Cautious workers glad about venture

Six former Georgia-Pacific Corp. millworkers – with more than 222 years of combined experience under their belts – stood together Monday during an announcement that the closed mill where they spent a majority of their lives working would reopen.

Gov. John Baldacci led the announcement surrounded by city leaders, congressional and University of Maine representatives and a collection of business owners and developers involved in the multimillion-dollar redevelopment project.

The group plans to transform the century-old papermaking facility into a manufacturing plant and energy park with the defunct paper mill’s biomass boiler as the central component. The move is expected to return hundreds of jobs to the former mill site.

While the Old Town Public Library meeting room was filled with former millworkers, residents and officials, the six displaced G-P employees standing together said they wouldn’t believe the news until the ink on the purchase and sales agreement, scheduled to be completed Oct. 25, was dry.

Even so, all six said they were excited about jobs returning to Old Town.

“I’m very happy things is going forward,” Jim Bosse, former pulp machine operator who worked at the mill for 41 years, said in a thick Maine accent. “I need a job. I’m 60 years old, and [health] insurance is expensive.”

The millworkers, each of whom has more than 20 years of papermaking experience, stood where they could shake Baldacci’s hand and thank him as he left the gathering.

“I won’t be happy until everything kicks back forward and you get back to work,” the governor told the men as he stopped for a moment. He laughed when one displaced worker said Baldacci should run for president.

After the governor left, the six G-P veterans, who have remained unemployed since G-P closed in March, stood around discussing the redevelopment plans. The subject of the death of papermaking in Old Town surfaced only briefly, replaced quickly with talk about who the group of friends thought would be returning to work.

“I think it’ll work because they have the biomass boiler,” Joey Theriault, former G-P fiber and energy specialist who worked at the mill for 41 years, said about the project. “Hopefully, we’ll all get back there.”

Four of the six left the meeting and headed to Johnny’s Pizza for coffee, juice and more conversation. While former workers were wondering whether they would be going back to work in the near future, local businesses and residents were optimistic about the community’s life after G-P.

The planned G-P project was the hot topic Monday at Carl’s Barber Shop, said barber Don Sparkman as he gave a haircut to a local resident.

“It’s the first thing they’re talking about when they come in today,” he said. “They just want to see it reopen, and they’re just happy about getting back to work. They’re cautiously optimistic.”

The mill closing six months ago has affected his business, cutting it by about 20 percent, said Sparkman, who pointed out that with redevelopment comes an increased tax base for the city.

The news is good and will “keep Old Town from dying,” Indian Island resident Larry Fowler said from his car while visiting a downtown bank.

The mill was the city’s largest employer and biggest taxpayer before it closed.

While the redevelopment news is upbeat, unanswered questions remain.

Estimates that up to 2,000 people eventually would be employed at the redeveloped G-P mill site might be “a bit optimistic,” Sparkman said while sharing a chuckle with resident David Fisher.

“I’d be happy just to get everybody [formerly employed] over there back to work,” he said.

Fisher added, “I think it’s about time.”

“We think this is very good,” Ron Dupuis, former electric instrument technician for G-P who worked at the mill for 42 years, said after the announcement Monday. “We aren’t going to make the money we made before, but it’s a job.”