FRENCHVILLE – Santa Claus, aka Michael Aube, state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency, made four stops in central and northern Aroostook County on Thursday leaving behind $1.15 million in grants.

Three agencies and nonprofit groups and two communities were beneficiaries of the USDA generosity. The money was distributed to assist community and economic development projects.

“The money we distributed today is to assist economic development plans in many areas,” Aube said in a stop at Frenchville where he dropped off two checks. “This snowmobile club supports many jobs in stores, gasoline stations and the motel industry.

“The work they do makes for nice communities,” he said. “It’s the same for the money I am bringing to the senior citizens club in Fort Kent.”

The town of Van Buren got the biggest check of the day. The Rural Business Enterprise Grant of $498,000 will assist in bringing water and sewer facilities and a roadway to develop the town’s regional industrial park.

The project is expected to create 57 new jobs and help three local businesses. The project is leveraged by $500,000 provided by the Municipal Investment Trust Fund.

Frenchville received a $400,000 grant and a $134,000 loan from the USDA to help repair the town’s water and waste disposal system. Without the grant, the town couldn’t have made needed repairs to the failing sewer system.

While in Frenchville, Aube presented a grant of $58,295 to James Guerrette, president and trailmaster of the Frenchville Snowmobile Club. The club is leveraging the grant with $70,000 of its own money to purchase a more than $120,000 trail grooming machine.

Aube said that money will assist in saving 31 jobs, helping 21 local businesses.

The Northern Maine Development Commission received the $50,000 Rural Business Opportunity Grant to help pay for a feasibility study on the creation of a resort or resorts in Aroostook County.

The study will look to accommodate the growing snowmobile, cross-country skiing and ATV tourism market. The feasibility study is leveraged with funds from the NMDC and the Aroostook Partnership for Progress.

Finally, Aube traveled to Fort Kent to bring $17,500 to the Elderly Social Action Council, the local senior citizens club. The money will be used to pave the driveway of their club and do some landscaping.

“They built that hall,” Aube said. “It’s good to be able to help them because they are an organization that helps make Fort Kent a nice community.”

The USDA, according to Aube, has money to help communities with economic development and to build and sustain small communities.

During the last four years, the USDA has made grants totaling more than $33 million in Aroostook County from the agency’s 44 programs.