the dump comes in, who’s going to want to buy it?” In 1995, the couple purchased the property for $35,000 and has put in a driveway and underground electricity, and has had the septic system approved.

As she held her 13-week-old son, Ryan, and watched Bobby, 3, run and play in the snow, Jennifer recalled memories already made on the property.

Last spring Bobby hunted there for Easter eggs, making sure the Easter Bunny would know where to find him once the family moved.

“We’re just going to fight this to the end,” Robert said.